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Need tire advice...plug it or not?

1K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  knightrook 
#1 ·
Well on my great Memorial Day weekend we went for a ride to indian lake and lucky me I must have picked up a staple or a small finish nail in the rear tire. The puncture is almost dead center of the tread (maybe a tad to the left of center) and isn't very big of a hole (the only leak I found).

My question here is should I get it repaired (plugged or a tube) or just replace the tire completely and be done with it. If I get it plugged it will be with a mushroom head rubber plug and not the rope kind. Plugging a tire...... is that considered safe on a vtx ? I have had a mushroom head plug put in my rear cbr tire once while on vacation and then I got it replaced later and didn't have any problems with that and it was a radial and a speed rated tire to boot.

I've considered trying darkside but really don't want to try and then not really care for it and then have to buy another tire.....cash for me is a bit tight right now.

Any advice greatly appreciated,
Dragon Slayer 129
 
#3 ·
I know some have done it and had no issues. Not sure if I could, but I guess maybe it's another of those many personal choices that need to be made. If you've run it before on your CBR, and feel comfortable, then you already know it worked for you.

Coincidentally I picked up a 2" drywall screw in the rear tire Monday but since it's an S I had a new tube put in. I guess the safest thing might be to put a tube in it. Good luck. Hope this helped.
 
#4 ·
Well I should have mentioned that I have tubeless tires on cast rims (1300R). The tires have roughly 5800-6000 miles on them.....original owner put new tires on it just before I bought it. So I would say that they are right around half tread from the looks of them.

A new dunlop 404 from dennis kirk is right at 105 bux and I can mount and balance it in the garage....my brother and I went in half and bought a tire machine and balancer last year. Yes it makes it nice to have the machines available to change out car/truck/bike tires......amazing how many friends you get when they find out you have a tire machine/balancer.

Dragon Slayer 129
 
#7 ·
Another +1 on plugging... but personally, if funds permit I'm all for a new tire altogether.

Mort
 
#11 ·
Id use a plugging patch from the inside,, they have a spike thats pulled through the hole, and patch all in one. only way to fly

what mojo said.

have used plug patches on cars, bikes and big trucks alike...no problems at all.
 
#9 ·
I put a new tire on this spring, and got a screw in it. This tire only had 1000 miles on it, and I replaced it. Just remember you only have one good tire if it blows, and trust me after working at Firestone we seen many plugged tires come back flat. Just my thoughts, and my life!
 
#10 ·
I went through this right after I bought my bike, took a nail at 179 miles :icon_ange I plugged it and ran another 100 or so and then replaced. We do a lot of trips out in the country and for me a new tire seemed the only way to give me piece of mind. Yes it killed me, the tire still had the little nubs on the tread.
 
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