so i got caught riding in a thunderstorm about 10 days back and the back looked like a fat bitc# in a thong. i just got time to clean the bike this past saturday morning. anyway, i needed somethingi could just spray on and hose off because i didn't have much time beforemyusual group ride saturday morning.well, i've readfrom others that original simple greenworked well but also heard it can strip wax and etch aluminum parts. could be bullsh#t, but i bought something else. its apparantly a new automotive formula thats less harsh called simple green max automotive cleaner/degreaser. i went home saturday morning, got thedirty **** motocross/sportbikeout[:'(], hosed her down, sprayed this simple green stuff i bought all over it, let it sit for 5 minutes, then rinsed her off. it did a decent job of gettin most of the muck off. i didn't have time to dry her because it was time to roll on tothe ride. great ride, but about four hours into it in 95 degree F heat i got a freakin nail in my rear tire. so i left my buds and went to my brothers house. we went to auto zone and bought a plug kit came back and i plugged the tire.[:@]at this point i've probably sweated off 10 lbs and am dog tired so i head back to the my house(14 miles) to pass out.[8D]get home, park the bike, go inside, grab a couple beers, talk to the wife while i slam em then pass out on the couch for 2.5 hours. man that a/c was better than sex. today i'm wondering three things? is simple green o.k. to use on the entire bike and would you continue to ride on the plugged tire? never had a flat on any bike i've owned. [sm=signs003.gif]. the tire only has 1570 miles on it and the plug is just to the right of the center if your sittin on the bike. also, whats the best way to remove water spots? shes clean enough now i can use Honda polish or something. [sm=rant.gif]thanks

 

I plugged my old tire, and I didn't have an issue with it at all until it went bald. I haven't had an issue with Simple Green. Normally, I'll saturate an area with it, let the dirt get soaked up and most of it run off, and wipe it off with a rag.

 

usually i'll use simple green on the rims andchain, but auto soap for the fairings. you can use a spray cleaner to get rid of the water marks. i use a leaf blower after i wash my bike. taks 2 mins to dry

 

just had to vent. thanks for readin all that crap. [sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

I wouldn't feel comfortable riding with a plug in my tire, other than to get me home and to the bike shop. If it were a car tire, it wouldn't matter as much, but the rear tire on a bike is everything.

 

Buy a water softener and use soft water to wash your bike, it will eliminate the water spots. =D Also try to wash the bike in the shade so the water doesn't dry so fast leaving water spots on it.

 

what kind of plug did u use? was it one of those long sticky ones for a car tire? and another question.... Would fix a flat be ok to use on a motorcycle tire? just incase i ever get a flat.

 

I don't know about riding with a DIY plug, but a z-rated mushroom patch worked fine for me. Rode it for 5500 miles before I got the craving for new sets of rubber. The patch was fine & the tire still had about 1500 miles to go.

If your puncture is on the side walls, repair is not an option, but along the center, you could get her fixed for 25-30$.

HTH
Ashish H

 

Riding on a car tire with a plug is no big deal. Especially if you rotate that tire to the rear. We get away with it @ our work simply because it's much more convenient than a plug/patch. On a motorcycle I see no problem with a plug/patch as long as it's in or near the center of the tire. A lot of car sops DON'T allow tire plugs, simply because they aren't as reliable as aplug and patch. The proper way to plug a leak is by removing the tire and putting a patch on the inside after plugging it....If you did a plug/patch it should be fine. A plug alone should be fine, but I wouldn't risk that...
Most shops will probably charge 1/2 hour labor for a plug and patch. Worth the $20-$40 if you ask me.

 

patch that baby, i wouldnt rely on a plug with somthing that is capable of 160