Date: 28-03-24  Time: 09:39 am

Author Topic: Crafty plugger  (Read 4167 times)

Skippernick

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Crafty plugger
« on: 25 May 2018, 09:03:34 pm »
Im guessing if but the one without the gas bottles you have to blow the tyre up your self, ie pump.


Are the gas bottle ones easy to use?


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Bretty

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #1 on: 25 May 2018, 09:31:20 pm »
I have a mini compressor under my seat and a plugging kit. I have a 'cigarette lighter' socket installed for general charging, its compact and plugs in there.

I've never used anything else, so can't comment, but this works for me.

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robbo

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #2 on: 25 May 2018, 09:56:43 pm »
What Bretty said :thumbup :thumbup
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Hugh Mungus

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #3 on: 26 May 2018, 07:05:18 am »
I have been told that the gas cartridges can be a fiddly job. By the time they are connected half of the gas has gone. A mate used all 4 cartridges to get tyre inflated but still had to ride very slowly to a forecourt to put more air in.


A couple of mates have this compressor and say it is good. Can't seem to find many in the UK on ebay at the moment...


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Slime-Compact-Tyre-Inflator-Ideal-For-Motorcycles/332662232355?hash=item4d7436d523:g:kvsAAOSwukVbBrQN

robbo

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #4 on: 26 May 2018, 08:53:47 am »
If you use a quality cartridge dispenser like the one made by Unich, which have a valve that only releases the gas when operated. I carry one of these for day to day riding, but on proper trips it's always a mini compressor.
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Hugh Mungus

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #5 on: 26 May 2018, 09:11:53 am »

A mate has one of these and says it is good. Quite compact - fits under the seat of his FJR - can be used on one charge to inflate 1 tyre up to 42 psi and then another tyre to 10 psi - so in effect it's good for one full inflation. Can be recharged on bike if you have USB/Fag lighter socket. He said it took 9 minutes and 10 seconds to fully inflate tyre from dead flat. About 3 hours to recharge battery.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-Rechargeable-LCD-Display-Air-Inflator-Electric-Car-Bike-Motocycle-Tyre-Pump/123022196774?epid=5016612541&hash=item1ca4b1c026:g:nGkAAOSw~xlaqlWq

mr self destruct

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #6 on: 26 May 2018, 10:39:28 am »
I use a mini foot pump as they’re more compact than the inflators. They’re about a tenner on eBay and Amazon.
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darrsi

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #7 on: 26 May 2018, 12:03:34 pm »
I have a mini compressor under my seat and a plugging kit. I have a 'cigarette lighter' socket installed for general charging, its compact and plugs in there.

I've never used anything else, so can't comment, but this works for me.


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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #8 on: 29 May 2018, 12:55:32 pm »
If you set the trussing needle and cord up (crafty plugger) and have it ready to hand to push in the hole once the offending object is removed  hardly any of the remaining   should be lost.   But obviously worth carrying a pump of some sort
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Skippernick

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #9 on: 29 May 2018, 08:21:18 pm »
Cheers guys food for thought.
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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #10 on: 30 May 2018, 11:24:15 pm »
Yesterday, Russ of Russ' Tyres here in Portsmouth did a workshop for a number of us from the local IAM group.
What he did was to get several old tyres either with holes already in them or he'd drill holes so we could try out different puncture repair systems.

I found that the Cargol Turn and Go key I tried didn't work on a 4.5mm hole (despite them saying it would work up to 5mm) and when I tried it on a 3mm hole, it broke off before sealing it properly (although it might have been weakened by trying to use it twice).We also tried a Crafty Plugger (the one with the long strands that look like liquorice sticks), but they were a bit fiddly and didn't work all the time.

