The scary thing is that these tires are really thin. There isn't much there to hold a plug in like a car tire.

I have ridden on plugged tires before also, with no problems. But, knowing that it's there and how much I'm demanding from my tire, makes me pucker just a bit. I want to have 100% confidence in my tires so I can focus on everything else.

I'm of the camp that it will get me home, then around until my new tire arrives.

 

The carcass is what gives the tire it's strength. I wouldn't race on it but I also don't demand top level performance from my bike on the street either.

Here's an example of tire construction:
Tires for motorcycle Metzeler - Choose your best tire for track, road, touring, custom, offroad, enduro, scooter - Tire Construction

 

Exactly. These hypersport tires are pretty thin and light, especially when they are towards the end of their life.

 

Im in the, My thighs are strong enough to dent my tank when my rear tire shredded at abit over 100mph due to a plug pulling out. From the middle of tread.
Battleax split from plughole out both ways about 1/2 way around the tire then it peeled open like a banana, fouling the chain, destroying rear sprocket, locking up the rear tire, smashing the chain guard scratching up the swingarm, denting my slipon, and breaking the underside of the 'trunk'.
I heard nothing, just all of a sudden I had a tank slapper. leaned over the front tire came to a stop and checked my shorts.
I used a plug because the dam tire was only a week and 300miles old, and had used plugs b4 and gotten away with it. I needed it to run till the next month to come up with another $200. I'd done it before so had no worries at all in doing it. Then.
Going off topic..
I HATE the manufacturers and dealers of tires. Why we cant get road hazard or even defect(or false advertising) protection I don't know.
Recently I wasted $400 on a set of Pirelli Diablo Rosso's.. They claim to be 'W' speed rated 168mph. That means they will run at 168 not just touch 168. But the dam things broke the bands and the tires turned flat across like a car tire, on a leisurely Sunday ride.
I barely had 500miles on them, and bought them <30days earlier. I rode to the shop who sold them to me and they said I needed to contact the distributer, who put me in touch with Pirelli.. Who told me 'that's a shame, but there are no warranties on our tires'.. I think I was able to attach pics of the tires so you can see what I mean. (defect or false advertising, either way Ill never buy Pirellis again) That's a shame... WTF kinda answer is that!! Who even says that!!??!!
Last time it happened to me was long ago in 94 making a speed run across TX on the 10 to my rear Battleax on my 92 900. The shop I found in San Antonio gave me a free set as trade for keeping mine. They were all shocked as they'd never seen it before, lip to lip. What they did with them I don't know. I was in a rush to hit the road to meet friends in Daytona for bike week. I was ready to ride East looking like the Michelin Man so I could show them to the Bridgestone and Honda reps there, but at the time free tires meant more so I blew it off. Bridgestone guy told me they were only rated 180 and to get that they hold the speed for 2hrs. So admittedly, My Bad.
We pay more for bike tires than car tires. If a car tire only lasted 10k miles people would be rioting. If a bike tire lasts 10k miles people think.. oh good run.. No warranties.. 100% buyer beware, trial and error at $400 a swing.
So NO... Im not going to say anything just because a manufacturer says it. I'll run good tires with no tread, but I wont run damaged tires with new tread. I still remember every second of that plug fail ~25yrs and ~1.2M miles ago, and don't need a rerun. Plus my fav bike at the time was laid up 3mos setting aside the cash to fix it all.
Then again it was a real E-ticket ride..


Take it or leave it, Im just saying.. Bikes are a matter of choice, one of the few we have, and the last thing I'd do is want to limit anyone's choices. Well aside from my kids, who even as adults know not to show up with bad tires, because Id lock their bike up. Its my 1 'Safety' thing... well eye protection too but I think of that more as a dumb dumb thing than a safety thing.. So tires.. that's my 1 thing..
If not a button for you. Fine.. its a choice.

 

I'm big on safety as well, but I also try to understand what is the real risk and who's taking it. Sometimes manufacturers say things are in the name of safety but what they really mean is that it's in the name of protecting their legal liability, so they use blanket recommendations.

I'm sorry about how Pirelli treated you. We've all been "stiffed" by a maker before and the motorcycle industry seems rife with such poor customer service; they get away with not standing behind their product because they can. We all have our brands or places we won't shop again.

Back on topic. I am unconvinced that the failure rate for "properly" plugged motorcycle tires is significantly higher than for car tires unless I can see some empirical data. I agree with what Demon74 said, 'I've got a lot on my mind, tires is one thing I'd rather not add to my risk', but I'd like to be in a position to understand truly why we do what we do rather than brainlessly buying new tires.

I can guarantee you that those who say they replace their tires right after a plug also don't replace their helmets in the event of the slightest drop or 5 years, whichever comes first. And that's the manufacturers recommendation!

 

Yes, some do. That's a pretty broad brush you're using.
I get a new helmet every few years....

Again, I must point out that this is a thread on how to put a plug in a tire. That's it. This is not, and never was intended to be, a debate on if you should use them or how long to ride with one.

Feel free to start a thread in the general tech section and debate it until the cows come home.

 

"Those" should have been "many of those".

Sorry to threadjack.