Taking Your Own Advice: A Bitter Pill to Swallow?

Suited up and sweating like a pig.  Getting ready to pull the bikes out of the garage to attend the BMW club poker run/monthly meeting/lunch.  Washed them yesterday and went over the bikes.  But happened to look down at the tire this morning and it was in the perfect position to showcase the rod that was embedded in the rear.  It had been there for quite a few miles considering the grounding and polishing.  And the tire pressure had been holding steady for the last week.  Ride with it or remove it and see what happens.

Isn't it interesting how you just can't, in good conscience, ride on that type of thing once you are aware of its existence?

We worked the inch plus long rod out, hoping that it hadn't penetrated the carcass since its angle was almost completely parallel with the surface of the tire.  There wasn't any hissing to indicate a mighty leak.  But the soapy water revealed minuscule bubbling.  As the tire guy said "There isn't such a thing as a little heart murmur."

So the decision: to patch ourselves, or replace.

I have never, in my life, worked with tire plugs.  Actually, I've never had to trust my life to a tire with a plug in it.  The riding lawn mower doesn't count.  I know Oilburner has, and I know many other people that have.  I'm just not sure how I feel about it.  Oilburner was leaving this decision up to me.

With only 3,000 miles on the tire, it was a bit of a bitter pill to swallow.  But I ultimately don't have any qualms about the $275 for the tire, mounting, disposal and MotoGuard replacement.  Of course, purchasing that means that I won't get another nail in my tire.  :)

Already removed the rod, but it had done some visible damage

I thoroughly enjoyed the tire mounting equipment.  The gentleman performing the change was nice enough to let me watch.