Toward the end of a group ride today my back tire was sliding all over the place not even going fast. Was very hard to turn. Then when i got home my rear tire was ridiculous hot. Sides of tires are all scratched up. Then i noticed i had a leak. If you can see that little hole in the center of tire. Should i dump the rear or plug? There is plenty of treat left.

Between the plug and not knowing to what extent you've damaged your tire riding on it with low air pressure. I'd say get a new one.

Also Is it bad for the tire too get unreal hot?

Have it inspected by a knowledgeable bike shop. If you were riding it extensively while flat/extremely low pressure, you couldn't damaged the carcass too, causing the plies to separate or break. But I think they will know if it can be safely plugged or not.

Also maybe check to see what the charges are overall, the tire looks at least 50% used (it's always difficult to tell in a pic like this, no offense if it's like brand new). It might not make sense to plug it and remount it only to have to pay for that labor again at the beginning of next year. If there's any doubt replace it.

Thanks for the replies. I'm going to plug it. Ya the tire is about 40% used. Still can get 3k more miles. I can't imagine throwing this tire away. Locals here say plug and ride like normal. Only thing that bothers me was how hot the tire got...I'm hoping that was because of the under inflation.

By the way tire didn't go flat during my ride. When I got home tire was inflated. But went and checked 20mins later it was flat.

D.O.T.: We are here just to make our office look like we are doing something.
Plugit: Well, sales are brisk and lots of people throwing out stuff on the road.

D.O.T.: We are here to tell you the phone is quiet. Anything you can do to make your product more dangerous?
Plugit: Why is your hand out like, why it has a tattoo like jazzy jezzea 'bribe goes here' me slap.

D.O.T.: We are plenty pissed off you show a 45mph limit and cars are flying by over 80 in a 70 and...
Plugit: ... The phones are still quiet?

D.O.T.: We are here to convince you to think about what you are saying.
Plugit: I'm saying this fly trap of a tacky ropeedope you shove it up your ass...

D.O.T.: ... And I'm good to go all anal retentive from buying another tire with a slow nail size leak?
Plugit: My product here stops you tree huggers from slashing rubbie's bark next month to make another tire.

D.O.T.: We are just waiting for that one phone call it starts leaking and your product says...
Plugit: ... Says you. If this old early 20th Century idea wasn't going to fly then, how come...

D.O.T.: ... We are wondering that too. I think we should go on the net and collect a field report.
Plugit: Oh, hub could get that report right over, but the copy store does not take his money because anything he says does not make one bit of sense! He throws something simple at it and no one listens to that 'crazy' nut case.

My vote: Replace it. Safety first. You can dance if you want to.

Between the plug and not knowing to what extent you've damaged your tire riding on it with low air pressure. I'd say get a new one.

I agree. If you rode on it low enough to feel it squirming taking normal turns...and if it went flat almost right away when you stopped, could have inner damage. If you plug it, better go slow for the rest of that tire.

By the way tire didn't go flat during my ride. When I got home tire was inflated. But went and checked 20mins later it was flat.

here's a dirty little secret of mine. I once rode almost 200 miles on a punctured tire. The nail stayed in and kept minimal air pressure between air up stops that I made about every 50 miles. The tire would go flat as a pancake within one minute of me stopping. It was the middle of the night and some stations were closed. I got lucky toward the end and found a station that either left air in their tank or they left the compressor on. That got me home. I don't recommend trying this. But if your in a pinch, it might work. I did throw the tire away though. LOL it was so thin by the time I got home, I couldn't see using it again anyhow.

I don't think the heat hurt the tire. My tires literally melted on the edges at a track day. It left a texture like someone went over them with a paint roller. I still rode them a few thousand miles on the street afterward. My flat tire I rode on was also very hot but it was not melting.

* Last updated by: Rook on 7/27/2014 @ 8:09 PM *

...and only use a mushroom plug if you decide to use it. No rope plugs.

Got my decoder ring on...Hub I understand were your coming from. My cheap side was talking earlier. I don't really feel safe with the plug. Too much hp on this bike to have a crappy tire. Will be ordering another stock tire just now 190/55.

Damn Rook I just plugged it with the rope. Definitely getting a new tire.

If the plug seals = Done. Why? You are not going to push that thing out, nor wear it out as if it does not follow the rubber wear. I'm sure I've put that plug thru more abuse than the average guy, you see me buying a new tire and all I have is a nail, not a rip where it renders the carcass useless. Way too much analing and not seeing why the rope is a 100% repair.

...and only use a mushroom plug if you decide to use it. No rope plugs.

