to plug or not to plug?

[Philip]

OK I got a brand new set of Conti Attacks on the FJR, less than 1K miles, got a nail in the rear tire just off center. I know no place around here will plug it, and its proally not the best idea, but........do you guys think its a bad idea, I know how to do it myself.

Thanks

Phil

 

[Fred W]

OK I got a brand new set of Conti Attacks on the FJR, less than 1K miles, got a nail in the rear tire just off center. I know no place around here will plug it, and its proally not the best idea, but........do you guys think its a bad idea, I know how to do it myself.
Thanks

Phil

Phil,

If you can do it yourself, (meaning you can dismount and remount the tire) you may want to consider a more permanent type of patch/plug:

like these

 

[Duff]

Go grab a plug kit and something to air up the tire (like a miniature air pump or canned air with SEVERAL canisters)(you NEED to be carrying thesewith you anyway!) and plug that tire.

Now, order a replacement tire immediately and put it on as soon as it comes in.

Benefits: You get to practice your tire repair in a controlled environment and you get a safe tire back on the bike as soon as possible.

JMHO, others may disagree.

 

[topanga]

I bought a set of pilot Road 2's, with less than 300 miles on them I got a nail in the rear. Had the dealer plug it up, nearly 5k miles later, no issues whatsoever. Always carry a repair kit and mini-pump just in case anyway, plugged or not.

t

 

[DaveFJR]

I've had a rear tire plugged on four other bikes. Mileage before the nail was under 2K each time (one under 250 Mi). They were plugged from the inside by a dealer and I never had a problem with them (inside plug is the only way to go or you must replace the tire.) I would not run a plugged tire past 80mph & replaced tires by next riding season. Question is, can you run under 80 until you can replace the tire?

 

[Philip]

I've had a rear tire plugged on four other bikes. Mileage before the nail was under 2K each time (one under 250 Mi). They were plugged from the inside by a dealer and I never had a problem with them (inside plug is the only way to go or you must replace the tire.) I would not run a plugged tire past 80mph & replaced tires by next riding season. Question is, can you run under 80 until you can replace the tire?

most of the time i stay under that, however I also do quick burst to well above the legal limit!! So proally not!! i was actually thinking about riding it to Texas and back over the next few days..about 1500 miles.

 

[jigmoore]

I've had a rear tire plugged on four other bikes. Mileage before the nail was under 2K each time (one under 250 Mi). They were plugged from the inside by a dealer and I never had a problem with them (inside plug is the only way to go or you must replace the tire.) I would not run a plugged tire past 80mph & replaced tires by next riding season. Question is, can you run under 80 until you can replace the tire?

take this for what it's worth.

i'm an engineer (so i understand the stress risers and the rotational forces involved)

a wera racer (so i will put a tire to it's ultimate limit and usually destroy...i mean destroy...a tire in less than 75 miles on the track)

plug patch is totally safe but the only way i'd go. the patch that goes in the hole from the inside, has the stem(plug) part of the whole thing.

i have had many tires plugged, had them on the track, and am totally confident in them. i even had a tire that had three plugs in it (long story why).

 

[markjenn]

(inside plug is the only way to go or you must replace the tire.) I would not run a plugged tire past 80mph & replaced tires by next riding season. Question is, can you run under 80 until you can replace the tire?

This is entirely opinion. I've run externally plugged tires at the race-track at 150+ and countless numbers of us have plugged tires on tour and went for thousands of miles at all speeds. Granted, a new tire is probably safer, but then so is not getting on the bike in the first place. Most people who actually ride their bikes serious distances and use them for transportation have used external plugs and have had good experiences. I do think the "string type" plugs are much superior to other types.

I've also NEVER heard a first-hand case of catastrophic failure of a properly string-plugged tire. I've had a few that had slow leaks that I've nursed along a bit, but generally if they hold air for the first hour, they're good for the duration of the tire.

And I'm talking external plugs here. With an internal patch, I'd consider a tire as good as new.

Do whatever you're comfortable with.

- Mark

 

[wfooshee]

This keeps going round and round. Nobody ever remembers it from the month before.

Sticky string plug, don't dismount the tire. That's for a round puncture, not a cut, that's near the center of the tire. Sounds like what you had.

I sticky-stringed a 700-mile BT-021, now has 2500, can't even find the plug now. And hasn't lost a pound of air since the plug, either.

 

[Philip]

This keeps going round and round. Nobody ever remembers it from the month before.
Sticky string plug, don't dismount the tire. That's for a round puncture, not a cut, that's near the center of the tire. Sounds like what you had.

