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Tire - Very slow invisible leak

mrbios

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Tire - Very slow invisible leak - For educational purposes

Symptoms:
My front tire lost a bunch of air. First sign it was hard to turn the handlebars when backing up. Checked pressure at home ~ 8 psi. Filled to 35 psi. Overnight 8 hrs later it fell to 25 psi.

Search for leak:
1. Sprayed bottle filled with soapy water. NO LEAKS Detected - valve stem, beads, tread - rotated front tire with bike on center stand.
2. Filled a special rectangular wood box that looks like a flower bed that hangs under a window and filled the tire to 50 psi - ZERO BUBBLES! 2 hrs later tire shows 50 psi indicating no leaks.
3. Toss water and park bike on side stand and next morning - 12 psi. There IS A LEAK!

Solution:
Bought ~ 12 oz can of Supertech Walmart brand generic fix-a-flat for $8. Note: do not remove the valve stem, shake can well, Let out rest of air and inflate then top off with regular air and go for a ride 5 mile ride ideally on the highway. Problem solved.

The first time I came across this problem with on my 250cc scooter in the rear tire. I removed the wheel and submerged the tire - ZERO BUBBLES and no loss of air until tire reinstalled and weight on tire. I inspected the tire and there was single a thin metal piece about the thickness of a tack - however when in the water there were no bubbles at that location. I pulled the metal out and applied a standard tire patch inside the tire - 4K miles later no leaks and replaced that now bald tire.

Moral of the story: You CAN have a tire leak and completely submerse the tire and see NO AIR BUBBLES and have NO DROP in PRESSURE as long as the wheel is not mounted. I have proof - a video of the scooter tire and the Honda tire.
 
Tire - Very slow invisible leak - For educational purposes

Symptoms:
My front tire lost a bunch of air. First sign it was hard to turn the handlebars when backing up. Checked pressure at home ~ 8 psi. Filled to 35 psi. Overnight 8 hrs later it fell to 25 psi.

Search for leak:
1. Sprayed bottle filled with soapy water. NO LEAKS Detected - valve stem, beads, tread - rotated front tire with bike on center stand.
2. Filled a special rectangular wood box that looks like a flower bed that hangs under a window and filled the tire to 50 psi - ZERO BUBBLES! 2 hrs later tire shows 50 psi indicating no leaks.
3. Toss water and park bike on side stand and next morning - 12 psi. There IS A LEAK!

Solution:
Bought ~ 12 oz can of Supertech Walmart brand generic fix-a-flat for $8. Note: do not remove the valve stem, shake can well, Let out rest of air and inflate then top off with regular air and go for a ride 5 mile ride ideally on the highway. Problem solved.

The first time I came across this problem with on my 250cc scooter in the rear tire. I removed the wheel and submerged the tire - ZERO BUBBLES and no loss of air until tire reinstalled and weight on tire. I inspected the tire and there was single a thin metal piece about the thickness of a tack - however when in the water there were no bubbles at that location. I pulled the metal out and applied a standard tire patch inside the tire - 4K miles later no leaks and replaced that now bald tire.

Moral of the story: You CAN have a tire leak and completely submerse the tire and see NO AIR BUBBLES and have NO DROP in PRESSURE as long as the wheel is not mounted. I have proof - a video of the scooter tire and the Honda tire.
I have a car that had two tires mysteriously leak about two years into the tires’ life. In a static environment I soaped them everywhere and no leak detected, but drive the car 40 miles and you lose 12 PSI. The fix was to dismount the tire and clean corrosion off the inside (only) rim. Then properly lube and remount the tire. Root cause was hasty job by kid at tire shop who mounted the tires without any lube on the inside bead. Inside beads (only) corroded on 3 of the 4 rims (so far). I had to dismount the tires, clean the rims, then lube and remount tires, then pay a shop to balance them. This is why I mount my own car tires now.

I’ll bet your tire leaks at the rim due to a few corroded spots in the metal. I have had that problem with the original rear tire on my NC, and a few other people have reported it, too.
 
I have that issue now on one of my car tyres. I don't have the facility to sort it myself so a visit to the tyre shop is necessary. I also had this issue on my former NC700X on the front wheel. That was sorted by rubbing down the rim as above.
 
I’ve had the exact same problem on the front of my NCX. No bubbles, and nothing found in the tire upon dismount and inspection. Tire was replaced anyway because I was on a work trip, but for me it seemed to be the corrosion on the bead sealing surface of the rim, as what 670cc experienced.
 
An additional note is that if you pay a shop to replace your tires, I seriously doubt they will clean up the sealing surfaces on the rims. I’d guess they will dismount one tire and immediately mount the next. I always clean the inner rim surfaces with an all purpose cleaner and a scotchbrite pad to remove rubber residue and corrosion.

On all the tires I’ve mounted myself, I have never had a rim leak.
 
For maintenance shops of any kind, time is money. Naturally, they're going to cut any corner they can. If you want the job done to perfection, do it yourself, or find an unusually conscientious man.
 
I also got to repair a hole this week. Fortunately, I found the small nail and repaired it in the comfort of my garage. First time using a plug. Thought I’d try it in my garage in case I messed something up, then I wouldn’t have to potentially ride on it. Held great. Getting a permanent solution this week.A416A847-B086-4C45-B3F9-757F3622E12A.jpeg
 
I also got to repair a hole this week. Fortunately, I found the small nail and repaired it in the comfort of my garage. First time using a plug. Thought I’d try it in my garage in case I messed something up, then I wouldn’t have to potentially ride on it. Held great. Getting a permanent solution this week.View attachment 50358

Personally I have always just clipped the cord or plug as recommended, and left it in for the life of the tyre. I only once had one leak. That was when I had a bad puncture at the side of the road and it took two plugs to seal it. I had no way of doing anything else that weekend and had a considerable distance to ride. Even with the two plugs it held so I left it alone. It only started to leak towards the end of tyre life and even then it was a very slow leak.

Needless to say I would not chance leaving one in a front tyre.
 
TXBootScoot, Is that a wear bar at the 12-oclock position above the plug? If it is, it looks like the "permanent" repair means a new tire.
 
Had multiple tiny leaks at front bead scrubbed it well and fixed it. Now have one on the rear that is spool tiny just barely affects soap bubbles. Will scrub it if I can't love with it. Takes about two days to drop 5 pounds.
 
@Aiwa -- Yep, I just ordered a new tire over the weekend and it's set to be here Monday. Flat in the middle--tons of tread left on the sides--can you tell I've been riding a lot of super slab lately? haha!
 
@Aiwa -- Yep, I just ordered a new tire over the weekend and it's set to be here Monday. Flat in the middle--tons of tread left on the sides--can you tell I've been riding a lot of super slab lately? haha!
Few things better than new rubber. Go find yourself some twisties! Oh, and don't ask me about my square tires.
 
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