To Ultraseal or not?

[Mousetrapper]

I realise this may be a little bit of a repeat post but searching doesn't really supply all info I'm after.

Mrs Mousetrapper and I are off to sunny Spain at the end of the month and I don't really fancy being sat at the top of a mountain because of a flat tyre.

So the questions:
1. Are there any major problems with Ultraseal, other than the 'I'd rather know if I've got a puncture' argument? - Personally I'd rather find out in the hotel car park at the end of the day.

2. Is it easy to get the stuff in yourself, do you have to remove the valve stem, need a special tool etc.

3. If the answer to 2. is 'it's a pain in the bum' does anyone know if there is anywhere in W. Yorks that will put the stuff in?

That is all,

Mousetrapper

[rictus01]

Ha ha, here we go again, let me put it like this, if you use tyre feedback and can understand it, then it's not for you, however if you just bimbling along then I suppose it's not going to do any real harm.

I've innertubes on the T'bird with tubeless tyres, which means I can't plug them myself (which is what I'd normally do) but I still wouldn't have it in mine.

still if it fits the bill, go for it.

Cheers Mark.

[johnnyrod]

I'd get a tubeless repair kit and a can of Finnilec, I think Rictus is right about stuff slopping about inside. No-one will thank you when it comes to new tyre time either.

[andy]

I have used Ultraseal and my thoughts are:

1. It seems to work, I stuck a nail in the tyre just before I changed it to see how well Ultraseal works and although it did not totally fix the hole, it slowed the leak somewhat.

2. It is expensive for what it is.

3. It CAN cause out of balance issues, my front tyre went out of balance about a year after I installed Ultraseal - it was really bad, causing the front forks to bend noticeably and oscillate very badly over about 100mph, very VERY scary. I removed the tyre, dumped it, and never used Ultraseal again....

4. It makes a horrible mess come tyre changing time - a tyre fitter will not like you at all.

Off road I use Slime, similar to Ultraseal, but off road needs are totally different so it has benefits here.

You need to remove valve to fit it, the tool is only a couple of quid so no probs there.

IMHO I would not bother with Ultraseal on road, take a cycle pump (Cyclaire is a very good pump), a tyre plug kit, and a can of Finnilec just in case......


I also cannot help feeling that Ultraseal (and its identical alternatives such as Tyreseal) are a bit of a con - it just has that feel about it. I dont believe the majority of the claims such as longer tyre life and reducing out of balance problems (in my case it caused them - fact).

[northwind]

I had ultraseal in my first couple of sets of tyres on the SV... Have to say, it did its job very well once, I had a big puncture at speed after I hit some metal debris, it tore holes around about a quarter of the tyre, it looked like it'd been savaged by an animal :smt103 Still lost most of the air in the tyre but it stayed up till I had the speed way down, and after about 20 minutes at the side of the road I was able to refill it with my repair kit and limp home on it- still losing air, but not terribly. Tyre was a complete write-off, and that wouldn't have been a lot of fun at the speed I was doing if it'd lost all its air as fast as I think it would've.

But then, I had a case of "Puncture but doesn't know it" in my next tyres, which I wasn't so keen on, so the next time I changed tyres I decided not to use it at first... And I noticed differences in feel from the tyre, which I'd never known I was missing before as I'd always had it. I also noticed the weight in the tyre- a full treatment adds nearly half a kilo to each tyre, right at the outside where it's most obvious, and it makes a difference at speed. I'd never ridden on fully run-in tyres without it on the SV, so it was a surprise how noticable it was. I never had any of the wobbles etc though.

I don't think it's bad stuff, neccesarily, and if I was going touring I might use it again... It depends entirely on what you want to do with the bike. And it's dead easy to use, though having some sort of compressor would help- took a long time to do mine with my stirrup pump!

[SVeeedy Gonzales]

I've got it in my tyres. Can't say I've noticed any balance issues or any difference between the tyres with it or without it.

They stuck it in the tyres when they fitted them and I'm pretty sure they stuck it straight through the normal air valve - they'd forgotten I wanted it put in there.

I got it put in after riding with someone who got a severe puncture in their tyre at high speed and it gave them enough time to slow down and pull over. Pretty sure things would have been worse without it in the tyres, even though the tyre itself was wrecked due to the size of the hole.

[Mousetrapper]

Hi all,

Thanks very much for the replies so far, I know it was a bit of a repost but never mind.

I think on balance I'm going to give it a go because:
1. Never tried it, quite like to find out for myself what difference it makes to feedback etc.
2. A long tour around the backroads of north Spain seems like the perfect opportunity.
3. I'm a muppet when it comes to the practical side and wouldn't trust myself to do a roadside puncture repair.

In due course I'm sure this topic will come up again and I'll be able to put my own two pennith worth in!

[Quiff Wichard]

friend of mine had major tank slapper - blames ultraseal..

I would rather Know I had a puncture meself..


my option would be- Heine gericke... go there £13.99 punct repair kit.. will mend ya- ride at 40 and get you somewhere safe to have a new tyre.

[RhythmJunkie]

You can't beat a new tyre....expensive and none handy option.

