I was cleaning up the bike this afternoon getting ready for trip to mountains in the morning. Check tire pressure and oh sh#t. 25 psi. look at back tire and dead center is roofing nail. Well trip is cancelled and time to decide what to do. 2000 miles on rear tire. Do you plug it or replace it? Dealerships service department not open until Monday.

 

I've had good luck with plugs.....

 

I've never had any issues with a plug.

 

Why cancel your trip? Plug it and go.

 

I've plugged tires on my bikes twice over the past few years without issue, so plug it and keep your plans...it's not like you're going to a track day.

 

I always thought that tire plugs are not safe. Are you using just the regular string plugs?

 

The issue with a plug repair is that if the plug gives out (comes out of the tire) . . . . which while rare . . . does happen . . . the flat you'll get, will occur very Very VERY rapidly. Remember that the original cause of the flat; a nail, a screw, whatever is no longer in the tire blocking the hole that it made . . . and then, if you did the plug correctly, you probably used a tool that was sort of a file to "Clean" the hole for the plug . . . making this hole just a tad larger than the nail or screw made it in the first place. As a result, you will get little if any warning between "OK" and "OH $h!t" if the plug comes out because the loss of air will be really fast! If on the road I'll plug it until the first "reasonable" opportunity to replace it. In the mean time . . . I take it r-e-a-l easy on the thing. The odds of the plug coming out are pretty darned low . . . but the downside (no pun intended) if it does, can be really ugly.

 

I've plugged motorcycle tires a couple of times. Use the correct rubber cement and you should be good to go.

I hope this helps.

 

Most dealers will not install a plug because of the liability issue. If you have access to a good indy shop ask them if they do. The best plug is the mushroom head type that is installed from the inside out. I've had several done like that over the years and never had an issue.

 

Just curious did you get the ESP with tire and wheel? If so $50 and you have a new tire.
I carry a plug kit to get me to the dealer for a new tire. Let us know what you decided.
Good Luck