New to tubeless tires...

[carl1957]

So I brought home my new (to me) '03 R1150R yesterday, and picked up a nail in the rear tire going twice around the block. I've heard of a "permanent plug" for such a situation. Would I find such a thing at a hardware store or Meijer?

[towerworker]

BMW's used to come from the manufacturer with a tire plugging kit, meant to give you a temporary fix so you can get to a shop. Most guys that I know look towards replacing the tire once it's been punctured due to potential hazards. You might have some luck with either a conventional tire shop or a motorcycle shop. Personally I'd look into replacing the tire.

[Rags]

If you do decide on a patch... get the wheel rebalanced

Rags

[carl1957]

I plugged it this evening.... there's not much meat left on the tire, i'll ride it around town until I get it ready for the long road, then I'll get a new one. I remember having read something about a mushroom head plug that was considered to be a permanent fix. Thought someone here would've heard of it.

[Buckster]

The "permanent" fix is to replace it. Plugging a car tire is not like plugging a motorcycle tire. A m/c tire is designed to flex while cornering and any plug should be temporary and ridden easily until it's replaced. It's your life that rides on those two small contact patches. Price of the tire becomes well worth it for piece of mind.

[Scota]

I only have heard something about a "kit"so that you can continue your ride up to the next workshop. So nothing permanent.

[towerworker]

I found this among others after doing a search.

http://www.amazon.com/Stop-Go-Internati ... B001BBSD9C

[milehighboater]

I haven't heard of a great plug for a bike tire but if you dismount the tire and put a patch on the inside it should be good. We used to use the patches with the plug built in. You would pull the plug through the tire from the inside out and a patch was permanently attached on the inside. They worked real well and could flex with the tire.

[riceburner]

I've had plenty of tyres 'plugged' by a tyre-dealership with no issues whatsoever.

I've also run bikes with the 'temporary' plugs in with no issues (although I'll generally get them repaired as soon as possible).

The proper fitted plugs look like this

I've seen them in various lengths depending on the manufacturer.
The tyre is removed from the wheel, the internal surface cleaned, then roughened, then a glue applied and the plug fitted from the inside. The tyre is then remounted and refilled. The fix is good for the rest of the life of the tyre. Any decent motorcycle tyre fitter would provide this service.

[carl1957]

Thanks for the input guys.

[windy]

Those plugs do work well. I just had a tire mounted(300 mi.) and picked up a nail.After a temp fix,the dealer that sold me the tires used those type of plug/patch and it held up for the life of the tire.

[carl1957]

This is good to know.

[spoon]

I picked up a nail on a new tire and used a plug. The plug would not hold air so I dismounted the tire and put a patch on the inside with the plug still in place. When I replaced that tire after 8000 or so miles the plug was being forced out of the hole and the patch was following it. Tread wear kept the plug at the tread surface so you could not tell that anything was amiss. I was surprised at how far the patch had gone into the carcass. Keep in mind that this was a rear tire and the tire was balanced after the repair. I would have to have the right conditions to do that to a front tire. (my riding style wears the front as fast as the back) Where the hole is and how big it is play a role in what you are going to do.