When a tire is punctured, it doesn't just make a hole in the rubber. It tears and separates the cords under the tread. Its those cords that give the tire its strength and ability to maintain its shape and integrity which is important at even moderate highway speeds. Some times the number of cords damaged is minimal, and you can get lucky with a patch (NEVER a plug). However the problem is that you simply can not inspect the damage, and if the damage is substantial, your tire will fail to maintain its shape and or integrity, causing it to fail, and causing you to crash. Even a tiny little hole may have damaged enough of the underlying cords in just the right way to guarantee a failure after patching.

Bottom line, if your a gambler and like the odds, then go ahead and patch the tire. If your like most everyone else, and prefer a sure thing, replace the tire.

The only time I would patch a tire, is if I wanted to enter into a burnout contest. Then the patched tire would be the tire of choice.

 

1++++++++++++ Well said.

 

go ahead they love seeing a sucker coming a mile away.


No one is arguing that replacing the tire would be 'best'. But in 40 years I've never seen a MC tire blowout because of a patched or plugged tire. At the most the tire will leak down n then its the rider that should notice n do something about it.

 

One day I was heading to Cuernavaca (about 70kms away from my place) and while i was riding i felt that something was wrong but i couldnt stop cause i was in the freeway. When I got there my rear tire was flat to the floor, a friend of mine had one of those cans that inflate the tire, we put it but the hole was a little big and it was leaking, it seems that was a bolt that puncture my tire and with the speed it was threw away. Anyway, a guy put a plug in my tire and when i left the place heading home the tire was DEFORMED it had some kind of bumps and i think that the plug damage the cords ant that was the problem, thats why i prefer a patch. Btw that tire was like brand new...

 

Ive never seen a bike tire blow out! I agree with you, plugged several tires and running in the 140's with no problem........New tire fresh hole, I could spend that money somewhere else...... Why would a dealer tell you to go the cheap route and plug/patch it???? Thats like going in saying you want a honda and they tell you go to the kawasaki dealer....that makes a lot of sense......If a plug/patch scares you because "you're already taking chances" sell your bike......get in something with 4 wheels and 4 doors.....

 

Yeah Im with you on this

man.. if I ever get a flat on my mountain bike, that'll be the end for me.

Yeah its like this myth we all heard but really haven't seen in person.
I was in the Navy working w/ aviation and I've seen tire blowouts from the aircrafts. It is very dangerous on an aircraft and spot checkers when brakes are overheating causing massive increase in air pressure vs the maximum cord tension within the tire.

I think there is not even enough pressure in normal riding according to the specifications to cause a blow out on a tire unless the individual put wayyy too much pressure into the tire lets say 60-70 psi.
Once he hits a pot hole or a very fast frequency of dips then the rider will risk his life and the bike.

It's like a balloon if you blow into it and not put much air it won't pop, it would just stretch. Now if you put tons of air into it, the slightest thing would make it pop loudly. See the point where I am coming from?
Or better yet those mother****ing bouncy things that inflate with air that kids bounce on their mother****ing birthday... the PSi is tolerable from very fat kids to very fat adults yet it doesn't blow. If it did, that is one heavy *** mother****er. Now you get my point homey? lol i'm kidding but not really lol

 

Here are some results of a poll conducted earlier this year. Patched or Plugged Tires
I've never heard of a catastrophic blowout either

 

Well there are limits, a bolt is a bit much and causes a huge hole. In my cases it was just nails etc.

 

See what I mean, FOLLOWING ME!! This is exactly what I,m talking about!! And PlayfulGod, your a sucker too.

 

this topic has been debated at length and I'll put my two cents in...I have plugged mc tires, off-road tires on a z-71 suburban, car tires, and lawn mower tires. I have never had a plug come out or fail. They made to become one with the tire. the first time that tire is up to temp, the plug bonds to it. I have had three plugs in one mc tire and was finally replaced several thousand miles later. Tires don't just blow out anymore. That's the bias-ply of the early eighties and back. Radials are super tough, hence John Cu being able to ride on a flat tire for 70km without dieing.(chances are your cords were damaged by whatever you ran over or the running it flat, not the plug, or all the fix a flat in the tire making it unbalanced.)