I'm starting to dislike West Michigan roads.  Let me start by saying that up until this year, when I moved to W. MI, I had never had a nail or anything in my tire in my 8 or so years of driving.  Within the last 3 or 4 months I had a nail in my truck tire (I plugged it), a staple in my GS tire (small enough that it didn't puncture), and now some kind of metal dowel in my GS tire today.  I don't even drive that much since I haven't had a job the whole time I've been here.  (I start my new job monday though )

Here's the thing I got in my tire





The short end was in the tire, about an inch or inch and a half.  When I pulled it out, there was no leaking.  Now that I look back at the picture, it looks like there's a bulge along the surface of the tire where the pin was.  I think I'm just going to keep riding on it and check the air pressure more often.  I'm probably due for new tires over this winter anyway... the front BT-45 (14000+ miles) is cupping, which I think is causing vibration in the bars, and the rear AM-52 has about 8000 miles on it and a crappy square profile

Yeah, your tire is about used up.  It's time to change it anyway.  Why not do it now and be a bit safer?

Cause my truck needs tires first and I'll still be broke until after a few paychecks

Time to take that avon rear to the twisties to use the rest of that rubber!! 

I don't even think that I could get it that far over... the profile is kinda ridiculous, squarish in the center, then a very steep side.  Not a very gentle transition either.  The tire came has always been like this.  Of course this is just my rationalization for those ginormous chicken strips

I've got the same tire and mine has NO chicken strips! 

  I guess I know for sure that I suck then.  It'd be nice to get on a track some day so i can get more cornering confidence.