Something like this -
http://www.sporttouringusa.com/www/smartire.htm

Anyone used the Slime products?
Specifically: http://www.slime.com/smarttubes/index.php

and

http://www.slime.com/tiresealant/innertubesealant.php

I have had a number of flats on tubeles tired bikes and have plugged them and also used the injected slime on one occasion.
The plug type by TIP-TOP as supplied as a tool kit item on BMW works really well. I have installed them and then ridden the bike thousands of km until the tire was worn out with no ill effects, all the while keeping in mind to maintain safe speeds .The cord- type plugs that I regularly use to fix car tire flats can be used if extra care is taken . On one such cord repair on my BMW I did not properly twist it in enough and then did not trim it enough leaving a bit of a tail hanging.As a result the plug pulled out (rear wheel). At the roadside I put in one of the TIP TOP plugs and it held no problem until tire change 7000km later with the plug wearing down smoothly with the tire rubber.
The one occasion I used the slime on a bike was after another cord repair when that plug still had a slow airleak. I forget which brand , but it was from K-Mart, came in a plastic squeeze bottle with a monkey on the label.On cars I have used the aerosol can type inflater sealant, which also worked fine. Any sealant will only work if the puncture is on the road contact surface perimiter where centrifugal force can distribute it . Any hole up the sidewall , unlikely,needs to be patched or plugged

Righto I'm learning here. Big trip coming up and I'm planningon using tubeless tyres but you guys are suggesting that taking a spare tube is a good thing just in case there's a gash the size of the Khyber Pass in the wall , right??

Is it just a case of taking the tyre off, putting the tube in, putting ther tyre back on and pumping it up?

What about wheel balancing?

"Is it just a case of taking the tyre off, putting the tube in, putting ther tyre back on and pumping it up?

What about wheel balancing?"

Yes but the pumping part is quite hard so carry a proper pump and use some liquid soap to grease the tire.

Wheel balancing? Hmm, I think last time was 180 kkm ago…….. :-)

If you read the Michelin product literature on mousses it says that mousses should not be used to travel more than 20km on tarmac at a speed in excess of 80km / hr.

Despite this warning, I ran a pair with mixed dirt / highway use for over 10,000kms, including over 1,000kns in one day on tar at an average speed of 110kms / hr. The real risk is that the heat build-up caused by riding at high speeds on tar will cause the mousse to disintegrate. After about 10,000kms (and just under six months) the rear did disintegrate but the front seemed fine.

Therefore, whilst they may not be appropriate for a tar orientated RTW trip, I personally would still use them again on a predominantly dirt based trip, such as North Africa, Central Australia etc.

One important point is that you need to remove the mousse from the rim and liberaly apply grease every few thousand kms. This can be a real pain if you are riding sole with only a set of tyre levers.

I'm doing a motorcycle course at Merton college. Our teacher there gave us a trick for punctures on tubed wheels. It won't avoid punctures but it will slow down the speed at which the tube deflate.
He said that he does the following on all his bikes: remove the tube and get 3 layers of duct tape (actually it was not exactly duct tape but can't remember the name) round the wheel to seal more or less the spoke nuts.
In case of puncture, the tube will lose the air more slowly giving you 2 or 3 precious seconds to stop. I have not tried this yet!

Re: Maria’s tip

Lining the centre of the rims with electrical tape, or similar, to cover the spokes also reduces the chance of one wearing against the tube and actually causing a puncture.

Just came accros Tireballs as an alternative for moose tubes

http://www.tireballs.com

Personally, I rode through Africa using innertubes and really only got nail punctures on my rear tyre when it was pretty bold... Take a 19" sparetube which will fit both the front and rear and get the puncture 'profi' repaired in the next village as european patches usuallu dont last too long in the heat of africa...

This depends on what type of vent you have and how easy it is to remove. Tubes come with their own vent, a schreader valve, actually. The ones on my BMW are easily removeable and seal with an o-ring, but i'm not sure if this design is standard on all bike wheels. And i never balance the wheels on the travell bike as it seams i end up taking them apart so often, it never makes a diference http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/frown.gif.

How about this one?

Stuff your front tyre with tennis balls! Anyone has tried this before?

nasty one
 

That sounds pretty nasty Bigdave - was that a front or rear end puncture ?

Most of the TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring systems) are only any use at one (road) pressure for cars.
I suppose this would work for a road bike but on an overlanding bike/4x4 where we need to drop/raise tyre pressusses to suit the terrain - it wont work - though maybe something will be developed where we can remove or switch off the monitoring system for off road use. It wouldnt suprise me if BMW are working on that as we speak for the big GS's

Im running tubed MT21's on the KTM -but if I am running tubeless on a bike I would avoid using a repair plug/string on a FRONT tyre if im on asphalt at speed. Though the tip top ones mentioned by Sjoerd sound like they are pretty good....

They should IMO be used on the rear end only- if you are keeping the speed down -and even then carefully - as the tyre heats up they can work there way out - I have had a few work loose and start to leak on the Land Rovers BFG Tubeless tyres - its got four tyres - and goes slow - so it doesnt matter too much.

As Mr Ron says carry tubes and patches - and use them on front tubeless puncture repairs - Even us 4X4'ers on tubeless tyres - carry tubes for a badly damaged tread or sidewall puncture + patches,strings etc.
Cheers
Grif

Some very good info here!

I'm just wondering, since I'm kind of the lazy sort and don't really fancy doing to much pumping, can you take co2 cartridges on planes? Obviously would have to be in the hold I guess, and the pressure shouldn't really pose a technical problem, but what do the airlines say?

Anybody any experience?

NO - I tried - had a dozen confiscated from my luggage :(

Use a small compressor, they work great.

Cheers Grant,

Was afraid that would be the case. I'll see if I can get some in Santiago. If not, it's the old pump...

Ah well, such is live!