And only use rope because less wheel removal and rim nicks than going after a mushroom insert. Less hours off the bike, more bills in the pocket for that new tire.

2 minute fix

Geez from that angle it doesn't look like your tire has 3k left in it, I like your optimism though.lol

I did notice the hole in the groove. So, will you ever go that low? No, not there. In the center at one point a patch of cord will show and that is way past you kissing the bump in the groove. Once you kiss that table = Done is the tire. Past the cords can hold so much air and there she goes. As far as getting the tire hot. Trackbikes run low pressure, come in and you can't touch your hand on the tire. So your ambient is not even close to causing a bubble in the carcass, but look anyway. Why?...

... "Takes a man to dance with the patch."

'You can dance if you want to.'

* Last updated by: Hub on 7/27/2014 @ 9:28 PM *

The straight on view you first posted doesn't make the center tread so obvious. This last picture shows a center tread that is done for. Looks like you are just about to the bottom of the sipe and all the tires I have had had wear bars that indicate DONE well before the tread is worn to the bottom of the sipes. IOW, ride this SLOWLY until your new tire comes in.

Maybe we are looking at the worst spot on the tread. Maybe that's where you did a hard skid on the brake. Still, it's the weakest link. I wouldn't call you crazy if rode this tire to the bottom of all of the sipes. I know of someone who wears all of the sipes off his tires. I did it once. ...but with a rope plug in? I think that's asking for big trouble. If you get that tire off and feel how thin the carcass is, you'll be glad you changed. The tire is used up anyway, just get a new one. If the front is less than a year old and not hardened from age, the rubber will probably be soft like new, you don't need to worry about replacing that this time.

mrwoo, the second pic does tell a very different story than the first pic. It looks like you ride pretty hard, the sides of your metz are all melty from awesome 14R cornering goodness. My advice, ride to enjoy riding (take it easy) out the rest of this year at best and get a new one/set next season, or get a new tire, break it in and keep on keeping on.

I wish I had curves like some of you ppl do around here...dang!

I think this picture shows the tread better. Just checked milage. 2,600k miles on that tire. This Damn bike eats tires.

Only you know for sure, mrwoo. That shoulder wear is either from hard leaning or a tire ridden very low on air. I think mine had seen a track day so it was already worn on the edges but the 200 miles of flat made a fairly impressive looking tread wear too.

I've never plugged a tire and I must admit, I don't know much about it but I'd only plug a tire if the puncture was in the sipe like yours and I would NOT wear the tread down to the level of the plug. You're just about there. you'd be pressing the road against the plug. If it comes loose, it will probably be a blowout.

The sides of tire are from hard cornering. I hate that the center has this much wear. Almost all the miles are in the twisties. The under inflation to the tire didn't cause any wear. I checked the tires closely before that last ride and that's how the center looked. Have a 12hr ride this sat. I will pay close attention to the tire. Then will be ordering a new tire.

By the way I got lucky with my tire issue. We were in some fast twisties when a rider low sided at. Luckily he was full gear not a scratch. The shifter broke off. So they got the bike running but stuck in 3rd. So decided to abandon the ride to follow him home. I think I got something in the tire coming out of the twisties. Never exceeded 45mph...He was on a ninja 300.

Been 48hrs now and tire has not lost pressure.

1. Says in 48 hours someone knew what they were doing filling a hole.
2. Says it holds air means the hole was not that big, the material is keeping the air in. And....
3. Says it takes a man to throw a leg over that ropeeedope and finish off that carcass.

And just a note. Grn wallowed on some used tires and I'd be more concerned about the front than that patch in the rear... Are we clear it takes no brains to throw a stepper into a turn and expect it to hold like a new one? Man up and straighten up, this baby is done smoking the corners...

mrwoo,

All I would suggest is cautious riding, and never becoming confident enough to forget you have a plug in your rear tire. Minimally I would ride several times and monitor it after high and higher heat cycles.

Scroll up to the first picture you hit. See in that groove is the 'wear identifier?' It's a touch pad call it. Once you touch it, done is that tire.

1. Can you go farther? Yes. This indicates you have no case past that pad you throw it away.
2. Can you catch a ply peeking out and that's about as far as it goes center wise? Yes. BTDThat.
3. Can you catch the front end you change the rear alone?

Only your stepping knows for sure, ignore the indicator. But I look at those as changing one sock only with a new. Pick the undies or the t-shirt: has one wearing one of them and the other is new. Going out on a date are we? Where I stand, they know they are one fish sole away from planting both feet on the red carpet for a squidelicious entree.