Would you plug a tire.

terdog said:
I dont know of any place in Northern Ca that will perform that repair. So, I have taught myself how to mount and balance and repair my own tires. I go down to the local tire shop, give the guy $5 and he gives me a handful of plug patches.
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A plug patch done from the inside is the next best thing. A good professional tire repair shop will vulcanize. Most don't want to be bothered with taking the tire of the bike so you could dismount it and take it in to have the repair done. It's the same process for bikes and car/truck tires. I really don't have a problem with plug patches that are done from the inside the tire. Removing the tire give you the opportunity to look for damage inside and remove anything that may be rolling around.
 
While I don't have a problem doing repairs myself, I mount, dismount, and plug my own ATV tires all the time, what concerns me is the safety aspect. On a machine that occasionally sees speeds in excess of 100mph I don't believe risking a tire failure due to a plug is the smart thing to do. I have found damage on my front tire as well and will be replacing both. While I may dismount and mount them I will still be taking them in for balancing since I don't have the equipment for that.
 
A little different I know

I obviously run a different machine, and very different tires. They are a 150/70/18 in the back and my tire of choice the last couple of seasons is the Hiedenau K-60 Scout which is a tubeless tire, but I run tubes because of the style of rim. This past trip the new tire took a lot of abuse, including a nail, and a gash to the sidewall. I replaced the tube on the trail and when I got back (from the trip) glued and sealed (with commercial patch sealant) the sidewall, just to keep the cords from rusting. If I was running it as a tubeless I would not have hesitated to plug and patch the tire and run it till' it's done. The sidewall gash would have given me pause in that case. With a tube inside and knowing just how ridiculously strong the sidewall is on theses tires, I have no qualms about running it out.











If I was in your situation I would plug and patch and re-balance. This would not be the case if I was planning a track day or a long trip afterwards.
 
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So I just got my second nail in the rear tire. My first one I just replaced the tire, but this one I just let the shop plug it and I was off. I almost dumped the bike leaving the parking lot because I think there was still some windex on the tire where they checked the hole. :eek5:

I'm hoping it's ok. If you don't hear from me:rmwl:
 
2wheelMax said:
Dude, you should quit doing whoops at the landfill. I average one per month in my work vehicle, but I drive in construction debris.
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I wish, I see so much crap on the road around here, even 18mm bolts. I don't go out off the road at all really, other than Cottonwood Pass on my CO trip.
 
Ruggybuggy said:
Your going to get all sorts of "yes I plugged my tire and it's fine" and "if you plug a tire your going to die". I own a tire shop and a licensed auto tech and the only proper way is to remove the tire and do the repair from the inside. Tire plugs work great as a temporary repair but never trust a plug. Some do work themselves out and a deflating tire at speed is never a good thing. The best repair is to remove the tire, check the inside for any damage from the puncture and possibly retrieve what ever went in the tire. Then do a vulcanized repair which basically cooks tire rubber into the puncture which becomes one with the tire so it's impossible for it too work off. If someone brings in their bike tire the charge for the repair is only $20 so it's inexpensive.
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Ruggy... Thanks for your various inputs here. I appreciate that the forum has knowledgeable guys like yourself - makes for an excellent forum!
 
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