MOTOFOODIE

Touring on an sportsbike in India has some perils, the biggest of them is the susceptibility of the soft compound tubeless tires to punctures.

Although the quick and convenient method of  Plug Puncture (using the sticky stick) is widely followed, the Mushroom Puncture Technique although time consuming is the correct and exhaustive way to plug a puncture.

Mushroom Plug Puncture Technique:It is a puncture technique which uses a ‘mushroom-shaped plug’ to plug the puncture from the inner surface of the tires (which means that the tire has to be removed from the alloy-wheel to carry out this technique)

Here is a DIY (Do It Yourself) on this technique:

1) Removal of the wheel from the motorcycle and removal of the tire from the alloy:

2) Identification of  the punctured areas in the inner surface of the tire

3)  Filing of  the punctured surface provides better adhesion between the mushroom plug and the inner surface of the motorcycle tire

4) Plug the puncture with the Mushroom Plug:

Remove the blue sticker(shown in the first image) and insert the plug into the punctured spot from the inside and pull-out so that the circular side of the mushroom plug is in complete contact with the inner wall of the tire(ensure that there are no air pockets)

5) Cut the excess portion of the plug using a blade

Although the above technique is exhaustive and requires the tools and skills to remove the wheel from the motorcycle and dismounting the tire from the alloy, it ensures a proper sealing of the puncture making it a worthy effort in the long run.