What Would You Do? Tire Puncture!

[Rogue_Trader]

I seem to have this thing about picking up road hazards, despite trying to avoid the debris-covered middle track.

 

This time it's a glass shard, which looks something like an arrowhead. It measures 1.2 cm long by .6cm wide, and was sticking in vertically, to the maximum depth of 1.2 cm.

 

Soapy bubble test shows no air leaking, but the tread still has a hole. Tire are Michelin PR2 with only a few thousand miles on them (it's the rear tire in question).

 

So: the question. It this thing reliable, or do I trash it? Is ANY type of repair advisable?

 

Thanks in advance for the assembled wisdom!

[Paco]

Rogue Trader,

 

If this happened to me I think it would be important to try to determine if the shard penetrated deep enough to cut any tire reinforcement cords. Without any special knowledge, I would think that where the shard penetrated would be a consisderation.

 

You might call Michelin customer service, which probably would be more cautious in making a recommendation.

 

Of course, this forum has many "experts" some of whom will be happy to dispense their expertise regarding your issue.

 

I look forward to seeing how you finally resolve the matter.

 

Good luck,

 

 

[dirtrider]

Hi Rogue_Trader

 

This is in no way a recommendation on what you should do. You are in kind of a quandary with a tire wound like that.

A few years ago I had a very similar tire problem only my tire damage was caused by part of an old automobile ignition key. As with yours it didn’t penetrate completely through and hit air. Only real difference was my tire was not a motorcycle radial but a high ply angle bias ply rear tire.

Same as you, very low mileage on a fairly new tire. I decided to just try some polymer based super glue, it was something or other Max from Loctite. I turned the cut to the top then filled the cut with the polymer based super glue then used a spring clamp to close the cut up until the glue dried.

I wasn’t planning on any long range trips so thought I would get as many miles on that tire as I could then replace it before any long distance traveling. I wasn’t worried about the tire losing air but more worried about road crap and water entering the cut and causing problems with the tire cords.

Well I watched it for a while then less often and didn’t see any air loss or ply separation so I just kept riding it. After a while I forgot about it so rode that tire to the end of life with no problems. The bike I had it on wasn’t a real hot dog so it never went much over 130 mph.

 

[johnlt]

I have a lot of minor cuts and holes on a tire and just leave them be if no air is leaking. Only thing to be concerned with if there is still something in the tire that will continue to penetrate as the tire wears. Try to remove as much as possible of the shard and forget about it. Just MO

[elkroeger]

If it were me: I'd ride it until the tread was worn down to the bottom of the cut. Then I'd look at it to determine if any cords were cut, and thus, if it was safe.

 

But then that's just me.