Tire Repair Question

I've got a Pirelli Angel GT on the rear with about 400 miles and a small screw in the meaty part of the tread, just about center. Have any of you had any long term luck with plugs or patches ? Thanks

 

Yeah, it would really piss me off to chuck the tire with only 400 miles. Have you had better luck with a certain brand of plug ? Thanks, Will

 

I'd patch it for sure. I am one of those who uses the mushroom patch from the inside. But I do have a HF tire changer so that helps.

First thing to do is check to make sure that it actually has penetrated the tire. It could be a short screw just barely into the tire. I've had that happen and when I pulled the screw out it was only about an 1/8 inch long. Maybe you'll get lucky.

 

I've plugged 3 rears. No problems.

 

I just had to deal with a screw from a local construction site ( I know EXACTLY when that damned screw got stuck in my tire) puncturing a RoadSmart II rear tire with less than 300 miles on it. It was a through puncture, in the middle of the tread. As much as it galled me, I did get the $25 replacement warranty on the tire when I purchased it at Cycle Gear. So then, because I had the warranty on it, and the puncture was within the first 25% of tread life, the cost to get a new tire on there was $54 out the door, but I did leave with a RoadSmart III for only a $5 upgrade cost (it was on sale).

I HATED the idea of shelling out money for a new tire, but I also accept that absolutely everything on a motorcycle is a safety issue, even though the screw was small, and the puncture would have been dealt with immediately. However, I don't have a tire changer at home, I don't have a lot of spare time even if I did have the changer, and few shops in my area seem willing to look at a tire with a puncture in it. Even if I were to find a local shop who would patch it, I bet money that it would be more than the $55 I paid to get a whole new tire on there anyway. I think the way to think about it is that when you buy a new tire, you should get the replacement warranty and consider it pre-paying for a puncture during the usable life. In other words, the extra $55 per puncture is just the real price for being able to ride confidently.

Jose

 

This. I just pulled off a Pilot Road 4 rear last week. Used it past the wear bars. It got a puncture with only a few hundred miles on it. I plugged with a standard car tire plug with rubber cement slobbed on it. Trimmed excess with razor blade. No issues over thousands of miles.