Plug,Patch or New Tire

[Amber Lamps]

Ok here's a thread that I'm willing to "debate" and if someone would like to make this a poll...

I bought new tires about a month ago and with the weather being iffy lately,I'd gotten about 1000 miles on the before I picked up a screw. I quick ducked into a Autozone and bought a plug kit. Plugged it,aired it up and rode away. Now,I've used plugs many times and have seen them used without incident but I've always been told by service depts and other riders that they are dangerous.

I have always wondered why do people think that? I have never seen or heard of a plug failing in any type of tire. Even if it did,what's the worst that can happen? The tire goes flat again,right?

Now having said that,I went today and had a patch put on the inside of the tire to stop me from thinking about it. The guy roughed it up,used a fucking 3"x4" patch and THEN put two layers of rubber sealer on top of it. I'd trust that patch on a semi tire!!!

Even with all that,some of the guys here were saying they wouldn't ride on it! So here's the question,of these three options, which would you pick and why?

[NONE_too_SOFT]

you've got a few inches of contact with the ground, at speeds up to 150 mph.

Risk a blow out and total your bike cause of a weak spot? ever hear the phrase "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link"?

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by NONE_too_SOFT

you've got a few inches of contact with the ground, at speeds up to 150 mph.

Risk a blow out and total your bike cause of a weak spot? ever hear the phrase "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link"?

Ok,you're a smart fella. Please explain what's causing this blowout? What are the forces at work here? How does an otherwise perfect tire "explode" because of an 1/16 hole with a patch on it? Why is it ok on a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds but not for one that weight 650lbs with rider? How is the tire "weaker"? Believe it or not,I'm really interested in why people think that a tire will blow up if you patch it. I've heard this pov before.

Btw sometimes the repair is stronger than the original part. A weld is stronger than the steel it holds together.

[NONE_too_SOFT]

Originally Posted by TIGGER

Ok,you're a smart fella. Please explain what's causing this blowout? What are the forces at work here? How does an otherwise perfect tire "explode" because of an 1/16 hole with a patch on it? Why is it ok on a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds but not for one that weight 650lbs with rider? How is the tire "weaker"? Believe it or not,I'm really interested in why people think that a tire will blow up if you patch it. I've heard this pov before.

Btw sometimes the repair is stronger than the original part. A weld is stronger than the steel it holds together.

alls im saying that in the rare event that there is extraordinary stress on a tire for whatever reason the first area to fail is going to be that which has a deformity.

I'm not saying the tire will blow out, per say, but it has a greater risk of failing in any way than that of an unscathed tire.


Just playing devils advocate here.

[dReWpY]

done it, would do it again if i had to

when u pick up a nail, a tire doesnt explode, that said i would only plug a rear, never a front

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by drewpy

done it, would do it again if i had to

when u pick up a nail, a tire doesnt explode, that said i would only plug a rear, never a front

EXACTLY my point! A tire is not a balloon! If it didn't "pop" when you got the nail,why would it pop because you patched it?

For some reason I don't totally understand I agree about patching a front. On a side note,has anyone seen a front tire go flat? 25 years,honestly never had one...

[Trip]

Originally Posted by TIGGER

EXACTLY my point! A tire is not a balloon! If it didn't "pop" when you got the nail,why would it pop because you patched it?

For some reason I don't totally understand I agree about patching a front. On a side note,has anyone seen a front tire go flat? 25 years,honestly never had one...

I have only had one tire flat on my bike. It was a rear and it was worn out anyway, so I just replaced it.

Originally Posted by Ebbs15

I wouldn't risk it... I got VERY lucky on a trip last year before my deployment. granted that was with slime not a patch or plug... but needless to say i won't be choosing a $2 fix to do anything but get me home.

whoever cleaned your wheel hates you, that slime stuff pisses whoever replaces the tire off big time.

[NONE_too_SOFT]

shit if i got a flat on a new tire i'd just wreck my bike into a brick wall and collect the insurance on it.

[Mr Lefty]

Originally Posted by TIGGER

EXACTLY my point! A tire is not a balloon! If it didn't "pop" when you got the nail,why would it pop because you patched it?

For some reason I don't totally understand I agree about patching a front. On a side note,has anyone seen a front tire go flat? 25 years,honestly never had one...

mine went at at around 90mph... got REALLY wobbly then went into a tank slapper... I was able to ride it out and pull off... to find my rear tire was flat... took me about an hour to get my hands to stop shaking... which was fine considering i had a 3-4hr wait for the tow truck

Originally Posted by Trip

whoever cleaned your wheel hates you, that slime stuff pisses whoever replaces the tire off big time.

actually they said it came off the wheel pretty easy... cause Gasman said that... so I asked...

anyways serves them right... they're the ones who sold me the slime say'n I'd be good to go... fuckers... in the end... it was my choice to ride on a less than 100% tire... so the blame is on me...


I won't be doing it again... that's for sure

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Ebbs15

mine went at at around 90mph... got REALLY wobbly then went into a tank slapper... I was able to ride it out and pull off... to find my rear tire was flat... took me about an hour to get my hands to stop shaking... which was fine considering i had a 3-4hr wait for the tow truck

No offense,but I can feel a 5-10lb difference in my tire pressure.