This Tire Plug Can Kill You - How to Best Fix a Flat 

Rope plugs, so temporary they outlast the tyre you put them in.

Pluggin holes on valentines day...... nice

Yes, it is a tire shop conspiracy. There was a time when heavy construction and debris on my route to work meant I was getting taken to the cleaners buying a new tire every couple of months. After this went on for a while, the guy who worked on my S1000RR's (BMW authorized dealer) confided in me that he only and exclusively rode on rope plugged tires?! The reason was because idiots like me were talked into discarding nearly new, low mileage tires every time we had a puncture. He just helped himself to those tires and never had to pay for one in his life. PS he was not only a BMW trained technician, but an experienced rider who rode like a maniac.

I've been plugging/repairing tires for about 50 years, and at this time, it is my opinion that the Nealey brand tire repair rope plugs are about the best on the market. Have used them on cars, trucks, trailers, and motorcycles. And these plugs stay in for the remaining life of the tire just fine. Just remember, a tire plug is only as good as the installer. It has to be done properly, and not all tire damage can be fixed by a plug or fixed at all.

Did Ryan deliberately choose Valentine's Day for making a vid about plugging holes?

Ryan is a linguistic genius. This channel has genuinely encouraged me to stop riding like an idiot, stop buying useless tools and be a better, smarter, safer rider. thank you Ryan and everyone involved in making these videos

I am one of the "old timers" mentioned here. I have been patching tires, for myself and my extended family, for most of my adult life using the "rope" method. In all that time I have had only one failure, long term. That hole was too large. The patch did last long enough to get to a tire center a few days after I patched the tire. All the other patches lasted as long as the tires.

At last!! Someone with ethics and who clearly sees how RU-vid and other apps and companies use high profile people to sell rubbish products all in the name of the dollar! Well done on calling them out Ryan. And especially so for refusing to deceive your viewers with your influence which you could easily do were it not for your good morals and genuine integrity. Bravo!! 👏👏

I love how he's selling these products for his company but being honest enough to trash them

I don't believe any product until you review it, your honesty is top-notch

Tire shop wouldn't fix a screw hole in my tire because it was too close to the edge of the tread. I put in a rope plug myself and for overkill, I filled up the tire with Tire Slime. The tire was just fine until end of natural service. Rope plugs are the best. Never thought of stacking them. Great video. Subscription earned.

FWIW, as a motorcycle mechanic in the 80’s and 90’s, I trusted only the internal patch on tubeless tires. I recently tried a rope plug on my tubeless mountainbike and I couldn’t get it to seal. About 6 months ago, an automotive tire shop took two tries to get an internal patch to seal on my Volvo, but it’s held 100% for 8,000 miles since. LOVE THIS CHANNEL!

1.08 Million people agree this is the most underrated channel on RU-vid

Real world data: I’ve been using the so called temporary sticky rope plugs for over 30 years, on all sorts of vehicles. Not one has ever failed. Remarkably simple and reliable.

I'm so happy to see this smart, honest video. As a rider of 30 years, my experience is that rope plugs are the best, hands down (provided you learn how to fit them properly without damaging the internal wires, but that's true of any plug system) Not once have they ever failed me, or anyone I know who uses them. As far as I am concerned, they are a permanent fix and will last the remaining life of any tyre, car or bike. 👍

"Occam's Razor to cut the unnecessary bits" such an underrated line!

Ryan, I have been using rope plugs in heavy truck tires for years! I wouldn’t leave home without them. I was recently told they are a temporary fix by a tire shop. Yeah, temporary until I buy a new set of tires!!

"It is one million" "Jesus only had 12, you know" 🤣🤣

Thanks Ryan, excellent analyst. I only use rope plugs and once used a internal patch plug because the tire had only 500 miles on it. It ran another 14,000 before I replaced it.

After watching video 7 months ago ,bought a string kit. 1st day of holiday on the way to ferry,picked up 2 screws, used two strings,brand new tyre to 36 miles on it. 600 miles into trip across Spain, one started leaking, tried to pull out to do another, no not happening. Pushed the tool back in through plug,seriously hard,put another plug in,3500 miles later still in . Never going to be worried about a punture again. Thanks to Ryan and this video, saved the holiday.

“Jesus only had 12” 😂

I'm soo in love with Fortnine's content that I don't mind the topic. I just watch.

