Need a tire plugged

[greenmonster]

Got a "nail" in my rear tire. Not sure if its a small nail or thick wire...there's no flat head to it, just the shaft. I tried the soapy water spray, but I'm not positive about seeing any bubbles, besides those from the water! And that doesn't mean it wont leak once the thing is pulled. Dont wanna chance a flat in the middle of nowhere. What I'd like to do is plug it while still on the bike, if thats possible, using a "mushroom" type of plug. If it needs to be from the inside, Jeff has offered to dismount it for me, and I can bring it to whomever. I live in Waltham, so ideally I'd like to bring it to anyone who lives closest. I'd rather pay someone from here with the experience plugging tires than a dealer. Next spring I'll get new skins from Jeff, but for now, I'll go with a plug. Thanks!

[Crash Dummy Denno]

pay trickphoto to repair it and mount it back up! right in the area

[Tricky Mike]

I can hook it up. It'd be $35 in labor plus $5 for the plug. You could just ride over.
You want to stay away from the mushroom plug, though...
This is the only way to fly:

[RupturedDust]

Pardon my ignorance, but what's wrong with the mushroom plugs?

[Tricky Mike]

The plug/patch type numbers (like the one pictured) bond to the inside of the tire via vulcanization with a whole bunch of surface area.
Mushroom plugs (at least the ones I've seen) rely on the compression of the rubber plug to hold it in place.

[RupturedDust]

Gotcha, thanks!

[greenmonster]

I can hook it up. It'd be $35 in labor plus $5 for the plug. You could just ride over.
You want to stay away from the mushroom plug, though...
This is the only way to fly:

Sounds good, Mike...PM sent...

[scorp7]

I too am looking for this, but the one place I found that would patch the tire, does not use this type of patch/plug. Is it something I can buy at Pep-Boys or Walmart?

[Tricky Mike]

Not very likely... PepBoys maybe. I think I found them at a NAPA in Arlington, but had to call a million places before I found someone who had them.
Don't forget the vulcanizing fluid.

[DuncanMoto]

+1

Everything has its purpose. A mushroom plug is meant as a temporary plug ONLY. You should go no more than 50 miles and then have trickophoto plug it from the inside.

The plug/patch type numbers (like the one pictured) bond to the inside of the tire via vulcanization with a whole bunch of surface area.
Mushroom plugs (at least the ones I've seen) rely on the compression of the rubber plug to hold it in place.

[scorp7]

Found it. Napa is the place : ) For those interested it is
Part # 7101642. Thanks a lot guys!!

[beet]

take the hole give it a good reeming then ookumpooky the shit out of any plug your using........

[Devil1]

I'll never plug a motorcycle tire. Who wants that thing to blow apart, or fall apart while at speed???? Not me buddy. I value my life more that a 5 dollar plug.

[beet]

He's right new tires never fail, get a new trustworthy $100-200 tire.

I'll never plug a motorcycle tire. Who wants that thing to blow apart, or fall apart while at speed???? Not me buddy. I value my life more that a 5 dollar plug.

[dhuze]

He's right new tires never fail, get a new trustworthy $100-200 tire.

Would you like some Firestone Wilderness tires?

[scorp7]

I keep getting getting reviews. I called some places that still only plug the tires. I agree w/ buying a new tire, but I don't plan to do much more riding for the rest of the season, so this is a temporary solution. New tire next year.

[scorp7]

About that, I keep seeing the Michelin Pilot Power tires being recommended, but I read an article where they were recalled. Was that for an older year?

[RandyO]

I'll never plug a motorcycle tire. Who wants that thing to blow apart, or fall apart while at speed???? Not me buddy. I value my life more that a 5 dollar plug.

what is the big deal if your tire fails ? are you hamfisted. I'm sorry you don't know how to handle your bike in an emergency situation, what would happen to you if you ran over a road hazard, maybe you shouldn't ride at all

I value my life more than a plug too, but one doesn't have anything to do with the other

BTW, if yer paying $5 for a plug, yer getting ripped off, you can buy a package of 5 for $3.99

[KB]

I'll plug a tire with the 3.99 noodle job and ride it till I need a new one. I have never heard of anyone dying from a plugged tire.

I'd even plug and RACE a tire. Ohhhhhhhh the taboo!

KB

[DucDave]

I'll plug a tire with the 3.99 noodle job and ride it till I need a new one. I have never heard of anyone dying from a plugged tire.

I'd even plug and RACE a tire. Ohhhhhhhh the taboo!

KB

+1 me too....ran a whole season on a Pilot 2ct plugged with a noodle job. Didn't leak at all and the tire was COOKED when I took it off.

It helps to understand a little bit about what we are talking about.

When you use that little tool to ream out the hole you are actually sawing through 'cords' in the tire plies. Most tires are two, three or four plies and many include belts (plies that run under the treads but not bead to bead.

This sounds bad but actually you are not really damaging the overall structural soundness of the tire since all the rest of the cords are intact. A much more profound problem is if you have belt separation. You can often detect this buy putting the bike on a stand and spinning the tire slowly. If you can detect a 'wobble' you likley either have a bead that's not properly seated or a separation in the plies. I would immediately replace a tire with a PLY separation as catastrophic failure is much more likely in this case than in a case where a tire is plugged. The worst that can happen there, even it the plug itself fails completely (highly unlikley), is a loss of air...not an explosion.

BTW...you might want to take a tire and read all the information that is required by DOT to be included. Every tire has a fairly detailed description of the construction...

A Metzler 180/55 ZR 17 ROADTECH Z6 has one Rayon Ply with cords running radially, bead to bead and one additional STEEL ply under the tread. So it is essentially a 1 ply steel belted radial. Its max load is 1805 lbs at 42 psi and is a Load Range B.

There is lots of other information such as month and year of manfacture and a cool little picture of an elephant...


But, you should really go and buy a new tire because I am not an expert and wouldnt want you to put your life in my hands...

...me, I'll run plugged tires. At the speeds I ride it doesn't really matter!!!

[DucDave]

About that, I keep seeing the Michelin Pilot Power tires being recommended, but I read an article where they were recalled. Was that for an older year?

Yes...that was two years ago?? That run should be long gone...

[KB]

This is kind of like the old motorcycle specific oil debate.

KB

[DucDave]

This is kind of like the old motorcycle specific oil debate.

KB

Or God vs No God....

....its a religious discussion

[beet]

KB = Joe six pack

[KB]

Beet = not quite sure!

KB