Losing tire pressure.
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 565
Likes: 1
From: SE Missouri
Losing tire pressure.
Ok admittedly I havent ridden much since my 4k mile trip in June. I put a new miChelan commander 2 on about 2.5 years ago. Has lots of tread left after about 9k miles in those years. After my trip this year I parked the bike and a month or two later I noticed it has 0 pressure. So I aired up to 40psi. It lost 2 psi after a couple days and after about 2-3 weeks I'm down to 28 psi. I'm guessing small nail.
What are the options with a nail? Plug n ride or should I plan on a new tire?
What are the options with a nail? Plug n ride or should I plan on a new tire?
Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 577
Likes: 20
From: Reno
Optima$$y I wouldn't plug and ride. Having said that... on my current income... I'd plug and ride.
Can you take the tire to a shop and see if they can find a nail or take your time with a magnifying glass and check yourself.
If you or they can't find anything... it could be that you just need a new valve stem... and not a new tire if you have that much meat left on it.
Can you take the tire to a shop and see if they can find a nail or take your time with a magnifying glass and check yourself.
If you or they can't find anything... it could be that you just need a new valve stem... and not a new tire if you have that much meat left on it.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 6,080
Likes: 1,957
From: Somewhere on the Bourbon trail
Sometimes those slow leaks are hard to find without dunking the whole wheel and tire under water. Try the soap and water method first. If you have a jack, you can submerge part of the tire and wheel for any bubbles.
Road Warrior
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,800
Likes: 414
From: Ellensburg, WA
Check out the nitrogen fill threads on here. As good as fix a flat. For as little as you apparently ride, I would plug and go. I have gotten thousands of miles out of plugs and have never heard of a catastrophic failure, only the friend of a friend of a dude scenario.
Cruiser
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 122
Likes: 6
From: Ottawa, Canada
I agree with RKZen, try the soap and water routine first to see if you can find source of the leak. Could be valve stem or valve 'core'..! If it's a small nail and the tire is a 'rear' tire you could plug it and, if possible, have someone put a patch on the inside over the plug and it'd be good to run. I would not patch a front tire... Good luck.
Last edited by pearsom; Nov 11, 2015 at 09:02 AM.
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Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 230
Likes: 28
From: The Banks of the Olentangy
I would recommend replacing the tire. That tire is almost three years old with 9K on it. The age is what concerns me. It's probably dry-rotted somewhere and the air is leaking through the rot slowly.
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Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 565
Likes: 1
From: SE Missouri
I hate when life gets in the way of my riding but it has this year. Oh well hopefully next year will be fruitful.
