Flat Tire Help
Administrator Emeritus
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 5,704
Likes: 252
From: Walker Basin, CA
RE: Flat Tire Help
Depends on your comfort level.
1. Best - new tire
2. Patch tire and install new tube
3. Patch tire
4. Plug tire
You will find riders with each story and pro or cons.
Decide what your mental comfort is worth. The price of a new tire and installation.
Save a bunch and put a plug in it. Pull the wheel and pay someone to patch the tire.
Any way you go, someone will say there is a better way.
PersonallyI have a tire changing machine and a wheel balancer. I patch the inside of a tubeless tire and run it tubeless. Do the work myself and then balance the wheel, reinstall. It cost less than a buck for materials and takes about an hour to do.
JMHO
1. Best - new tire
2. Patch tire and install new tube
3. Patch tire
4. Plug tire
You will find riders with each story and pro or cons.
Decide what your mental comfort is worth. The price of a new tire and installation.
Save a bunch and put a plug in it. Pull the wheel and pay someone to patch the tire.
Any way you go, someone will say there is a better way.
PersonallyI have a tire changing machine and a wheel balancer. I patch the inside of a tubeless tire and run it tubeless. Do the work myself and then balance the wheel, reinstall. It cost less than a buck for materials and takes about an hour to do.
JMHO
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,515
Likes: 6
From:
RE: Flat Tire Help
Ive run thousands of miles on a plug, its not a big deal. You probly dont have police run flats as they are not legal for consumer use and at least here in georgia dealers are required to remove them before selling police bikes. If your in cheap mode ,plug it, if not a rear tire is not an expensive investment.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 4,929
Likes: 8
RE: Flat Tire Help
In my experience, any good tire shop can easily and safely repair it. No need to buy a new tire.
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,515
Likes: 6
From:
RE: Flat Tire Help
ORIGINAL: TowJam
Any ideas why? They are consumer legal for automobiles.
Just curious...
You probly dont have police run flats as they are not legal for consumer use...
Just curious...
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 598
Likes: 0
From: Deming, New Mexico
RE: Flat Tire Help
I got a basically new Dunlop from a friend of mine that he took off the rear of his metric because it had a hole in it. I put a patch over the hole, put a new tube in it and put it on my 77 FLH (spoke wheels). I've been running it like that for several thousand miles now with no problems.