Puncture Repair front wheel ,is in not possible to do?

[devilnev 61]

I hope this is the right section .

 I was going to take the bike out but found front tyre  has a puncture  , basically it  has roofing felt nail in it ( Near centre ) .

I rang the local motorcycle shop they said they cannot repair front tyre if it had been a rear one  no problem ...

I am old school where if you had a puncture whack a inner tube in it..

Am i being  ripped off here with them saying that a front tyre cannot  be repaired, as at the moment it is down for a new tyre ,,, the one with the  puncture  has not even done 400 miles

[Slowboy 20,345]

To be fair to them, most would be very nervous about repairing a front puncture. The consequences of it failing would more likely be serious if not catastrophic, where with a rear tyre your more likely to stay on. 
If it’s any consolation (probably not) I’ve found myself in a similar situation with a new front tyre and stumped up for a new one. I felt happier it would be better than a front flat.

[Andy m 23,463]

I'd fit an internal plug. It's done everywhere away from our risk averse elven safety culture. I've not heard of Americans, Russians, Turks, Africans etc. having any trouble. My sample of two positive results out of two is not conclusive to anyone but me. 

 

A tube down grades the speed rating on the tyre by two. I also doubt the new 130 mph limit will bother you. Get another puncture and you are stuffed though, no roadside fix. 

 

Your problem if not able to go DIY is the commercial interests of the tyre supplier, fitter, their lawyers and elven safety gnomes (tell them their clipboards have sharp edges that should be painted yellow under ISO 1969-14b and watch the fear in their eyes 😁😈😈😈) are all against you. 

 

Andy

 

 

[Rocker66 34,371]

2 minutes ago, Andy m said:

I'd fit an internal plug. It's done everywhere away from our risk averse elven safety culture. I've not heard of Americans, Russians, Turks, Africans etc. having any trouble. My sample of two positive results out of two is not conclusive to anyone but me. 

 

A tube down grades the speed rating on the tyre by two. I also doubt the new 130 mph limit will bother you. Get another puncture and you are stuffed though, no roadside fix. 

 

Your problem if not able to go DIY is the commercial interests of the tyre supplier, fitter, their lawyers and elven safety gnomes (tell them their clipboards have sharp edges that should be painted yellow under ISO 1969-14b and watch the fear in their eyes 😁😈😈😈) are all against you. 

 

Andy

 

 

I know that you think that those of us that work(Ed) in health and safety are some sort of Mike and I agree that sometimes it’s taken to extremes however would you really want to go back to the working practises of 100 or more years ago and the number of casualties there were back then.

Personally I’m proud of the work both paid and unpaid that my Cole’s and I did to help help keep both employees and travelling public safe. 

 

[Andy m 23,463]

If tyre plugs are so unsafe why did Michelin Turkey sell and fit them? Turks are luckier? Their roads are less harsh? Different laws of physics? This is an excuse to make a £100 sale over a £20 one. 

 

Not making employees lick the radium paint brushes I'll give you was an improvement. 

 

Andy

[jeremyr62 2,537]

I work in a University and in that environment I have to say I agree with Stephen Fry who I think said Health and Safety are the three most pernicious words in the English Language. 

I have used the stop and go mushrooms in front tyres too with no issues. YMMV.

[Rocker66 34,371]

14 minutes ago, jeremyr62 said:

I work in a University and in that environment I have to say I agree with Stephen Fry who I think said Health and Safety are the three most pernicious words in the English Language. 

I have used the stop and go mushrooms in front tyres too with no issues. YMMV.

H&S is about a lot more than tyre plugs. One of the main reasons that firms are very cautious about what they do is not so much H&S but the modern claim culture where as soon as anything happens people want to sue. This is why we have such things as warnings on tea/coffee containers stating that they contain hot liquid.

[outrunner 4,457]

9 minutes ago, Rocker66 said:

H&S is about a lot more than tyre plugs.

Granted, but this thread is about tyre plugs which, by the way I have also had in internal plug fitted t a front tyre and ran it for over 2 thousand miles with no problem.

 

Andy.

[Rocker66 34,371]

8 minutes ago, outrunner said:

Granted, but this thread is about tyre plugs which, by the way I have also had in internal plug fitted t a front tyre and ran it for over 2 thousand miles with no problem.

 

Andy.

And I never said that tyre plugs were dangerous I was responding to your namesake having yet another dig at people involved in H&S.

[devilnev 61]

39 minutes ago, outrunner said:

Granted, but this thread is about tyre plugs which, by the way I have also had in internal plug fitted t a front tyre and ran it for over 2 thousand miles with no problem.

 

Andy.

I started this thread to find out if its shop practice to not repair front wheel punctures, i did not know if it was my local motorbike dealers  practice..

it seems it is practice across the board and not one shop  going by the replies ..in no way is it meant or should be a  criticism of health and safety ,

 i realise  tyre compounds have changed along with tread patterns and bike performances

[jeremyr62 2,537]

We are an opinionated lot. It goes with the fact we are a bunch of oldsters who all think we know best. Your mission is to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

[MatBin 5,080]

2 hours ago, devilnev said:

I started this thread to find out if its shop practice to not repair front wheel punctures, i did not know if it was my local motorbike dealers  practice..

it seems it is practice across the board and not one shop  going by the replies ..in no way is it meant or should be a  criticism of health and safety ,

 i realise  tyre compounds have changed along with tread patterns and bike performances

If you can't find someone to fix it in the UK then it doesn't matter if they will do it in Turkey or not, sorry Andy that just isn't relevant to the OP question.

I have just had a rear tyre plugged, they didn't ask if it was front or rear when I enquired, obvious it was rear when I took the wheel round and to be fair I may have said it was a rear when I called them.

