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Argh - picked up a nail in the rear Michelin.

Been about 10 years since the last puncture.

Was going to do the usual tubeless repair with the insert.


What do you guys think is the best repair - would like to use it for another year,
they're old but they're in great shape.

As you'll probably know it normally can be fixed with a plug from the inside. Something like this:



If your tyre is older then 8 years, you could consider to get a new one. For me it made a substantial difference when I switched to bridgestone 180/60/16. Sticks like hell, even when the tyre is cold..

Brutus wrote:As you'll probably know it normally can be fixed with a plug from the inside. Something like this:



If your tyre is older then 8 years, you could consider to get a new one. For me it made a substantial difference when I switched to bridgestone 180/60/16. Sticks like hell, even when the tyre is cold..

Yeah, if I take it off, I'll def. replace it with the Golden Tyre I bought, but ...

It still looks really good, so, I was going to plug it.

Was wondering if some plugs are better than others. I don't really ride on the highway,
so high speed runs are generally of short duration.

looking good means there`s thread left ? My father had tires on his car which were "looking good" (nice and shiny and with lots of thread on them) but they were from 96 and still the ones the car rolled out of the factory. The tires would have remained in that condition forever probably the hard as they were.
Grip, braking on the wet and roll resistance will weaken already after three years. What DOT number do your Michelins have ?
"High speed runs are of short duration" Maybe riding with an open chin strap will provide an additional kick. (never mind)
Wait, I just noticed you wrote you already have a set of GTs and now you`re letting them age instead of replacing those old Michelins ?

G.

I agree. The Michelin didn't give enough grip in the end. Because the handling decreases bit by bit I didn't really notice, till I allmost crashed it when running cold in wet conditions.. The Bridgestone was a major difference. Sticks when cold. Can perform a kneedown without a lot of effort I should mention that the setup is with öhlins in the rear

paso750 wrote:looking good means there`s thread left ? My father had tires on his car which were "looking good" (nice and shiny and with lots of thread on them) but they were from 96 and still the ones the car rolled out of the factory. The tires would have remained in that condition forever probably the hard as they were.
Grip, braking on the wet and roll resistance will weaken already after three years. What DOT number do your Michelins have ?
"High speed runs are of short duration" Maybe riding with an open chin strap will provide an additional kick. (never mind)
Wait, I just noticed you wrote you already have a set of GTs and now you`re letting them age instead of replacing those old Michelins ?

G.

Hey G.

You know they're old. But they're still reasonably soft and I'm not running races, in fact far from it, I prefer
some country roads where I can ride without the cops bothering me about a helmet. (American habit

Yeah, I got a rear GT.

And a couple of 'NEW' Michelins.



Speaking of old tires. When I bought my Alfetta GTV 9 years ago, it had the original Michelin MXL's on it,
from about 1978.

Drove it to Croatia two times (winter included), and back and eventually changed them
in 2009 because of the Oldtimer Gutachten inspection.

The Kuhmos that are on there now are not much better, really.
And although they're the 'same size' they're def. smaller.

paso750 wrote: "High speed runs are of short duration" Maybe riding with an open chin strap will provide an additional kick. (never mind)

G.

Heh.

Like my father in law who straps on a full leather suit until he's already taken 5 showers before he even gets on the bike.
Then drops his K1 putting it in the trailer at 10cm/s


Yep, I ride in shorts, t-shirt, flip-flops, whatever. Helmets are fine for 100kmh+
Riding around on a nice day at 60-70 without one is nicer.

Would it suck going down like that? Sure it would, but since
I spend a whole lot more time up than down, I'd rather
maximize the pleasure of the former.


Just wired a deposit on a Peugeot P110 from 1930.
That thing tops out at about that speed, and considering it has no rear suspension,
it's probably a good thing.

Who needs a helmet for that.

Next thing you know we'll be wearing helmets going to sleep.

Dictating safety is the new fascism.

Wow! Really?
I can't imagine riding without gear. ATGATT. All the gear, all the time. It too cheap, good and easy not to do otherwise.

But to each his own. I rode a bicycle naked and that was thrilling for a while.
Can I have first option on your bike collection?

Cheers, Phil.

ducinthebay wrote:Wow! Really?
I can't imagine riding without gear. ATGATT. All the gear, all the time. It too cheap, good and easy not to do otherwise.

But to each his own. I rode a bicycle naked and that was thrilling for a while.
Can I have first option on your bike collection?

Cheers, Phil.

