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Message started by Starlifter on 03/18/08 at 20:23:59

Title: Front flats
Post by Starlifter on 03/18/08 at 20:23:59

I have experienced a rear Flat tire doing 50-60 MPH which was scary enough, it never blew it just lost air from a screw and got real squirrely while stopping.
Has anyone experienced a front tire that blew or went flat at those speeds and if so how did the front end react?

I read on another MC forum about a very experienced rider and shop owner who had the valve stem on his front tire fail at a speed of about 60 MPH. The tire apparently then became separated from the rim and and wedged between the wheel and the fork. The bike went down and he was so seriously injured (spine) that he could never walk again.

Others on that forum spoke highly of a product called "Ride-On". (now with a formula specificaly for motorcycles.)
It is said that besides stopping flats Ride-on is NON flammable and water soluble..which means it just rinses out if you want to repair a tire. It is nontoxic and non-flammable.
while preventong most most flats, it also helps keeps your tires balanced and makes the ride smoother, in addition it actually cuts down on handlebar vibration.

This product is nothing like that nasty "Slime" sealent that has been around for years.

There is much much more information at the web-site below. I would like to know if anyone has used this product, and any other opinons you may have after reading their web-site.

http://www.ride-on.com/

Title: Re: Front flats
Post by sluggo on 03/18/08 at 20:29:55

thought about it. never happened, hope it never does.. btw i do need a new front. thanks for the reminder.

Title: Re: Front flats
Post by verslagen1 on 03/18/08 at 22:15:08

OK, read a rebutal to a Wing World article in 2004 which stated how good the stuff was by the pres of ride-on and they were given samples to test. ::)

How come they didn't post the review by Wing World? :o

Anybody have access? :-?

Title: Re: Front flats
Post by Savage_Rob on 03/19/08 at 06:46:38

This whole topic has always given me pause to consider having mine made into tubeless. In my experience (and this was luckily with a '59 F-100 pickup instead of a bike), when a tube goes, it usually goes FAST - like a blowout; not like tubeless tires do. I've read that this is the norm a high percentage of the time but don't know for sure if it's true. That said, I wonder how much benefit any of these sorts of products offer for tubes.

Title: Re: Front flats
Post by verslagen1 on 03/19/08 at 08:33:46

0E3C2B3C3A38020F323F5D0 wrote:

Is it a case that it takes more to puncture the tube?
I've riden thousands of miles on a bike with high pressure tires and the only time I had a blow out is when I over pressurized the tire. And I've had nails that have had gone completely through the tire and rim.

Title: Re: Front flats
Post by Starlifter on 03/19/08 at 14:07:19

Well, tubeless would seem to be the way to go, but wouldn't you have to purchase spokeless rims to go that route?

Title: Re: Front flats
Post by verslagen1 on 03/19/08 at 15:14:24

Alloy rims are the way I'm going but you don't have to do it that way.

The spoke nipples can be sealed and has been discussed here before.

A company does it, but I'm cheap, I'd try it my self.

Title: Re: Front flats
Post by Rockin_John on 03/19/08 at 21:03:34

Front flats= VERY scary and unknown stuff to me. As of the many tire problems I've had on both road and dirt riding, all have been on the rear tire! And I have had blowouts; both slow and fast deflations; and total separation of the tire from the rear rim. Since some of those have caused me some very exciting moments, I'd just as soon never know the hazard of a catastrophic front tire failure!

I'm glad you brought this up; because I think I'll seriously look into some of the "run flat" stuff now. It may not be a 100% answer, but increasing your odds by any percentage is better than doing nothing.

Title: Re: Front flats
Post by KwakNut on 03/20/08 at 03:42:56

Rear blowouts are almost un (as long as you're not half way round a tight bend), just start steering your road bike like it's a grass track racer. I had a motorway (3-lane interstate) blowout on my GPZ1000RX at about 95 some years ago, no problem because at cruising speed the angular momentum of the rims keeps the bike surprisingly stable. Rode it another 4 miles to a friend’s house to pull the wheel, just had to counter-steer a little – okay, a lot.

Front is nasty. Had one go on a GSX-R1100 at about 60, suddenly felt like the whole world had gone wrong around me. An absolute nightmare to control, managed somehow to keep it my side of the road from oncoming traffic and move it towards the grass. It kept just about stable enough to steer until speed dropped to below 30, then I was just a passenger holding on for dear life. Luckily minimal damage – I don’t want to enjoy the experience of another front end blowout during this lifetime.
I was lucky the way mine went, I’ve known a few others who’ve enjoyed front blows and the steering has just slapped full to one side and thrown the bike over in the blink of an eye.

Title: Re: Front flats
Post by Onederer on 03/20/08 at 06:26:48

Have had rear flats, no fronts. I think mostly because I'll run a rear tyre until thread is showing, but as soon as the front has age, or average wear, I change it. Depending if it is a leaker, or an outrite blow out, the danger differs. Typically a tube goes flat quicker because the punture can open up since the tube is not fixed to the tyre, and the tube material stretches easy. A tubless tyre has the tube material made into the carcas, and when puntured, the material does'nt stretch and let the hole become larger. Also a tube type tyre/rim lets air leak from the punture and the inside of the rim, which allows a quicker realse. When anyone has a tube type tyre replaced, it is worth the money, especially on the front to have the tube and rim strip replaced also. Most ppl ingnore the rim strip, and spokes can very easily punture the inside to the tube. The sealant products out there most always work better on tubeless tyres. I use sealant on mountain bike tyres, and useually, I have a flat, then after it gets reinflated it'll hold air well, weird, but thats how it happens. I've never run the stuff in motorcycle tyres, so I could'nt say how it works there. I also would think that a liquid in the tyre would cause an unbalance at speed.

A lot of dirt bike racers today(GNCC,hare scramble,enduro,cross country,Dakar,etc.) don't even have air in the tires. They use a solid foam rubber tube, because that is the only way to prevent a flat in those conditions. If you ride/drive anything that has inflatable tires, best bet is to know how to repair them on the side of the road. Its a matter of when and not if. "Be prepared"

Title: Re: Front flats
Post by verslagen1 on 03/20/08 at 19:09:03

Where to get your wheels converted for tubeless

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tech/tubeless_tire_seal/index.html