Nail In My Rear Tire

Sunday when I was getting ready to take a ride, my rear was flat. Found a nail that had made a nice hole. I used a tire patch kit, the kind with a rubber sticky string that you twist into the hole, and patched it up. So, with a tire with less than a thousand miles on it, do you all just keep riding it or what? I don't know of anyplace that will remove a motorcycle tire from a wheel and do a proper inside patch, but I am looking. Seems insane to replace a tire when I've used the kit on cars for thousands of miles, but thats four tires and a cage, not two tires and my skin! After about seventy miles, I can barely even see the patch. I'm trying to convince myself that it will be okay. What say you?

Here we go,,,,,,,,I'd get it patched from the inside, and ride it,,,but on this site there is some that may not agree :fing02: :fing02:

:lurk: :angry:

Some people would never run a plugged tire on a bike, but I constantly run patched/plugged tires until there worn, but on a bike that's only 2000 miles or less. :fing02:

Ideally I would have it repaired with a more permanent mushroom plug from the inside, but again I've ran them with the same type plug you used until the tire was worn out. :fing02:

Depends on the size of the puncture. If it's a nice round hole that pretty much closed itself when you pulled out the nail, then by all means, keep riding.

If it riped or if the nail went in sideways and created an elongated hole, then you'd be better off changing the tire.

I used to ride with a similar repair in my front. Rode for 2 years until the tire wore off. Never had a problem.

JovinskiSunday when I was getting ready to take a ride, my rear was flat. Found a nail that had made a nice hole. I used a tire patch kit, the kind with a rubber sticky string that you twist into the hole, and patched it up. So, with a tire with less than a thousand miles on it, do you all just keep riding it or what? I don't know of anyplace that will remove a motorcycle tire from a wheel and do a proper inside patch, but I am looking. Seems insane to replace a tire when I've used the kit on cars for thousands of miles, but thats four tires and a cage, not two tires and my skin! After about seventy miles, I can barely even see the patch. I'm trying to convince myself that it will be okay. What say you?

I say it is enough reason to get a new 08 VFR. :laugh:

If it was me, I would start looking into putting in a patch on the inside. I'll start by calling up my local bike shop/tire shop and ask if they will demount and repair the wheel, and don't forget to balance them again.

I'm sure everyone will have their own opinion so here's mine. If you ride in the rain, replace it. You could get water in between the plies of the tire which will cause ply separation. If you tend to do any high speed traveling, replace it. High speed as in triple digits could cause the plug to be thrown out. You will most likely not find a shop to repair a motorcycle tire due to the liability involved. If you have the least bit of doubt, just replace it. With all of this "replace it" advice, I rode out a plugged rear tire on my Nighthawk 750 for a few thousand miles with no problems, but keep in mind the Nighthawk is no VFR when it comes to available tire abuse.

I know what you mean about finding a place to patch, I had to go into a car tire center and kinda "talk" them into it, less than 5 mins later I had a nice patched tire. This was before I started changing my own tires or I would have done it my self. It was a brand new (less than 400 miles) PP, I ran the thing into the ground and hit 120+ on it many times without worry after the patch. A plug alone might give me pause about high speeds, but I know more than a few who have done it without problems.

Ran a plugged (It was only a couple of weeks old when picked up a roofing nail. Had a mushroom plug installed from inside.) rear tire (ME55) on my Hawk GT650 for about almost a year and a half (just can't afford a new one during a recession) till the tire was worn out with no problems. but it did kinda bother me everytime I did any high speed commuting on the highways the whole time.

Beck

95 VFR

cruzinazHere we go,,,,,,,,I'd get it patched from the inside, and ride it,,,but on this site there is some that may not agree :laugh: :unsure:

:lurk: :beer:

same here.

replace it as soon as possible ,especially if you do triple digit riding for safety,s sake ,my 2ct.s

JovinskiSunday when I was getting ready to take a ride, my rear was flat. Found a nail that had made a nice hole. I used a tire patch kit, the kind with a rubber sticky string that you twist into the hole, and patched it up. So, with a tire with less than a thousand miles on it, do you all just keep riding it or what? I don't know of anyplace that will remove a motorcycle tire from a wheel and do a proper inside patch, but I am looking. Seems insane to replace a tire when I've used the kit on cars for thousands of miles, but thats four tires and a cage, not two tires and my skin! After about seventy miles, I can barely even see the patch. I'm trying to convince myself that it will be okay. What say you?

