General Harley Davidson Chat Forum to discuss general Harley Davidson issues, topics, and experiences.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Tire

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Sep 22, 2012 | 12:55 PM
  #1  
xdanman's Avatar
xdanman
Thread Starter
|
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 362
Likes: 0
From: Piedmont,SC
Default Tire

I was 100 miles from home, came out of Wheels through time museum and noticied something on my front tire. It was a roofing nail. I really did not know what to do. I went to local auto parts place and got a plugging kit and plugged it, aired up and rode home with no incident. Is anybody riding on a plugged tire? I hate to replace because I have many miles left on this tire. Is it ok? It was in the tread, not sidewall.
 
Old Sep 22, 2012 | 01:33 PM
  #2  
Ragnar Danneskjöld's Avatar
Ragnar Danneskjöld
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,948
Likes: 4
From: Ottawa, Ontario
Default

Perfectly fine, just keep an eye on tire pressure.
 
Old Sep 22, 2012 | 01:42 PM
  #3  
KBFXDLI's Avatar
KBFXDLI
Big Kahuna HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 23,881
Likes: 34
From: USA
Default

I will ride on a plugged tire in a car but never on a bike. If you lose the front tire while riding you will wish you had paid the $200-300 for a new one.
 
Old Sep 22, 2012 | 02:39 PM
  #4  
nevada72's Avatar
nevada72
Seasoned HDF Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 44,851
Likes: 29,828
From: PNW
Default

Take the tire to a shop and have them remove the tire and put one of those plugs that have a disk on the inside of the tire. Centrifugal force could pop that plug you installed out. Not good on a back tire but possibly disastrous on the front.
 
Old Sep 22, 2012 | 03:40 PM
  #5  
TheGrandPoohBah's Avatar
TheGrandPoohBah
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 14,731
Likes: 2,536
From: Mountain Top, Alabama
Default

The right kind of plug installed correctly in the contact patch of the tire, you are good to go.
Ride with pride.
 
Old Sep 22, 2012 | 04:10 PM
  #6  
deez nuts's Avatar
deez nuts
Road Captain
10 Year Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 592
Likes: 57
From: PA
Default

A plug on the inside of the tire is much more reliable, ive seen those fail too. You can get a new tire on amazon for a good price so thats an option. I would at least put a plug on the inside of the tire like someone else already said, but after the tire mounting cost and all that you may be good to just put on a new tire. Up to you.
Hope this helps
 
Old Sep 22, 2012 | 05:13 PM
  #7  
cHarley's Avatar
cHarley
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 16,320
Likes: 306
From: Boynton Beach, FloriDuh
Default

Originally Posted by deez nuts
A plug on the inside of the tire is much more reliable, ive seen those fail too. You can get a new tire on amazon for a good price so thats an option. I would at least put a plug on the inside of the tire like someone else already said, but after the tire mounting cost and all that you may be good to just put on a new tire. Up to you.
Hope this helps
+1 - but you don't put a PLUG inside a tire, you use a vulcanized PATCH. Plugs are installed from the outside.

 
Old Sep 23, 2012 | 12:28 AM
  #8  
nevada72's Avatar
nevada72
Seasoned HDF Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 44,851
Likes: 29,828
From: PNW
Default

Originally Posted by cHarley
+1 - but you don't put a PLUG inside a tire, you use a vulcanized PATCH. Plugs are installed from the outside.

Actually there are plugs that you use on the inside but they are called mushroom "patches" among other things. Picture a roofing nail made of rubber with an inch diameter head. It's a patch and plug all in one. Here's a nice link about patching tires the right way.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete....jsp?techid=77
 
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-2

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Sep 23, 2012 | 12:38 AM
  #9  
Mark_H's Avatar
Mark_H
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 974
Likes: 4
From: Utah
Default

I've used stop n go tire repair plugs to get me to a shop for a proper vulcanized patch. Never had problems with a tire that was repaired like this. Have done this probably 4-5 times over the years since 79 and have never had a patched tire fail. ymmv
 
Old Sep 23, 2012 | 12:47 AM
  #10  
oldairboater's Avatar
oldairboater
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 7,476
Likes: 5
From: Republic of Texas
Default

Your life. I wouldn't ride on a plugged tire on my motorcycles any farther then necessary. I also wouldn't ride on a bald tire but many do. JMO
 



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:28 PM.

story-0
7 Times Harley-Davidson Chucked Tradition Out the Window

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson built its reputation on nostalgia, but every so often, the company took a hard left turn into the future.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-20 11:18:19


VIEW MORE
story-1
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-2
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-3
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-4
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-5
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-6
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-7
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE