Heart Attack!!!

onaprwl

onaprwl

Onaprwl
So.....I just about had the big one today. To make a long story short, rode the bike today, felt funny, nail in back tire, 5lbs air. Called BigDog to see if they could fix or if a local tire place could just plug it, thats when the Heart Attack happened! BigDog said you don't fix a flat, you replace the tire. $300.00 for tire, $211.00 for labor. So you mean to tell me if I get a new tire and get another nail, I need another tire. Man at big dog said, would you rather a tire shread because of a rip due to tearing at the plug you put in, at 70mph? Well, that gave a new meaning to it I guess, and when I told him it only had 4200 miles on the tire, he replied, you normally only get about 5000, maybe 6000 if you are real lucky. I guess it doesn't look so bad now, but what do the rest of you do? How many of you plug and trust this, and how many miles do you all get on your 300 rears? Also, DOES ANYBODY HAVE HEART MEDICINE???? :eek:
 
IIWII

IIWII

Member
I just changed my first at just over 11K. Probably could have gone another 1K or so, but didn't want to chance it. Shop around and you can find a tire for under $250. I had both Front and Back installed, plus 5 new wheel bearings for under $300.
 
surferdude

surferdude

dry docked
I'm sure a lot if not every one at sometime will come across this same situation - Should I just plug it or do I cough up the $$$ to fix it .... I got a nail in the rear tire at 4000 miles ... tried to plug it but it wouldn't hold .... right in the middle of the tire. No one would patch it from the inside ... the tire companys say that the intigrity of the tire is no longer there ... whether that's true or not a $300 tire with a patch is not worth your life is it. And there should be places that will replace it for less. I now have 11,000 miles on that 2nd 300mm tire and just change out my front tire at 15,000 miles ... a lot more that what they said I should get .... it's up to you ... do you feel safe riding it or is $300 just or whatever the cost worth the chance of it blowing out? I changed mine and at least had the piece of mind and not worry about it. .... many riders have just plugged it and gotten a lot of miles on it but mind would not hold ... don't know what I really would of done if it did hold. Good luck on whatever you decide. :D :up: And don't forget the DynaBeads when you get your new tire .... just had to say that ... I like that stuff ...
 
bdmridgeback

bdmridgeback

Low Down Chop Shop
Friend I ride with has had a plug in his tire for a few thousand miles with no problems.

I'd plug one if it was a low miles tire!
 
Raywood

Raywood

The Pirate
Staff member
Calendar Participant
Troop Supporter
I had a blowout leaving Daytona last year. Only got out of town about 10 miles. Cut tire sat down on the rim and drove me over into the oncoming lane in front of a semi-truck! You lose all steering when it sits down on the rim. I never want that to happen to me again.
This tire only had the miles from Tampa to Daytona, it was brand new, less than 500. Yes I forked out another $300 but I had no choice and I would do it again if it flatted even if it was a small nail.

Oh, as I've posted on here many times even though I "only" have a 250 but I got 19,000 out of my first one, 22,000 out of the second, 500 out of the third and have over 17,000 or something like that on my current one.

http://www.bigdogbiker.com/forums/dog-pound/3235-raywood-has-left-building.html



Alicat said:
Hey guys, it's Ray signed on under Alicat's login.

My day didn't go so well. I left the RV and headed to the gas station. Go to start it and dead...... Turns out my battery finally died. Olmstr comes to my aid with tools a battery and an EHC. After he changed the battery we went to Carls Speed Shop so he can test the charging system and everything is fine.

So say my good byes and hit the road. Got on US 40 and turned west. :cheers:

Then about 10 miles out of town I get a flat tire. Big cut right in the middle of it. Thru my bike over into the other lane right in front of a semi.... :angry:

I wrestle it over to the shoulder but couldn't steer it so it just rode of in the ditch about 15 ft before I got it stopped from 60 mph.

I was shaking so bad I had trouble calling AAA. They got me a truck out there in about 45 minutes. Unfortunately Carls was busy and I didn't get the bike back till 6pm.
Guess it just wasn't my day for leaving. Got the bike back on the battery tender making sure the new battery is fully charged and will give it another try in the morning.

Thanks for all the well wishes guys. Had a great time with DragginH and Alicat, BBChopper, 2wheeler, pissed, hoat and many others.

Oscar, see ya in a couple days.

See ya all,
Ray
Click to expand...
 
