Nail in rear tire :( | GTAMotorcycle.com

Nail in rear tire :(

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CHRIS63

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Buddy noticed on my rear tire that there was a small nail, looks like a small Hillman nail. Stock tires have good tread and only seen 7500km of road.

Will a tire patch suffice? Or is a replacement required? Cheers
 
depends how much damage
internal patch will keep the air in
but if the casing is compromised, it's toast
many tire shops will not touch bike tires anymore - liability
 
You have to make you own calls on what tires to run or not; personally I would plug it, run flameproof in it and ride it till it was toast.
... which really doesn't take very long with a rear tire.
 
CHRIS63 said:
Buddy noticed on my rear tire that there was a small nail, looks like a small Hillman nail. Stock tires have good tread and only seen 7500km of road.

Will a tire patch suffice? Or is a replacement required? Cheers
Click to expand...

Personally for the cost of a rear tire I’d just replace it. Takes half hour to pop it off and most shops will mount and balance for $65 if you don’t want to do it yourself
 
Plug it ...it's a good skill to know ....just make sure you get the string style.

71QfqAqN-LL._SL1500_.jpg



https://www.amazon.com/Tooluxe-5000...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=K39D43H9AXFTRRSHAE7C

this works very well. They are good tools and good strings.

I rode a plugged tire to end of tire life and it was s nasty screw up as we mistakenly tried the Slime kit which has mushroom plugs which are *****.
Hundreds of riders have ridden plugged tires to end of life an especially a small nail it's a no brainer if in the centre.
 
I don't think there is any legitimate research on the subject and the opinions are unreliable. Car tires have a good history with plugs and patches but car tires are built differently and flex differently. The sidewall and tread are defined so flexing is defined.

Sidewall patches on a car tire are a bad idea.

Since a motorcycle leans there isn't a clear distinction between sidewall and tread. How much flexing depends on an infinite combination of factors. Tire stiffness, load, speed, angle of lean, size of tire, design, pressure, temperature etc.

Then there is the riding situation. If all the rider does is a Timmie's run at city speeds I see little risk if the nail is central. People that race have a higher risk factor.

People that tour have to think about having a plug let go a thousand miles from home and the consequences. They also have to think about using a plug when they pick up a nail a thousand miles from home.

I think of a plug being squeezed and flexed like someone trying to pop a zit. If I could see inside the tire and confirm the plug wasn't moving out I wouldn't have a problem with them.

Invention needed: A multi coloured plug that would show red if it was coming out. Go for it.

The simple answer is that there is no simple answer.
 
I would get a new tire. Was in the same situation as you 2 years ago and just got new rubber for peace of mind. To each is own though....if the job is done properly you should have zero issues.
 
if it's a small nail, plugging will damage the tire worse
the reamer opens up the hole much larger to allow the plug to go in
this is going to make the damaged casing (the woven layers under the tread) much worse

I agree MD, when traveling plugs are the way to go, can be a lifesaver
but if the bike is at home and ridable, finding a tire shop that will do it
and patching from the inside is better than a plug for a small hole
 
MacDoc said:
Plug it ...it's a good skill to know ....just make sure you get the string style.

71QfqAqN-LL._SL1500_.jpg



https://www.amazon.com/Tooluxe-5000...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=K39D43H9AXFTRRSHAE7C

this works very well. They are good tools and good strings.

I rode a plugged tire to end of tire life and it was s nasty screw up as we mistakenly tried the Slime kit which has mushroom plugs which are *****.
Hundreds of riders have ridden plugged tires to end of life an especially a small nail it's a no brainer if in the centre.
Click to expand...

A rider on another forum posted a problem when he used Slime and a plug. When they pulled the tire after some time it appeared that the Slime had lubed the plug and it was about to blow out. Belt and braces doesn't always work.
 
I don't think there is any legitimate research on the subject and the opinions are unreliable.
Click to expand...

Hundreds of riders are not "unreliable" ...
http://advrider.com/index.php?threa...significantly-better-than-the-others.1230253/
.this is long proven technology, the plugs vulcanize with the head of the tire and bond inside the tire casing. BMW puts it in their kit...!!!

sound familiar

I picked up a small nail in my rear tire within two days of purchasing my GS. I plugged the Trailwing with one of the BMW factory tire plugs in the tool kit and rode the next 6000 miles without a problem. Checked the tire about once a week, but it held air fine. Of course YMMV.
Click to expand...
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/plugged-tires.2159/

next one down

I will plug tires every time if there is still some life left in them.
I was talking to a tool man when he did one a month or so back and he proccced to tell me about how he pluged a tire then went racing on it
Click to expand...

I think there is far more risk having a tire place do it....as well as cost.

We had to put two plugs in because we'd screwed up with the Slime and it was still fine to end of life.
If you haven't done it .....then why are you speculating....???

OP it is your money.
 
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Its a rear tire so less risky to patch. Normally id sya do a patch from inside. I patched mine but my tire was 2 weeks old so def didnt wanna toss it and the patch held up perfectly fine.

For that though, the tire has to come off so not cheap and at 7500kms, i would not waste money patching it since you'll need a new tire soon(ish) anyway.

Just get a new tire IMO
 
MacDoc said:
Hundreds of riders are not "unreliable" ...
http://advrider.com/index.php?threa...significantly-better-than-the-others.1230253/
.this is long proven technology, the plugs vulcanize with the head of the tire and bond inside the tire casing. BMW puts it in their kit...!!!

sound familiar


http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/plugged-tires.2159/

next one down



I think there is far more risk having a tire place do it....as well as cost.

We had to put two plugs in because we'd screwed up with the Slime and it was still fine to end of life.
If you haven't done it .....then why are you speculating....???

OP it is your money.
Click to expand...

Hundreds of tires out of millions is not my idea of legitimate.

Slime and a plug? Are they compatible? Would you trust a glue joint if the carpenter used epoxy mixed with white glue? Either are fine on their own.

FWIW if the tire wasn't worn or old I would use a plug, check it after a half hour of cautious riding then more regularly than normal. Owens' video shows a M/C shop putting in a plug but ends (2:07) with the same caution, you're better off with a new tire or at least an inside patch.

Looking at it a different way, are there any documented cases of plug failure causing a crash? My guess is that if the plug doesn't fail on the first decent ride it's good for the life of the tire but I don't tell people what to do on safety, medicine, marriage or finances.

Like you say "It's your money"
 
I've used string plugs to save tires (assuming hole is away from sidewalls). It's a rear tire, I would have no concerns. Even if the plug were to fail (which I haven't seen), your rear tire would slowly deflate which you should notice and it doesn't cause huge stability issues. If it were a front tire, I would probably still plug it, but I would pay much more attention to monitoring it as a low/flat front tire is more than a handful on the road.
 
Is it a radial or a bias ply tire, tube type or tubeless?
Those are the big differences in tire design that can make a significant difference in the way you repair it.

Porcupine quills yes, but I don't think I've ever seen a nail or screw in a tire sidewall :|
 
I'm willing to bet that the BMW owners manual tells the owner to use the plug in an emergency and get it to a dealer for "proper" repair.I have used lots of plugs.Never near the edge,and never on a front tire.Just me.
 
+1 Plug if not near the edge, ride it till worn out. Done it a few times. Search this topic, comes up at least once a year.
 
They ALL will cover their *** ...any owners manual for anything ....even my home phone has all these warnings.

This tho I would agree with . Only had one front tire blow out and that was a bear on a much lighter bike...and front tires are cheaper.

.I have used lots of plugs.Never near the edge,and never on a front tire.Just me.
Click to expand...
 
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