I have an '08 Street Bob. Only about 1800 miles on it. Got a nail in the rear tire. Dealer wants obviously to sell me a new tire. My tires have tubes. I figure I only want a new tube - the tires are barely used. They say sand will get in tire and rub on tube and cause another flat. I say put something in the hole then, so no sand can get to the tube.

Basically, is there really a reason, safety wise, that I should buy a new tire when I have a practically new tire?

UPDATE!!! >>>> Dealer replaced the tube - BUT when I went to pick it up and said, "well, you DID patch it, right", the guy looked at me like I had 3 eyes. I said, you know, hot patched, or sealed it somehow on the inside? And he said they aren't allowed to plug tires. I repeated "PATHCHED ON THE INSIDE, not PLUGGED!!", and he said he had never heard such a thing, and something about it's not done in the motorcycle industry. AAARRGGGH. I was home sick with a nasty sinus infection. He got an earful, and I walked away with a new tube, and an $80 bill!! ($30 something for the parts, $39.50 for labor, plus tax.). Once our maintenance agreement is up (which does NOT include tires, I found out), I will not go back there for service.

 

If it were me, I'd put an internal patch on, and just replace the tube.

 

Agreed, for a small nail hole not in the sidewall, a patch & new tube.

 

It's going to depend on where the hole is, and how large it is. If it's not very big, and not in the dead center of the tread area, I'd do like bobernet suggests.

 

+1. I don't buy into this new tire thing. I know I will get flamed from the experts because "you only have two tires to start with why take a chance" stuff.

 

Patch it, new tube and keep riding on it. I've never heard of a tube being rubbed through by sand if the hole is patched correctly. A hot patch on the inside of the tire and a new tube and you're on your way.

If the hole is really big, new tire, small nail hole, patch it.

 

Thanks, hubby is still fuming. He told 'em to just put a GD tube in it. Period. The nail wasn't that big, it was right in the inside of the tread, center of the tire, NOT the sidewall.

 

I had the same thing happen to me. Dealer replaced the tube. I have pre-paid maintenance which includes a free set of tires. But with less than 1,000 miles I didn't want to replace a brand new tire just because of a flat. Mine's been fine since. Cost me $100 with labor. Sounds like they are trying to rip you off.

 

That usually is the dealers first thing out of their mouth. "You need a new tire and we just so happen to have one that will fit in stock."

 

I would have patched the tube, but I have lots of experience fixing flats (and I'm cheap). The nail displaced rubber around itself. It won't cause another flat.