I feel like I know the answer, but would like to get some feedback. I have a fairly new commander II rear tire. I just found a nail directly in the center portion. I plugged it and have checked it several times for air loss, it is holding steady. I have not ridden on it yet with the plug. My gut says get a new tire. Do any of you have experience with riding a plugged tire or any advice?

Thanks Mike!

 

I put 5K on a plugged rear tire on my bagger just to get the last of the life out of it.
Your personal comfort level may be different than mine, though....
I checked the air for the first couple weeks then just kept riding it.

Dave

 

Its going to boil down to personal comfort just like Taildraggerdave said. I put aout 5-7k on a plugged rear tire. And I think youll get different responces based on the type of plug you used too...

 

I had a fiber style plug on the back tire of my Honda CBX. The plug failed just before I entered the curve on a freeway onramp and the tire came off the bead on one side. I almost lost it. The risk outways the reward.

 

As stated it comes down to personal comfort level. If plugged correctly in the center of the tire, I have only had one out of maybe 5 plugs in my riding years that experienced a leak. And it was a slow leak at that. I have driven with plugged tires until the wear bars required me to buy new tires. That said, I never plug tires near the edge. Center puncture - no issues.

Others will tell you not to. Just sharing my experience.

 

This wil be my first touring bike. On my sports bikes i would never run a plug. I am pretty sure if I pick up a nail on my Street Glide I will buy a new tire though. A couple hundred bucks for a new tire and piece of mind.

 

I wouldn't chance a plug in the front tire. I once had three plugs in the rear tire because I lived in newly established growing neighborhood. Construction trucks everywhere, it's up to you. Had I got a new tire that year with every nail, it wouldn't have been fun. Plus I wasn't going on any long trips or the interstate at the time.

Purely you choice though.

 

I would ride it with a plug to get it replaced, to many what if's. Its dangerous enough to ride on 2 wheels already, worse with one of them plugged. Others can say " I will run it." Well ya'll have fun with that, I value my life more. Now a car with a plugged tire, hell yeah, just switch it to the back.

 

I'd have it dismounted from the rim and do a patch plug from the inside. I've put thousands of miles on MC tires with this kind of repair. I cut a sidewall on the Dalton Hwy, just south of the Arctic Circle. After levering one side of the tire off, I patched it from the inside. I seated the bead with starting fluid, filled the tire with Co2 and headed down the road. I didn't replace the tire till I got back to the lower 48. But, just because me or anybody else on the internet got away with some dumb **** doesn't mean you will.

Like the others have said, peace of mind is worth something. The fact that you're asking is answer enough. Get yourself a new tire.

 

Always do what you gut tells you. That said, I've ridden many miles on plugs and never had an issue.