Slime vs. Ride On

[DaveT319]

**Mods, if this should be in the Garage, please move it for me**

As I've been getting out more lately (cliff notes: panic disorder limited my riding for some time), I've started thinking about these options to help keep me from getting stranded were I to get a puncture. I've heard pretty favorable reviews of both, but was wondering if anyone has ever tried both, and which they thought was better. I know Ride On is supposed to double as a tire balancer (which I'm not sure I really need). Both sound like they're good at plugging leaks. Which one is less of a mess for a shop tech when I get my tires replaced? Or should I even worry about that, and just use what works best?

 

[ST Guy]

Both are messy as hell and claims about balancing wheels are BS. I would only use something like Slime as a very last resort. I carry Slime in my cars but I have three other options I'd try before resorting to that gooey mess. On my bike I have the same three options and no Slime.

 

[corndog67]

Have you ever changed a tire after using that stuff? In my garage , it sucks. I'm sure a shop would hit you with an extra charge if the busted your tire off and had to clean it up. I've found that if I keep fresh tires on my bikes, I don't get hardly any flats. In fact, its been a few years.

 

[DaveT319]

Fresh tires repel nails and other sharp objects? That's good to know.

 

[corndog67]

My point was, nervous nellie, that with a full load of tread, I tend not to get flats as often as I used to when I'd ride them until the were 99% gone. Glass cuts and whatnot. Of course, go ahead and use that stuff. If you have to patch a tire out somewhere, and the patch won't stick because of the slimey stuff all over the inside of the tire, give me a call. I'll come and get you in my truck .

 

[Lex Talionis]

I use Ride-On, on the basis of a test I read in, maybe it was, Cycle, a decade ago. Editor used it in a dirtbike, rode through lots of manzanita thorns, the removed tubes showed many, as in maybe a total of 20-30, green dots where Ride-On had plugged the puncture; minimal air loss per the author.

I have never had a puncture, so don't have firsthand experience.

If your Vulcan uses tube tires, there's only a mess when replacing tires if you have a punctured tube, and then probably only if you have a sliced tube.

Lex

 

[DaveT319]

Oh no, it's tubeless tires like other street bikes.

So I guess I'll just get a repair kit rather than use either of them.

And thanks for the dig at my situation, corndog. Not like it didn't suck enough on it's own without someone making fun of it too...

 

[corndog67]

Lighten up Dave. I meant no offense, just fuckin' with you.

 

[Karbon]

Keep it simple and stupid. Worm or mushroom plugs and a compact bicycle pump.

 

[corpsedub]

http://www.stopngo.com/tubeless-puncture-pilot-for-motorcycles-scooters-atvs/

 

[davidji]

I use Ride-On, on the basis of a test I read in, maybe it was, Cycle, a decade ago. Editor used it in a dirtbike, rode through lots of manzanita thorns, the removed tubes showed many, as in maybe a total of 20-30, green dots where Ride-On had plugged the puncture; minimal air loss per the author.

In my experience with both, Slime is green and Ride-On isn't. Maybe there are other forms I haven't used, but you may have mixed them up?

 

[davidji]

Both are messy as hell and claims about balancing wheels are BS.

Ride-On isn't messy at all when you're changing tires. It stays put. It's also useless for punctures that aren't near the center of the tread.

And here's photographic proof of both.

This tire got a puncture. I plugged it. A few thousand miles later the plug developed a slow leak. I took it to a local shop and had them replace the plug with patch shown in the photo. The patch leaked much worse than the plug. I added the Ride-On sealant shown in the photo to try and stop the leak. It did nothing. So I had the tire replaced. With the tire off it was obvious why the ride-on didn't work. It wasn't in the right place.

 

[p4i1]

Keep it simple and stupid. Worm or mushroom plugs and a compact bicycle pump.

+1, but small electric 12v pump. Used several times already (not on my bike, but to help others)

 

[ST Guy]

A copy/paste from another thread:

Cartriges suck. Suppose you patch and then fill and then find out the patch didn't work well and you have to redo it? Now you don't have enough to inflate. Buy a good electric pump and make sure you've worked out ahead of time how to hook it up to your bike/battery. Aerostich sells some good ones.

As for patching, buy all three of these:

For tiny holes: http://www.amazon.com/Dynaplug-1007-...words=dynaplug

For regular holes: http://www.amazon.com/Stop-Go-Intern...ywords=stopngo

For larger holes or ones that more resistant to patching: http://www.safetyseal.com/store/autokits.htm

Of course, for this last one, you don't need 30 or 60 sticky worms. And you don't need to carry it in the box it comes in. Just pack them down small.

 

[ALANRIDER7]

That messy slime stuff sucks ass. It's hell on earth, not to mention the corrosion it promotes inside aluminum rims.

If you bring your slimed wheel to your mechanic and he has a glass eye, expect him to take it out, put it in a tube sock and beat your sorry ass to a pulp with it.

 

[stangmx13]

And here's photographic proof of both.

This tire got a puncture. I plugged it. A few thousand miles later the plug developed a slow leak. I took it to a local shop and had them replace the plug with patch shown in the photo. The patch leaked much worse than the plug. I added the Ride-On sealant shown in the photo to try and stop the leak. It did nothing. So I had the tire replaced. With the tire off it was obvious why the ride-on didn't work. It wasn't in the right place.

pretty ez to see that the repair was not done properly. i can c three things wrong with it just from the photo... tire wasnt buffed smooth as needed, patch isnt flat or pressed down properly, and theres no sealer over the whole repair. im sure u never went back to that repair place, but i hope u at least complained that they did the job wrong.

 

[mototireguy]

That messy slime stuff sucks ass. It's hell on earth, not to mention the corrosion it promotes inside aluminum rims.

If you bring your slimed wheel to your mechanic...

Strongly advise you inform the tire monkey about any tire slime or fix-a-flat liquids inside your tire BEFORE he removes the tire in order to avoid the evil stink eye.

 

[DaveT319]

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll get plugs instead.

 

[ob1ventura]

Keep it simple and stupid. Worm or mushroom plugs and a compact bicycle pump.

This!!!!!

I would only use slime etc in a tube tire because you can't plug them and hopefully it won't make a mess of the rim when punctured.

Used to use CO2 and rope / worm plugs. Did fine but just gave away my CO2 because I found a hand pump that fits under the seat on the 10r. $10. The CO2 is a one shot thing and it takes AT LEAST 3 or 4. If the tire still leaks a bit or you throw the plug and you are a few 100 mi from home you are sol. Can pump up the rear of the 10r in about 8 min w/ the small bicycle hand pump. Good enough. Was tempted w/ the electric pumps but they take up space and have heard of some failures. If Karma is catching up to you as indicated by the damn flat in the first place, my luck the electric pump would fail at 2am out in the middle of Nev.

Yeh, newer rubber increases your odds but I'm not about to toss a perfectly good commuter tire in order to decrease the long odds of getting a flat. On the other hand just tossed a rear tire for the 10r because I had to patch it from the inside 4 times (4 separte punctures). Still had some decent tread left but got tire of spooning that bitch on. fwiw most my punctures have been on tires w/ 1k or less on them. Figures. Almost all on 280 south of 92.

 

[Gixxergirl1000]

If you bring your slimed wheel to your mechanic and he has a glass eye, expect him to take it out, put it in a tube sock and beat your sorry ass to a pulp with it.

OMG the mental pictures are just killing me...