Tire Plugs

[Deziner]

FWIW, I got a 6mm bolt in a tire that had less than 200 miles on it. It was a rear tire. I plugged it and put over 10,000 miles on that tire with no issues. Just my experience.....

[aspire61]

Thx Max- I did a lot of reading and I think there was general areement with running a plugged rear tire to use up some miles anyway. As the tire thins, the chance of the plug failing increase. If I can get 75% of my usual mileage on my tire, I'll gladly settle for that and change it....hmmmm maybe 80%
Mat

[AlbertaDoug]

http://www.zggtr.org/index.php?topic=17891.msg218772#msg218772

I used this as a excuse to replace the stock tyres. Didn't want to have the plug taking up rent in my skull while riding the mountains. Anyways best of luck to ya.

[jwh20]

Hi Guys- I picked up a screw in my tire a few weeks ago, and tried my emergency tire plug kit. I used my mini compressor that plugs into the accessory socket and it worked great!! This was my first time using a plug and I just love the way it turned out, and I could track the tire pressure while riding.

I have a 108 km (65 mile) commute each way to work and I'm having second thoughts on changing it right away. I've put 1000 km on it since the repair. Because the tire pressure can be continually monitored, and I doubt it would deflate instantly, I'm having a tough time throwing away a tire thats only half (11000km) worn at best.  It's supposed to be a temporary fix, but it is working too well to throw in the towel, even though the new tire is in the garage waiting to be mounted.

It does add another level of risk, but ridng a motorcycle isnt exactly playing it safe anyway.

Anyone else experience this dilema? How far did you go on it? Mat

I've used a number of tire plugs over the years and I have NEVER had one fail on me.  I  know some like to spread around myth, in my opinion generated by tire manufacturers and others who make money from selling and replacing tires, and others cry "Doom and Despair" if you ride on a plugged tire.

Use you own judgement.  If the tire is damaged and the cords cut, then replace it as soon as you can.  If it's a nail or a screw (the most common thing in my experience) then a plug will outlast the tire.  Done properly it's nearly impossible to get the plug into the tire.  Add some cement to the mix and there is no way they will ever come out.

My opinion, others have differing ones.  Decide for yourself and your situation.

[bbhzx12]

I've done track days on plugged tires.
Just keep an eye on it, the TPMS is great, you can see if you're losing air.

[almightys]

I've got two plugs in my rear tire, think it bout time to change it lol

[Conrad]

I've got two plugs in my rear tire, think it bout time to change it lol

At my last rear tire change I had three plugs in it.

[aspire61]

Maybe, but all I want to know is what brand and size air compressor did you use that didn't blow the accessory circuit fuse? 

Its POS mini compressor from China. SuperFlow HV-35. They show it on Youtube. I wanted a slime compressor but my wife bought this for Christmas a couple yrs ago. Its rated for 14 amps @ 120 psi. My techie son measured a draw of 7 amps which I believe is because I'm not close to maxing out the psi. I assume this is the nature of a positive displacement pump/compressor, or I don't know what I'm yacking about and I've been lucky. Either way I also used it a to bump my pressure a couple of times with no issues.

Mat

[connie14boy]

Hi Guys- I picked up a screw in my tire a few weeks ago, and tried my emergency tire plug kit. I used my mini compressor that plugs into the accessory socket and it worked great!! This was my first time using a plug and I just love the way it turned out, and I could track the tire pressure while riding.

I have a 108 km (65 mile) commute each way to work and I'm having second thoughts on changing it right away. I've put 1000 km on it since the repair. Because the tire pressure can be continually monitored, and I doubt it would deflate instantly, I'm having a tough time throwing away a tire thats only half (11000km) worn at best.  It's supposed to be a temporary fix, but it is working too well to throw in the towel, even though the new tire is in the garage waiting to be mounted.

It does add another level of risk, but ridng a motorcycle isnt exactly playing it safe anyway.

Anyone else experience this dilema? How far did you go on it? Mat

I have personally found that if the plug is in the "fat" part of the tread and not in the sipes (grooves), the plug should last the entire life of the tire. I did have a plug fail when the nail was in the sipes and there wasn't enough material in the carcass to hold the plug w/o a constant slow leak, no matter how many times I tried with various plugs.

[stevewfl]

I ran from the Rockies to Los Angeles CA to Tampa on a plug named Jill on my C14. 

Didn't worry me much, but the monsoons out in the middle of nowhere Utah did 





 

[Jrodizzle07]

I have the little portable 12v slime brand compressor and it works like a charm, it's always in my saddlebag on the c14. YMMV, but I had 3 plugs in the rear tire of my vmax a few years back and they lasted until the tire was finally wore out everywhere else. Finally wore it out on the drag strip, but the plugs held like a champ, even with burning out before each run

[aspire61]

Okay. so after a long trip I'm cleaning my bike when my cloth catches on the tire. I was thinking another nail or something, but no. The tire Pirelli Angel is toast at 12000 km. I had the shop save the old tire so I could check the plug. It was like it was welded- would never have come out. Got another 2500 Km after the plug. I was amazed at how fast the tire wore down once the center strip was gone.
Thx for the advice all- the plug outlasted the tire. Mat