Member Contributer HiDesertMLB Posted August 26, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted August 26, 2008 Here's the deal- I have approximately 800 miles on a set of Michelin Pilot Roads. I get ready to take my bike to work this morning, and noticed there's a flat on my rear tire. Looked and looked, but could not find a hole in it. Fill it up with air (maybe a leaky valve stem). Take it to work.... check the bike an hour later, down 15 PSI. Darn! :biggrin: Air up the tire at a local gas station and take the bike home. I looked at it very, very carefully this time. It appears that I picked up a wood splinter in the road. Obviously enough to pass through the cords of the tire and cause the tire to lose pressure. Here are the pics: DOH! Puncture in Pilot Road (1 of 2) Look carefully! DOH! Puncture in Pilot Road (2 of 2) General location of damage- Question is, would I get blasted by VFRD members for trying to sell this tire (all disclaimers included) in its punctured condition? For someone who is comfortable with a repair, this might be a way to score on an almost-new tire. I haven't convinced myself that tire repair is the way to go... VFRD member advice is appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dutchinterceptor Posted August 26, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted August 26, 2008 I don't see an issue if you offer it at a really good price. If it was a Power I would jump on it but doubt I'll ever run a regular Road again. Give it a shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wera803 Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 I'll take it, Paypal sent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Hmmm... when I bought my VFR, it had a plug on it that was put on, it looks, from the inside. Probably from a very similar wound, about the same place. I put almost 1000 miles on it and rode hard in twisties, and hit 140 or so once as well (oops). Was a Diablo. The little mushroom top stuck out in between the treads and wore with the rest of the tire tread. I guess, the only thing would be, what about when it wears down pretty close to the end of the tread??? I dunno, went ahead and bought me a nice new set of Diablos. My $.02. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer michaelf3 Posted August 26, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted August 26, 2008 Michael, I think that should be an easy fix. You can plug it or just take it to a tire shop and have them fix it from the inside. It shouldn't cost anymore than $10-15. If the puncture was more on the side I'd worry, but it looks fixable to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wera803 Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 I wouldn't plug any tire. By pushing that plug through the hole, it actually spreads the belts apart, which in the end can cause issues. Now patching from the inside is a different story. The problem is unless you have a way to do it yourself, most shops won't do it on a motorcycle tire (form my experience) because of "liability" reasons (plus they can sell you a brand new tire). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer HiDesertMLB Posted August 26, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted August 26, 2008 Well, pulled the trigger on a replacement Pilot Road. The problem, as wera803 pointed out, is that none of the 7 shops I called wanted to patch, citing liability. The hole is definitely in a "safer" area of repair. It is very small, and a patch in this area doesn't seem terribly risky, but I have no access to a tire changer. Plugging the tire by making a bigger hole through the cords didn't sound too safe on a tire that occasionally sees triple digit speeds, so I abandoned the thought of a plug kit. Anyhow, I had the chance to buy a tire from the new Cycle Gear store two blocks away from my place of work. I had no idea they mounted tires. In addition, they offer a Road Hazard add-on for $25! :unsure: I did not know that there was such an offering in the motorcycle world. Had I purchased at Cycle Gear to begin with, I would've had the tire replaced at no charge in accordance with their RH policy. I thought about keeping the 180 for my 4th gen, but I don't want to squeeze a non-OEM size on a rear wheel that's designed for a 170 tire. Another VFR member expressed interest in the tire and has the equipment necessary to mount and repair. I worked out a deal, so hopefully he'll get some use out of the near-new tire. Thanks for all of your input. :fing02: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veefer800Canuck Posted August 26, 2008 Share Posted August 26, 2008 Ask BMW shops, they tend to lean more toward plugging/patching tires from the inside, IME. Or, take the loose tire to an auto tire repair place and have them put in a radial plug/patch from the inside, cash only deal, no reciept issued. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer fastrc46 Posted August 26, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted August 26, 2008 That sucks!! I feel your pain. I had golf tee in a tire once. Must have picked it up just before I got home because I heard the hiss as I shut the bike off. Went flat in less than 60 seconds. Tire had less than 500 miles. :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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