A proper repair.......great but some people still feel scared about high speeds. Can be done at the roadside but you may need a box of tools and a lot of time. Another impractical sollution.

RAC/AA etc., great if you trust a temporary repair which some people don't. I would trust ultraseal over a temporary repair cos ultraseal is a permanent repair! :)

Ultraseal I have been using in a rear GSX750F tyre for....blblppertfhh months....so long I can't accurately remember. Around 10-12 months. The tyre has gone from almost new to almost worn out, maybe 8000 miles.
I picked up a slow puncture. Whatever did the damage only just penetrated the carcass but made a fair mess of the entrance hole leaving a tiny flap of rubber. So it appears it went in, did a bit of thrashing around, then ripped out again. When I first sealed it I parked the bike in the garage and left the wheel 'hole upwards'. It lost a bit of pressure. After that I left it hole downwards so the sealant would drain to the bottom and keep sealing. After several months there was a small blob on the garage floor where some of the sealant had leaked out but eventually it did completely seal it. I have given that tyre a real good bashing, feathered to the edge, mostly two-up and its been fine. The bike is sat on the back yard right now and the tyre is still up around 36psi as a good kick the other night proved! Not had any air in it for 6 weeks.
Hole doesn't leak any more. This was a big and irregular shaped hole and it still saved me £120, the tyre was almost brand new.
I bought the ultraseal from the main dealers spares/tyre department, a rather good recommendation I thought!
Yes its a bit expensive but so is a new tyre! £25 vs £200 for a pair of tyres cos it treats both.

Take out the valve with the little tool supplied and squirt in the recommended amount, you get a chart with tyre sizes. Put valve back in, pump up tyre and away you go.

I have had no issue with balance at all. If you use the correct amount I don't see how this can occur. A lost balance weight maybe?
It remains in an almost water-like consistency so any rotation of the wheel will spread it over the tyre again. It 'cannot' gloop into a blob to cause balance issues! Its been designed that way. ;)

It is water solluble and is not messy in the slightest. Just rinse off with water or clean off with a damp cloth!

I used it after the puncture but its best to use it preventatively. It lubricates a penetrating object so it "tends" to slip back out of the tyre instead of sitting there doing more damage.

[Jools'SV Now]

Just changed tyres on mine (bridgestone021) and asked the fitter to stick ultraseal in them.
He hates the stuff cos of the mess it makes when taking the tyre off when he's not warned.
He reckons it's fine in the rear but wouldn't put in in the front. I asked him to anyway and he did.
New tyres feel fine and I'm glad it's in there.

With what was left over it also fixed a slow puncture in the hire car I had. Bonus:)

Easy to get in there yourself (hardest part is squeezing the bottle hard enough and for long eonough to make it go through the tube)
£20 and might save your skin. Bargain

As for 'knowing you've go a puncture'.
I can see them now on a cold, wet motorway hard shoulder waiting for rescue, holding a cardboard sign that says "i know i've got a puncture":p

No thanks

[SVeeedy Gonzales]

Also, I find that I only need to adjust tyre pressures with the seasons - there's no more air loss each week (half a PSI a week levels) which I used to have. I'm assuming that's because of the ultraseal but it might just be down to using Diablo Stradas over the Dunlops.

[RhythmJunkie]

It says on the tin (bottle) that it seals everything including tyre beads and valves so hardly any air can escape. Its good stuff!
Just a pity they don't do "buy one get one free!" :)

[embee]

I go touring and being realistic you're silly not to have some sort of repair method with you. As you say, you don't really want to be stuck somewhere in the Alps on a small track as it's getting dark and there's a thunderstorm coming with a flat tyre.

I adopt the philosophy that punctures are relatively rare out on the open roads (nails and screws are rare in the Alps/Pyrenees, tend to be in towns), so I decided to carry repair stuff to use "if" needed, i.e. not already in the tyre.

The only times I've had to use it is on other peoples bikes, and once on one of mine when it had a flat due to a panel pin the morning I was taking it to an MOT and the tyre was getting on for replacement anyway, so a short term fix was convenient.

I used some stuff that Smart cars use, it's made by Continental tyres (though of course they don't approve it for motorcycle use). It worked well for a month or so, but occasionally would lose a little pressure then re-seal. Definitely a temporary "emergency" fix.

I carry a variety of plugs and glue, and took the innards out of a cheap 12V compressor to carry while touring. A bit of an overkill perhaps, several CO2 cartridges and an inflator might be more sensible (it takes 3 to fully inflate a large rear bike tyre, allowing for leakage).

According to experienced travellers, the string type plugs are a lot easier to use to get a reliable repair than the rubber plugs, so I have both types in case!

I've never tried Ultraseal, but there are enough users who say it does work, as long as you're aware of the possible effects.

