The cost of inflation | These motorcycle puncture repair kits will get you going in an emergency

Published: 25 July 2023 Updated: 15 April 2024

Motorcyclist without a puncture repair kit leaves his bike on the roadside

For many riders, the feeling of a motorcycle tyre going flat signals the beginning of a nightmare. That need not be the case though with one of the best motorcycle puncture repair kits.

Most of the time, it means a call to a recovery company. Then a long wait by the roadside until a motorcycle-ready truck arrives, and a ride home in a lorry rather than on your bike. However, it is possible to beat the wait and continue on your journey – at least back home or to a nearby tyre shop – if you have a puncture repair kit with you.

You don’t need to be an experienced tyre fitter or mechanic to repair a puncture. Here’s our round-up of the best motorcycle puncture repair kits you can purchase right now.

Jump to: Puncture repair kits explained

The best motorcycle puncture repair kits

Oxford CO2 Tyre Repair

Best complete kit

Price: £24.49 (was 34.99)

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

View Offer

Tested by Justin Hayzelden for two years, 35,000 miles. Quality 5/5, Value 5/5. There’s nothing fun about waiting for recovery with a puncture. But carry a repair kit and you’re soon rolling again. This particular pack has been part of my essential kit for the past two years. It has saved the day when road testing on more than one occasion. As a result, it has paid for itself at least twice over.

It comes with full instructions and includes everything you need to plug a hole. Though it can get a bit messy once you start squirting the glue around. A good tip is to put some latex gloves in the accompanying storage pouch.

There’s enough material to fix 5 punctures. However, the CO2 canisters supplied will only inflate one tyre. Top-ups are available separately though (£9.99 for 4). So replace them as you use them without needing to buy a full kit every time. Use it to limp home, then get the repair properly inspected and plugged by your preferred tyre specialist.

Pros

Includes CO2 canisters
Easy to use

Cons

Can be messy to apply the glue

Tyre Doctor Repair Kit (Ranger Stork)

Best budget kit

Price: £7.94

View Offer

Tested by Ben Clarke for two years and four punctures - Quality: 4 Value: 5. There’s nothing worse than a puncture to ruin your fun. We’ve all had that sinking feeling of returning to your bike to find a flat or soft tyre.

This repair kit includes everything you need to get your tyre airtight again but, unlike some kits, has no canisters to re-inflate if you’re stuck out and about. I used this twice in a short space of time thanks to an over-worn rear tyre becoming susceptible to punctures.

It’s really easy to use with clear instructions and the tools feel sturdy enough for repeated use, too. It comes in a handy carry case with 15 glue strips – meaning a cost of a little over 50p per repair! Well worth sticking in your rucksack I reckon.

Pros

Easy to use
Very low cost

Cons

No canisters for tyre reinflation

Gear Gremlin

Price: £24.99 (was £39.99)

www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk

View Offer

This kit from Gear Gremlin includes everything you need to repair and re-inflate a punctured tyre in a handy carry case. The CO2 canisters can be purchased separately, too.

Tested by Jim Blackstock - Quality: 4 Value 4. There are two main ways to get going again if you have a puncture – this or a can of spray-in tyre repair. But the latter makes a horrendous mess and many professionals may not entertain carrying out a permanent repair afterwards.

You can use the Gear Gremlin motorcycle tyre repair kit up to five times before getting more worms. That's as long as the hole is smaller than the specified 6mm maximum. Also assuming you have some way of re-inflating the tyre, like a small rechargeable compressor or additional canisters of gas. But it’s small enough to take with you on any major ride.

Read our full Gear Gremlin tyre repair kit review.

Pros

Creates effective mechanical tyre repairs
Comprises everything you need to fix a flat
Small enough to take with you

Cons

Canister isn't enough to fully reinflate a tyre

Holts Tyreweld

Best last resort

Rrp: £10.92

Price: £5.49

View Offer

A generation's answer to tyre repairs, this stuff can be a godsend for users and messy for repairers. Connect the can to the tyre's inflation valve and hit the button. The product is forced into the tyre and partially out through the hole to seal it. While the can's pressure helps to re-inflate the tyre, it may need a top-up. Wipes out afterwards for a proper repair.

