Many things can ruin your ride, and getting a flat tire is undoubtedly one of them. It can be even a bigger problem if you are far from your garage and there isn’t any bike shop near you. The good thing is that a flat tire doesn’t always mean that you need to change it. A repair kit will be enough to fix it on the roadside most of the time.
As soon as you notice that your tire is flat, you must pull over to some safe spot and fix it before continuing your ride. Do not ride with a flat tire because it will give you very hard handling problems that can lead you to fall from your motorcycle and bump into something or, even worse, someone. Driving in this condition will probably damage your motorcycle rims so fixing a tire is mandatory.
With that being said, we will teach you how to repair your flat tire.
So how do you fix a flat tire? Locate the hole, remove any sharp object left inside the tire and use the plugging material to cover the hole. Take off the whole wheel. The piercing material must be removed, and the tube must be separated from the wheel. Patch the tube and return the wheel on the motorcycle.
You will have to check which type of tire is yours since the process of fixing a flat tire is a little bit different between these two types. Later in this article, we will teach you the differences between tubeless and tube-type tires, so continue reading to find it out.
Table of Contents
How to Fix a Flat Tubeless Motorcycle Tire?
If there are tubeless type tires mounted on your motorcycle, you won’t have to worry so much since the process of fixing this type is a lot quicker and easier.
Tools needed for tire repair:
- Motorcycle tire repair kit
- Utility knife: it is included in most of the kits
- Hand pump: required to fill the air in a tire
- Tire pressure gauge: used for checking the proper pressure of the patched tire
Fixing a Motorcycle Flat Tubeless Tire
Step 1: Find the Hole
The first thing you need to do is identify the hole where the air comes out. Place your head near the tire and look for hissing sounds that indicate the air coming out. Make sure to look for any object that may have pierced your tire. If you couldn’t find the hole, use soap water on the entire tire surface as it will blow air bubbles and indicate the exact spot of the hole.
Step 2: Use Your Reaming Tool to Fix the Hole
Remove any remain of piercing object left on your tire. Then ream in and out, and side by side of the pierced hole, which will clear the hole and give you a better look at the size of the hole.
When you are done with cleaning the hole, don’t remove the reaming tool quickly because it stops air from leaving your pierced tire.
Step 3: Place the Plugging Material
Take the plugging tool (the eyelet tool) from your tire repair kit along with the plugging material. Thread the plugging material through the eyelet of the plugging tool. Place the plug immediately as you pull out the reaming tool from the hole. Insert it 3/4 in the hole, and then in one fast move, pull it out.
Take a utility knife and trim any plugging material left, to stay flush with the tire tread. Wait for around 10 minutes for the plugging material to harden and seal the hole.
Step 4: Inflate the Tire to the Recommended Pressure
After the 10 minutes have passed, you will have to pump your tire to the required pressure, so it is prepared for a ride. You can buy kits containing CO2 cartridges, which should be enough for pumping your tire. It is also a good option if you have a hand pump beside you since you won’t run out of air supply.
How Can You Fix a Tube-Type Motorcycle Tire?
Fixing a tube-type tire demands more time and is a little trickier than fixing a tubeless tire. You will have to take off the entire wheel and then separate the tire from the wheel to approach the tube and fix it.
Tip: If the tire is so heavily damaged and there is nothing you can do to save her, and you need to change it, click on this link where we will explain how to change a motorcycle tire.
A list of these tools is required for this job:
- Motorcycle tire repair kit
- Tire tubs
- Tire levers
- Hand pump
- Tool for removing a valve stem
- Tire pressure gauge
- Rim protectors
Here are the steps for fixing a motorcycle tube-type tire:
Fixing a Motorcycle Tube-Type Tire
Step 1: Remove the Pierced Tire off Your Motorcycle
Remove the object that pierced the hole on your tire and deflate the tire (tube) entirely. Now take the wheel off your motorcycle and place it somewhere you will be able to work on it. In case if you are on the road, don’t work on it because it is hard, and its surface could damage the rim.
If there is a place covered with grass, it will be good for the wheel, or if you have an extra shirt or jacket with you, you can place it on the grass and place the wheel on it.
Step 2: Take the Tube out and Patch It
Getting access to the tube is now simple because the rim is taken off. Take the tube off and use the motorcycle tire repair kit to patch it. When you have fixed the tube, put the valve system back into its place in the rim and fill up the tube slightly using the hand pump or CO2 cartridges from your repair kit.
Step 3: Take the Tire off the Rim
A portable bead breaker will help you break the bid of your tire, but if you don’t have it by your side, your motorcycle boot heel will help you break it. As soon as you press down the bead, it pops out; use the rim protectors to protect the rim while prying the tire over the lip of the rim.
While using the tire iron, make sure to press down the bead on the opposite side of your wheel using your heel to position it to the center of the tire. This ensures you pry your tire across the rim with hand-in-hand movement all over the wheel up until the bead on the other side pops.
NOTE: Be cautious and don’t dig tire irons too deep because it could lead to further tube piercing.
Step 4: Finishing the Job
A slightly inflated tube needs to be put back into the rime; consider using a tire iron to help you in the process. When you put the tire on, place the wheel back to the motorcycle and inflate your tire to the recommended pressure.
IMPORTANT: A tube-type tire should be changed after the first piercing, wherein the case of a tubeless tire is not mandatory. Consider replacing the pierced tire with a new one as soon as you come home or in a repair shop.
Inspect your tires before every ride because correct and functional tires are mandatory for your safety.
Take a look at this video to see how emergency puncture repair is being done:
Conclusion
Repairing a flat tire is very important because riding in this condition can lead to two significant problems:
- Damaging your rim
- Falling off your bike
With that being said, you should fix the tire as soon as you notice that it is flat. Stop immediately if you see that your tire is flat and pierced during a ride. Don’t try to ride with a flat tire even if you don’t have the equipment required for fixing it. In the worst-case, call a friend for help, put the motorcycle on a trailer, and take it to a garage where you will have space and the required tools to fix it. We hope that this article has helped you with all the mandatory things to deal with this kind of problem.