Great format, We used mushroom plugs on our tractors at work and they always failed, I used rope plugs on my quad tires and had like 50 in them, still held great.

Been driving since I was 16. First time I've heard of rope plugs. You really do learn something new everyday... Definitely gonna get a set!

"It's a million -- Jesus only had 12." Damn, you're going straight to hell, Ryan! 🤣🤣🤣

I like that revzilla talks to fortnine. That's actually how I discovered fortnine. Had a sizing issue with a jacket, they accepted the return and recommended me to fortnine since I live in canada. Was weird to hear.

I love how Ryan is genuinely a good guy who was raised right

Awesome video! I've been watching F9 for several years but never looked into the 'older' stuff but that 's as good as the newer! Amazing production, entertainment and educational quality!

"I'm a RU-vidr".....Nuh mate, you're an ICON!! You're Ryan F9 Mate!

Hahaha "it's a million" [insert smug face]

I’ve used Dynaplug for a puncture and got several thousand miles out of it. I like how clean they are, but I believe rope plugs are still the standard.

The mushroom plug has been in my rear tire for some five years and counting. just checked my air pressure and spot on. I was checking my front tire and said to myself, I should check the rear as well.

The mocking RU-vid / influencers was dynamite! That was awesome.

I once dismounted a tire to remove a "temporary" rope plug to replace it with one of those permanent plugs. Damn near killed me trying to get the rope plug out, those suckers are IN THERE and I've sworn to never do that again.

I literally watched this because I’ve always used rubber rope plugs on my vehicles off road and on and have never had a problem with them. I actually just found a screw in my tire yesterday and I was going to fix today with my rope plugs. I always knew there was a best thanks for confirming.

In fairness, the mushroom plug kit you chose is the more difficult one, they make one that operates like a caulking gun and is much easier. Also, you don't need pliers to seat the mushroom plugs nor would I worry about them being poked out. If you install one on a tire with proper psi (inflate back to proper psi before pulling nail and work quickly)...the air seats the plug for you, and with the constant internal air pressure against the mushroom head..they actually do very well.

I've used rope plugs for years and they work great! One thing not mentioned is that a good thick chunk of rope in your tire can affect the tire balance. I had an annoying vibration in a tire on a long distance trip one time and got my son to check the tire on his manual balancer. We discovered that the rope plug consistently rotated around to the bottom of the balancer. He added a few quarter ounce weights on the opposite side of the rim and the vibration went away! Now I carry both a rope plug kit and a self adhesive weight kit in my trunk!

In the 60’s-70’s our volcanized patches were lit with a match which melted the patch on the inside. Worked great.

I used the rope type for years on my cars and 'bikes. Then I thought that the Dynaplug looked like a sleek and more efficient idea, so I bought one to keep in the car. I didn't have need for it for a couple of years, but by then...they had all dried out, making it all but impossible to insert in the tube. I got a few of them to go in, but the arrows broke off, rendering them useless. I agree with Ryan as I say, "Ropetty rope all the way, lads"!

The Red Devil rope plug is definitely a plug that will last the life of a tire, radial or otherwise. You can even twist them into a knot internally as well, without removing and rebalancing the tire. Having installed thousands of them on car, truck & motorcycle tires alike, I have never had one leak or come out for the life of the tires. With 8-10 ply radial tires, installation can take a bit of muscle, but are still the best I've seen yet. The other 3 types shown here can be "qiuck installed" with a pneumatic pistol-tool, making it a quicker, easier job, but compromises quality and endurance, something I don't want to compromise when it comes to tires, on any vehicle! To top it all off, the red-rope plug is also the most portable, and will seal the leak without a can of sealant in most cases, making it ideal for carrying on motorcycles.

There's a reason some old methods stick around. +1 like, keep them coming

"Occam's Razor to cut the unnecessary." Genius!

Back in the mid 70s as a kid I worked at a full service gas station. “they all were back then” Every once in a while we were visited by the same traveling sales man selling those orange very sticky rope plugs. He would take us out to the front left tire of his car. He would then take an awl and thrust it into the side wall of his car. Then while the air was hissing out he would prepare a rope plug and insert it in the hole he made. He asked if he could have an air hose to bring his air pressure up to spec. The salesman never cut the extra rope hanging out of the tire, because there were at least a half dozen others that were done previously hanging out. My boss bought a few repair kits from him and the salesman drove out of the yard with the many uncut rope plugs twirling in the breeze !! Ahh my memories…. 😁

I am not handy at all and just plugged a hole in my rear tire this morning with a rope plug using this video as a guide. Thank you so much Ryan and crew!

