tire plugs

Sometimes I wonder, people will spend $180 for a pair of bling clutch/brake levers, $80 for bling tire valves, and won't spend $30 on a good tire repair. I might use a do-it-yourself plug to get me home, but then a mushroom plug is going in as soon as possible. Like RedMenace said, "A cycle is a risky ride...", and I prefer to weight the risk in my favor as much as possible. JMO.

 

Think about it.

If you weighed risk in your favor "as much as possible" you would stay in bed and pull the bubble-wrap quilt over your head.:biggrin:
There is no cut-off for safe or not safe. Only a spectrum of choices we all should be allowed to make. "Safe" is a judgment that is dependent on the context, and I'm feeling, more and more dependent on what year it is.
This country used to understand that, but I feel like a large, scaly reptile -smoking a cigarette- amongst all you small, nocturnal mammals.
I wash parts in gasoline!
I use a chainsaw without kevlar pants!
I drink moonshine!
I stop for beer in the black part of town!
I give out my social security number to anyone who asks!
Been called an "idiot".
"common sense" has always been a mystery to me.
I grow my own vegetables.
I only drink well water.
I ride the speed limit.
I do my own maintenance and repairs.
I installed a rollbar in my teenager's car.
Been called a "safety nazi"
It is a strange world, and it keeps getting stranger, brothers. I thank you for giving the original poster many points of view. I got a lot out of these posts.

 

This fool tried to keep a plug.... he didnt get to go riding one day because of it...

 

These are good threads. Besides being informative (assuming you apply a little judgment of your own) and entertaining, this one confirmed my suspicions about the International Tire Cabal.

 

My whole concept of the plug is that it is a temporary fix intended to get me off the side of the road. By the time the pressure gets low enough to notice, what damage has been done to the structure of the tire? I'll plug it and then proceed to the nearest shop to replace it. I'm not going to let a little bit of scratch get in the way of my safety. The first advise I got when I started riding was that the only thing between me and the road was the tires. Therefor I don't skimp on them.

 

Ok, here's the deal. I did the same thing a couple of years ago with my SV1000S. I called Michelin to see what they recommended, as I didn't want to spend 300 bucks for a new tire, if I didn't have to. Michelin stated that as long as the damage was in the tread, and not the sidewall, they would approve an internal plug, (from the inside) for the life of the tire as acceptable. It cost me $35 to have the tire plugged and the wheel rebalanced at the local dealer. Not bad. I never had any issues with the tire and it went until replacement.
Cheers
John.