Alicat

Alicat

Hanging out
Onaprwl,
I'm not an expert by any means but I look at my tires as what keeps me up off the ground.
I am on my 3rd rear tire and 2nd front tire at about 14K miles.
Yea, my rears are good for only between 5 and 6 K miles. I know I change them before most do but I usually just have them changed whenever I have a new 5K service.
To me it's not worth the thought of having it go out at 80 or 90 MPH. I guess I kind of over due safety issues but my body just doesn't heal as well as it did when I was in my 20's.
Just my 2 cents, replace it and forget it!!!!!!!
Al
 
Roaddawg

Roaddawg

Well-Known Member
IIWII said:
I just changed my first at just over 11K. Probably could have gone another 1K or so, but didn't want to chance it. Shop around and you can find a tire for under $250. I had both Front and Back installed, plus 5 new wheel bearings for under $300.
Click to expand...
Five wheel bearings???
 
onaprwl

onaprwl

Onaprwl
Thanks guys, I've just read enough scary shit here and agree with all of you. Better to be on a new tire, than on the ground! Leaving shortly, with bike in trailer, to go get new tire. Like Alicat said, I'm not in my 20s anymore, don't want to see how long it takes to heal, let alone the damage to the bike!
Great info, I love this site!!!!
 
T

Thumper169

Well-Known Member
My ass is worth a lot more than $500 bucks, Unless it was a temp fix to get me a short distance so I could get a new one I wouldnt consider plugging it myself. If you have ever been on a bike that had a tire go down you wouldnt even consider plugging it,
 
BWG56

BWG56

Guru
I would trust a mushroom plug in my tire more than I trust the transmission on my bike. I have a fear of the tranny locking up as it has to another member while cruising.
 
T

twowheel99

Active Member
The reason bike shops won't repair tires is because of the liability they could put them self's in if the tire would happen to fail and you wreck and get hurt or worse. You have to think about that when making your decison about repairing or replacing a damaged tire. If your in a car or a truck and you have a flat in most cases you can slow down and limp off the side of the road, but on a motorcycle and you have a flat like Raywood it almost cost him his life. To answer your question "Yes" the tire can be repaired as long as the hole or cut is in a repairable area and within a certain size. Keep in mind all tire that need to be repaired MUST be dismounted and inspected from the inside, no if ands for buts period. If you must plug a tire to limp home do so with extreme caution and do just that limp home and not blast down the highway at mach 1
with your hair on fire. Take your bike home remove the wheel & tire, dismount the tire and determine if the tire can be repaired with a Patch/Plug repair unit that you use from the inside out. I could go into a lot of details on how that is done but I no longer have the means or a camera to show you. (I use to work for a tire company). Like I've advised in so many other threads, if you can't take these steps to repair a tire properly then by all means replace the tire and hang the damaged one up on your garage wall as a reminder of how lucky you were.
Peace Out & Ride Safe
2
 
vej

vej

Active Member
9929 miles on my 300... replaced at dealer for $320, installed. Bike tires don't last like cars, the price we pay to ride. Enjoy.
 
Marco Polo

Marco Polo

Newbie DELUXE
You can find a lot of opinions about this and I was tempted to just plug my back tire on my previous bike but I think the wiser choice is to just spring for the replacement even if it's a brand new tire like mine was. That bike did 134mph and that's really no time to be wondering how secure a plug is in my opinion. It seems like you could get it replaced for less then $500 though but I assume you've checked around. I'm dreading having to replace the Wolfs oddball size tire. There's probably only going to be the one maker and I imagine they'll charge an arm and leg.
 
N8KAM

N8KAM

Well-Known Member
I have 8000+ on mine now should be ok for the rest of the year wear wise. will most likely replace them this next "off" season... if i get a flat then it will be replaced sooner... :D
 
jimizee028

jimizee028

TRUE COLORS COLLISION
learn how to take the tire off the bike and save yourself almost 1/2 the money...i cant even believe ,people that plug there tires have put a dollar amount on their lives equal to that of $300 ....the cost of a rear tire......i personally would never ever take that chance...
 
07bigdog

07bigdog

07BIGDOG
It is always recomeneded to replace the tire rather than plug or patch it. I had 460 miles on my rear tire when i picked up a screw. I took it to the local automotive repair shop and they plugged it for me. I've got 4200 miles on now and haven't had any problems. I also bought a front regular and rear cobra tire on ebay for $310. If you take the tire and rim off the bike yourself, the local bike shop told me $25 to install a patch from the inside that has a plug going through the tire. It is up to the individual.
 
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