From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

I was just thinking the other day that punctures are pretty rare these days.

Today I found the rear tyre on the Energica was almost flat, caused by a
tiny V-shaped piece of sheet steel, possibly part of a clip or
perforated plate, embedded point first about halfway between the tyre centreline and the edge. Doubly annoying because the tyre only has a
couple of thousand miles on it and these Michelins are good for 8-9000
miles. Plus the Guzzi is on blocks awaiting a new front tyre itself.

So, puncture repair applied in the form of a sticky string patch.

Has anyone tested how long these patches last? The instructions say
temporary only to get to a repair place.
--

CHUMP #1 (CHarge Up Muppet)

Pip

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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

PipL <pip@nowhere.nul> wrote:

I was just thinking the other day that punctures are pretty rare these days.

Today I found the rear tyre on the Energica was almost flat, caused by a tiny V-shaped piece of sheet steel, possibly part of a clip or
perforated plate, embedded point first about halfway between the tyre centreline and the edge. Doubly annoying because the tyre only has a
couple of thousand miles on it and these Michelins are good for 8-9000 miles. Plus the Guzzi is on blocks awaiting a new front tyre itself.

So, puncture repair applied in the form of a sticky string patch.

Has anyone tested how long these patches last? The instructions say temporary only to get to a repair place.

I've only had success with them in car tires where they lasted the life
of the tire. The one time I used them in a motorcycle situation, my
GL1200 Aspencade had an enormous gash in the rear tire and needed two
plugs to fill the hole, which only served to get me home with a couple
of stops to refill the leaky tire from the onboard air compressor.

Since I can afford to buy another tire I would take the safe way out
and replace the tire. Some folks say a properly done internal patch
is safe as a permanent repair, and I'm sure many have just left the
sticky string in place without problems.


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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 18/01/2026 16:08, PipL wrote:

Has anyone tested how long these patches last? The instructions say temporary only to get to a repair place.

If you mean the 'strings' around 2-4mm thick, that you insert into the
hole, along with some glue, then yes. We had a blowout in Czechia, fixed
it at the roadside, then panicked for a day trying to get a new tyre in Germany, but couldnt find one in stock where we were going. So we rode
home with it like that for 900+ miles. It needed a top up of air each
morning, but got us back home.
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On Jan 18, 2026 at 11:08:05 AM EST, "PipL" <pip@nowhere.nul> wrote:

I was just thinking the other day that punctures are pretty rare these days.

Murray got a disproportionate number in the lat few years of his life. Perhaps the streets of South London are paved with nails, or perhaps that dotty old fool rode in the gutters all the time.

I don't think I've ever had a puncture, on a bike, in a car, or in an HGV.

Today I found the rear tyre on the Energica was almost flat, caused by a
tiny V-shaped piece of sheet steel, possibly part of a clip or
perforated plate, embedded point first about halfway between the tyre centreline and the edge. Doubly annoying because the tyre only has a
couple of thousand miles on it and these Michelins are good for 8-9000
miles. Plus the Guzzi is on blocks awaiting a new front tyre itself.

Bad luck.

So, puncture repair applied in the form of a sticky string patch.

Has anyone tested how long these patches last? The instructions say
temporary only to get to a repair place.

I would take it on a track day with a patch, nor 150mph on the autobahn, and I'd not put off replacement forever, but I wouldn't stress about it too much.
I'd get it replacement when my calendar permitted.
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 18/01/2026 16:47, Mark Olson wrote:

PipL <pip@nowhere.nul> wrote:

I was just thinking the other day that punctures are pretty rare these days. >>
Today I found the rear tyre on the Energica was almost flat, caused by a
tiny V-shaped piece of sheet steel, possibly part of a clip or
perforated plate, embedded point first about halfway between the tyre
centreline and the edge. Doubly annoying because the tyre only has a
couple of thousand miles on it and these Michelins are good for 8-9000
miles. Plus the Guzzi is on blocks awaiting a new front tyre itself.

So, puncture repair applied in the form of a sticky string patch.

Has anyone tested how long these patches last? The instructions say
temporary only to get to a repair place.

I've only had success with them in car tires where they lasted the life
of the tire. The one time I used them in a motorcycle situation, my
GL1200 Aspencade had an enormous gash in the rear tire and needed two
plugs to fill the hole, which only served to get me home with a couple
of stops to refill the leaky tire from the onboard air compressor.

Since I can afford to buy another tire I would take the safe way out
and replace the tire. Some folks say a properly done internal patch
is safe as a permanent repair, and I'm sure many have just left the
sticky string in place without problems.

Looking around the various forums, the consensus seems to be "keep an
eye on pressure but they're generally fine" despite what the
manufacturer says. I'll see what the pressure us tomorrow - it went up a
bit after a 2-mile trundle round the block as you'd expect of an intact
tyre - and just make sure I'm carrying a pump. It's a small hole (the
tool actually made it bigger) in the rear tyre, so if it fails most
likely the handling'll go odd over a minute or so and I'll have to pull
over.

My biggest concern is that the sticky string kit is several years old,
though the glue is relatively recent: I had to take it from a kit I
bought for the car. The car strings and tool were too wide to fit the hole.
--

CHUMP #1 (CHarge Up Muppet)

Pip
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 18/01/2026 16:08, PipL wrote:

Has anyone tested how long these patches last? The instructions say temporary only to get to a repair place.

