Sudden flat tire experiences

[red98vmax]

How many of you have had sudden flat tires (front or rear). How fast were you going and how bad is it to steer and get to a stop, right side up?

Steve Hinds vmoa#4352

 

[mikemax04]

Picked up a roofing nail on the back going around 55mph on a two lane with my Honda 750. Had a bigger tire on it and when it suddenly blew, was too fat and locked up. Got real lucky that day and didn't wipe out but was hard to control with the rear going all over the place. My heart's still pounding when I think of that adventure.

 

[one2dmax]

Had one tire went out on the rear and wasn't too bad to get it stopped. Went to the hardware store and bought some screws. Dug out the stock tool kit and proceded to install it. I rode it over the the gas station and filled it up and stopped every few miles to replace the screw and air until I made it to the bike shop. That was so many years ago but I still vividly remember it. I still have the bike it was on too - my seca 650 turbo.

Sean Morley

 

[El Canadiense]

Was riding with my wife and my Santa Muerte friends from Chetumal, Mexico (close to Belize) to Cancun, Mexico and just finished taking a nice riding photo of my friend Dartanan when I had a puncture on the rear. Immediately, I started swerving full right and full left with my front tire staying stationary and straight. I was picturing how my wife and I were going to do a flip eventually. I started to tap the rear brakes lightly and it kept going full side to side until the speed eventually slowed us down enough to stop. 120kph to 0 very quickly and quite scarily. When I stopped and my compadres were stopped with me, I looked at their faces and they all had their mouths hanging open in astonishment that I survived without crashing. My wife was scared but very calm. A friend asked me if I wanted a drink of water and I told him only if you have a valium to go with it.

I had another flat one time in the Sonora Desert in Northern Mexico but was lucky enough to have it in front of the tire repair place for at least fifty miles in either direction. That one was uneventful.

 

[maxcruiser]

Years ago, I was riding a Harley on the highway at about 70mph. Had my feet on the highway pegs and felt a little twitch from the back of the bike, as I started to move feet from the highway pegs to the main pegs, the back tire blew out.

Ended up putting my feet down on the road to be able to keep the bike upright
while applying the front brake. Got the bike stopped on the side of the highway ok, but it was definitely an ass puckering situation.

Mike

 

[MaxMidnight]

Many moons ago on my XS1100 I had just joined the motorway and accelerated up to about 75 m.p.h.

The old XS was a very stable bus so when the handlebars started a slow oscillation I realised all was not well up front.

I shut the throttle and the oscillations got worse.

My mind kept shouting to my hand 'DON'T USE THE FRONT BRAKE!' and fortunately the message (just) got through.

There were quite a few times I thought that I was going to be thrown off and almost gave up wrestling the beast.

I didn't and stopped eventually.

I didn't feel too bad once I'd managed to extract the seat covering from my arse and was glad I had the brown trousers on!

It was probably the most frightening event I have ever had on a bike.

When I got the bike back home the tyre stayed inflated and the only problem I found was a missing tyre valve cap.
Still replaced the inner tube tough.

Conversely, a puncture in the rear of my Bonneville caused the bike to squirm around but I was able to bring it to a halt without much drama.

 

[Itgoes]

A blowout can easily be a catastrophic event. All depends on when it happens. A slow or fast leak not nearly as bad.... if you can detect it
before the tire is totally flat.

I had a rear tire blowout at about 60 mph (sidewall spit) and could not steer the bike at all. The bike just followed the crown in the road straight and off to the right. I was able to just stop on the shoulder before leaving the roadway.

So.....if you are going straight at a reasonable speed, you'd probably make out alright. Traveling at high speed and encountering a turn........not a good outcome.

-Mark-

 

[thor_eyerdhal]

Yes, i ve got this. On the highway, i ran a Viper (with the gas cap opened), i was trying to warn the driver.
At 180 km/h, i feel a sudden wooble and the bike went crazy.

It was a Lucky day, i reached the emergy line slaloming between cars without actionning the brakes (it seems to be very long...) and stopped without any damage (expect my wife, she was a bit nervous!)

There was a big round hole in the rear tire, probably a big nail was in it since few days, without any air leak and the centifugal force at 180 km/h ejected it!


Greetings to the ME Z4 tire wich stayed well on the Wheel with 0 air in it.

I ran few kilometers at idle with the flat tire, we fixed it (and the Wheel too) and it lived few seasons more! Great Tire!