I'll take the roadside quicky for $40 ... wait, that comes out wrong 😉

So many references... and did you catch “Ockham’s razor?” Faboulous....

Agreed Vulcanising strips for the win 👍🏽I use them. Have also used them on 40tonne bell dump trucks never any issues driving across some of the roughest terrain 😁 fully laden

I wish you had done this years ago. I picked up a utility blade in my rear tire on a trip. It took two rope plugs to plug the tire. I then searched Wyoming and Montana for a replacement tire for fear that it would fail on the ride home. I know that so was overcharged for an old tire. Since bike shops are closed on my traveling days (Sunday and Monday) I wanted to save myself some trouble. It was interesting to see that the rope plug resealed when punctured again. Great video.

4:10 "I'm not jealous of youtubers with bigger..." Cuts to ad Perfect timing lol

I've been using rope plugs since 1987. Never a failure yet. Works great and you can still use the tire until it's completely worn out.

thanks for this information.. As a result of all the feedback from my questions and my research I patched up (from the inside, with a flat patch from “slime” using adhesive) a tire I found that had been discarded with a bacon strip/rope plug in it. I shaved off with a razor blade the inside part, then roughed it up with the cheese grater tool that came with the kit and then applied the adhesive liberally and finally the patch, orange side down. I inflated them, balanced, then installed them and went on my first ride with them a couple hours ago..

New rider here. Didn't go crazy and bought a 1000cc bike, I opted for a 250cc BigBoy tsr. Yes I know, it's a chinese mass produced bike, but affordable enough to learn. With all that said, thanks for your videos. It helps newbies like me to learn before we burn.

Bravo to Ryan and Aneesh. More than a Million. What a journey. Happy to see your face!.

Thank you for providing such real honest opinions to a widely debated issue of sealing a tire. I have been vouching for rope plugs for many years and over 100k miles logged and never had an issue with them. My first experience with rope plugs was on a motorcycle road trip roughly 300 miles away from home. I exited the highway for gas and noticed the rear had begun to feel "sloppy", and it got worse as I slowed down. In a panic I pulled into a small independent gas station to find that I had picked up 3 shiny nails. I asked the gas station owner if there were any tire shops that could patch my tire, and if I could use the air machine to determine if i could baby the last 100 miles to my destination to replace my tire. The old man came outside with me with a rope plug patch kit and repaired my tire for me, I asked him if it would make it long enough to get to my destination. He laughed and said that those plugs would outlast the tire and didn't even charge me for the plugs or his effort. I ended up riding on that tire another 4k miles before doing a fat burnout to end it right in front of my local tire shop back at home. I was surprised to find that my tire was still holding air after cords were showing and had no more center tread.

I've been using rope plugs for as long as I can remember (30 years?) and have not had any of them fail. I will continue to use them too.

For mountain biking on tubeless tires the rope plug is the best thing to carry for on the trail repairs in terms of weight and ease of use. Good to know it’s also the best all around system. I’ve also had car tires plugged the same way multiple times and never had a failure

I managed to get a screw in my new tyre from the 10 mile drive from the dealership to home, 3 years later it was still going strong using a rope plug...

Love your videos,been following for years. But have to say I’ve used Stop & Go mushroom plugger 3 times with excellent results. Twice on my motorcycle on the way to immediate tire replacement,once on a new tire on my Subaru. Apples to oranges comparison for sure but I got another 30,000 miles (48,000 kilometers for you Canadians) with no loss of pressure.

I'm killing time in a motel waiting for a snow storm to pass on a long ride. Thanks for the content, way better than cable. You're the Man!

I bought Ropes a few months back Like a week after buying my bike for 8$ Comes with all the tools in a small little pack, I’m pretty proud to hear I have a good product that will work the best with minimal effort usable quickly! Thanks

I’ve run car tires for another 20k miles on rope plugs. I would use it to get my bike to the tire shop.

This was a fresh production my canadian friend. ~ one of your million friends.

