Nail in Tire ?
 

Dropped the bike off for brake job, just called and said I have a nail (he thinks on the top) in the rear and a slow leak. I ask if they could patch it, and they said due to liability they can't ? I don't want to buy a new tire if I don't have to. Do you patch them ? Tire is not that old.
Thanks

I had a new tire, maybe 200 miles on it. Roofing nail right in the meat of the thread. I was really pissed. Had the same response from dealer, and I understand that, but had it repaired, from the inside.Plug with the patch attached. Been just local riding, maybe over the winter, may buy a new tire and replace. I've read all kinds on this subject. You'll get plenty of responses. That's my experience.Good luck

Dealer or Indy? Luckily for me every tire I've had a nail or screw in the tire was near the end so I have usually replaced them. I have had them patched but it was always an Indy and not a dealership. I've used and had good luck with mushroom plugs which has to be installed from the inside. A nail in top of the tire has me puzzled.

Thanks Kel ! Don't understand why they can patch car tires and not bikes.... but I'm not a "Tire Engineer"... $*%&$%$ !!
I've got a buddy that changes and replaces his own tires, used to have a shop. Have reached out to him and see what he thinks..

Thanks Guys.. Trust it ?? Can't answer that tonight.. just in the pissed off stage..
Thanks Cruiser.. I'll let you know. .

The nail is on the top, but the tire is only flat on the bottom....:icon_nic:

Yep, know the feeling, lol. I bet I was out there once a day checking air pressure, stayed at 40 and now that ready to put away for the winter, will do my last check. Good luck

Yeah totally understand.. And I'll think more clearly in the morning.. Ha

Quick question? In your days of riding have u ever crashed, went down, road rash? 200$, the cost of a tire? U could not give me 200$ to crash again. For peace of mind? No hip hurting like hell, no herniated discs from impact. Yep, i got 1000$ for that piece of mind...

I always just plug mine which is why I also carry an air pump (one of Harley's) and a plug kit with an assortment of tools. I've never had a plug come out at speed though I did have one that leaked a bit. I just pulled the plug, reamed it to clean out the hole and inserted a new plug. I also change my own tires when I decide it's necessary. For that matter, my current rear tire has two plugs in it with lots of meat still on it.

I used to have the same thoughts as far as changing the tire if I ever had a nail, screw, lag bolt puncture my tire, but over time, I decided it wasn't worth the cost or aggravation to go new every time, especially when the tire was new.

So he said to just put a tube in it ? Any experience with this ?

If it gets patched correctly it'll be fine. Or you could tube it. Either way, no matter. I've done both over the years and I ain't dead yet.

I caught a piece of barbed wire in my rear tire at the beginning of the season with about 200 miles on the tires. Plugged it and I've ridden all season on it. It's held pressure as good as any tire I've ever had. Ive plugged a few tires in my 35 years of riding on the street and never once had any issue let alone a catastrophic failure...not saying it can't happen but I've never heard of it causing a crash. If it will be in the back of your head every time you ride buy a new tire and go ride.

Only issue with tube is if you do get another nail, roadside fix is much harder,WR.

I've had 2 rear tire blowouts, both at 80+ mph, and one front that didn't blow, but went down rapidly do to me riding drunk, but that's another story....

Bottom line is I rode all 3 out, but have no desire to repeat. I'm in the Construction business, own my own Company. My truck is a rolling tire repair shop. I'm always plugging and airing up truck and trailer tires...

I will not plug or patch a motorcycle tire like I do on my trucks and trailers..PERIOD!!!!

When I'm hauling ass down the highway, I often have a lot of things on my mind, but worrying about a patch or plug failing on the rubber underneath me isn't one of them.

To me it isn't worth it. Buy a new tire....

Why not just put a tube in the tire & be done with it?

I rode on plugged tires for years, including my cop bikes , never had a problem.

There isn't really a right or wrong answer. Lots of people have plugged and patched tires without any issue, myself included in my younger days. Now that I am older I just replace tires that have any issue. Maybe it is being more seasoned, or maybe it is because I have more ability to buy the new tire without feeling a lot of pain from the cost, but I just replace them.

I always try to keep things like this in perspective. A couple hundred bucks for a tire isn't really that much money when you think about what is at stake. You can drop more than that taking your wife to dinner, or going to a bar with a couple of friends. People spend twice that to buy tickets to a ball game or watch a big fight on TV. Sure it sucks to replace a pretty new tire, but I see it as just part of the cost of enjoying a hobby.

Summed up nicely...

Patch it from the inside and put a tube in it too.

Had the same thing happen to me on my Sporty. Put a tube in for very low cost instead of replacing a tire with only a few miles on it. Works great.

It's probably not even necessary to put in a tube, just use the Ride-On sealer/balancer for motorcycles.

Plug it.
I use the stop n go kit with the mushroom plugs and co2 cartridges.
I plugged an almost new tire and rode it until it was worn out.

I have had 3 rear and 2 front blowouts over the past 35 years and none of them were caused by patches or plugs.
I use ride-on now but I still carry the plug kit.

GOOD thoughts by all. Thanks for helping me make a decision folks ! Going to call the dealer and Indy this morning and go from there.

Worth mentioning -- if the leak is in the sidewall **NEVER** try to just repair it. the side wall is thinner and flexes a lot
more than the tread area. Fixing a sidewall leak is just asking for trouble.

Plug and ride-on sealer.

Should be okay as long as the nail isn't on the bottom.

I have had zero problems in the past with plugging and adding a tube but yeah, it's your butt on the seat so you do what feels right to you
That is the scariest thing I think I've ever heard come from someone that works on a motorcycle! I hope you were kidding

Take it to an indie and have them put a T patch in it. It'll last the life of the tread with no problem. I wouldn't want to waste a good tire for such a simple puncture.

I have had a flat on the rear at 80 mph. no fun! It would be a judgement call on how comfortable you are with a plug/patch. I would replace the tire

Patches & plugs are so much better now than they used to be. I remember blowing a plug out twice, 2 weeks in a row going over the same pothole back in the 80s. Refused to use them again until the last couple of years. Theres a harbor freight plug in one of my truck tires right now & Ive been to Colorado Springs and back, and San Diego & back. Id be fine plugging a bike tire, but I would be planning on replacing it before too long just in case...another consideration is, is it a perfectly symmetrical puncture?? Not tearing at all??

Haha.. It was the tech writer saying that, not the tech.. But I was a little concerned HE didn't know too !