tire plugs

Ok , I've got a tire with a lot of miles left on it an recently picked up a nail. As an avid 4x4 owner of course I have a tire plug kit handy and pulled out the nail and proceded to plug the tire. A lot of my riding buddies are now planning to attend my funeral. Was this such a bad idea? I've plugged automotive:crazy: tires for years with no problems. don't have the coin right now for a new rear tire so was this a bad move on my part and do I just need to park the VFR until money gets better?

 

Lots of controversy on this one and a lot of "depends on" going on too.

Fixed a new Dunlop that picked up a drywall screw. I used a plug and a patch. Held well.

The various tire makers have tons of info on fixes.

Just "IMO" , a nail or screw in the sidewall ain't worth trying to fix.

Comparing bike tires and cage tires are two different cans of worms.

 

I think driving a motorcycle on a plugged tire should be treated the same as driving a car on one of those tiny spare tires, very: carefully, slowly, not on the highway, and straight to the tire shop!

 

You will find peeps that do it and others that won't. I plugged my rear tire last summer and have run it 2000 miles so far with no issues. If it was a front tire or I rode like my hair was on fire, I'd just buy a new tire.

 

I've repaired tires before, but have always used the mushroom plugs. More of a PIA since you have to remove the tire, but I feel that it's a better solution. But people have used the regular plugs and had no probs. YMMV.

 

Is driving a motorcycle the same as riding a motorcycle? Before any quick answers are formulated, think of what would happen if the title of the film "Driving Miss Daisey" was suddenly changed?

 

I LMAO at this.

On the plug front, I had a plug in my rear tire on my old bandit. It popped out and tire lost all pressure. Lucky i was travelling at 30mph at the time. Never again. After that i got a new tire, got another nail about 2 weeks after i got it and replaced it straight away.

Not worth the risk.

 

Ha, I still have the plug in mine from last season, It's holding fine, but I keep an eye on my tires, it only has maybe another 4k left before I need a new one so to me it is worth it. oh I must say also that it depends on where and by what, mine was a clean nail in the sipe just off the center so figured it was worth it as it only had like 200 miles on it when this happened, but it's your ride do whats right by you.

 

Agreed.

I've had a number of tires plugged without any problems.
Most significantly a nearly new (& expen$ive) Metzeler ME88 Marathon on the rear of an FJ1200 a number of years ago.

I had just arrived at work, when a coworker pointed out a huge nail in the rear tire (1/4" diam x 5" long).
I used my trusty fix-a-flat can from the underseat storage; and adjusted the pressure appropriately (it had inflated to about 50psi).

A moto-shop installed an umbrella style plug from the outside with plenty of sealant a few days later.
The tire ran more than 10,000 miles of hard riding in HOT California conditions, much of it 2-up, with never the slightest issue.
I inspected it frequently, and after a while the plug seemed to meld to the tire and become part of it - it was all but invisible.

I still keep a can of moto-size fix-a-flat in all bikes, and plan to get a compact roadside plug kit soon - maybe I'll end up fixing someone else's tire to get them home.

Still, I wouldn't thrash my R1 WFO with a plug - depends on the tire and intended use/aggressiveness.

 

Lets see:

Worn tire + Plug + no money = Death / ICU / Crippled / Need new gear and Parts

$30-150 dollars + used / new tire = You make it home safe and no hospital bills / parts bills

Its ok to get you home but I would never ride on a plug. If so as mentioned above - remove tire and install a speed patch.

Plugging any tire an you now have a non speed rated tire - look it up

 

When it fails I call dibbs on some parts

 

I'm curious if anyone can come up with any anecdotal evidence supporting the incidence of actual catastrophic failure attributable to a plugged tire.

Or is this all simply conjecture and speculation...?

My experience suggests the situation is not nearly as dire as some suggest.

Facts people - Facts...

True, catastrophic tire failure, or any sort, on a motorcycle is certainly not to be trifled, with possibly severe consequences, but for tuned-in sorts who take proper and frequent PM and inspection measures, I think the likelihood of such an event is greatly diminished.
The risk can be substantially mitigated with care and caution.

A major factor, as previously stated, is the intended use post-plugging.
We must consider the totality of the circumstances; I think this issue is too complex for a simple blanket statement.
Economic pressures may force people to make compromises and adjust to the changed conditions; most people do not live in a perfect world of a steady stream of brand new tires.

In my lifetime in this sport, I know of not one single circumstance of plugged-tire related crash or significant problem.
Not one that I've ever heard of.

It would seem that if such a thing were a common occurrence as intimated, then we motorcyclists as a group would have been made well aware of a real trend for many years.
This simply hasn't happened, aside from ominous forebodings of the possibility of such a thing.

I'm sure the tire manufacturers will almost certainly caution against plugging, but I suspect that their stance will very likely be from the standpoint of liability protection, rather than strict, objective engineering and science principles.

 

I'll just chime in with my two bobs worth since I recently had the misfortune of having something put a hole in my reasonably new Avon rear tyre. Didn't have one of those roadside patch kits (but I do now!) so getting the bike home was a story in itself. I've understood these kits to be for just getting you home and the guys who would know better at the shop confirmed this.

They then repaired the tyre with a plug that was inserted and glued into place from inside the tyre carcass. I was assured that the speed and load rating for the tyre is not changed and so far - touch wood - no problems. I keep a regular check on the tyres pressure normally and the plug is holding up well.

If it pushes your comfort zone and you've got the $$$ though, new rubber takes the worry out of the situation.

Cheers!

 

i've done it , when i was commuting 110 mi a day, one of those ( i had no choice at the time) but kept the pluged tire for another 1000 mi. moral of the story if you do ride it that way keep an eye on your pressure. we're all adults here i don't see that scare tactics are going to do anyting but aleinate people.

 

Maybe no guarantees but your odds are improved exponentially with a new tire compared to a plug. Straight plugs will leak at some point and you WILL NOT have any speed rating on that tire as you now have a nice weak point for things to go wrong. As stated above the correct way is with a speed patch/plug done from the inside but even that can lead to tread separation. I have been in tires sales, training, management since 1984 and have seen many tires fail do to plugs installed.

While it may not cause death at every plug install the least can happen is your stuck on the side of the road, no cell reception, no where to get help, etc.... all because you thought a .50 cent plug was the answer.......hum

 

The diff between cars and Motos is that motos only have 2 tires. You are at a higher risk with only 2 ties and then you are going to plug one. I know with me it would always be in the back of my mind when I was out riding . so I would be working on getting a new tire.

 

Fear, Pride, and Stubborness

I prefer the reasonable answers above. Let's base it on experience, science/engineering, context of variables, and management of risk.
1)I don't know of anyone who has gone down on a plug.
2)Tire holds air, provides grip, undiminished in my experience.
3)Sidewall/near sidewall, get home and get a new tire; center, clean hole, try it and monitor it.
4)A cycle is a risky ride, period. We all choose a different level of safety.
SLOVFR, "exponentially"? Show me the graph.
"will leak"? OK, but if it starts leaking around 10,000 miles, I'm good.

You are obviously a beard for the International Tire Cabal that has kept us working people enslaved for millenia, and has destabilized the Middle East in the 20th C for your nefarious agenda. Are lightly used tires with one hole used for the refinement of weapons-grade plutonium? Do they burn them to heat the basements of Freemason's lodges?
Show yourself, you foe of freedom!!!!

 

Its true, you cant teach common sense......