Riding with a plugged tire?

[STCPO]

Well it was bound to happen sooner or later. Leaving work I found a staple in my rear tire and I had to put a plug in it to get home.

What do you guys think about riding with a plug in your tire? I only plan to commute on this tire for about another 1000 miles. I have no intention to do any serious riding on it.

My normal commute is about 15 miles one way on straight roads. However I would need to go to Fort Worth a few times and that's about 75 miles one way. Once again it will be just straight road riding.

Thanks.

Pete

[Tourmeister]

As long as it is in the meat of the tread, I plug and ride. Use the stringy plug strips like they have in most automotive sections of any store. Use LOTS of the rubber cement, more is best. Test to see if it hold air overnight. Ride like normal. Theoretically, it is possible that a belt in the tire may be cut and you run a risk of the tire coming apart. Under track conditions or hard street riding, I would be a little more concerned. For just commuting and normal street riding, I would not worry about it. Be warned though, this topic is right up there with Syn VS. Dino and WD40 VS. Chainlube :-P

Adios,

[Rocket_Cowboy]

Ya'll use oil and chain lube on your bikes? :)

Personally, tires are inexpensive enough and nails/staples/etc are infrequent enough that I prefer to replace rather than patch. It'd piss me off to find on in a tire, but I've had to many wrecks to have one come down to a compromise I introduced by patching a punctured tire. But that's just me.

[Valker]

Personally, I would NEVER run a plugged tire on my Valkyrie faster than 110 mph NOR more than 18,000 miles-especially if it had been plugged twice (in different holes). :shock:
(but then again, I am sure of my ability to plug one well and proper) :-D

[gotdurt]

If it's not a radial, I would definitely replace it now. If it's a radial, plug away. It would be a VERY good idea to remove the tire, trim the plug from the inside, and put a patch over the plug. This just helps hold things together. That's what places like Discount Tire do when they plug radials on cars. If they'll go through the trouble to remove the tire from the rim for this on a car (and they don't charge for it), then I wouldn't think twice about doing it on a bike!

[TheCanuck]

Pete,

Personally, on my 9r, Sprint ST tires did not last long enough to worry about the durability of a patch. And I had no problem with them.

But speaking of Discount Tire, I had to get a plug put in one of the tires of my wife's car last week. Got talking to the tech and he was saying DT no longer uses the simple string plugs because they started to see a lot of tire failures caused by corrosion of the belts. Thus the best plug is one that ensures water can not get to the cords.

So that got me thinking, since I ride the TL rarely, I don't think I would use one of those Stop and Go mushroom plugs on it, but on the FJR, where I can't see a tire lasting longer than 6-12 months, why not. If the tire is fairly new it is probably worth getting a proper glue patch, but if it is not going to be around much longer I would use the Stop 'n go with no problem.

As far as the tire with a patch, on the 9r I had one or two patches on the rear tire, and it neaver stopped me from tripple digit speeds (close course conditions of course) with out a single problem.

Now knocking frantically on wood, I have yet to have a front flat, go figure. I am always more carefull with the front tire than rear.

ymmv,
Tom