My stop and go kit experiance

papi_ocho

Registered
i got it with a gift certificate from my local suzuki dealer....
NEVER planned on using it


i planned a trip to San Diego from El Paso, TX on the bike.
got a bike, have luggage, have the time... why not..

bike needed a new rear tire-got a pilot road 2 mounted it myself saved some money(can you see where this is going?)
breaking in the tire ran over a tractor trailer tire, broke my right foot peg off. 90bucks later got the buell peg mod in... FREAKING AWESOME.. AND super fast shipping

the friday before heading out.. take the bike to do some running around. hair cut, bills, on and on. riding down my street(new house being built) i park in the garage.. step off the bike.. and hear a "hissss.sssss.sss" man that sounds weird to me. i've heard a similar sound before after riding thru water.

OMG whats this... its a NAIL head.. are you serious? this tire barely has 700miles on it. its 6pm on a friday. no way no how can i get THIS tire in this little city at this time... or patch it. the only place that will touch it with a patch closes at 5 doesn't open till 10am

STOP AND GO... i pluged it, filled it. loaded the bike up.. had about 36lbs in the saddlebags and 13lbs in the tail bag.. my trip was starting at first light.
woke up. checked the pressure. held over night.. WE RIDING THIS BAD BOY...

rode about 20 miles... pressure came up about 4psi to 46... plug looked like it got "sucked" into the tire. but it was still there
rode another 100 miles pressure still at 46
this leg was all speed limit maybe 10 over 80mph at best

next leg.. well if this thing is going to let go... let it happen before tucson, az cause there aint JACK after that. i pushed it a little harder got it up to 90, 95, 100.. tire was rolling.. i'm rolling. its at the back of mind the whole time.. but i'm cruising along.

stopped bout 120miles.. plug still there, pressure still at 46.. i'm worried less and less as the miles disappear.

next leg.. i'm pushing harder.. got it to 110(uncorected no speedo healer) afew times.. only for seconds. maintained 90-95 all the way to I10 and I8 meet past tucson.. gas up. its getting warmer out.. psi still at 46

next leg to yuma is 177 miles.. best i can, figure i can push the bike to 150 miles per tank before the red.. i wont make it without stoping.. so 60 miles in i stop.. do the gas.. dont dismount. and press on..

ever been on I8 from tucson to yuma? neither had i.. BORING BORING BORING flat hot straight shoot.. first sign i see.. "SPEED MONITORED BY AIRCRAFT"
120-130mph(gps said -10) if the plug didnt fly away 250 plus miles ago the its here to stay.

got a good tuck.. had some good tunes in the MP3 player.. and i'm rolling. its HOT its flat. i could see tarantula's crossing the road.. made it in no time. gased up. lubed the chain check the oil.. tire pressure is now at 45.. maybe i was sitting long.. spit on the plug--BUBBLES... crap.. get on the net call ahead for places to plug the tire in San Diego.. while i'm on the phone there's a dimple about 4 inches from the plug.. SPIT ON IT.. BUBBLES.. ARE YOU SERIOUS????

NEXT guy that answers says yeah we have a ROAD 2 in stock. cant install it on a sunday but i can sell it to you on a sunday and install on monday..

i pushed the plug that was in there thru the hole.. and repluged it.. BUBBLES... maybe i cut the extra rubber too short.. pushed it in again.. repluged it BUBBLES... what a sad day in plug history.

i charged the tire back up to 42 parked it for the night.. hit a bar with some friends.. i DD everywhere i go. wake up sobor tire lost 2psi. i need to get it to San Diego.. put the 2psi back in the tire. ride over the mountain get to the dealer. guy has my tire. puts my name on it. now to limp the bike to the hotel.. NAH. it held this long lets go check out the base. rode around all day sunday with my luggage and my pluged leaking tire. only lost 5psi from yuma to the dealer to camp pendleton and back near the air port.

Monday ride over to the dealer. service opens at 10. i show at 9. these guys take my bike in, i have it back to me right before 10. chain lubed kickstand lubed. these guys really truly out did themselves for me on this one.

i pull out of the dealership.... AND IT STARTS TO RAIN. SERIOUS?? WHY? WHY ME? WHY NOW?

I park the bike for the rest of the day... grab a 12pack and catch up with old friend while i'm doing NOTHING.

HOUSE OF MOTORCYCLES IN SAN DIEGO(somewhere) not exactly sure where i was mr Garmin was giving me directions.

conclusion: this kit does the deed.. and does it well. i'm just brain storming here... the rubber is pretty soft. the head gets pushed thru this tiny little hole into the tire.. then you pull the tail back to "seat" the head. as the tire heats the plug heats.. hot rubber gets soft.. so imagine the head (hot soft rubber) sitting on the inside of your tire. SPINNING at 80mph or more. its going to flatten.. its going to flatten real good creating a seal around its self. stopping any air from coming out.. unless your intraffic i lost more in SD then i did the 500+ miles before there. i also worried about the plug getting slung out of the tire.. that big old plug head.. kept it in there.. when i checked it.. it didnt look like it was there.. but it was.

tip: dont cut the plug flush with the tire.. leave say 1/16 to 1/8 of an in. it doesn't seem like alot but i was truly worried that the wrong rock could push it in. and the razor is crazy sharp it can handle the cutting duty.
 
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