| Author | Message | ||
     Buellrider11960 |
anyone run tires w/ plugs or do you replace?looking at safety/$$$ issues. | ||
| S_palmer |
I'll plug one to get home, if the hole is in the tread, I put a proper patch on the inside when I can and use the tire till worn out. | ||
| Spiderman |
If it is a newer tire and there seems to be no other damage, IE wires sticking out I will. BUT I will not ride too aggressively and I inspect it at every fill up. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
I plugged a Dunlop Qualifier. The hole was almost in the center of the tread. The tire was practically new, and I was damned if I was going to throw it out. The hole was made by a small sheet metal screw. I used Monkey Grip Tire Plug, and I used the glue. It was a very tight fit in the hole. I rode the tire normally for about 2000 miles, and took the tire off because I wanted to fit a new set for a track day. I gave the tire to a friend who put another 1000 miles on it. When I looked at the plug from the inside when the tire was removed it didn't look like it was going anywhere. I also put the same kind of plug in the rear tire of my Grand Cherokee about 5000 miles ago, and it is working fine. That doesn't mean that plugs will work all the time in any condition. The holes must be small, round and in the tread not the sidewall. On the other hand, I think it shows that properly installed in the right conditions, they are a safe and economical solution. Your mileage may vary. | ||
| Birdy |
I picked up a nail late last fall, right after I got my bike. I plugged it just to hold me over until spring knowing I wasn't going to be riding far OR hard. Mainly to move it around over the winter. I have a new tire on the way and will get it changed before I ride. I'm a bit cheap at times BUT a blow tire on a bike at speed is going to hurt! The tire has less than 1100 miles total on it. But after reading and a bit of research it's not safe on a bike IMHO. Ya can't plug the sidewall on a car tire right? Well the whole tire on a bike acts like a sidewall. Birdy | ||
| Reepicheep |
If I plug, its to get home and put on a new tire. If I patch, which means I get home by hook or crook or tire slime, then take it to a shop to be patched from the inside, then I keep riding it as normal. The Syncs on the 9sx seem to pick up a lot less crap then the D208's on the M2 did... | ||
| Cyclonedon |
I picked-up a screw n my Dunlop D616 right after my 1000 mile service, I plugged it and rode the tire until I took my Uly in for the 10,000 service when I had the rear tire changed. Another Dunlop D616 which now has over 6000 miles. I plan on replacing both tires at the 20,000 service this year. | ||
| Rubberdown |
I run them with the sticky string plugs. I don't trust the rubber mushroom plugs at all. | ||
| Phat_j |
you've got to be kidding me right? you think the string plugs are safer than the rubber "mushroom" plugs are? which happen to be both a plug and a patch.... if your gonna patch a tire, car or bike, this is the way to do it | ||
| Mxer83 |
I picked up a screw in a tire at homecoming in 05. bike had 1,200 miles on it, a friend plugged it & I rode it for about 500 more miles. I was going to deals gap & changed it before then. I would not do any aggressive riding with a plug. It made me nervous thinking about it !! | ||
| Jaimec |
I've known friends who've put thousands of miles on tires I've plugged for them. Doesn't mean I won't replace MY tire at the first opportunity though. It's only a tire, it can be replaced. Although my girlfriend may argue, *I* am irreplaceable! | ||
| Djkaplan |
"I run them with the sticky string plugs. I don't trust the rubber mushroom plugs at all." Never had luck with the mushroom plug myself, but I only tried it one time. I prefer the sticky string plugs because they are easy to carry, easy to use, and I've had a 100% success rate with them in my automobiles and motorcycles. | ||
| Dynasport |
I had a very new tire pick up a small screw in the center of the tread. I just noticed the screw at a gas stop. When I checked the pressure, it was down slightly, but not much. I left the screw in, aired the tire up and rode home slowly (about 50 miles), stopping often to check the pressure. I wish I had carried a tire plug kit with me. Anyway, when I got home I took the tire to a shop that patched them. It was hard finding a shop who would even do it, but I did finally find a place that put a heat patch on the inside of the tire. I rode the tire another couple of thousand miles and picked up another nail. This one was not in the center of the tread and the same shop that had previously patched the tire said it would not be safe. So I bought a new tire. I felt comfortable with the patched tire, however, others may not. | ||
| Rubberdown |
Not kidding Phat, I've seen the rubber plugs sliced clean through by the wire in the tires. I've seen them sucked back into the tire. I used to use them but I find the string type to be much more reliable. | ||
| Etennuly |
I use the sticky string type too. I have had a new tire pick up a nail and run the plug 6000 miles with no problem. I have found that they work better on a new tire with more rubber to work with. When they get worn down there is not much there but the steel chords to adhere to. So with a higher mileage tire I have seen some leakage, that has made me change the tire much sooner than I normally would. | ||
| Djkaplan |
When they get worn down there is not much there but the steel chords to adhere to. That is a pretty interesting observation. Makes sense... I'd have never thought about it myself. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Are we talking about the same mushroom plugs? The ones I am thinking of are really a patch, maybe 3 inches in diameter, that is installed from the inside of the tire (off rim) and has a little rubber nub that goes up into the hole on the tire. Now if you are talking about those rubber plugs that are installed with the gun from the outside, then yes, I would guess they are probably a little worse then the sticky rope. My concern with the rope is that you have to make the hole bigger to get it in there... which feels to me like it is doing more structural damage to the tire. | ||
| Ducxl |
It was hard finding a shop who would even do it And THAT says it all to me.I don't do it | ||
| Etennuly |
