Is plug permanent repair?

[87 aspy idaho]

looking for advise on whether a plug repair is considered permanent? Fixed my tire last year and hasn't leaked once, but not sure if it's safe.
thank you :lol:

[SIR tricky]

Used them on the car as permanent, but I think I would only use a plug on the bike tire as an emergency. Thats my thinking but I can imagine someone who places cost before safety might think otherwise.

[87 aspy idaho]

thanks very much for the advice!

[exavid]

Several of the tire manufacturers websites have information on the advisability of plugging their tires and what part of the tire can be plugged.

[roscoepc]

Cool!! I'm glad you had good luck with them! 8)

However, I am blessed with what is called "Just my Luck Syndrome!"

It's "Just my Luck" to have 150 miles on a new Elite 3, plug it, drive another 15 miles and a pig would come flying overhead at an altitude of 500 feet just as the plug came out, blowing the tire, and dumping me and the bike over the side of one of the curves on the Snake!! :mrgreen:

That said,,,,, I will plug a tire if I have to, drive it carefully home, yank the tire in question off, and have a new one put on no matter WHAT the mileage is!!

I think too much of my bike AND my hind end to do otherwise!! After all,,,, It's just money and scars are forever!! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[detdrbuzzard]

if i were near home someone would be comming to get me and the bike. a plug is a temporary fix just to limp to the shop or home and get a new tire

[joe turner]

if i were near home someone would be comming to get me and the bike. a plug is a temporary fix just to limp to the shop or home and get a new tire

Amen brother.

[desertrefugee]

I'd love to open this thread up again...

I think I'm with roscoepc on this one. If a plug is trustworthy on a car, why would it be any less so on a bike? Do we believe that a cycle tire somehow has a tougher life than a car tire? (Not my car tires). That said, I don't know how many car tires I've plugged and forgotten - only to then wear them out.

I just re-installed a danged near new rear Shinko this weekend, freshly plugged after picking up a nail. Probably 2000 miles on the tire. Now, I'm not exactly poor (nor rich either) and the price of a tire would not break the bank, but I'm not paranoid enough to think I'm going to experience sudden, catastrophic failure on a plugged tire, either. So, plugged it is.

I suspect, worse case, it might leak again - and I'll go through the ritual of pulling the bike apart to get the wheel off.

But, in the meantime, I won't lose sleep over the fact there's a plugged tire on there...

[SIR tricky]

Coming to rest on the shoulder of a road on 3 and a half car tires can't be compared to a blowout at 60MPH on two wheels.
Not that that would happen, heck people are using car tires on bikes.

Plugging a tire, this thread was opened and replied to before I saw this tire repair demonstrated, now I don't think I would have a problem with this type of plug.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.stopngo.com/categories/Tire-Pluggers/">http://www.stopngo.com/categories/Tire-Pluggers/</a><!-- m --> I do carry one of these sets in my wing.

[Granpah]

looking for advise on whether a plug repair is considered permanent? Fixed my tire last year and hasn't leaked once, but not sure if it's safe.
thank you

" ... not sure if it's safe" is your instinct trying to tell you NO.

There are lots of conditions about which to be wary. First of all, sudden loss (blow out) of a plugged rear tire is less dangerous than your front, steering tire.

Riding a short distance on a flat tire before properly plugging it multiplies the risk.

Simply plugging a tire from the outside (instead of plug + patch from the inside) multiplies the risk.
This video by a tire tech "Plugged vs. Patched Plug" tells you why.

Also, see Dunlop's Q & A on plugged tire repair.

[joe turner]

If you had xray vision it could be a permanent repair .

[YakAspy]

Also, see Dunlop's Q & A on plugged tire repair.

I picked up a sheet rock screw in my rear Pirelli tire (dead center of tread) this past summer and decided to just have it replaced with a Dunlop EIII at the local Honda dealer. I decided on the EIII for better weight stability in the rear end. While setting up the appointment in person with the mechanic he asked me what I wanted to do with the old tire and I was unsure. He stated that he could remove the old tire, check it from the inside and that if there weren't any problems he could plug AND patch it from the inside legally. He said that it would be good as long as I didn't ride it greater than 80 MPH and I could store it for use as a backup. This is right in line with the Dunlop FAQ but I never did check Pirelli.

[Granpah]

A m'cycle dealer has a VERY long post on repaired tires. He makes points to consider and in general is against using a repaired tire except to reach a tire shop to replace it.

He quotes: " ... The National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety as assembled by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) states that tire punctures are the major cause of all the vehicle failures that result in a crash. ..."

He cites: the type of bike, speed, and temperature as important factors. Touring bikes which carry the heaviest loads fast are the most dangerous on which to use plugged tires ... equal to high performance bikes that are often driven at high speeds commonly reaching 150 MPH. Anyhow, his very long message is don't use patched tires.

[unionjack]

Outside in plugs normally work fine, but they can on a rare occasion fail, this is why they should be considered a roadside emergency plug. As soon as possible pull the tire and inspect the insides, then install a patch/plug combo from the inside out, these cannot ever fail, plus you now know that there is not extensive unseen damage to the insides which can happen though it is rare.

[85GL1200I]

Last summer I picked up a drywall screw in my front E3. I plugged it with a Stop N Go plug. Waited about a week and a half for pay day, then ordered a new tire which I had in about 4 work days. The plugged tire never did leak, but it was wonderful peace of mind to get a new tire on there. I kept the plugged tire for a spare...I tried to pull the plug back out from the outside, can't do it no way. But I am still happy to have a new tire on there, particularly on the front.