New tire has a nail in it.

[alke46]

What would you do?
Not on my GS but rather on my Honda ST1100. I put a second set of Avon radials on my Honda and I always make a habit of checking air pressures daily. On my last check, I noticed a nail head sticking out of the right edge of the contact patch. Turns out to be a 10d nail.

I let all the air out and installed a plug so I can finish out the life of the tire. It only has 985 miles on it. Still another 17,015 miles left on the tread. I will be sure to post the results of the remaining tire life.

I know a lot of you riders would want me to replace said tire but I say nay-nay. I will ride this thing out even if it kills me. That will be the only way you won't read about the remaining mileage.

Have a good weekend guys and gals.

[JEEPRUSTY]

Even if it kills you?

Ride naked while you wear it out.

Your lack of wisdom in making a statement like this is absurd.

It is especially damning if it makes a new rider choose money over safety.

You really should be ashamed!

[alke46]

Not a new rider. Been riding since the middle 70's.

This will be either the 2nd or 3rd rear tire that I have plugged and have never had an issue with them.

Also plugged a front tire one time but for safety sake, I removed the plug and put in a patch then a tube and rode that one another 10,000 miles.

People should really trust the plugs, but if they don't, that's their business.

[JEEPRUSTY]

The only purpose of a plug is to get you to a tire replacement person.

I would not drive on four wheels with a plug longer than it took me to get a proper repair which is at least an internally applied vulcanized patch

on an MC it is unforgiveable.

that is not my business but the business of anyone I might endanger with my foolhardy false economy.

[Justonv]

Plugs never have worked out as well for me, but I'll patch just about anything, as long as the rubber is good, and trust it. Seems like here in Texas where it hits 100+ degrees in the summer, asphalt temps 150+, the plugs just get hot and slip out.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

If it's a risk you're willing to take, then so be it. Hopefully the nail did not damage any belts, plys, or other infrastructure of the tire that could cause catastrophic failure.

One time I plugged a tire and rode it for a couple of months until I could afford a new one. It was a shame too because the tire was barely halfway through it's life. But how much is your life worth? The cost of a tire?

Perhaps if you patched the tire from the inside it would be better, but still not perfect. I would still be very leery of pushing the tire through corners and such. Be safe.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[GEE-S]

My 2c worth.....

when i was an apprentice (1989ish) I couldn't afford said advice...its all in all good to say whats right and whats wrong but if you only earn 130 dollars a week you cant afford new or even fixing for that matter!

I had a 6" nail in a tyre once back then, heard it pop in when it happened. Flat as a pancake by the time I got to work.
Don'T know if you have heard of this stuff it was called ZOOSH and was a liquid repair type arrangement....in it went, pumped it back up and the nailed stayed in, period. Road it like that for the next 2 MONTHS with that crap in it and the nail as well, until I got it changed.....why? because I had no money to fix it.
Call me what you will but 20yrs later nothing happened and I have done more stupid things in my life since , I had to do what I had to do back then to get to where I am today!...

no one has a crystal ball, its up to you good fellow although I will say this....

its your life and that's fine just like it was mine, I adopted this back then when it happened and feel you should also.......
DONT take a pillion with you if its in there, that's not your life on the back!

I wish you..........luck!

[alke46]

OK, so I contacted Competition Accessories today to order a replacement tire and was informed that Avon includes a road hazard warranty with the purchase of street tires. I was told that once I change out my defective tire, I can pay for the shipping to return my very slightly used tire and Avon will replace it and only charge me a shipping fee.

Sweeeeet!!!!

The new tire should be on the bike before the end of July..................

Hope everyone who badmouthed my initial posting is happy now.

[Guest]

1135Ef

Back in me lets say in my younger days over here in good old England
they had a drag race series call ultimate street bike at that time i had a suzuki
Gsx1135ef ,put a brand new tyre on it got a puncture on the way back from having
it fitted back to the tyre place who plugged it for nowt next day went to local 150miles away.
drag strip and gave it hell burnouts ran no end off low 11sec 1/4miles del trying to get plug to cry enough but nowt ,but you could buy new tyres there anyway.
i think if the tyre guys who knows there stuff its ok,BUT I DONT recommend it now.
maybe just older and wiser.

[chuckycheese]

Come on!

Even if it kills you?

Ride naked while you wear it out.

Your lack of wisdom in making a statement like this is absurd.

It is especially damning if it makes a new rider choose money over safety.

You really should be ashamed!

"Ashamed"??? "Unforgiveable"?? While the point of his post escapes me, I think you'd do well to lighten up a couple of notches. He's not asking you to ride his bike.

[alke46]

"Ashamed"??? "Unforgiveable"?? While the point of his post escapes me, I think you'd do well to lighten up a couple of notches. He's not asking you to ride his bike.

+1 on that. Thanks Chuckycheese.
I also kinda thought some would detect humor in my stating I would ride it out even if it kills me.

[Guest]

Tude

People with a big attitude who are brand new to the forum rarely stick around for long.

[argonsagas]

The only purpose of a plug is to get you to a tire replacement person.

I would not drive on four wheels with a plug longer than it took me to get a proper repair which is at least an internally applied vulcanized patch

on an MC it is unforgiveable.

that is not my business but the business of anyone I might endanger with my foolhardy false economy.

I have used plugs on cars quite a few times, both front and back tires. Never once had a problem with them.


Unforgiveable? Nonsense. WAAAAY overstated.


Vulcanizing the inside patch? Not always necessary, if the job is done properly. Using a patch intended for that purpose usually means it has a built-in shoulder that fits against the inside of the tire to keep it secure.

I have used patches on bikes twice, but never felt comfortable about it, because the bike has only one tire at each end and the tire composition and design are quite different from those used on cars. That said, they have worked for many, many, riders and have done so for a long time.

Or, you could try a tube.

In a standard/bias tire you can use a standard tube, or, in a radial tire, you can use a radial-type tube. This I have done many times......tubes were standard fare when I began riding.

Tubes do not overheat readily as some will say because there is very little flex in a bike tire......if you have much flex then the tire is under-inflated. You DO need to balance the tire/wheel assembly after any work is done on the tire, with or without a tube.

Slime, or an equivalent, works sometimes, but many shops will decline a repair or replacement of a tire that has it.

[alke46]

I agree whole heartedly. Thanks for your opinion, I like it.

[JEEPRUSTY]

Plugs are simply not worth the risk.
Only a incredibly cheap person would use one as a form of permanent repair..