I sticky-stringed a 700-mile BT-021, now has 2500, can't even find the plug now. And hasn't lost a pound of air since the plug, either.

yep. Its done guys. thanks for your thoughts

 

[El Toro Joe]

mushroom plug worked for my back tire

 

[v65]

mushroom plug worked for my back tire

Well that explains the avatar!

Thanks for reminding to put this in the NEPRT almanac, y'all have been immortalized!

 

[DaveFJR]

Thanks for the info on taking a plugged tire up to it's rated speed. At least I didn't get any speeding tickects with those plugged tires.

 

[RadioHowie]

Sticky-string plug that bitch and ride it like you stole it.

And putting some arbitrary "don't go over 80mph" limit is total horse pucky.

It either holds air or it doesn't.

 

[Fred W]

It either holds air or it doesn't.

Exactly. It's the "doesn't" thing that worries some people. Like these motorcycle tire manufacturers:

Dunlop,

Metzler,

Pirelli,

Michelin,

Bridgestone

...did I miss any?

Now I understand that these folks are all in the business of selling new tires. But what's interesting is that they all agree that you can repair tires, but the only safe repair is from the inside with a "mushroom" type repair. No, they aren't talking about the little button head "Stop-n-go" type mushroom plugs that are inserted through the hole from the outside. They're talking the big shitake looking mushroom plugs like these: Leon shows you how

Ever hear any tire professional say that the string tire plugs are just fine and dandy as a permanent repair on a motorcycle? That the plugged tire can later be run up to its maximum rated speed with no concern?

I find it amusing that people will get all concerned about having the best and safest riding gear, most protective helmets, all sorts of flashy and reflective safety doo-dads, and the best set of sticky tires to begin with, but then when they get a puncture in their $130 tire, are too lazy to pull the tire off and repair it correctly, or too cheap to replace it.

There is no question that sticky string is the best temporary repair method in an emergency to get you quickly and safely home. There's lots of individual testimony that you can string plug it and just forget it. But the tire manufacturers, tire professionals, and the string plug manufacturers themselves all agree that those kind of plugs are "temporary" and that only an inside repair should be considered permanent and safe.

Who are you going to listen to?

 

[RadioHowie]

[snip]Who are you going to listen to?

My wallet.

 

[Fred W]

[snip]Who are you going to listen to?

My wallet.

Valid point. But it doesn't have to be expensive to do it right.

The patch plugs are less than $5 at Pep Boys.

You just need to be able to unmount and remount the tire yourself...

 

[wfooshee]

It either holds air or it doesn't.

Exactly. It's the "doesn't" thing that worries some people. Like these motorcycle tire manufacturers:

Dunlop,

Metzler,

Pirelli,

Michelin,

Bridgestone

...did I miss any?

Now I understand that these folks are all in the business of selling new tires. But what's interesting is that they all agree that you can repair tires, but the only safe repair is from the inside with a "mushroom" type repair. No, they aren't talking about the little button head "Stop-n-go" type mushroom plugs that are inserted through the hole from the outside. They're talking the big shitake looking mushroom plugs like these: Leon shows you how

Ever hear any tire professional say that the string tire plugs are just fine and dandy as a permanent repair on a motorcycle? That the plugged tire can later be run up to its maximum rated speed with no concern?

I find it amusing that people will get all concerned about having the best and safest riding gear, most protective helmets, all sorts of flashy and reflective safety doo-dads, and the best set of sticky tires to begin with, but then when they get a puncture in their $130 tire, are too lazy to pull the tire off and repair it correctly, or too cheap to replace it.

There is no question that sticky string is the best temporary repair method in an emergency to get you quickly and safely home. There's lots of individual testimony that you can string plug it and just forget it. But the tire manufacturers, tire professionals, and the string plug manufacturers themselves all agree that those kind of plugs are "temporary" and that only an inside repair should be considered permanent and safe.

Who are you going to listen to?

If there was anything about the puncture that was more of a cut than a straight piercing of the tread, or if it was more than an inch and a half, two inches from the center, I'd replace the tire. A cut tire will not repair, period. Sticky string in a nail hole or screw hole is just as good as an inside mushroom patch. I've used it on many car tires, including one that was later autocrossed several times, and I've got one in my FJR's rear tire right now. I've had sustained triple-digit runs, and I have no concerns. None has failed, none has leaked. In my book, that's a good sample.

That said, if you don't get the sticky string right, the tire will leak and maybe fail. The failure will be the result of air loss, not something structural in the patch. Remember, if it's more than just a nail hole, I'm not gonna fix it anyway.

I'm not posting to be argumentative, I'm just stating my experiences. As always, YMMV.

 

[mfletch69]

While you are talking tires...how many miles are you guys getting out of a set with"normal" driving?