It was hard finding a shop who would even do it And THAT says it all to me.I don't do it That is because as a repair vendor you cannot guarantee it 100%. With everybody wanting to jump on the law suit wagon, it isn't worth the million dollar insurance risk for a job that would only be about $10.00. There is an expectation of perfection if you pay for a repair. If it is done by the rider of the bike, that person will ride with a note of caution and will more regularly check the plug for leakage and maintain the tire pressure. If you get a 95% positive repair ratio out all of them you do over the life of the bike, you may save a lot of money. If the sum-bich plugged tire leaks again(as some might)you know to get a new one. Yes, the ugly part is reaming the hole to accept the sticky plug and its installation tool. Just make it as small as possible and try to work it between the steel cords without breaking them. Remember to use the glue as a lubricant on the tip of the tool and the leading edges of the plug. | ||
| Az_m2 |
I've used mushroom plugs 3 times (2 on my own bike, 1 on a friends). All were good for thousands of miles. | ||
| Phat_j |
the mushroom plug i am refering to is not put on from the outside, but from the inside.... its about 2 inches in diam. with a rubber spike(for lack of better words) sticking out from the center that is shoved through the tire (from the inside) and then cut off..... therefore it is a plug and a patch in one.... | ||
| Phat_j |
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=77 check this out (Message edited by phat j on February 09, 2008) | ||
| Chainsaw |
anyone run tires w/ plugs or do you replace?looking at safety/$$$ issues. I've gotten 4000 miles out of a rear tire after using a rope style plug self installed. I watched the pressure constantly for the first week or two, them forgot it was even plugged. If the idea of running a plug makes you uncomfortable, the $$$ spent on a new tire may be worth the piece of mind. | ||
| M2nc |
This thread's timing was perfect. So I am riding home from work Saturday. It was a beautiful day so I took the long way home. I was having fun in the corners and just about polished off the rest of the chicken strip on the right side of the tire when I start to notice the bike trying to stand up in the turns. I know pretty quick I was either losing the rear tire or rear shock. I was not far from home so I slowed way down and nursed it the last two miles to the house. Sure enough, the rear tire was flat.  Inspection of the rear tire revealed a nail on the left side of the tire.  I got some pliers and started to pull the nail out. It was a dozy.  So I got in the zone and sent Ulywife out for a plug kit. (Like how I did that, actually she was going shopping anyway.)  This kit has both types of plugs mentioned here, but knowing Rubberdown and his experience with bikes, I had settled on the rope type.  It was pretty quick. I had to file the hole a couple of times to get the needle to clear, but it was not too bad. I get my trusty electric air pump that I carry with me on long trips and pump the tire back up. I use this same little pump to set the bead on the rim when I change tires.  After the tire is pumped up to 42# I decide to change the plug for leaks. First I do the trusty...  ...soapy water to see if it is leaking. Then I did a 50 mile ride to test the plug. It worked great. I checked the tire again this afternoon and the tire is still holding pressure. I have no problem running a plugged rear tire. This is now my third rear flat and I find the bike with zero air pressure very manageable. I doubt I would plug a front tire though. I have never had a front go down on me. I hope I never do. I have heard and seen some real horror stories. I know if I was on the side of the road, I would plug it and get somewhere to change the tire out, but that is about it. Oh yeah, the nice thing about this set up is I can carry the kit and pump on the bike. The pump works off a 12v plug of which the Uly has two. So on the road repairs very doable. Including clean up the entire process took me about 50 minutes. | ||
| Jb2607 |
I have plugged tires for twenty plus years... NEVER had a problem. JB | ||
| Igneroid |
All this "plugged" talk has got me constipated... | ||
| Bad_karma |
Have always replaced the tyre. It's one of my denial moments. Guest I should do some research and see if any tyre manufactures have done any real testing? Joe | ||
| Tx05xb12s |
Like the rest of you, I don't have a money bush in the back yard. I'd hate to throw away good rubber, but then again I believe in keeping my bike in top condition at all times. This is why I run Corsa III's and change them out when they get cupped. I don't ride the chicken strips off of them on the street, but I want max available traction just in case I need a little more to get my ass out of the crack should I encounter an emergency situation. For that reason I want more tire/traction/reliability than I could ever use on the street. I'm thinking that riding around with a plug in a tire would violate my self-imposed rules too much. You guys be careful out there. Thanks for the above post about riding on the flat rear tire. It's nice to know that it's apparently not that big of a deal and it didn't cause an accident. I don't think I'd like to experiment with that on the front end though. | ||
| Az_m2 |
What is the concern about running a plugged tire? If the plug fails, won't you just have another flat tire? For the folks that don't run them, are you concerned that the tire will instantly disintegrate causing a crash? Does this happen? | ||
| Adrenaline_junkie |
The concern for me is if the plug flies out of the hole. I had this happen once (rope type plugs). Tire went flat right now, rolled off to the side, I corrected, it rolled to the other side. I was doing about 75 MPH in rush hour traffic on an interstate. I would have to say that I felt it was a pretty big deal. There was a Tractor/trailer about 50 feet behind me going the same speed I was. After what must have been a half mile of fishtailing down the road at a high rate of speed the truck driver finally noticed my trouble and I heard him let off of the throttle so that I could do the same and work my way over onto the cinder covered shoulder. 75 mph, fishtailing with a big rig barreling down on your ass will definitely give you a pucker. If the plug just leaks and the tire goes down slowly, no big deal. But when it exits the tire and the flat is complete and instant it sucks. I'll use plugs to get home, but the tire gets changed before I ride again. |
