Shop for puncture repair - or should I?

[Zero102]

I picked up a tiny nail in my rear tire, it looks like the sort of thing that should be easy to patch but when calling GW they said no can do, the tire must be replaced because it's a safety issue. The tire is a ~1 year old Michelin Pilot Road 4.

Here is the nail in question, the head is just a few mm across and the shaft is much thinner:


» Click image for larger version

It is not leaking fast, it takes about 4 days to go from 36psi to 25psi.

Does this look like it can be patched, and if so, where should I take it?
I have no problem removing the rear wheel and just bringing it in loose.

[e31]

It's in the tire groove, so I'd just get one of those patch strips w/glue and ram that in there. There isn't going to be much (if any) force imparted on the plug to deteriorate it.

I've had the exact same puncture happen upon my first ride on a new set of tires. In two seasons, no leaks (even after winter storage)

I won't argue the fact that tire maintenance is one of the most important things to take care of, but replacing a tire because of a finishing nail is something you'll have to weigh the cost/benefit of.

[FraserB]

If you're in the SE, I have a patch kit you can use.

[Cooked Rice]

I used Slime a few years ago when I got a nail in my rear tire. Never had any issues.

[GorG]

I always just replaced my tire if I got a puncture. Just wasn't willing to risk a cheap fix vs forking out 200 for another tire.

[italianstylez]

I would replace it.
You got 2 tires keeping you up right and alive is the 2xx$ really worth the risk ?

[revelations]

Unless youre Val Rossi burning through corners at 230 kph on a regular basis, I wouldnt worry about this for 2.5 seconds on the streets.

I've patched 2-3 tires in my time and they all lasted until tread life was over. No issues at top speed. Modern day bike tires are extremely tough and the shop is just trying to sell you a tire and service.

By they time they are done, you're looking at 4-500$ when all you needed was a 20$ repair kit, that takes 30 minutes.

[Zero102]

Thanks for the input! The replacement cost is right at $300 while I feel like it should be $50 to plug it. The hole is so tiny I'm not worried about the structure of the tire, it was never run underinflated and the hole is in the best possible spot, I think repair is better than replacement here. I don't have the tools to unmount the tire but can remove the wheel. I would prefer the repair was done by somebody with a tire machine to prevent scratching the wheel. Since GW won't do it, who will?

[tirebob]

I would not fix a bike tire for anything other than a temporary emergency measure, and for that I would quill repair it so it is plugged and patched... Not just a plug or just a patch. The construction is nothing like a car tire and they are much thinner and have less ply ratings. Sure guys have done it and it has outlived the tread, but after you talk to a guy who it has failed maybe you will rethink it. If it fails, it can be a whole lot more problematic than a failure on your car.

[carson blocks]

The shop won't do it because of liability. Truthfully, it will be fine. A well-installed rope patch will outlast the tire.

[revelations]

You don't need to dismount the tire. In fact, I fixed a leaking OLD plug on my bike once (from previous owner). It then lasted several seasons until the tire was done.

In 20 years of being part of the biking community (mostly in BC) I have never heard of a catastrophic failure of a patched tire on the street. Track is a whole other matter.

[Zero102]

So the only way to patch it properly is to dismount the tire and apply a plug patch from the inside, but I can't dismount the tire without a tire machine and no shop will do it for liability reasons. This leaves me stuck either replacing the tire at just under $300 or doing an improper from-the-outside-only patch. This seems wrong.

It's not that I don't have $300, or that I don't value my life, and I do understand how important tires are on a motorcycle it just feels wrong to throw away an otherwise fine tire and $300 for a 1mm diameter hole.

I would trust the tire with a proper plug patch on it, but I don't feel that I would trust the tire if it was just plugged from the outside so if that's my only option I guess I'm stuck replacing it.

Thanks again for all the input guys!

[Rocket1k78]

Originally posted by revelations
Unless youre Val Rossi burning through corners at 230 kph on a regular basis, I wouldnt worry about this for 2.5 seconds on the streets.

I've patched 2-3 tires in my time and they all lasted until tread life was over. No issues at top speed. Modern day bike tires are extremely tough and the shop is just trying to sell you a tire and service.

Ive never rode on a patched tire before but this did make sense until Bob's reply. I wouldve said plug it too unless you were Rossi lol

Originally posted by tirebob
I would not fix a bike tire for anything other than a temporary emergency measure, and for that I would quill repair it so it is plugged and patched... Not just a plug or just a patch. The construction is nothing like a car tire and they are much thinner and have less ply ratings. Sure guys have done it and it has outlived the tread, but after you talk to a guy who it has failed maybe you will rethink it. If it fails, it can be a whole lot more problematic than a failure on your car.

Ive only dealt with Gary and Cort at Urban south but if any of the Urban X crew is saying its not safe then i would 100% listen to these guys. Sure there might be a bunch of people who rode with plugged tires but keep in mind, a guy who rode with a plugged tire and crashed because of it probably isnt going to be posting about it.

Go to http://redlinecalgary.com/ if you replace it

[revelations]

The argument over plugging tires is always the same. Essentially the odds of a plugged tire failing catastrophically on the street are so remote as to defy mention.

You are far more likely to have another leak caused by another puncture. IF the plug itself fails over time, you just end up with a slow leak.

[Kloubek]

Agree with Revelations. I think it is like rust repair to some degree - you can repair it, but there is always a chance of it coming back.

I've repaired several tires (on cars) using a standard patch kit, and never had an issue.

[tirebob]

Originally posted by revelations
The argument over plugging tires is always the same. Essentially the odds of a plugged tire failing catastrophically on the street are so remote as to defy mention.

You are far more likely to have another leak caused by another puncture. IF the plug itself fails over time, you just end up with a slow leak.

This is true... It isn't like a plug is going to cause catastrophic failures all over the place, but it is the slow leak scenario that crops up that can create a crappy situation. If you come out to your bike and it has a flat tire, big deal, but if your tire starts losing air and you are hammering the twisties, it can definitely make for trouble.

I just personally wouldn't risk the issues over the cost of a new tire, but I do understand people who think differently. Not taking a jab at anyone who disagrees with me at all, but I must admit I am always a little bit surprised by the money people will waste on far less important things than on the things maximizing safety on a bike. I have spent more on wine for an evening than a new bike tire heavens sake...

[Offroad]

[ExtraSlow]

You know that dude is getting into some seriously precise bead sealing when he takes off his mismatched flip flops.

[Zero102]

So contacting GW again it was discovered the wrong tire was quoted, the actual cost for a new one is over $350. That's enough that I decided to try getting it repaired.

I called around and Universal Cycle agreed to plug and patch the hole providing there is no damage inside and the puncture is straight through.
They gave me a little lecture about the speed rating of the tire being reduced, and not to take it to the track. Since this is a commuter bike I'm totally fine with that.

It's been a couple days since the plug and it's holding just fine so far. Total cost was just under $75.

[turbotrip]

about 5 years ago i bought new tires and got a similar nail in one of them a week after purchase. Only place that would patch it was Redline Motorsports who told me it was only good till 80km/hr. been riding on it since that day and gone well over 80km/hr and had no issues at all. the stores just dont want the liability but you should be fine