Tire plug

[wa1udg]

Several of my son's friends are now following his lead by buying motorbikes.  Recently one of them came by the house on a good size Honda with a PLUG protruding from the rear tire sidewall.  I URGED him in the strongest terms to get a new tire, which he did.  He said the prior owner had the tire plugged.  The tire was, of course, tubeless.  What are the current guidlines for such things?  

[Ed Miller]

I'm sure you are supposed to clip off the protruding part.  But I've never repaired a tubeless tire.

[Barry]

I'm sure plugs are only permitted in the tread area of a tire.

I have a plugged car tire that has lasted many years.  It's been relegated to be the spare wheel and I will drive slowly if it's ever used.

[nhmaf]

I've repaired many tubeless tires with plugs (used to work in an auto garage while going to university) and it was VERBOTEN to plug a tire in the sidewall of an automobile, not to mention a motorcycle tire - the flex of the sidewall can cause the plug to fail, sometimes very quickly.

You did right to urge him to replace that tire, and the PO of the bike was almost criminally negligent to "fix" it in that manner.

I generally left a small bit of plug protruding from the tread area - as one rides it tends to get flattened out and helps to keep it in place.  But, also not to leave alot sticking out or it will ride with a serious bump-bump-bump.

[clonmore1]

But they are a good emergency stand by if far from home or help?

[nhmaf]

Definitely!  For tubeless tires, that is.   I carry a tire patch&plug kit on my motorcycles all the time, though the plug part is only useful on my tubeless-tired Kawasaki.  I also carry a spare front tire tube on my R65 - it will also fit the rear tire if needed.

[Justin B.]

A plug is fine if installed into an area of the tire that doesn't see much flex as Mike points out.  I carry a "plug gun" and compressor in the RTP as my "spare tire" but have not needed to use it, yet.  The gun shoots a mushroom shaped plug into the hole...

[k_enn]

Per the "how to  fix a flat tire" seminar at the National this year take-away points were :

plug = OK (but if tube, still need to fix tube)

plug in sidewall = no-no.  (dangerous).

tube tires = will need a patch for the tube.

tube tires -> recommend carrying a spare tube (the smaller of the two, as it will expand enough if used in the larger tire).

seating the bead -> recommend CO2 cylinders as pumps often don't have enough pressure.  

k_enn

[clonmore1]

Thanks, guys, another thing put on the list!

Cheers

Chris

[Lucky_Lou]

I'm sure plugs are only permitted in the tread area of a tire.

Plugs are illegal in the sidewall in the UK, i dont carry a spare innertube pump or tyre irons but i do have recovery on my insurance so i dont see it as an issue.
Lou

[Dizerens5]

A bit difficult to imagine how a sidewall could get a hole which a plug would fit. In that area it's usually a split, no?

[Justin B.]

A board with a nail sticking out of it will poke through the sidewall if you run over it just right.  

[Barry]

A board with a nail sticking out of it will poke through the sidewall if you run over it just right

That sounds like the voice of experience ?

[Justin B.]

You might say that...