I guess it depends how you start out. Pretty sure in California you must wear a helmet.
In IL you don't

Only had an accident and that was with a scooter at 15 thanks to a car cutting me off
so I locked up the front in the wet -- slid for about 10m with the girl on top of me.
Unfortunately I came out a lot worse for wear - told her she owes me a ride on top

The guys at Duc dealer in Germany don't get how I could even want to ride without a helmet.
Hmm ... If I had to a wear a helmet + full suit, I'd rather drive a convertible any day - not even close.

On longer highway drives, sure, but just for cruising on country roads, sun, wind and bugs baby.
No asphalt - knock on wood.

Plus, a helmet obstructs from the sound and overall experience.
I have a Momo Devil which looks like a full face but it's not - very large visor and the chin guard is just for show.
Cheek pads are removable, but even with that it's killing the sound.


Excited about the P110 - bought one on Ebay 2 years ago and the slimy seller sold it to someone else for more.
Hopefully this deal completes without issues.

plasmid wrote: Speaking of old tires. When I bought my Alfetta GTV 9 years ago, it had the original Michelin MXL's on it,
from about 1978.

Drove it to Croatia two times (winter included), and back and eventually changed them
in 2009 because of the Oldtimer Gutachten inspection.

So for anyone who says the German Tüv is tough, yep, there are those inspectors who
WILL pass a car with 25 year old tires. The tires looked good, but obviously they didn't check the DOT.

And those Michelin MXL's had a whole lot more traction in the wet and snow than the stupid All Season Kuhmos
that become ice skates at the first sign of snow.

I was like that once.. till I hit asphalt HARD.. Driving with leather suit ever since.

Brutus wrote:I was like that once.. till I hit asphalt HARD.. Driving with leather suit ever since.

+1


ride long enough and you will learn to wear protection even on a scooter on those peaceful country roads

Brutus wrote:I was like that once.. till I hit asphalt HARD.. Driving with leather suit ever since.

I know what you mean. One must live it.
Pray it doesn't come but if it does, it was time.

And then one learns what one thinks most appropriate and acts accordingly.


If you go back 20-30 years, it's very evident how safety in all of its derivatives,
in all aspects of life, has become more of a problem than a solution.

Even our Paso's are an example of that - most classic vehicles are more enjoyable
to drive than their newer counterparts precisely because they are not chock full of safety this,
sensor that, improved something or other.

Life has consequences. Everything is a compromise.

A helmet protects but it is also in insulator. While in racing,
the protection it confers clearly outweighs the 'insulation' effect,
in leisurely country roads rides, there is no clear winner.

Until something changes that balance.

I'd rather make that decision myself if the time comes,
than delegate it a priori to some compartmentalized scientist bureaucrat paid with tax payers money
to disfigure the quality of life in the name of safety et al, the latest and greatest war on everything.

At the rate of gov. intrusion into daily life we'll be needing a helmet against that too.

higgy wrote:

Brutus wrote: ride long enough and you will learn to wear protection even on a scooter on those peaceful country roads

Have you guys seen the scooters in Rome, as an example?



A girlfriend picked me up on her scooter from the train station and drove for about 25min to her home.
She wouldn't let me drive - said I would kill both of us.

I was offended

Well, that was one of the scariest rides of my life.
Absolute chaos, mm's from kissing asphalt, cars, side walks, and hundreds of other craaaazy scooter riders.
Stop lights mere suggestions of course.

Now that's risking your hide.


But at least she didn't complain about me holding on to all the 'wrong' body parts.

Yep, I ride in shorts, t-shirt, flip-flops, whatever. Helmets are fine for 100kmh+
Riding around on a nice day at 60-70 without one is nicer.

Would it suck going down like that? Sure it would, but since
I spend a whole lot more time up than down, I'd rather
maximize the pleasure of the former.


Just wired a deposit on a Peugeot P110 from 1930.
That thing tops out at about that speed, and considering it has no rear suspension,
it's probably a good thing.

Who needs a helmet for that.

Next thing you know we'll be wearing helmets going to sleep.

Dictating safety is the new fascism.

No shit!? are you for real ? Im not a great supporter of the "Nanny state " that makes common sense a law, but I do know that you can't legislate against stupidity .... and you are a great example to that Dude , when you do go down ( at 60 - 70km/hr ) with no helmit , a T shirt , flip flops and shorts ..... bet you change your mind on the way to hospital.
I have taken the odd putt to the local shop in shorts and T shirt , but helmit gloves and deceint shoes are a must. Surely " maximising the former" would include being able to do it again another day