Most effective were the Stop and Go Pocket Tyre Plugger or the Tip Top Rep & Air set (which uses the figure 8 style plugs) that managed to seal a slit-like puncture that was almost a centimetre long.
He did make the very important point that any such repair should *ALWAYS* be treated as temporary until you can take the tyre off and check for internal damage because, although you may have read posts from people saying "I plugged this and rode on it for 5000 miles", that's no guarantee that the puncture repair you do is 100% safe and, personally, I'd prefer not to risk my safety when a professional with 30 years' experience gives advice like that :thumbup

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #11 on: 31 May 2018, 05:47:04 am »
I've heard of people riding thousands of miles after a roadside repair. I just could not do it, I would be going bonkers with it in the back of my mind until I'd got it repaired properly.




darrsi

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #12 on: 31 May 2018, 06:43:27 am »
Yesterday, Russ of Russ' Tyres here in Portsmouth did a workshop for a number of us from the local IAM group.
What he did was to get several old tyres either with holes already in them or he'd drill holes so we could try out different puncture repair systems.

I found that the Cargol Turn and Go key I tried didn't work on a 4.5mm hole (despite them saying it would work up to 5mm) and when I tried it on a 3mm hole, it broke off before sealing it properly (although it might have been weakened by trying to use it twice).We also tried a Crafty Plugger (the one with the long strands that look like liquorice sticks), but they were a bit fiddly and didn't work all the time.

Most effective were the Stop and Go Pocket Tyre Plugger or the Tip Top Rep & Air set (which uses the figure 8 style plugs) that managed to seal a slit-like puncture that was almost a centimetre long.
He did make the very important point that any such repair should *ALWAYS* be treated as temporary until you can take the tyre off and check for internal damage because, although you may have read posts from people saying "I plugged this and rode on it for 5000 miles", that's no guarantee that the puncture repair you do is 100% safe and, personally, I'd prefer not to risk my safety when a professional with 30 years' experience gives advice like that :thumbup


With all due respect, he's not going to say anything different than that is he, because he would be daft to start telling anyone that it's safe to plug a tyre and use it for longer than a temporary fix!
He's in the business of selling tyres.  :lol
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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #13 on: 31 May 2018, 09:09:21 am »
I've heard of people riding thousands of miles after a roadside repair. I just could not do it, I would be going bonkers with it in the back of my mind until I'd got it repaired properly.

When I needed a Crafty Plugger last year I fully intended to do a “proper” repair ASAP.
Even the smallest mushrooms are designed for larger punctures than the tiny hole left by the small nail I hit. Reaming the hole out to make it big enough to repair that way would risk cutting the kevlar cords of the tyre carcass. I could have replaced the plug with bicycle patch I suppose, but that didn’t feel as if it would be more secure.
So, I’ve left it.
After the first couple of thousand miles you stop worrying. :)

Grahamm

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #14 on: 31 May 2018, 10:32:56 am »
With all due respect, he's not going to say anything different than that is he, because he would be daft to start telling anyone that it's safe to plug a tyre and use it for longer than a temporary fix!
He's in the business of selling tyres.  :lol


With all due respect, I had a bet with myself that someone would pop up with a comment like that...!

A little story: When I first got my Fazer back in 2007, I found it such a PITA trying to get garage air hoses onto the tyre valves, I had him swap them over for the 90 degree style.

Since then I'd been in multiple times for new fronts and rears when they needed replacing.

About a year ago, I found I was losing pressure in my front tyre, but there seemed to be no damage, so I went in to see Russ and he tried swapping over the valve core.

Unfortunately the pressure loss continued, so I went back and this time he took the tyre off the wheel and found that the base of the replacement valve had corroded, so he replaced it and put the wheel back on the bike.

Total cost? Nothing, nada, zip.

That is the sort of service that this guy offers and why, if you go onto a page like Hampshire Bikers and ask where you should get your tyres fitted or replaced, you'll get 20 people saying "Go to Russ" because he's *not* just "in the business of selling tyres", his fundamental ethos is "would I want to ride on that?"

A PS to this, when the club asked him to do this workshop, he *didn't* say "yes, I'll do it for X amount", instead we had a whip-round for him at the end and he probably got more out of that than he would have got for charging a fee.

So if you're ever down near Portsmouth and need tyres sorted, go to http://www.russmotorcycletyres.co.uk/ :thumbup

Grahamm

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #15 on: 31 May 2018, 10:39:06 am »
After the first couple of thousand miles you stop worrying. :)

One more story from Russ: He'd had someone come in with a tyre they'd "fixed" with a roadside kit.

They'd used a reaming tool, put in the plug etc, but what they hadn't realised is that the nail they'd hit had bent as it went in, so when they'd done the repair "vertically", they hadn't fixed it properly because the nail had actually damaged the tyre at 45 degrees.

The repair had, fortunately, held, but it could easily have failed in use and at speed...

Again, my safety is worth more than the few quid it would cost to get this checked properly by someone with sufficient experience to make sure that it's actually going to keep working.

Jamieg285

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #16 on: 31 May 2018, 12:29:09 pm »
Just to add to this, I wasn't happy with how tricky it was to fit the crafty plugger style fix, so went for stop N go mushrooms and was very impressed with how easy they are to fit.
I was in the camp of if its fitted and not going down then why remove it, but on a hot day (thankfully when parked) I saw the mushroom drop back into the tyre of it's own accord. 

Now I treat them as a temp repair to get home and then do a proper check and if appropriate fit a proper plug/patch from the inside.
 

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #17 on: 31 May 2018, 01:36:24 pm »
The mushroom dropped into the tire?  Was it flat?


I have to say, I have been plugging tires with mushrooms for decades, cars and bikes - although granted not as many times as a tire fitter would have.  I have never had any issues with plugs coming out.  In fact, when replacing the tire after it has worn out pushing the mushroom out to have a look at it does take a bit of doing, even when the plug has cratered on the outside due to it being softer rubber than the tire - there is still over 5 - 10 mm of "plug" held into the tire mechanically, plus when the tire is inflated it has the pressure pushing it hard up against the inside of the tire.  I can't really see how it could fall into the tire based on my own experience.


I guess that personal experience is the moral of the story really.  I have had to fix new tires, old tires etc, sometimes tires end up with a few plugs dotted around them, no issues and I have never seen issues of friends who have done the same.  That said I probably wouldn't do a track day with a plugged tire...
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Jamieg285

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #18 on: 31 May 2018, 01:55:34 pm »
No, it wasn't flat until the plug fell out.  If I hadn't seen it happening I wouldn't have believed it myself.

It wasn't a recent plug (used for a few 100 miles or more) and hadn't had any problems.  My only thoughts on it were perhaps the lubrication they put on the plugs to help fit them made it easier to slide out and it was a hot day, with the plug in direct sunlight.   Either way, it was an eye opener and changed my view on them.
I fitted a new plug and rode 100 miles home without issue, but bought all the kit for a patch repair that day.
« Last Edit: 31 May 2018, 01:56:35 pm by Jamieg285 »

red98

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Re: Crafty plugger
« Reply #19 on: 03 June 2018, 09:26:34 pm »
I have been told that the gas cartridges can be a fiddly b. By the time they are connected half of the gas has gone. A mate use all 4 cartridges to get tyre inflated but still had to ride very slowly to a forecourt to put more air in.


A couple of mates have this compressor and say it is good. Can't seem to find many in the UK on ebay at the moment...


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Slime-Compact-Tyre-Inflator-Ideal-For-Motorcycles/332662232355?hash=item4d7436d523:g:kvsAAOSwukVbBrQN








bought that  ;)  thanks for the link HUGH MUNGUS  :thumbup ......looks like a quality product , tried It on my mountain bike and pumped from flat to fully inflated in about  10/15 secs , will try It on the fazer when I get time , fits under the seat of the 600 but Is a tight fit on the thou , could take it out of its case though.
« Last Edit: 03 June 2018, 09:40:31 pm by red98 »
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