I’ve worked in construction for 30 years. Way back when I was poor, I used larger screws to plug nail holes. This caused some ticking while driving, but I got home only using a hand pump. Then I upgraded to a 12v pump sufficient for larger truck tires, go big or don’t go home, and a screwdriver handle rope plug kit. Recently, I have made another upgrade to a quieter but still sufficient 12v pump, and a better T handle plug kit in all vehicles. I even taught my wife how to use it. The only thing we lack is the rubber cement, but I do THRUST my rope plug in deeper than this guy- and allow driving to fold what remains of the plug over into the tire tread. Complete rope plug kits in plastic boxes with more plugs that you’ll ever need, gloves, and needle nose pliers are available for $20. Find one with a metal handle and replacement heads. Always be prepared. I thumb my nose at tire guys who tell me that by putting a single plug in my tire- I’ve ruined it. Brilliant marketing, but years of experience says - NO, I’ll be fine.

This is why I love this channel, you get the real info and not some sales pitch 😂

Congrats, you guys deserve it! Got a rope plug for $7 and cut down the extra large reamer and plug tools to fit in a pencil case along with my mini tire inflator and a tire gauge. Simple

Love the name dropping of the man, the myth and the legend that is Lemmy.

As always the best review of them all, having the cut away really helped!

Carried ropes since day 2 of riding. 6bikes and 30yrs later and I’ve not had a puncture. A friend has used mushrooms for about 6 years and I bought my son dynoplugs 3 years ago. Inspection time. 30 yr old robes : disintegrated 3 yr old Dynoplugs: dried out and unusable 6 yr old mushrooms: still working. Verdict: they’re all temporary solutions, some longer lasting than others but still temporary. Dyno (IMO) are useless, in the event of a puncture the plugs would most likely be unusable. Rope is rope, I’ve never had to use it Mushrooms, ok they have the lowest pressure test before popping, but the chances of hitting a big enough stone/ rock/nail in exactly the same spot???? Just my opinion… Keep the videos coming👍👍

From one You Tuber to another - well done on a million subs mate!!!!! (unlike you, I am insane with jealousy!!).....

Haven't watched the video yet, Already know its gonna be good

I carried a mushroom kit on trips around Africa and India but was lucky enough not to need it. Then I got a puncture 5 miles from home and tried to use it - Almost impossible and left me with an even bigger hole. 100 miles later I got another puncture in the new tyre but I got that one demounted and patched. Finally used a rope on a mate’s bike and it was so straightforward. Thanks for the advice 👍

I've used the tire twizzlers since the 1990s on car and pickup tires with very good success. I make sure to ream the hole well and twist the gluey rope in there , and inflate to maximum posted pressure for a few days. On a MC, I would use one just to make it to home or a tire shop. That's not like a bicycle where it's easy to hang it from a tree or lay it on the grass and fix it with a mini pump.

8 sticky ropes sealed a thumbsized hole in my quad tire. Rode the rest of the day.

Wisdom and sarcasm has been imparted and received

Nice vid, dude. Thanks for all what you are giving to the Moto environment

you give honest reviews, great explanations, so i am going to try and plug my rear tire, the nail is dead center of the tire. i would think car tires and motorcycle tires are pretty much comparable. i just need it for a couple of weeks. got new tires on order.

Should have titled it "Any hole will do!", particularly on Valentine's Day.

For a second there, I thought I'd have to switch out all my rope plugs. Glad to know I'm not missing out on anything.

I'm shopping for a plug kit, and your intro had me hooked in 12 seconds! Now I'm going to find out which one to buy. ;)

I've been using rope plugs for years with good results. I have found that the more tread you have, the longer the rope plug will last. On bald or nearly bald tires, it becomes a crap shoot and it is probably time to get yourself a new tire.

I once had 13 ropes stuffed into an atv tire to get home after putting a thumb sized hole in it from hitting a jagged log concealed by dust.

I'm embarrassed (speaking as a viewer) that your channel took this long to hit a million. Your content is better than 99.99% of the content I watch.

I got a puncture on a brand new Pilot Road 3 rear. I stuffed a bacon strip in it and rode the Coquihalla home. After seeing this video and other sources, I now regret replacing the pricey tire once I got home. These plugs work great.

Rear tire caught a flat and the store wanted an arm and leg to replace it because it had to be ordered. I told them to just patch it, but they said it's "dangerous", I needed my bike back so I told them just patch the tire and let me worry about the danger. Had me sign a waiver and used a rope plug to patch it up. A year and several hundred (maybe a thousand plus) miles later it's still going great. No leaks, no issues.

