Plug or replace
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Road Captain
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 643
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From: Republic of Tejas
Plug or replace
About 20 minutes into my ride to work this morning I feel the back tire going flat. Lucky I am only about 100 yds from a store so I pull in and for sure the back tire is going flat quick. It is 430 in the morning so no one is around and sure enough there is a screw/nail in the back tire. So I call the my step-mom to see if she can come pick me up. which wasn't a problem. Text buddy to see if I can use his motorcycle trailer so I don't have to use my 18' lowboy. Get a short nap while I am waiting on ride. Get dropped off at home get truck and swing by buddies house for trailer. Then off to pick up bike and bring it back home. At home I air up the tire to get it off the trailer but before I can get it off the trailer it is already flat again and the bike high centers on the ramp. had to kind of lift on the handle bars and press down on the top of ramp to get bike off.
The bad part is that this is the new tire that was installed last Saturday so it only has about 50 miles.
So that is reason I have the question to plug or replace? I have been pluggin car, truck, trailers, ATV, etc tires forever with no probably. But since I have only been riding street bikes few years I was wondering about plugging tires.
The bad part is that this is the new tire that was installed last Saturday so it only has about 50 miles.
So that is reason I have the question to plug or replace? I have been pluggin car, truck, trailers, ATV, etc tires forever with no probably. But since I have only been riding street bikes few years I was wondering about plugging tires.
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,897
From: Bedford UK
I wouldn't be happy riding a near new plugged tyre for the rest of its life, however if you can get a vulcanised repair that would be fine. That heat seals a plug in place, bonding it to the rubber of the tyre.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 2,059
Likes: 4
From: Florida
If it's one hole in the contact patch, not near the sidewall, I plug and ride. Have plugged numerous tires with no problem. Get your white paint marker out and put a dot on the side wall where the plug is and after a few miles, spray it with windex and make sure it's not leaking. You could also dismount the tire and patch it from the inside if it's brand new.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,323
Likes: 56,885
From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
I've got a bunch of miles under my belt ... Been in 46 of the 50 states and traveled both coastlines from top to bottom ... If I was out on the road and had an emergency I'd do what it takes to get down the road. As soon as I had a chance a new tire would be on the bike. I saw a guy go down once because of a flat tire and it wasn't pretty ... He was right in front of me and had his gal on the back. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt. Wouldn't want to temp fate for a few hundred dollars ... Just my.02 cents worth.
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