TPMS to the rescue again.

[Mister Tee]

//Whine

I picked up another damned nail in my back tire yesterday.

Whine//

//Rave

As I left work, TPMS gave me the low pressure warning on the rear tire. 30 psi.  I did some mental math. Assuming I didn't just pick the nail up right now and it's about to go totally flat, I picked it up this morning on the way to work and it's a slow leak, therefore I should be able to make it to the gas station five miles down the freeway. And so did I.

Rave//


//Rant

Well what do you know.   The damned machine takes quarters, but so what anyway because I can't possibly fit the straight hose fitting on the valve stem anyway.  WHY doesn't Kawi consider these things. If it were off to one side or the other it would have worked fine.

So I get back on the bike, head another three miles down the freeway to the next station. This one has an air nozzle I can actually fit on the stem plus it has a gauge.  Filled the tire, found the nail, put some spit on it and verified air was leaking from it. If I went straight home (about 50 miles) I could probably make it but that gives me no time to stop at the pub and hang out while traffic dies down.

Oh look, there is an FSP truck parked there!  They were really cool to me in the past when I ran out of gas on the Beemer (long story, failed fuel gauge strip). "Sorry bro, used my last tire plug on a truck an hour ago." No biggie, the store actually had a plug kit so I bought it.   But, how am I going to get the nail out. I take off my seat in search of a tool kit which in fact was there, but no pliers. I ask the car next to me. Guy searches, can't find one.  Ask the clerk "Sorry, we aren't allowed to have tools." ask the FSP guy. "Sorry, don't have any." Bullshit.

No big deal, I manage to pry the nail out with the plug pusher and get the tire pluggged. Mind you this is all happening in 100 degree heat.  I really don't want to risk the plug stripping out on me so I search for a knife or scissors. I ask the clerk if he has a small knife or scissors.  Of course he has scissors. "Sorry, we don't have......". Asshole. He's perfectly happy to take my money but loan a brother a pair of scissors?  No can do. I spy another brother (a black man that is) wearing baggy jeans and a hooded jacket. I figured a gang banger would have a knife. "Sorry mang, you know I'd hook you up if I could, but we don't carry knives these days. We carry guns. ". Well I don't think a gun is going to be of beneficial use to me right now at the moment, so I ride off, taking it easy and monitoring TPMS for the next ten mile to my stop.

Rant//

I haven't checked the pressure yet today but so far it looks good visually.  Hopefully the plug is a good fix. I've done it many times.

[Sea Level]

Good story! Except that a gun is always beneficial.

I picked up a nail in my OEM rear tire when it had a few thousand miles on it. TPMS never warned me about it because it wasn't leaking air, so I just left it there, and it never troubled me until I turned in both tires after about 9k miles on them

[So Cal Joe]

You should get a small pump to carry with you. I always have one and a plug kit. Doesn't take up much room and save you a lot of time and trouble. I have a slime pump. Comes with several different kinds of connectors,
Also AirMan Sparrow Motorcycle Tire Air Compressors is another great one, Under $30.00

[Scaffolder]

I had a great TPS save last week. But my air pressure went 30 to 8 in seconds. I had 3 different holes in my rear tire. I got it plugged up with a little half from motorists.( I only had 2 plugs). And I headed home.
Took the bike to work again the next day and to the dealership afterwards. They put in an insurance claim through my tire plan and had a new tire put on 2 days later. Had to pay $ 5.00 for disposal. Lol.

[Mister Tee]

Yeah I probably will get a small pump. I have a fused 10 amp pigtail for my vest, I need to find a pump that draws 10 amps or less.

As it turns out, the cheap crappy plug ended up leaking.  Very slowly, but a leak is a leak. I pulled it out and put a proper plug in it and took it for a good ride to both test it and get it seated in.  No loss of pressure after a 100 mile ride but I see it's down a couple pounds from yesterday.  But there is no detectable leak from the water test either so hopefully it's solid and sealed by now. 

[Fretka]

Do you ever wonder if you might be living in the wrong place? Sometimes I KNOW I do. 

[Mister Tee]

Nails in the roadway, inconsiderate service people, ill equipped gangstas... sigh.

[stevewfl]

I ran from LA to Tampa on a plug named Jill 

Hey get a tiny little cigarette plug pump like the one wally world sells for 10 bux and yours woes are over

[rtarp1]

i would never use a plug for a long term fix, in an emergency yes but i get a patch asap.

[Scaffolder]

I had a set of Dunlop Roadsmarts and on the 350th mile I plugged the rear tire and run it to 12,000 miles without any issues. I have the extra coverage with insurance, so I don't have to do things like that anymore. But I will again if need be.

[Mister Tee]

I ran from LA to Tampa on a plug named Jill 

Hey get a tiny little cigarette plug pump like the one wally world sells for 10 bux and yours woes are over

I've been researching such, and I intend on doing that.