To patch or not to patch that is the Question?

FZ1fun

FZ1fun

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I just bought my bike two days ago and I got a nail in the rear tire coming out of my apartment complex. It's a 2001 FZ1 with Michelin Pilot road 180/55 ZR 17s. The question is should I try and patch this whole, try and find a dealer to patch the hole, or trash it and buy a new tire. I know it's frowned apon but I've heard of people doing it with preatty good results. :newbie:
 
Patch

I think you will probably not find a dealer that will patch it. I had the same thing happen to me a couple of months ago on my 79 XS11 Standard. This was a tire with less than 200 miles on it and I had to replace it. I probably could have put a tube in it but I did not want to take the chance. JMO
 
how big is the hole?

the preferred method is to break the bead and patch the tire with a "hot patch" from the inside....

I used a push-in plug several times, and it works ok, but the reason many dealers won't do it is because the steel belts in the tire sometimes have a tendency to act like a saw and cut the push-in type plugs...

I used the plug-n-go plugs on several tires.... and they held up fine... but for me, I always try to patch from the inside for piece of mind... with a standard plug, I was always unsure of the tire and constantly checking it.
 
Fairly small but it's at an angle, I would guess that the nail is smaller than a 1/8 of an inch. I will get a picture when I get off work.

I agree, I just saw the youtube video of a guy changing his own rear tire so I'm gonna try and pull the tire thanks.
 
Once you'v penetrated and dammaged the belts in the tire, their seperation will continue. As VA has said, it will saw the plug until it becomes ejected by rotational force, plus a plug deforms the area of the puncture. The only real choice is to patch from the inside with a 'radial' type patch. Even then, knowing that the carcass has a point of damage, one should not expect the tire to hold togather at sustained speed. It's a bummer for sure, but you risk a blow-out or imediate or rapid loss of inflation possably, and at any high speed it could be catastrophic. DEFFINATLY NO sidewall or close proximity to a sidewall should be patched for an on-road tire due to flex in the sidewall, that is a recipe for disaster.
 
Patching it on the inside would definitely be the way to go if you don't want to replace the tire. I have patched plenty of car tires over the years, but on my motorcycle I don't take that chance. I just replace the tire. I tend to ride a lot faster on the bike than I do in the car.
 
If the hole is within 2" of center, I would just use one of those rope type plugs. In fact, picked up a screw towards the end of last season in the rear tire. Plugged it up using above method with the intention of changing the tire this season. Managed to put about 3K more miles on the bike, and eventually traded it in... with the plug still in the tire.

For a front tire, I'd definitely change it, but rear, and depending where, is more questionable.
 
I use the same plug that va_rider uses but that is to just get me through to the house. At that point, the tire comes off and is taken to get a proper vulcanized (high-heat to melt the surfaces) patch put in place but only after careful inspection and evaluation to determine if the tire is worth a rescue. I'd rather, in most cases, be assured, like Heineken, that I'm riding on a wholly-intact tire, especially if I'm hanging off for the day. :D
 
I got a horseshoe nail in my back tire after about 1000 miles, took it to the dealer and they plugged, and hot patched it from the inside. That was 7000 miles ago. They did say do not go over 130mph, which in Missy's mind I heard "129 is good to go" :Rockon:
 
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