Riding on a repaired/plugged tire

Hope I'm posting this in the correct section. Just noticed that the FJR I recently bought has a sticky string plug in the rear tire. I have always been under the impression that you have a death wish riding on a tire that has been repaired. Appreciate any and all thoughts and comments.

Not so much the right area. Moved to the more correct thread. Often discussed, periodically debated. I would suggesting searching for +tire +plug to see some of the conversations.

I'm a pretty rational guy and don't think I have a death wish. That said I've plugged at least 3 rear tires before and then rode the snot out of them at triple digit speeds and nary an issue.

As always, it's a personal choice one makes.

The most convincing argument I've heard against plugs are those folks that tend to commute in gnarly traffic. To them pulling over at first sign of deflation isn't always an option. Where I live and ride that's very rarely the case.

Smart = Don't ride on a patched tire.

Real = I've rode on patched tires before and never had a problem. I'll keep doing it.

If $$ isn't an issue replace it. If you're cheap like me, patch it.

A lot depends on the hole. The closer to the center the better for a plug or patch. If it is in the sidewall or close to an edge, DON'T RIDE ON IT!!! I helped a guy last fall who plugged his tire with those string type plugs and it was leaking air in no time. I have one of those mushroom type plug guns I take on long rides, it fixed it with no problems, but we rode it to a dealer to get the tire replaced. Just remember that the bigger or stranger shaped the culprit that made the hole, the more damage it might have done to chords.

My words of wisdom? "If groo can do it, you can do it".

odot said:

My words of wisdom? "If groo can do it, you can do it".

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Or...

"If Odot can do it, a robot can do it."

Nah, that sucks.

considering the fact that you can still get a nail in your tire 10 minutes after replacing the old one with a new one,,,, learning to live with a properly repaired tire is the smart thing to do......that is if you ride alot... if you just take the bike out on warm sunny days and around the block a few times; and the rest of your time as a "motorcyclist " is spent on the internet: than by all means replace it with a new tire!

in 40 + yrs on motorcycles, i have never replaced a tire simply because it had a nail in it....... plug it, pump it , and go.......one of the main advantages of tubeless tires is the ease of repair!.

Naturally , if the puncture is in the sidewall or is too severe , then a new tire is in order.........

buy a good Radial tire repair kit {with glue}, a small compressor [www.slime.com] .....and practice on a worn out old tire.....

I've had three rear tires gather a nail, bolt, and wire, respectively. The two I was able to plug were worn enough (probably 2-3 thousand miles left in the tread) that I didn't feel too bad about needing to replace them. The last puncture, I repaired and rode all the way to the tire shop. On the previous repaired puncture I commuted on the plug for about a week - in Cali traffic - until new tires came in. The tire never lost any pressure, and I felt reasonably safe, but don't regret for one second that I replaced the tire as soon as I could. The first puncture was at the dealership, so they replaced the tire with a Bridgestone (cords at about 2,500 miles IIRC) - not sure if the tire was for sportbikes, but it wasn't worth a fart in a windstorm on the Feejer. I think Avon has a road hazard warranty that takes a little of the sting out of a replacement tire purchase, but I didn't feel mine were worth the effort.

Had a nail in the rear last June on the motorway with the wife on pillion. At the time it decided to evacuate from the tire we were doing exactly 90mph. I felt it start to weave and knew instantly what it was. I shouted into the intercom 'sit still' 'why' was the answer, by then I was looking in my mirrors only to see them filled with trucks, busses and cars. I flicked on the hazards and started to drift across 3 lanes of traffic to the shoulder. When we got there I explained to the Mrs. what had happened and we looked at the tyre which was by then completely flat.

That was the closest I have been for some years, and dont want to go there again thanks very much.

The RAC revovery guy arrived and proceded to plug the tyre. I insisted that we were given a ride home on one of their recovery trucks, his answer was 'if I can fix it I have got to fix it, I can organise a lift for you but we will have to charge you.'

I let him fix it and we rode home, very carefully. His instructions were don't go over 60. He gave me a piece of paper to confirm what he had done. When I got home I read it, it said don't ride over 45 or for any further than 200 miles on a plugged tyre.

You choose.

feejer222 said:

His instructions were don't go over 60. He gave me a piece of paper to confirm what he had done. When I got home I read it, it said don't ride over 45 or for any further than 200 miles on a plugged tyre.

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Well, they covered their rear with perceived liability. I wonder what industry or physics basis that they constructed that note. Maybe the same folks that put the little signs up at gas stations about cell phones being a risk? Maybe the same ones that get segments on The Mythbusters and get busted?

If the tire is getting near the end of it's life or I'm leaving on a trip, I'll certainly accelerate replacement if I have a plugged tire. But otherwise, if it's just a simple puncture in the main part of the tread due to a screw, nail, etc., I plug and ride until the tire is worn out. I've NEVER had a problem with a string-type plug. I have had issues with mushroom type plugs and I don't use them anymore.

I've probably had 20 flats in my career, almost always on the rear. I've never had one that felt remotely life-threatening - the bike starts handlying very heavily so I pull over to the shoulder. I do pay a lot of attention to my tires when I service the bike. I've caught many nails and the like sitting in the tire waiting to start leaking. And I pay a lot of attention to how the bike feels and if something doesn't feel right, I'll pull over and check things out - I've caught some slow leakers this way before they've advanced to the point of an outright flat.

The idea that flats are, in general, life-threatening episodes is overblown, IMHO. They happen and you need to be able to deal with them, both with respect to handling the bike during the episode and fixing the bike beside the road.

Whether you immediately beeline to the nearest shop to replace the tire is a personal risk assessment, but given the risks we take on to begin with, I don't find the risk of riding on a plugged tire to be worth worrying about. If you want to be completely safe, you won't get on the bike in the first place.

- Mark

Like they say--it's a crapshoot.

I got a flat on a brand new Pirelli Phantom 15 minutes after it was mounted on my SRX 600 . . . plugged it, and never could keep air in it after that.

Once I changed a worn-out to the threads Metzler on my XV920 and discovered an 8 penny finish nail in the center of the tire. It never lost air or caused any problem, even at warp speeds.

You never know, do you?

To me it's six of one half a dozen of another. Going on a trip or riding two up replace it. Around town solo who cares ride the hell out of it.