[2112]

Is it wise, that is, safe, reliable and not effect tire balance if I use the self plug tire repair kits on my 180/60 rear tire on my M900. Any experiance or suggestions is appreciated.

Thanks,

Scott

 

[2112]

Sorry one other question. As I was looking at the bike in the garage, the tire is still inflated to 10 psi or so, I wondered if it did go completely flat would the bike tip over. I proped the swingarm with a milk crate for now as I don't have a bike stand yet.

Thanks again,

Scott

 

[Guest]

I just put a hole in my rear tire.. although it may cost a lot more than a patch a new tire is the safest route.. your best bet is to take it apart and go buy a tire the mounting should only be about $10 at the dealer if you bring in the wheel. I say just get some tire irons and do it yourself.

 

[jblouch]

You'll get a variety of answers on this one, but here is my 2 cents worth. . . I've been "plugging" tires since the inception of tubeless tires, both automotive tires and motorcycle tires, and have found this to be a very reliable and effective method of repairing tires, but only with regard to certain punctures (nail holes mostly). You naturally get into the "ZR" rating discussion and folks will advocate buying a new tire because of it, but unless you cruse at 140+ mph most of the time the "ZR" discussion is a mute point. Bottom line. . . plugging simple nail holes is effective and cheap and doesn't create any major safety issues imho.

 

[Guest]

I have run with plugs for a while now. No problems.

 

[test-reg]

on a bike, i'm an anti-plug person. i consider a plug in a mc tire the equivalent of a space saver on a car. if the plug fails, you have a rapid deflation. just an opinion.

 

[krista_k]

the only plug i trust is the mushroom style that gets inserted from the inside of the tire. i used to like them ... even did a 1100 mile round trip to laguna seca on my 916 with occasional 115+ mph bursts. no problems.

the following year? we went up and zina had one in her rear tire. yup, deflated. PITA.

she just got another nail a few weeks ago on a rear tire with 1400 miles on it. got her a new tire.

chris

 

[2112]

thanks for the replies

 

[ewolnosaj]

Tire plugs should be fine, as long as you do not spend too much time a warp speed. Now hair plugs is another story, you can always tell......

 

[Guest]

well i've used the mushroom repair which is probably the safest but involves removing the tire, i've done the simple goey fiber plugs, and i've just simply replace the tires. really dependent on the hole shape/size, where it's positioned, and how confident/comfortable you feel about the repair. i don't repair front tires. i only repair small round holes/punctures... no oblong shapes. i only repair tires where the puncture is a least a quarter of the tires overall width away from the sidewall. the mileage on the tire is a factor for me also. if it's relatively new then i'm more likely to plug whereas if it's near end of life i'll just replace. these are my comfort zones on my motorcycle and i do not mean to imply this is safe for anyone else without out risks. i got a nail in my newish 150 mile old pilot sport rear before a trip... i plugged it with adhesive and a sticky rope type plug. the tire held up fine for roughly 3600 miles including more than a thousand of those tearing up the mountains of north carolina and tennessee. your results may vary.

 

[Doc]

25 years of streetbike experience on a variety of bikes and I agree with Markv and Jarhead. You can plug a tire and have it work fine within reasonable limits. I have plugged my own tires and, more importantly, I have plugged the tires on my wife's bike. I put thousands of miles on a CB1000 with a plug. My wife's old Sporty got another 10K with a plug before it wore out (no weight and no horsepower, go figure).

My last flat was at work and a Beemer rider lent me a kit that inserted mushroom style plugs from the outside. It's a gun that forces them in and it works like a charm. The hole is sealed from behind with adhesive and from the sides (through the tire) with pressure and adhesive. I ran out and bought the kit the next day. The one I use is by Stop-N-G0. They have a website and sell through major distributors.

Doc

 

[test-reg]

Doc, where did you find room for the kit?

 

[Doc]

It might fit under the seat if you are careful. I only carry my big kit on the bike when I am going out of town and have bags. I keep the small "rope type" from the auto parts store in my tool kit for emergencies. If I am in town, I will arrainge to get my plug gun and do it right or use a rope and re-plug it when I get home.

On out of town trips, I usually coordinate with others on the ride if they are going. I have the plug kit. Someone else has the cooler. Another will have some snacks... Guys on goldwings have lawn chairs. Beemers carry duplicates of all of our stuff plus radar detectors, MP3s, GPS, compressor, spare gas, laptop, extra maps (including Topo maps), a novel, and emergency rations.

Doc