I've decided to stop plugging tires, I'm just going to leave the pentrant in , if a screw or nail and slime the tire.

My last rear flat was a a z6 rear, the puncture was in the very center of the tire, I plugged it with a external mushroom plug, it failed about 400 mile later with a slow leak. So a replugged the tire with another in and it was a very sugg fit as the first. But I suspected the second plug would fail also so I slimed the tire with 8 ounces of slime. The tire never really lost air but I noticed the area was sometimes wet. The slime balanced out great though , tested all the way to 135mph. But I decided to go ahead and replace the tire. So I punched in the plug to drain the slime. Not a drop ,just a green bubble. Over 500 mile all that slime had pretty much made it past that rubber plug. But I told them it had been slimed, they said no biggy they deal with it all the time, but thax for the notice. They said the tire was very clean for being slimed ,just a little quagulated slime with 2 plugs stuck to the inside of the tire. So why did a waste my time creating a larger hole to fit a plug. Next time I'm leaving the penetrant in and just slime the tire.

I have used the external much room with success, I consider them much better than the gooey string type, but that tire only had 400 mile on it when I first got the flat.

The tire I have now has a road hazard warranty, i get alot of flats, mainly on the rears

If the hole was small and you plugged it correctly I say ride it.

I havent had a problem with a plug. 3 flat tires.

Ditto on the type of damage... if a neat small hole and you plugged it and it's not loosing air pressure... ride it... I plugged a puncture on the rear (piece of thinish fencing type wire) with a Gummyworm and ample tyre-cement and have blitzed the tyre for over a thousand miles more, rain and shine... no worries so far, still got the same tyre and its's a soft compund race tyre...

If it was an ugly skewish puncture creating a large orifice... I'd think twice...

I recently picked up a nail in my PR2 rear. I plugged it with glue/sticky rope and rode the heck out of it including several 100+ sections on slab with no problem. I swapped it for a Power so I could do a trip and with only 800 miles noticed that it now has a nail. Sticky rope/glue treatment again and I'll ride it like it's new until the tire's shot. No worries here! :laugh:

Gotta nice hole in my back tire on the 06 F4i with less than a 1000 miles on it. I used the same type of plug as you, as I usually use those in my vehicles and what not so it was handy. I'm at 6400 miles now and looking at a 1200 mile trip this weekend, after which I will install my BT021's I have in my living room. This spring I had to adjust my tire pressure, front and rear on both bikes, so it looks like my plugged tire has performed no different than any of my other non plugged tires.

If it had been the front, I might feel different about it, but I am comfortable with my repair and how it has lasted. To this day you can spin the tire and not find the plug, it has worn with the tire perfectly. Triple digits have not been an issue, but I don't do/sustain them very often/long, might be a contributing factor.

Without a second thought, I set out on my Bunburner ride last summer (1067 miles in 24 hours and a total of 1582 miles in 35 hours), and at that time, the plug had about 2000 miles on it at the beginning of that trip.

I would plug it and go. Never leave the nail/screw in it, as it could catch and make the hole bigger.

Does anybody have any real factual evidence about modern Z rated tires failing because of a plug failure? I've heard about "blowouts" but that has always been tales about old tires with innertubes, not the high-performance tires we use today.

What would actually happen if your plug failed? Would the fact that it's a high-speed-rated tire, mean that you will be ok? Will the tire just leak air the same way it leaked when you first got the flat and leaked air? Is using a plug just as risky as the everyday risk you have of getting a flat tire in the first place when driving around normally?

How is the risk of plug failure (and the resulting leak), any different from the risk of the original puncture (and the resulting leak)?

Even if you think of it in terms of breaking cords and weakening the carcass overall, well isn't that just what happens when you get the hole the first time? If the carcass was not strong enough, then nobody would ever survive getting a puncture in the first place, and the tire would just explode right when the hole is made before you could even decide whether to plug the hole.

I'm interested in first-hand observations, not some hearsay from your cousin's uncle. Also, I don't trust my own intuition that might be tricking me into thinking that all plugs are the devil's plan to destroy me.

But the devil's advocate inside me can't help but say that if I'm too scared to use a plug, then I'm too scared to ride in the first place because I could run over something that puts a hole in my tire!