Tested by Ben Clarke - Quality: 3 Value: 4

I used this stuff to fix a flat in a hurry when I needed to get into MCN Towers. Ironically that was to have new tyres fitted. It plugged the hole and put just enough pressure into the tyre for me to limp to the nearest garage. I'd lost some pressure again by the time I got an hour down the road to the office.

The main problem was the look on the tyre mechanic's face when he saw what I'd done. The mess it leaves for them to clear up will make you a little unpopular.

Pros

Gets you going again
Quick and easy to use

Cons

Makes a mess

Slime Tyre Puncture Repair Sealant

Best for prevention

Price: £9.99

View Offer

Used by mountain bikers for years (and even available pre-applied to tyres). This is designed to be squeezed into the tyre via the pressure valve and then, the tyre re-inflated. The pressure pushes the slime out of the leak hole, where it solidifies on contact with air. The manufacturers recommend three days or 100 miles maximum on the tyre before it is repaired properly or replaced.

Tested by Ben Clarke for 4 months, 13,000 miles - Quality: 5 Value: 5 This isn't technically a puncture repair kit, more of a prevention strategy. I used the goop in my Yamaha XT660R tubed tyres for a long tour of the USA and Central America. I travelled 13,000 miles across various types of roads and trails. I only suffered one puncture.

It can be a bit messy and fiddly to get in. But once it is, you can just forget about it. Definitely worth considering if you are riding off road a lot.

Pros

Fit and forget
Prevents punctures from happening
Works with tubed tyres unlike the other options on this list

Cons

No use if you get a big puncture

Grand Pitstop Tubeless Tyre Repair Kit

Big seller on Amazon

Price: £27.99

View Offer

We haven't tested this kit just yet (although we will be soon) but it's a big seller for Amazon and the customer reviews are glowing.

Pros

Uses plugs instead of strips
Kit comes with applicator system

Cons

No re-inflation kit included
Unknown brand

Puncture repair kits aren’t to be used anywhere

It goes without saying that these kinds of repairs are only appropriate for certain geographical locations. For example, you shouldn’t try this on the hard shoulder of the motorway with traffic passing you. But if you can get off the motorway into a service station or at a junction to find a safe place to stop, then it’s definitely worth a go.

We’re talking about tubeless tyres only

Note that the majority of the kits we’re looking at here are for tubeless tyres. These are used by the majority of road bikes. Options for tubed tyres, which are used by many adventure or off-road bikes, are different. That goes for those used on the road between off-road forays. We’ll look at them in a separate story.

How puncture repair kits work

Pretty much all the tubeless kits are based on the same idea. When you have removed what caused the puncture, you ream out the hole. Then you insert a plug to fill it using a worm, string, or plug. Afterwards, you re-inflate the tyre and you’re back on your way.

You should also be aware that some kits come equipped to re-inflate your tyre, like a small gas canister. But when they don’t, you will need assistance or to use a mini compressor. If you are mid-way through an off-road trip, you should have one with you. We will also look at that in a separate article.

You can’t just repair any puncture on any tyre

TyreSafe is Britain’s tyre-industry association that raises awareness of tyre safety. They make several recommendations about tyre care and making repairs. For motorcycles, repairs should only be carried out on 50% of the tyre and not the sidewall. Tyres with a speed rating higher than V (149mph) should never be repaired.

Furthermore, for tyres with speed ratings up to J (62mph), no more than two 6mm repairs should be made. With tyres up to and including the V speed rating, a single repair of 3mm is the limit. They say repaired tyres should be inspected by a professional when possible to ascertain their suitability for continued use.

- Just so you know, whilst we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections - read why you should trust us.

;