Two wheel centre, Harpenden, if it helps.

I recall getting a front plugged many years ago but rules, regs and concerns change over time, so my experience may not match today's experience.

 

[davebike 943]

As a pro I rather nervious of fitting a repair to a front tyre

We live in a blame colture  I been sued once Judje said the settlement I offered before even a threat of action (I was taken ill with his bike in workshop) We had numerious threats since

I have and will repair front for Regular customers who are thinking riders

I will not repair if I feel you going to be a problem if it fails same as I will not repair a rear tyre that is down to the ware markers !

As far as I aware there is no leagal rulling but the repairers insurence may be an issue

The ratio of front to rear puntures at least 100 to one makes it not a common issue

 

one of the reasons for getting to know a repairer I suspect many work as I do

[Andy m 23,463]

Totally with you on the problem customers. I tell plenty we aren't offering such-and-such at this time (translation : " I believe you to be a total muppet who'll not understand the result and make a lot of wah-wah noises afterwards if it isn't perfect ") . I dread to think the sort of over precious snowflakes you get in bike workshops begging for their favourite toy to be made like new again. It is tempting to make up technical reasons, but best not to, they talk to each other. It must be tempting to tell your employees to just not offer it to anyone. 

 

If a plug won't seal you have to accept throwing good money after bad and buy a new tyre. A workshop with plugs and glue can only see so much when assembling the repair. I'd still try on my own tyres if they were worth saving. After a thousand miles the heat will integrate the plug into the structure, so then you can stop monitoring it. 

 

Andy

Edited July 21, 2021 by Andy m

[shiggsy 529]

Front tyre punctures are rare so you could just put it down to experience and get a new tyre. I have only ever had a couple but I have had them plugged, its so long since I had one though so I don't know if they are still offered.  Unless it was a relatiely new tyre I would probably just get a new one. 

[Xactly 5,335]

1 hour ago, shiggsy said:

Front tyre punctures are rare so you could just put it down to experience and get a new tyre. I have only ever had a couple but I have had them plugged, its so long since I had one though so I don't know if they are still offered.  Unless it was a relatiely new tyre I would probably just get a new one. 

I’d do the same. At the end of the cliché it’s about one’s own risk appetite as a rider. I have experienced a deflation in the rear tyre at 80mph. I certainly wouldn’t want the same in the front tyre. To me, it’s not a risk worth taking for something that, as has been said, is unlikely to happen again. Then again, I’m happy to ride in a spirited manner on the original Dunlop tyres, so maybe I’m chaff.

[fj_stuart 4,739]

From my experience a patch plug is perfectly safe. I don't see the difference between a front and a rear tyre. Once correctly installed there's really no way it can fail. If the tyre deflates again it's because of another puncture. And even if it did somehow fail it would go down slowly and give you plenty of warning. I can see why a shop would be reluctant to do a repair. It's a bit of work for what you could reasonable charge. I wouldn't want do one for £20.

[davebike 943]

the difference front to rear is about what is lightly to Happon if yesbig IFF there is a caterstrofic fail 

 

Sudden deflation rear tyre  OK a shock unpleasent but not a control issue I hit a broken gless bottle a few years ago on a rounderabout  Hole in rear tyre I could get my hand in ! Just a bad moment

 

Sudden deflation front tyre  Good chance of crashing  I had a front at speeda few years ago stayed on but very nasty came close to crashing hitting another rider

[fj_stuart 4,739]

15 hours ago, jeremyr62 said:

I work in a University and in that environment I have to say I agree with Stephen Fry who I think said Health and Safety are the three most pernicious words in the English Language. 

 

I've heard Steven Fry described as "what stupid people think a clever person is like". If he thinks H&S is "pernicious" then he is very stupid indeed. I had a career in Civil Engineering, mostly bridge building, and there is no end of ways to get yourself maimed or killed on a site. H&S regulations have resulted in a fall in death & injury over time.

[Rev Ken 6,327]

26 minutes ago, davebike said:

the difference front to rear is about what is lightly to Happon if yesbig IFF there is a caterstrofic fail 

 

Sudden deflation rear tyre  OK a shock unpleasent but not a control issue I hit a broken gless bottle a few years ago on a rounderabout  Hole in rear tyre I could get my hand in ! Just a bad moment

 

Sudden deflation front tyre  Good chance of crashing  I had a front at speeda few years ago stayed on but very nasty came close to crashing hitting another rider

It is strange but on tubed tyres I've had two front tyre blowouts and one rear tyre, all within 6 months on my Vincent Rapide. To my surprise controlling the bike was harder when the rear tyre blew out! (Front tyre blow outs l let the bike slow down without braking and dumped it on the grass verge when it became unstable at about 20mph) I braked hard with my front brake only when the rear tyre blew, but the wheel rim still hit the road at about 40mph and was a real handful. I was just lucky there was a large grass verge and managed to stay aboard until around 20mph, more by luck than anything else!

 

Tubeless tyres are less prone to a blow out in my experience and deflate a lot more slowly (unless you run over something that destroys the tyre!)

 

I presume we all know the reason for many more rear tyre punctures is that front tyres have a nasty habit of flipping up nails etc ready to penetrate the rear tyre!

[davebike 943]

Quote

Tubeless tyres are less prone to a blow out in my experience and deflate a lot more slowly (unless you run over something that destroys the tyre!)

 

And this is the reason I for one am very caerfull what I repair  as a repair if it fails will often fail very abruptly !

 

Odd you had more issues with rear than front handling wise I guess it to do with  how modern bikes are set up compaired with older bikes  more weight on front and steper steering angle  at a guess !