RSparky Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 So, you guys remember the rainy a$$ crazy Tuesday we had? Well, I rode that day. And I avoided the highway on my way home. Besides it still being oily everywhere, I was surprised when I got home to find a screw embedded straight into my tire... I was pretty much furious. At myself, the road, the tire, anything. But, I took the car up to Autozone, grabbed a plug kit, and a mini compressor.The hole was rather small, so I had to spend a little while reaming it. (heheh)I went to put the plug in, and it had a lot of resistance. So I pushed rather hard, then oops. It went all the way in. You're supposed to get it about 2/3 of the way in. So, I tried to pull it out but the way the tool is designed, it lets go of the plug when you pull out. After depositing one plug into my tire, I got the next one in fine. It doesn't feel like it has messed up the balance much, but I have been rather easy on it since plugging. It's kept air perfectly, so I'm gonna stick with it.Ok, end rant, story, pity party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alienpi Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 My friend bought a bike that had a plugged tire, but he didn't know it until he had the tires changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidgetTodd Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 I don't plug bike tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 The better plugs are at NAPA and such, same as the ones the mechanics use.The ones from AutoZone usually fail on me in a year or so, and start leaking.If the first one went all the way in, either the hole was a bit too big,or the plug was a bit too small. Maybe. Just check it often to see if it changes.Tires should be checked often anyway... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 I don't plug bike tires.Me neither. And I've started a little collection of new tires with holes in them.Somebody should have a burn out contest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSparky Posted October 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 I wouldn't plug bike tires too, if i had the extra money to get a new one... After the fact, I'm wishing I would have gotten the mushroom style plug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Punk Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 I have plugged every bike tire that needed it; can someone tell me why you wouldn't? I can't figure the logic behind not using a plugged tire. I have never heard of anyone having a problem with one on a bike or car. What am I missing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohdaho Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 I have plugged every bike tire that needed it; can someone tell me why you wouldn't? I can't figure the logic behind not using a plugged tire. I have never heard of anyone having a problem with one on a bike or car. What am I missing?Id feel uneasy using a plugged tire esp if im doing spirited riding. Plugged tires just arent as structurally sound as an unplugged tire. Theres physics and material science supporting that claim. Motorcycle temperature cycles are more extreme that automobiles and a plug has different properties than that of the original tire. Im sure plugs are fine for commuting, I would feel uneasy knowing 50% of my tires could go bad instead of 25% on a cage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSparky Posted October 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 Well, the fear that if it did fail, and you happened to be doing some spirited riding, then you'd lose control and end up on the side of the road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Punk Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 Speculating a failure and knowing of failures are not the same, I know of no accidents caused by a plugged tire. I use them and tend to ride at a "spirited" pace. If a tire losing air causes you to wreck, why doesn't the hole that made you use the plug wreck you? If you worry about losing 50% of your tires when riding, why ride at all, it could happen at any time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohdaho Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 Speculating a failure and knowing of failures are not the same, I know of no accidents caused by a plugged tire. I use them and tend to ride at a "spirited" pace. If a tire losing air causes you to wreck, why doesn't the hole that made you use the plug wreck you? If you worry about losing 50% of your tires when riding, why ride at all, it could happen at any time.Its about mitigating risks. Why have a tire thats not as structurally sound as the original? Its not necessarily wrecking, its also the hassle of getting an air leak and having to trailer your bike back. I choose to mitigate things I consider risky. Speculating a failure? Dont we all do that as riders when we inspect our bikes prior to going on a ride? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Punk Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 I mitigate the risk by carrying tire plugs with me so I don't have to trailer. I have never had a tire failure nor do I know of anyone having one, maybe I don't push my tires as much as others when riding but there is no evidence to make me feel like I am taking an extra risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buildit Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 I've never had to plug a motorcycle tire bit I would only use it as a temporary repair on a bike. Bike tires typically get eaten up faster, are softer and are punished more than car tires increasing the possibility of a failure. IMHO it just isn't worth the risk especially if the bike is high performance and is driven as such. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El capitan Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 with tires costing around a hundy a pop i'd only rock a plug as long as it took to get a new one in and mounted. i'm sure people ride em' plugged all day long... i just have so many other things that can go wrong i don't need tires being one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Punk Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 What type of failures are you guys talking about? Again, I know of no tire failures. Do you know of failures or are you imagining they happen? I'm not saying they can't happen but saying so on the internet without any knowledge of failures doesn't support your position very well. I have actual experience with plugged tires without any failures so I have a basis for my use of them. I couldn’t come up with any logic that would keep me from starting to use them or any knowledge of failures from the use of them so I use them. Have any of you guys had any failures or do you know anyone who has? If what causes a flat makes a tire fail beyond losing air I would like to know about it. Doesn't a nail compromise a tire just as much as a plug? In that case what else happens beyond losing air? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jporter12 Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 I rock a plugged front tire on my Interceptor, and have for every single time I've been on the bike, since I bought it with a flat tire that was bractically new, as in it still had to be scrubbed in. It is not the Autozone, or Napa or Carquest type, they are all crap IMHO. It's a Tech tire plug. The structure is the one concern I have with it, which I doubt will ever be a problem. The cool thing about the Tech tire repairs is that they don't just glue in, the "glue" they use in conjunction with the coating on their tire repairs causes a chemcal vulcanizing to occur. It's a much stronger bond than just glue. I'm not sure about the story on how the hole got in the tire, I'm guessing it got it on it's last ride before I got it, or maybe while it was sitting in the guy's shed someone messed with it. I'm not afraid of it being plugged.One last note, a plugged car tire loses it's speed rating, according to tire manufacturers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jporter12 Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 What type of failures are you guys talking about? Again, I know of no tire failures. Do you know of failures or are you imagining they happen? I'm not saying they can't happen but saying so on the internet without any knowledge of failures doesn't support your position very well. I have actual experience with plugged tires without any failures so I have a basis for my use of them. I couldn’t come up with any logic that would keep me from starting to use them or any knowledge of failures from the use of them so I use them. Have any of you guys had any failures or do you know anyone who has? If what causes a flat makes a tire fail beyond losing air I would like to know about it. Doesn't a nail compromise a tire just as much as a plug? In that case what else happens beyond losing air?I can see a plug damaging the structure of a tire, but I don't think that a belt will ever "slip" quick enough that you wouldn't start noticing it before it was enough of a problem to worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jporter12 Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 BTW... What kind of oil should I run? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scruit Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 I will NEVER use a plug in my tires.I will, however, put a new inner tube in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 Anyone that has ever had a flat tire on a bike, front or rear, and fought with the bike to keep from crashing and/or dying, will probably not use a patch on a tire.The pucker factor is rather high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustinsn3485 Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 I think the biggest issue with a tire plug/patch is the "what if"Without data, I can tell you that a plugged tire is prone to leak before an intact tire. You can argue it if you want to because I don't have any numerical proof to back that up. Logically speaking, however, a tire with a hole in it will leak before a tire without. Plugs will stop that leak, sometimes forever sometimes temporarily.Motorcycle tires are flexed much more than car tires so there is a greater risk of that plug being pushed to a position that is going to allow the tire to leak. So in the end, a plugged tire may hold air and last the rest of it's lifetime or it may not. As a rider, it's up to you to gamble your chances. I don't know of any deaths or serious accidents with blame to a plugged tire, but you are at a greater risk since that tire is damaged. Weigh the odds and do what you want to.Typically I won't ride much on a plugged tire and when I had my shop I definitely wouldn't plug a tire for someone because of the liability risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MidgetTodd Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 I don't do it because I'm uber baller and only roll on new rubber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSparky Posted October 31, 2010 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 BTW... What kind of oil should I run? let's see here.... the uber expensive kind. duh.oh yah, i love cops.um, ohio sucks.anything else we can argue about?cheese sucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohdaho Posted October 31, 2010 Report Share Posted October 31, 2010 um, ohio sucks.anything else we can argue about?Nothing to argue there. Its a known fact if youve ever travelled outside this shithole known as dayton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swingset Posted November 1, 2010 Report Share Posted November 1, 2010 (edited) I don't plug bike tires.Why not? Like throwing money away? A tiny hole that's patched either a: works, or b: leaks allowing the tire to slowly lose air. If it does leak, it's slow. Even if it completely blows out of the hole (incredibly unlikely), it'll still deflate slowly giving you some warning that you're squishy and starting to lose traction.If you've patched one, and the patch fails, it's not catastrophic unless you jump on a slowly deflated tire and ride balls out (stupid).FWIW, I've patched 30 or more tires from cars to ATV's to bikes, never EVER had one fail. I don't know anyone, ever, that's had a catastrophic accident due to a hole being patched. Never read about one, either.Unless it's a sidewall tear, tires get fixed. Edited November 1, 2010 by swingset Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.