[Sid Squid]

As for 'knowing you've go a puncture'.
I can see them now on a cold, wet motorway hard shoulder waiting for rescue, holding a cardboard sign that says "i know i've got a puncture":p

No thanks

No-one's suggesting you shouldn't carry a puncture repair kit, what is being suggested is that with a puncture sealant such as Ultraseal, (there are others too), is that if you have it you won't know when you've got a puncture, so you also won't know if whatever has punctured your tyre has damaged the carcass too.
This is important, for a permanent puncture repair the tyre should be removed so that an inspection can be done - this is part of the reason that external plugs are only a temporary repair.

Riding around with a potentially damaged carcass that I know nothing about 'cos I didn't get flat that told me about it? No thanks.

[RhythmJunkie]

...but Sid, you might have a puncture without ultraseal and not realise till your tyre goes soft in the fast lane at 90! With ultraseal your tyre won't go down....thats one of its major benefits! You should always give your tyres a regular check for protruding alien objects as a matter of course. With ultraseal you just pull out the offending alien and the sealant...erm...well...seals! :) Job done! :)
I can see that you won't be converted dude! ;) I suppose one of the argument for not using it and carrying a repair kit is the fact that punctures are very rare and the ultraseal method adds £20 to your tyre cost for every set you buy but may never be required so it ends up an insurance a sort of peace of mind thing! Whereas the puncture kit may last for 10 years and still never be used!

[rictus01]

...but Sid, you might have a puncture without ultraseal and not realise till your tyre goes soft in the fast lane at 90! With ultraseal your tyre won't go down....thats one of its major benefits! You should always give your tyres a regular check for protruding alien objects as a matter of course. With ultraseal you just pull out the offending alien and the sealant...erm...well...seals! :) Job done! :)
I can see that you won't be converted dude! ;) I suppose one of the argument for not using it and carrying a repair kit is the fact that punctures are very rare and the ultraseal method adds £20 to your tyre cost for every set you buy but may never be required so it ends up an insurance a sort of peace of mind thing! Whereas the puncture kit may last for 10 years and still never be used!

or of course you're prudent enough to want your carcus check to make sure it's not damaged, rather than just "pull it out" :D

of couse if all you're going to do is bimble around and change your tyres if you do any spirited riding then that's OK I'd suppose.

[RhythmJunkie]

Riding around with a potentially damaged carcass that I know nothing about 'cos I didn't get flat that told me about it? No thanks.


I think if the carcass was getting increasingly damaged then the ultraseal would get to the point where it allowed a slow puncture but by that time a quick inspection would have shown the ultraseal leaking out of the wound so you would be aware of the puncture! I noticed a little leaking out of my rather large hole early on but it only lost a couple of pounds in pressure before sealing again! But it was obviously leaking!

[RhythmJunkie]

or of course you're prudent enough to want your carcus check to make sure it's not damaged, rather than just "pull it out

Tyre carcasses are extremely tough things you know, all this talk of objects grinding huge cavernous holes is a bit OTT actually! Something large enough and sharp enough would be seen or heard before it had enough time to chew up a carcass. Anything much smaller and more easily hidden wouldn't be big enough to do any real damage! Many objects are lubricated by the sealant and spurt back out of the tyre before they do any damage also.

I think if I had mended my own puncture I would still use ultraseal just in case my repair started leaking! ;)

[rictus01]

I noticed a little leaking out of my rather large hole early on but it only lost a couple of pounds in pressure before sealing again! But it was obviously leaking!

I'm afraid I use my tyres with confidence and far to spirited to ever consider running one with a " large hole" in it no matter what goo was in it, structural integrety and the posibility of delamination isn't something I'm prepared to gamble on.

But I'll conceed once again, if perhaps funds are tight and you're not going to push the tyres at all or indeed as a safe guard for a gentle touring holiday I can see the advantages, not that I'd use it of course.

Cheers Mark.

[Lozzo]

They stuck it in the tyres when they fitted them and I'm pretty sure they stuck it straight through the normal air valve - they'd forgotten I wanted it put in there.


The proper method of putting Ultraseal in is to pump it in through the valve stem once the tyre is fitted. The Ultraseal supplied pump comes with a hose and tyre valve fitting to do it this way.

Your tyre fitted didn't forget and bodge it in any old how once he'd remembered, he did it the correct way from the start.

Personally, I wouldn't have the stuff in my tyres. There are handling issues with having that much extra weight at the circumference of the wheels, and I'd like to know when my tyres are in a suspect condition, not have it masked by something like this stuff. In 29 years I've only had one puncture, and that didn't immediately blow out, it deflated slowly - in fact, tyre blow outs on bikes are so extremely rare that I've only ever heard of two in all my years riding bikes and visiting bike shops on a daily basis as a sales rep.

[Steve_God]

We had some donated to us on our coastal tour - worked a treat! Saved 3 punctures!

All depends on the roads you're going on though. I wouldn't use it going to and from work or for an evening blitz, but for touring around, small track roads with all sorts of s**t on them, well worth it!

[Mousetrapper]

Well the deed is done and the thick blue gloopy stuff is in, in the first 5 miles to spread it round the tyre I didn't notice any vibes (well no more than normal!). Seemed to handle fine but it was a bit damp so I wasn't pushing it. We shall see, hopefully won't need to find out if it works but will check the tyres more than normal.