Motorcycle Repair: Stripped oil drain plug, suzuki gsxr 750, oil drain plug

Question
I recently purchased a 2000 Suzuki GSXR 750 and found out later that the oil drain plug was stripped.  As of now it has one of those rubberized drain plugs fitted to it.  Just wondering if you had any experience with them and how reliable are they?

Answer
Adam, I've heard of these rubber drain plugs but have never used them myself. I think they make a very good temporary repair, but I would not keep it as a permanent fix if I were you.

Most auto parts stores carry oversize drain plug kits; they include a drill, tap and new drain plug to thread into a stripped hole. If you still have the original drain plug, you can use it to determine which oversize plug kit is best for you. I think this would be the best alternative.

There is another option available in the form of a helicoil insert kit. It's basically a special steel spring wound into a standard or metric size that you install by drilling out, tapping and inserting with a special tool. However, it takes a bit of skill to do this and is not recommended if you're not familiar with the procedure.