Just sell it to me for $40 shipped, I will get it fixed, the front is a different story altogether....I think it would leak first as my unscientific guesstimate, ask another 50 riders for another 50 answers...if you got the money pitch it...if you are like me fix it...you may have to do some walking someday but that SSS is way cool for pulling off a flat on the rear and walking alongside the road iso 180/55/zr17 hmmm walmart-no tractor supply-no kmart-no pantera bread-no damn why did I fix this bad tire anyway? its all a gamble and a balance :laugh:

Aaron S. WardDoes anybody have any real factual evidence about modern Z rated tires failing because of a plug failure? I've heard about "blowouts" but that has always been tales about old tires with innertubes, not the high-performance tires we use today.

What would actually happen if your plug failed? Would the fact that it's a high-speed-rated tire, mean that you will be ok? Will the tire just leak air the same way it leaked when you first got the flat and leaked air? Is using a plug just as risky as the everyday risk you have of getting a flat tire in the first place when driving around normally?

How is the risk of plug failure (and the resulting leak), any different from the risk of the original puncture (and the resulting leak)?

Even if you think of it in terms of breaking cords and weakening the carcass overall, well isn't that just what happens when you get the hole the first time? If the carcass was not strong enough, then nobody would ever survive getting a puncture in the first place, and the tire would just explode right when the hole is made before you could even decide whether to plug the hole.

I'm interested in first-hand observations, not some hearsay from your cousin's uncle. Also, I don't trust my own intuition that might be tricking me into thinking that all plugs are the devil's plan to destroy me.

But the devil's advocate inside me can't help but say that if I'm too scared to use a plug, then I'm too scared to ride in the first place because I could run over something that puts a hole in my tire!

I can't say about a plugged tire failing but I can say that a Pilot Power is solid down to....well....nothing but air. For my own amusement I decided to finish off my tire on a local ride with one of my buddies. The cords didn't show up till we were halfway through our ride and even though my bud was quite nervous I never slowed down through the curves. More and more vertical cords started showing up and at our last gas stop I noticed horizontal cords. No choice but to head for home and of course I had to take a favorite road along the way. At 85 miles an hour leaned over in a curve while passing a car I realize that the bars suddenly became ridgid and the bike seemed sluggish so I accelerated just a bit more to get ahead of the car and I pulled off the road. Hard to steer? Yes. Terrifying? Not in the least. It just felt like somebody was pulling at the rear of the bike. That's the third tire I've had that lost air at speed and it's been the same each time except the other two tires weren't shot.

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If your tire is an Avon they will replace the tire under warranty within the first 1mm of tire wear. This warranty is geared toward the new tire getting damaged within the first 1000 miles of use. They have removed the new tread depth specs from their website so you will have to call them to get the information. IMO It is not cost effective to pay a shop to patch your tire from the inside. They get around $50 just to mount and balance a new tire here. Add in the time to apply a patch properly on the inside and your cost would be close to that of a new tire. I installed a gummy worm this past weekend on my ST1100 because my Avon was beyond the 1mm wear limit. I read lots of reports of these plugs lasting through the life of the tire. You do need to consider where the puncture took place. Dead center is optimum for plugging. I also read a lot a good reviews for Ride-on tire protection system. http://www.ride-on.com/prod_mot.asp Stops leaks when they occur. Kinda pricey at $16 a bottle but seems like good insurance on a long trip or after a puncture has occurred and you've decided to run the tire.

Anyone got a YouTube link of Matt Mladdin riding out a rear flat a few years back??? I was very impressed, the guy is at high speeds, totally loses the rear tire, rides off the track through the sand and grass, was AOK...plug your tires if you ride like Matt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzVPY2p5Org

heres the link...you just ride it out like Matt did.

He EVEN gets back up and rides it on the wheel through deep sand, then parks it, goes for a walk along side track....FREAKIN TIRE PLUGS !!!!!@@@#**&shouldaneverusedem

I think Matt was using Pilot Powers also in vid......J/k lol,

A gummyworm might plug up your gut.

I wouldn't trust it for longer than needed to get a new tire, or at least a better fix. :laugh:

The z tires are pretty strong and I've cut right through steel strands and not created a bulge or anything down the road.

It seems with plugs there is success at times and failure at times, thats one of the reasons I carry more than one type of plug.

The last time I used a sticky rope was on a front tire, I probably should have double stranded it, but by 50 mile it was near coming out, when I took the tire off for replacement it was only in there about 1/4inch.

