My first flat tire

[Mr Jensee]

I have been riding since 1966 and though I had a few flat tires on little bikes with tubed tires back then, Yesterday I had my first flat tire on a tubless tire. I was getting ready to ride, had started the Voyager up and when I took it off the center stand it wouldn't roll forward. I climbed onboard and noticed that the bike was sitting low. I figured uh oh this isn't good news. Got off put it back on the center stand and laid down next to it so I could view the back tire. Yep there was indeed a foreign object in the tire. An Allen Wrench. Yes and it wasn't mine. Must have picked it up a week ago on a short ride. Why is it always the back tire that gets it? I pulled out my tire plug kit from my saddlebag, powered up my air compressor and plugged the tire. This took all of five minutes and it surprised me how easy it was. Waited 15 min, and aired the tire up and it held. Fantastic! Took it out today and did a hundred miles on it and no issues. I always wondered how hard it would be to plug a tire on the side of the road and now I have no fear of getting a routine flat anymore. I also keep an air compressor in the saddlebag as well.

[cranky]

... as my sig line indicates, I've got quite a few miles on a cranky machine, learned
a lot about tubes and tires...

The back tire gets it, as the front tire disturbs the object and sets it up for the back tire
to run over it... If Ya stop and think about it, I'll bet that wrench wasn't sitting up ready
for a tire all by its self! FWIW

[Me Again]

I was on my first good trip with my new sidecar rig and a couple people said my front tire was low .
On my way home we stopped and figured as long as they had free air I may as well top it off.
Went to fill it and my brother noticed the valve stem was leaking so all the air I added was lost.
Checked in the station and they had some leak stop ( Not fix a flat) so since I was still 50 miles from home I said what the heck ,got to try it.
It eventually stopped leaking ,but I knew it was only a temporary fix.
Headed for home anyways as my brother followed just in case .
I did make it home although it was not handling very well by the time I got there .
Rained all day today but I did manage to get the rotor covers off after downloading two separate manuals.
To darn much plastic an that goulthing .

[trikebldr]

As crankyb says, the front tire sets up the object for the rear to run over it. On tandem axle trailers it's also always the rear tires that go flat.

Bill (me again), someday if the front tire (especially!), or even the rear, blows out or goes flat rapidly, you will be very thankful to have that sidecar! i sure hear ya about all that plastic covering all over the Wings.

[Mr Jensee]

What you've said makes sense. Anyway all is good. Rode about a hundred miles yesterday with no problems. My next project which I don't know when it will be is to tackle my rims. They are looking bad and I am contemplating at next tire change to have someone soda blast them and have them powder coated. Anyway, thanks for the responses.

[misft]

First flat tire? I recall a particular year I replaced 3 tires I one summer. One of them something punched a 1/2 inch dia hole in it at 70 mph. That'll get your attention.

[Mr Jensee]

When we were kids, my buddies and I would run the tires bald on our bikes. We were students in high school and IF we had a job we weren't making much money so getting flats on 50cc and 175cc bikes were easy to do. As an adult I owned a few bikes all from the Japanese manufacturers, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki but up until this last weekend I have managed to avoid getting a flat. Thank goodness it was in my own garage and not on the side of a road somewhere. Fixing it without having to take it off the bike is a totally new experience for me and I am glad it wasn't as traumatic as I always feared it would be. Never had a flat at speed and I am so glad it is another experience I missed.

[pasam]

Hi,
I too have experienced a flat rear tire in the garage which can be handled routinely. That is a piece of cake compared out on the side of the road. Touring through TN this spring 30 miles from Cooksville, got a pencil size puncture while doing around 68 mph. It went down instantly, but got to a wobbly stop OK. A stopped passerby and I could hardly get it on the center stand and I finally got it plugged with a couple strands and pumped up as it got dark. I was lucky that a Harley lady stopped and gave directions to the town of Cooksville where there were I could get it replaced the next morning. She even followed me there in the dark. Cell phone service is very limited in this area.
Hopefully never again, Sam in central PA

[Mr Jensee]

Sounds like you had a scary incident. I am so glad my plug is holding without issue. I don't want to have to replace the tire just yet, still have a lot of mileage left on her. Man I love the mileage of the Dunlop E3 tires. These are the first tires I have ever had that has held up for so long. Fourteen thousand miles so far.

