Tire
Plugs
By
James R. Davis
Sometimes
you can't win. I just had to replace a virtually new Elite II rear tire on my
motorcycle because it had picked up a couple of small nails.
I
know, all I really had to do was plug the tire. Right? Wrong!
Here
are a few things you might consider about tire plugs:
Almost
any single puncture (thru the tread) can be repaired by the
use of a tire plug. (I would be willing to ride with a properly {from the
inside} plugged tire
anytime.)
You
cannot put more than one plug within the same quadrant of a
tire – safely
You
cannot put more than two plugs into a tire - period.
The
manufacturers of tire plugs specifically disavow the safety of doing either of
the last two items listed above. They also void their speed warranties as a
result of any tire plugging. Your tire is probably marked with an 'H' speed
designation, meaning it is rated for safety up to 130 MPH. If you have even one
tire plug in it you should not drive faster than about 80 MPH using that tire.
I
had picked up three small nails in my tire. All three leaked air when I removed
them. 'My kingdom for a horse!' It cost me $150 for another new Elite II. (Life
is too important to be left in the hands of three plugs when the manufacturers
refuse to stand up for their safety.)
[In
case you missed it earlier, every reference made here about 'tire plugs' refers
to professionally installed, from the inside, tire repair plugs - NOT the
emergency roadside repair kits which install from the outside of your tire.]
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