Plugged tire -- replace soon or immediately?

[triangleforge]

(sent this note as well to the ST2 Forum; Scott N., you can weigh in either place!  )

I've owned my 1998 ST2 for about two weeks; first and (so far) only used bike surprise I've come across is what appears to be a plug in the rear tire, a Pirelli Diablo Strada sport touring with approximately 2K miles on it and a lot of tread left (just eyeballing it, I'd say there are at least 3mm to the wear bars).

I don't like riding on a plugged tire, but in the opinion of the assembled, is this a replace immediately, replace soon, or replace when the tire's done for item?

[Hedgehog]

It's kinda hard to give advice on this one.  If we tell you it's OK to ride it and you hit a tree, it's not gonna make us feel good.  Personally, I've ridden with a plug to the end of tire life, but this was on a BMW R100RT which only saw mild canyon riding.  Whether your riding style and risk aversion lead you to doing it is up to you.  I'd think carefully about riding with a plug near the edge of tread, though, as this is a high stress area when cornering.  I believe the magazines say to derate any tire one letter when it has a plug in it.

[Justang]

Depends.  If it is a radial tire, and it is, and it is a standard plug you must replace the tire.  A plug on radial tires will warp the underlying construction of the tire and cause poor road handling, poor ride quality, and possibly complete failure of the tire. 

There are new plugs out that are called self vulcanizing plugs that can be used for radials.  As the tire heats up it melts to the inside of the tire. 

Unless you can say for sure it is a self vulcanizing plug, I would buy a new tire.  It's your safety for only a couple hundred dollars. 

[Serenitynow]

I had a nail in the middle section of a radial tire b4. I plugged it (I carry a kit and small pump with me), got on and rode away. I just checked it periodically. I rode it 'til the tire was done. No problems here. YMMV.

[Hedgehog]

Here's a link to the Dunlop page on repairing tires:

http://www.dunloptires.com/care/repair.html

[clubhousemotorsports]

info just passing it along.......

I have used a rope plug (worst kind) and ran the tire hard until it was worn out.
mushroom patches from the inside are the best and safest patch to use and they still drop your speed rating of the tire down to about 50 mph.

If you can afford a new tire I would just do it. If you must run a pluged/patched tire you are taking a chance. but then we are motorcyclist.... living on the edge everyday.


 

[dlearl476]

  Personally, I've ridden with a plug to the end of tire life, but this was on a BMW R100RT which only saw mild canyon riding. 

I put a whole in a 2 week old pilot and rode it til it was worn out.  Sometimes at 100+ mph.  It's your call.  The only time I would replace it is if I were going to head out on a long trip, and that's just for convenience sake.  If I were close to home I wouldn't even worry about it.

fwiw, the tire I plugged never lost a single psi of pressure in the year it was on the bike.

[bigiain]

If you can afford a new tire I would just do it. If you must run a pluged/patched tire you are taking a chance.

+1

Having said that, I've been there, and done the "think twice" thing about both long trips and trackdays, and I've done both on plugged tires. (I probably wouldn't do either on freshly plugged tires, but if its had the plug in for a few weeks and I've been checking the pressure regularly, I pretty much treat it as a normal tire).

But replacing it is probably the "right" advice...

big

[NAKID]

If I had done the plug or had someone do it for me, I would keep it. But, being that you have no idea how, where, or what, I would consider having the tire removed and patched from the inside...

[triangleforge]

Thanks for all the advice; looked a lot closer at it this morning while taking a photo:



And I'm just not going to be having a whole lot of fun knowing that's whirling around under my butt -- and if it's not fun, what's the point? New tire, here I come.

[Howie]

info just passing it along.......

I have used a rope plug (worst kind) and ran the tire hard until it was worn out.
mushroom patches from the inside are the best and safest patch to use and they still drop your speed rating of the tire down to about 50 mph.

If you can afford a new tire I would just do it. If you must run a pluged/patched tire you are taking a chance. but then we are motorcyclist.... living on the edge everyday.

Well said!

[bigiain]

and if it's not fun, what's the point?

That's always the kicker for me, if I can convince myself it's fine, then it's all good - if I'm not _sure_ and end up riding round worrying about it then it needs replacing _now!_

big (not that I always get it right, I've got a sprocket pic somewhere proving that...)