[SgtSlag]

The pro's (mag writers and mechanics) recommend replacing a patched tire ASAP -- you only have two tires, not four... For me, I would get rid of it as quickly as possible, but I ride with my lovely bride 99% of the time, and I won't accept any avoidable risks with her. YMMV. Cheers!

[trigger12]

All due respect, I question plugging a MC tire for longer than getting it to the shop. My understanding of the plug, over the plug or plug/patch, is that the cords in the tire will eat away at it. Only to be in trouble again. The other concern (previously mentioned) is a MC only has 1 tire on each end.

BTW: I've plugged many bias ply tires on my $200 pick up trucks for years. Switched over to plug/patches when steel belted radials on my trucks went flat.

Over the past 14 years, I've had 3 rear tire flats; 1 caused by a 5/15" exhaust manifold stud, on a side road, that was ground to a point on one end. The tire was only 2 months old. Obviously, I had to replace that one. The other 2 flats I had were caused by a staple and a small nail. I just had them tubed. Some will say that's unsafe, but I got a total of 15K miles out of those tubes with no trouble. Thankfully, with 38 years in the saddle, I've never had a front tire flat, nor have my flat tire incidents been on the highway.

[cranky]

+ 1 on the comments above about changing it, methinks at 14 tho miles UR being a tad penny wize,
dollar foolish... you got enough outta it, let it go... JM2C

[SgtSlag]

I ran tubeless tires on my '79 Honda 750, with spoked rims, with tubes... I could not find tube tires I liked. Never had an issue except once: the tube had a factory flaw, blew out in the rear tire. Once, and only once, did that happen. Rode 12,000 miles on that bike, two up, 95% of the time, with heavy loads (toured on it). I feel completely safe running tubes inside a tubeless tire.

Never really thought of using a tube in a punctured tire, on a bike made for tubeless tires... That has possibilities. Cheers!

[krasmu]

Was riding two up and loaded for a camping trip. Stuff tied on everywhere. Heading up the interstate at full 70mph and lost the front. Went down fairly quick and lost lots of control of the bike. Sparks flying from the front rim. Somebody must have been looking out for me that day because I did manage to get it stopped but ended up stuck in the middle of an off ramp. Next thing I hear are air horns and air brakes. I remember thinking "this going to really hurt". That 18 wheeler came to stop only 10 feet behind me. He wasn't happy. But he helped me get the bike off the road and called for help for me. Turned out ok but it could have easily been the end for both of us.

[Phishhead61]

Coming home from the MAV Fall Ride in last week I got a rear flat on the PA Turnpike. I was lucky...I was doing 75-80 mph and the rear end starting getting "wiggly". I slowed down and everything was OK for a little bit, but then it started again. I have a leaking/seeping left shock and at first I thought it was that, but I noticed when I went over a bump, the suspension seemed fine. So when I couldn't go 55 mph without the "wiggle", one of those Emergency Pull off spots appeared so I pulled over.

I still thought it was the shock and had no idea how I was going to get it home. I went into the left hand saddlebag for something and I noticed the stem for the rear tire was in a position I could get at it so I checked the pressure. 8 lbs!

So I called my wife, and my insurance's roadside assistance and waited. Luckily I had my phone and earbuds, so I watched some Netflix for about an hour. Flat bed showed up and took me to the nearest bike shop about 20 miles away. Wife picked me up at the bike shop (which was about 2 hours from home). Navigation said I should be home at 2:30 before the flat...got home about 7pm.

Picked up the bike today and rode home on a brand new tire in the rain on the Turnpike. Not fun, but could have been much worse.

Rich

[Mr Jensee]

Ordered a new tire through Motorcycle Superstore because they had it in stock and they have free shipping. I will have Cycle Gear in town mount it. The plug is holding fine and I have taken a couple of hundred mile jaunts on it without an issue but I too worry about the cord damage. A new tire is not that expensive and I would feel better riding on an undamaged tire. Thanks for all the suggestions and help.