Aww yissss, tell me what else can kill me, seems like a great topic for a valentine's day video.

the best motorcycle related RU-vid channel the cinematography is impeccable

Hi guys, great channel, excellent videos. I use the rope type and another I stumbled onto whilst trying to order a rope set for a bike holiday. On that very same holiday I had a puncture, knowing I had two sets of rope kits and this discovered set, I tried the discivered set, which came with pliers, air bottles that screw onto the tyer valve (an adapter for a different valve type), a bag, and plug 'keys' that have a twist thread, which you screw into the hole until the 'key head' snaps off. The puncture happened on a main highway and we happened on a service station in a safe distance (slow puncture as the nail that caused it was, poorly, still plugging the hole it'd made), I didn't have to use a air cylinder, you know the size and type that looks like those people are sniffing now-a-days, 'cos I just used an air pump at the station. This' discovered kit was (is) brilliant, I when on the rest of the holiday (near 3000 miles of memorable ride trip) without trouble, checking my tyre pressure, as you do, before setting off for a ride, that tyre lost no pressure, I didn't repair it once home, just replaced it when I replaced both at new tyre time. It's called Grip CARGOL Turn & Go, please try n test it Ryan. Cheers, Sy.

never had a Motorcycle flat. But rope plugs have never failed me or anyone I know. My father once got a large sidewall slash on a chipped boulder 2 hours away from the highway. Took an entire kit, but we got it air tight enough to get to the highway for a tow. Held air the entire time, but wasn't worth blowing out at highway speeds. It was pretty bad. You could probably barely fit your hand in there if the belts weren't holding it together in some spots.

I came across this channel today and have been spending the last few hours binge watching every episode even though I don’t have a motorcycle. I have no regrets. A testament to your video making skill.

The "Mushroom plugs are a bit shit eh?" SENT me. So unexpected and hilarious.

Glad I watched til the end. I was going to pre-emptively comment based on the numerous arguments I've had with people about rope seal type plugs over the years. I assumed this would be another crappy bit of uneducated inexperienced opinion (my bad), this was a very good video, my hat off to you FortNine. I've been a professional mechanic for over 45 years and have used this type of seal throughout those years with no issues. I have seen the rope type seal last until the tire was dangerously bald. I keep a kit in every vehicle I own. I just bought the Norden 901 with tubeless tires and as soon as I remember to put the dang kit in my saddlebag, it will also have one. The only problem with rope style plugs is the myriad of crappy tools to install them. The reamer is a matter of comfort, the tee handle style is best even though it packs lousy. The installer needs to be open ended instead of the stupid hook that so many have. The hook can be a real pain when trying to remove the tool while leaving the seal in place.

"Nothing is more premanent than a temporary fix"

“RU-vid is about using good people to fund bad decisions” - Daddy O Five

Having tested God’s patience and already used up 8 of my 9 lives in other endeavors, I don’t own and will never ride a motorcycle. I am subbed here out of sheer appreciation for the quality content. Second to none.

I worked as a vw/Audi dealer express tech for a while in the past, and I’ve probably installed 1000s of those internal patches. We would mark the tire position relative to the valve core on the rim (so u don’t have to rebalance), dismount the tire, drill the puncture to be larger, grind/sand the internal surface surrounding the puncture, apply a thin layer of rubber cement to the inside of the tire where u just grinded, insert the plug, pull it through the backside tight with pliers, and while holding it tight you’d cut off the excess so it sits flush with the outside tread level. Then we’d use a roller to roll on the patch from the inside, and to ensure the cement has bonded and there are no bubbles. Lastly, we’d apply a layer of this black tire sealant over the whole patch on the inside. Then the tire was remounted to the rim, inflated to spec, and torqued back onto the car. I’ve seen the craziest things puncture tires, but I’ve never seen one of those patches fail.

I’ve used them all and they all work. The internal patch-plug is best but expensive. Plus, dealers I’ve checked with won’t do patches anymore. I just used a rope plug today.

I love how every single one of these videos is creative and unique. So refreshing.

Please upload more-- this is by far my favorite youtube channel when it comes to production, originality and the host.

Dude! I love your humor! Great presentation along with excellent info!

I agree . I've done many dog turd (rope plug) repairs never had a problem with them for the rest of the life of the tyre. I've even cut a repaired section from a tyre and tried to pull the plug free - that was extremely difficult.