fking nail man.

[tinng321]

Rode my bike to work this morning.
It felt funny. The back wheel kept wobbling. I thought there was something wrong with my suspension. Didn't really know to check the tires.
Came out to lunch and was going to ride to a pizzeria. The tire didn't look right so I pressed on it and it was real soft. Roll the bike forward and saw a big azz nail. Rode the bike to a local gas station for a fix.
Thank god I didn't damage the rim.

[00NissanNinja]

Well at least you didn't mess up anything and it didn't make you lose control. My Mom is really good at getting nails in her tire almost once every couple months. I tell ya, people and leaving nails all over the place

[tinng321]

My work is about 35 miles from home.
Basically, I rode all the way to work on very little air.
The guy at the gas station pulled out the nail and plugged it.
Is it still safe to ride? Should I bring it into a bike shop and have them patch it? or
Get a new tire?
Thanks,
Tin

[00NissanNinja]

You should probably get it patched if you want the tire to last over the long term just to be safe.

[tinng321]

Originally Posted by drsketch

if he plugged it, and its not losing air, and not out of balanced which if it was you would know I would say it would be fine..

how do you know if it's out of balance?

[tinng321]

Originally Posted by 00NissanNinja

You should probably get it patched if you want the tire to last over the long term just to be safe.

how much to patch?

[00NissanNinja]

Originally Posted by tinng321

how much to patch?

I've gotten my car tire patched for like $10 depends where you go I suppose, but I haven't had to pay to much past $10

[GeneJunkie]

I would replace it, you only have 2 wheels and what happens if the plug/patch fails? Ryan says it throws off the balance of the wheel too. Ryan pulled a nail on his rear Corsa 3 tire after 2300 miles, he was not a happy camper.

[Flashmonkey]

Tin, its up to you to determine whether or not you're comfortable with a patched tire. I'd go either way depending on how bad the hole is or how new the tire is...but then again I change my own tires, so it's not really a huge deal for me to change it out.

[tinng321]

The bike only has 2300 miles.
It felt right when I rode home this afternoon.
I'll keep checking on it and try to hold it out till next riding season.

[mrlmd]

If you are lucky, you may be able to get it patched without taking the wheel off the bike. Removing the wheel is the biggest job and cost in patching the rear tire. The patch inside the tire is much more secure and safe compared to a plug.

[FrugalNinja250]

I would recommend keeping an eye on the pressure and if you notice it going down go ahead and run the wheel into a shop and get it patched. Ask for the type of patch which is a combination patch and plug, those will protect the cords inside the carcass from water damage by plugging the hole.

Personally, I don't see the need for replacing a tire just because of a repair in the tread area. The chances of the tire experiencing a catastrophic failure are just as low, essentially zero, if it had been patched as they would be with a new or used tire. If the plug or patch fails, a very, very low probability, it's no different than any other flat tire and those are not typically catastrophic. More of an annoyance, really.

When would a repair not be appropriate? On a race track, where time spent dealing with a repair is more expensive than a new tire; Before heading out on a trip with long harsh-environment (desert, cold) legs where access to repair facilities are far apart; On tire damage where it's an injury that severs a significant number of cords such as a cut or slit; Finally, sidewall damage.

[SteveL]

The plugs are mushroom shaped and once pushed through the tread open up on the inside, provided that they have been correctly fitted there should be no problem.

Steve

[tinng321]

Thanks for all the inputs.
I've called up dealerships and none would patch a tire.
They recommand replacing it.
I think I will take it easy, keep an eye out for it and ride till the end of the season.

[tinng321]

Would it be cheaper to get the tires at the shop and have them install or buy tires on line and have the shop install?

[Flashmonkey]

Originally Posted by tinng321

Would it be cheaper to get the tires at the shop and have them install or buy tires on line and have the shop install?

Some shops may turn you away if you didn't buy the tires from them. To make things absolutely cheap and simple, remove the wheel yourself and bring it to the shop. That's probably the best way to get the price down.

But like others have said, you should be okay provided the plug holds up. Just keep an eye on your tire pressure.

[tinng321]

got some quotes from dealerships.
$75 to swap tires with wheel on bike
$30 to swap tires if wheel is off.
that's at least $180.
it's holding up good since yesterday.

[mrlmd]

Originally Posted by SteveL

The plugs are mushroom shaped and once pushed through the tread open up on the inside, provided that they have been correctly fitted there should be no problem.

Steve

Not necessarily - depends who put it in. You may have gotten one of those plugs that looks like a thick gooey twisted rubber string that's just pushed in with a sewing needle type applicator. That may work for a while, but you have to keep a close eye on it. Since this is your back tire, it's a little safer than if it were the front, and it shouldn't fail suddenly, just start to leak and you should notice that.

The dealership has to cover their ass, and will always recommend replacing the tire. That's always the best, safest thing to do , and also have no liability.

[KJohnson21]

I've had to plug my motorcycle tires a few times, never had any problems.

Plugs are fine as long as:

1. The puncture is not too close to the edge of the tread.
2. The puncture went in fairly straight. If it went through at a weird cocked angle, the tread's probably too damaged.
3. The puncture hole is not too big. If it's too big the plug won't hold.
4. When the plug is pushed in, it should go in at the same angle that the nail (or whatever) did. You're trying to seal the puncture, not make it bigger.
5. The plug should fit tightly and be gooped up with sealant when it's inserted.
6. When it's done, if it doesn't look nice and clean, and hold pressure, then you'd better do something else.

Make sure you check the tire pressure on a daily basis (at least!) for the next week or so just to be sure that there's no leak. (Remember, every time you check it, it's going to lose a little too.)

As always with motorcycles there are a lot of "what-if" factors to consider. If it doesn't look right, then don't do it. If you're not comfortable with it, then don't do it.

I'm familiar with tire plugs because I've used them many times when I was servicing tires at my friend's gas station. So, I'm comfortable enough with them to personally use them on my bikes. This is my personal opinion based upon my personal experience, if you don't care for it, then please ignore it.

[seis gunnar]

Gotta hate when that happens. When I picked my nail up it was my excuse to get rid of my IRC's and get some BT-45's. I also have a patch kit incase it happens while out on a ride, I can get home. It is a "Stop and Go" kit

http://www.stopngo.com/

Super easy to plug and it I think the longest part was getting the nail out.

[tinng321]

I just got home from work and it looks like it's holding pretty well.
I'll keep checking everyday.

[revstriker]

+1 on the Stop and Go Kit. I have the one that comes with the CO2 canisters in case I get a flat in the middle of nowhere. Also, these are the mushroom type plugs.

I would imagine most regular gas stations would just use the standard plugs which are just rubber strings.

I know a lot of people who have not had issues riding with plugs. When I got a nail in my tire a few months back, I did replace the tire. I'm not sure how comfortable I would be with a plug as I view this as only a temp solution. I would at least get it patched if I could not replace the tire.

[tinng321]

Originally Posted by revstriker

+1 on the Stop and Go Kit. I have the one that comes with the CO2 canisters in case I get a flat in the middle of nowhere. Also, these are the mushroom type plugs.

I would imagine most regular gas stations would just use the standard plugs which are just rubber strings.

I know a lot of people who have not had issues riding with plugs. When I got a nail in my tire a few months back, I did replace the tire. I'm not sure how comfortable I would be with a plug as I view this as only a temp solution. I would at least get it patched if I could not replace the tire.

I called up a shop and they say they can't patch it if it was already plug.