Aaron S. Ward, May 27 2008, 03:52 PMDoes anybody have any real factual evidence about modern Z rated tires failing because of a plug failure? I've heard about "blowouts" but that has always been tales about old tires with innertubes, not the high-performance tires we use today.

What would actually happen if your plug failed? Would the fact that it's a high-speed-rated tire, mean that you will be ok? Will the tire just leak air the same way it leaked when you first got the flat and leaked air? Is using a plug just as risky as the everyday risk you have of getting a flat tire in the first place when driving around normally?


How is the risk of plug failure (and the resulting leak), any different from the risk of the original puncture (and the resulting leak)?


Even if you think of it in terms of breaking cords and weakening the carcass overall, well isn't that just what happens when you get the hole the first time? If the carcass was not strong enough, then nobody would ever survive getting a puncture in the first place, and the tire would just explode right when the hole is made before you could even decide whether to plug the hole.

DougFromIndyAnyone got a YouTube link of Matt Mladdin riding out a rear flat a few years back??? I was very impressed, the guy is at high speeds, totally loses the rear tire, rides off the track through the sand and grass, was AOK...plug your tires if you ride like Matt.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzVPY2p5Org

heres the link...you just ride it out like Matt did.

He EVEN gets back up and rides it on the wheel through deep sand, then parks it, goes for a walk along side track....FREAKIN TIRE PLUGS !!!!!@@@#**&shouldaneverusedem

I think Matt was using Pilot Powers also in vid......J/k lol,

What kind of commercial z-rated street tires was he running?

inside plug, ride... you be fine..

BusyLittleShop, May 28 2008, 01:44 AM

Aaron S. Ward, May 27 2008, 03:52 PMDoes anybody have any real factual evidence about modern Z rated tires failing because of a plug failure? I've heard about "blowouts" but that has always been tales about old tires with innertubes, not the high-performance tires we use today.

What would actually happen if your plug failed? Would the fact that it's a high-speed-rated tire, mean that you will be ok? Will the tire just leak air the same way it leaked when you first got the flat and leaked air? Is using a plug just as risky as the everyday risk you have of getting a flat tire in the first place when driving around normally?


How is the risk of plug failure (and the resulting leak), any different from the risk of the original puncture (and the resulting leak)?


Even if you think of it in terms of breaking cords and weakening the carcass overall, well isn't that just what happens when you get the hole the first time? If the carcass was not strong enough, then nobody would ever survive getting a puncture in the first place, and the tire would just explode right when the hole is made before you could even decide whether to plug the hole.

The choice is up to the individual but I found there is mounting
evidence that plugged tires work and are safe... I have yet to note
anyone armed with first hand knowledge to the contrary...

For some riders tire plugs are unsafe... they would spend too much attention on the plug
and not enough on where they're going and what they're are doing... it short it's a
barrier for which only a new tire can solve... so even thought they may not find the right
words to express their fear... I still respect their choice...

turtlecreek, May 28 2008, 08:49 AM

BusyLittleShop, May 28 2008, 01:44 AM

Aaron S. Ward, May 27 2008, 03:52 PMDoes anybody have any real factual evidence about modern Z rated tires failing because of a plug failure? I've heard about "blowouts" but that has always been tales about old tires with innertubes, not the high-performance tires we use today.

What would actually happen if your plug failed? Would the fact that it's a high-speed-rated tire, mean that you will be ok? Will the tire just leak air the same way it leaked when you first got the flat and leaked air? Is using a plug just as risky as the everyday risk you have of getting a flat tire in the first place when driving around normally?


How is the risk of plug failure (and the resulting leak), any different from the risk of the original puncture (and the resulting leak)?


Even if you think of it in terms of breaking cords and weakening the carcass overall, well isn't that just what happens when you get the hole the first time? If the carcass was not strong enough, then nobody would ever survive getting a puncture in the first place, and the tire would just explode right when the hole is made before you could even decide whether to plug the hole.

The choice is up to the individual but I found there is mounting
evidence that plugged tires work and are safe... I have yet to note
anyone armed with first hand knowledge to the contrary...

For some riders tire plugs are unsafe... they would spend too much attention on the plug
and not enough on where they're going and what they're are doing... it short it's a
barrier for which only a new tire can solve... so even thought they may not find the right
words to express their fear... I still respect their choice...

honleyism:

'Friend, when you do speak, it's to the point and I salute you.' (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)