So here I am still trying to break in the my brand new Michelin Pilot Power rear tire, just picked it up from the shop after service and tire purchase, less than 50 miles on it.  I come out in the morning and find it flat with a screw in it!!!

Thus the reason for my post...should I replace it, or plug it?  How safe is it to plug a new tire, and will fix a flat hold up long enough to get it to the shop...appx. 5 miles away to plug it?

Any guidance is appreciated!
Thanks!

This should  be interesting.



Any chance you got it from Cycle Gear? They have a warranty.


Do not use fix a flat the tech will hate you.

Fix a flat will make the whole wheel a goopy mess.  But I have no qualms about patching a tire, as long as the hole is in a good spot -- not too close to the sidewall.  To get it to the shop, leave the screw in, fill it up to max psi, ride slow.

Yeah, it depends on where the screw is. I have ridden thousands of miles on a plugged tire....

Quote from: NAKID on September 09, 2008, 12:43:52 PM
Yeah, it depends on where the screw is. I have ridden thousands of miles on a plugged tire....

Same here.


A number of people will tel you it's the worst idea ever.


These are typically people who have never done it.

Thanks!  The screw is pretty much right in the center of the wheel.  I will try and fill it to get it up to the dealer to plug it.  I would hate to have to buy another tire...ughhh!   

If you want a vote of confidence....


If you ain't comfy with a plug-if the tire will fit an S4R, I'll buy it and run it.



'course I'll only give you $50 for it 

Make sure it is repaired with a mushroom plug from the inside.

Better yet, read through this:
http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/infocenter_tiretips.asp?id=30

Oh, to get to the shop, any plug will work.

Quote from: ducpenguin on September 09, 2008, 11:42:22 AMHow safe is it to plug a new tire, and will fix a flat hold up long enough to get it to the shop...appx. 5 miles away to plug it?

I rode this summer 2500 miles in 5 days with a plugged tire. I got flat the day before leaving for the trip and didn't want to cancel, so I fixed it with an emergency kit (plug+glue+tool).
No problem, it's safe. I am still riding with it every day.
It'll hold until you need a new tire. Just check the tire more often and you'll be all right.

Quote from: Le Piou on September 09, 2008, 03:23:20 PM
I rode this summer 2500 miles in 5 days with a plugged tire. I got flat the day before leaving for the trip and didn't want to cancel, so I fixed it with an emergency kit (plug+glue+tool).
No problem, it's safe. I am still riding with it every day.
It'll hold until you need a new tire. Just check the tire more often and you'll be all right.

That's the type I ran. Never had a problem...

As long as you plug it right it should hold. I plugged mine 2 days after I bought my bike got a drywall screw right in the center and ran it until it was almost bald no issues with leaks. 4k and it was past the wear bars and the plug still looked good. Just make sure to clean the site around the hole really good but a dab of glue on the reamer tool when you enlarge the hole. Twist and insert the plug and cut it down to about a 1/4 inch. looks kinda weird at first but it wears down and you cant even tell its there. Plug kit from any auto store is like $5.00. its a cheap fix till you can get a new tire I ended up just leaving the plug in and rode it. Dont think its wise if its any where near the sidewall.
Good luck

Don't use the reamer tool on a radial.  Breaks the steel belts and that leads to casing failure.

I picked up a house key, well the whole set of keys, but it was th house key did the damage, on a brand new Metzler, first ride.  I plugged it because I was out on the road, and ended up riding the tire out to gone. 

Best way is to break it down and patch it.  The closer the puncture is to the sidewall, the lower the chance of success.

Good Luck!

As previously mentioned, avoid fix-a-flat.

In addition to the other reasons given, that shit is extremely flammable.

If you do ever use it, make sure you tell someone it's the tire before you get it worked on.

A guy I worked with several summers ago had a friend sustain severe burns to his face b/c he didn't know fix-a-flat was flammable and broke the bead on his tire to patch it while smoking a cigarette.   

Quote from: howie on September 09, 2008, 03:12:41 PM
Make sure it is repaired with a mushroom plug from the inside.

Better yet, read through this:
http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/infocenter_tiretips.asp?id=30

Oh, to get to the shop, any plug will work.

Awesome link with a lot of good info. Thanks Howie.

A lot of businesses absolutely refuse to plug or patch a motorcycle tire. They state that the liabilities for them doing so prevent them from doing it. If this is the case, remove the wheel and take it in and have them remove the tire. Then, get a patch kit and patch it on the inside of the tire. Then, take it back to the shop and have them remount it.....just don't tell them that you patched it.   

I've run patched tires on many, many occasions and for probably tens of thousands of miles, so far. I've never had a failure. Having my own tire changer, I usually patch them the evening that they go flat. Our most recent one was a rear tire on my wife's GSXR. The tire was brand new and only had 130 miles on it when she picked up the piece of metal. It is now patched and has been holding air without any loss for the last three days. I had one tire, last year, that I patched twice......we wound up having five flats altogether last year.