Lots and lots of years on my little Kubota.

Also I had a car puncture fixed in a tyre shop en France a while back,
they used sticky string too.
--
/Simon
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 18/01/2026 16:08, PipL wrote:

So, puncture repair applied in the form of a sticky string patch.

Has anyone tested how long these patches last? The instructions say temporary only to get to a repair place.

My only attempt to use one of those failed miserably. However, I have
had a few tyre repairs over the years at my local tyre shop, using
proper internal patches, who used to charge -u15 for a patch on an
unmounted tyre. Rather irrelevant now as both my roadworthy bikes have
tubed tyres.
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 18/01/2026 16:08 PipL penned these words:

Has anyone tested how long these patches last? The instructions say temporary only to get to a repair place.

I used on on an almost brand new tyre being it was late Saturday as I recall and
I had a long trip planned the next day. It was still there when the tyre wore out 5k miles or so later and despite pulling on it as hard as we could manage neither the tyre bod or I could shift it from the old tyre.
--
Ian

"Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest"
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

PipL wrote:

I was just thinking the other day that punctures are pretty rare these days.

Today I found the rear tyre on the Energica was almost flat, caused by a tiny V-shaped piece of sheet steel, possibly part of a clip or
perforated plate, embedded point first about halfway between the tyre centreline and the edge. Doubly annoying because the tyre only has a
couple of thousand miles on it and these Michelins are good for 8-9000 miles. Plus the Guzzi is on blocks awaiting a new front tyre itself.

So, puncture repair applied in the form of a sticky string patch.

Has anyone tested how long these patches last? The instructions say temporary only to get to a repair place.

I currently have one in my rear tyre from June 2025, and have covered a
few thousand miles since. I check pressures regularly and it hasn't lost
any at all. I'm happy to use them as a permanent repair (with the caveat
of checking pressures regularly, which I do anyway).
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 19/1/26 05:09, PipL wrote:

Looking around the various forums, the consensus seems to be "keep an
eye on pressure but they're generally fine" despite what the
manufacturer says. I'll see what the pressure us tomorrow - it went up a
bit after a 2-mile trundle round the block as you'd expect of an intact
tyre - and just make sure I'm carrying a pump. It's a small hole (the
tool actually made it bigger) in the rear tyre, so if it fails most
likely the handling'll go odd over a minute or so and I'll have to pull >over.

A tyre bloke once told me that a lot of blowouts are caused by a slow
puncture which allows air to get in-between the layers, causing them to
separate (eventually).
Here is one I prepared (20years) earlier.


https://1drv.ms/i/c/e6866aaf8c925c9b/IQDEoIa9oZSqTaSaxfbv3FW9AR7KXayHL5N61-TDnvcaigg

Being supported by its twin and the other 3 axles meant that the rim didn't
carve into the sidewall so you can still see what happened. It exploded
basically.
Upshot is that if the pressure drops over time then renew it. If the
pressure holds for say a week then it should be OK until the tyre wears
out.
--
Geoff
NTV 650
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 19/01/2026 16:56, geoffC wrote:

On 19/1/26 05:09, PipL wrote:

A tyre bloke once told me that a lot of blowouts are caused by a slow puncture which allows air to get in-between the layers, causing them to separate (eventually).
Here is one I prepared (20years) earlier.

https://1drv.ms/i/c/e6866aaf8c925c9b/ IQDEoIa9oZSqTaSaxfbv3FW9AR7KXayHL5N61-TDnvcaigg

Being supported by its twin and the other 3 axles meant that the rim didn't carve into the sidewall so you can still see what happened. It exploded basically.
Upshot is that if the pressure drops over time then renew it. If the
pressure holds for say a week then it should be OK until the tyre wears
out.

That looks... interesting.
--

CHUMP #1 (CHarge Up Muppet)

Pip
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From Newsgroup: uk.rec.motorcycles

On 19/01/2026 09:02, Sqirrel99 wrote:

PipL wrote:

I was just thinking the other day that punctures are pretty rare these
days.

Today I found the rear tyre on the Energica was almost flat, caused by
a tiny V-shaped piece of sheet steel, possibly part of a clip or
perforated plate, embedded point first about halfway between the tyre
centreline and the edge. Doubly annoying because the tyre only has a
couple of thousand miles on it and these Michelins are good for 8-9000
miles. Plus the Guzzi is on blocks awaiting a new front tyre itself.

So, puncture repair applied in the form of a sticky string patch.

Has anyone tested how long these patches last? The instructions say
temporary only to get to a repair place.

I currently have one in my rear tyre from June 2025, and have covered a
few thousand miles since. I check pressures regularly and it hasn't lost
any at all. I'm happy to use them as a permanent repair (with the caveat
of checking pressures regularly, which I do anyway).

Well, this had held pressue overnight, and when I checked mid-afternoon,
had gone up 1 psi, so I reckon it's sealing well. As you say, I'll be
keeping a beady eye on it (well, a tready eye on it anyway).
--

CHUMP #1 (CHarge Up Muppet)

Pip
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