Nailed

[PMC FJRider]

2 flats in the same week. Rear tire both times. The 1st was a 16d nail. As I was sitting on the side of the freeway, with cars scimming my rear, I pull this thing out that looks like a railroad spike. The hole was huge. I could not beleave how big this nail was. I have a sticky string kit and was able to plug and fill the tire enough to get to a gas station and fill it all the way. It holds, so I decide I will put a patch on the inside at a later date.

On the way home yesterday, doing 80 in the HOV lane, the bike starts to get squirly, as though I were on uneven road.....but really bad. Next thing I know CLANK. The rear tire is flat again and the poor rim just hit a lip in the road. I was fortunate that there was only 1 car near me. I was able to make from the HOV lane to the shoulder....but it sure was a wild ride for that 100 yards. As I get off the bike I see what I was afraid of, a small bend in the rim. Same as above, sitting on the side of the freeway, cars scimming my back side. I inspect the tire, thinking the prior plug blew. Nope. This time I hit a huge screw. The hole was giant. I plugged this one and again was able to make to a gas station for a complete fill. The ding in the rim was not as bad as I thought. With cars screaming by on the freeway, the ding looked a lot bigger. Once at home, I saw that it was not that bad

I figure 2 plugs are not good, so I stop by a local shop for a repair.

What a week

 

[twowheelnut]

But at least you get to write about it.

 

[keithaba]

And we think technology has come so far! These guys had it right.

Why do you think they called them, "stones."

 

[PMC FJRider]

And we think technology has come so far! These guys had it right.

Why do you think they called them, "stones."

Looks a little rough around the edges, kinda like my rim.

 

[git-r-dan]

PMC - WOW!

Read your post and thought about how that "Smart Tire" has done its job for me so many times now. Best add-on safety feature installed on the bike. It gives you notice as soon as you hit a 7 psi difference between front/rear pressures with an extremely bright yellow light. It has caught my eye immediately every time. The guy at the Yamaha dealer installed the wheel sensors for free on the first tire change and I installed the unit in about 30 minutes. Got to give Groo the kudos on that one back when lurking on the site as an 06 waiter.

:beach: git-r-dan

 

[eeksnake]

...Best add-on safety feature installed on the bike. It gives you notice as soon as you hit a 7 psi difference between front/rear pressures with an extremely bright yellow light. It has caught my eye immediately every time...

Immediate notice of 7 P.S.I. drop? Bah!

It's MUCH more entertaining to have the back end go squirrelly in a curve.

Glad you could write about it PMC.

 

[GalaxyBlue]

Sticky strings and a 12v compressor, Never leave home without them!

 

[Knifemaker]

One word, one solution, Rhinotire:

https://www.rhinotire.com/

KM

 

[SacramentoMike]

Damn, this thread wasn't about what I thought it was going to be about. :angry2:

 

[HaulinAshe]

Will's Rim Repair in S.C.

Does a superb job on rim repair. $65 plus return shipping. Ask Grumpy too for reference.

 

[twowheelnut]

I forgot to asked: When do you get your tattoo to complete the scenario?

 

[James Burleigh]

What a drag! Sounds like if you didn't have bad luck, you wouldn't have any luck at all.

I know what you went through (well, not the death-defying freeway part). A few months back I came out to my bike after work to discover the rear tire was flat, with a nail in the center, which I had picked up on the commute in.

After storing the bike overnite, next day I had it towed in for a new tire. I picked the bike up that evening and rode it home to discover a BFS (Big F**king Screw) smack dab in the center of my new back tire with only 30 miles on it. I pulled the screw out, hoping it was only cosmetic, but the tire went flat as a pancake.

The happy ending is that I plugged the hole, and it's held up for months now. Hopefully we only are assigned by Fate one of those back-to-back flats in a lifetime.

Jb

 

[uctofeej]

Damn, this thread wasn't about what I thought it was going to be about. :angry2:

Yeah, I thought he was talking about a speeding ticket, too...

 

[PMC FJRider]

Sticky strings and a 12v compressor, Never leave home without them!

I have a small compressor, but for some reason it worked for a second and then quit. I keep a small bike pump with me, and that is what I used to fill the tire the second time around. I guess that if I pumped long enough, I probably could have made it to 40psi, but in the 100 degree heat, I was spent and just wanted to get off the fwy.

 

[Docholiday]

Good save PMC. Glad you made it off safely. I think I would have been calling the tow truck on the second go round.

 

[rocketdoc]

So, with two plugs in the tire and shop repair is OK for you?? You wouldn't catch me humping it down the road with two plugs in. Time of a new tire. Plugs are for short term repair. Patches in my mind are much better, but there is inherent weakness in the cord and the amount of distortion of the contact patch on a motorcycle repair, you are wiser to replace.

Ditto on the thoughts about the Smartire. Have had mine installed for three years, great product.

 

[FJRBluesman]

PMC - Glad you're OK and you got everything handled. :yahoo:

I have had the rear go flat quickly also it can be a wild ride. :dribble:

Thank the Lord you're OK and you now have some lightening holes now... well with plugs.

Ride safe (again).

 

[Ric in Sac]

This is one reason I run on Avons. If the tire is rather new the company will replace the tire free (you will still pay for mounting and balancing). New tires seem to have nail magnets -- I can't explain why but they do.

Good save!

 

[madmike2]

I have a small compressor, but for some reason it worked for a second and then quit.

Plugged into the cigarette lighter? The one in your glove box? With a 3 amp fuse?

I have a direct wired electrical connection with an ample size fuse to handle the needs of my compressor. I will, however, take this as a prompting to plug it in and double check.....