Almost became highway pizza last night,

Basement rat

Basement rat

Over 1,000 Posts
I was going to visit the mother law and decided to take the bike, it was one of those days when you wait until the last second to put your jacket on before jumping on the bike. In all respects I can equate it to Boise Idaho in the middle of September, think kinda "hot" but not as hot as I'm sure lots of you know. So I get my crap, get on the bike and go. I don’t know If it was my tire or a semi across the road but I remember hearing a distinct "PSSSSST" "PSSSSSST" sound while riding though town, It was loud and close. I thought that It was a semi letting off pressure but I'm still not sure… Anyway, I've driven about 15 min on the highway for a 20 min trip at about 120km and I feel a wobble in the bars… Its just like when your caught in an expansion crack in the road but the road was JUST resurfaced two weeks earlier… I thought it may have been a rut in the road so I moved from a far left to about the middle of my lane trying to find the rut but there wasn't any… I thought it could have been the wind but I was feeling it in the brake of some treed by the highhway. Still wobbling and getting a little worse, I was going over in my head, could it be my front brake? Wheel bearings? Broken spokes? I knew it wasn't good but the wobble wasn't BAD just concerning… I thought I could slow down and limp it to my destination. Moments later it got worse and as I was watching my bars wobble I realised my bars were tracking perfectly straight and the ass end was going left and right then it got BAD then I decided "I'm gonna stop NOW". When I was almost at a complete stop I knew what happened, it was all loose in the back end and real low. Sonofabitch. I make a call tall the wife who is at her mothers place the bike just got a flat and I'll call her back in a few min. I was lucky enough to be able to pull my bike in to a guys driveway to further assess the situation. After I limped the bike down the drive way under its own power I got it on its center stand and took a look at the tire. No nails or anything that looks like a puncture but two lines that look like they could be slices in the middle of my tread, I have yet to examine the tire further. I called the wife to come and get me to drive me home to grab the rear wheel I have on the everlasting basement project. 15 min pulling that wheel off, grabbing the tool I knew I needed and a cotter pin for the axle and I was on my way back again. It took me about 30+ min to get the wheel off and on again. Note to all, If you have a replacement exhaust made in the states, it likely has a 1/2" but and bolt… A cresant wrench and needle nose pliers will work if your pliers have that recessed part in the base if the jaws for cutting wire.

So, this is why you should have two of everything.

BTW, I'm paranoid now. Every little wobble has me going "WTF is that?"

Later yall.
 
Thank you for the pre ride check reminder. I've been slacking on that lately. Glad you're OK. Just shows you that having experience can save you from disaster. A less experienced rider most likely would have crashed. For the record, a bit of paranoia is never a bad thing. keeps you on your toes.
 
Tire was in fine shape, still lots of tread life left in it. It was AFIK three or four years old. It was my dads bike and maintained meticulusley by a back home local shop. The tire model was "Spitfire" I cant remeber the brand but I wasent ever impressed with the quality of grip like my Avon Roadrider I have on there now. Im going to get some soapy water and see if it is the tire/ tube or if the spokes burnt a hole through the tube.

Kinda glad I know how to turn a wrench too. Every rider should have a course on there bike, how to service and so on. From oil, to fork maintnance, wheels and brakes.
 
This is a huge reason why I run 'Tyre Slime' puncture sealant in my tyres. For the sake of $10 you're covered for nails, thorns, glass...and just plain WTF? stuff like this.

Good to hear you got out of it ok, my Dad was in a prang the other night on his Beemer. He got out of it ok but his bike took a trip down the road...he'd just finished some restoration on the front end as well :(

- boingk
 
boingk said:
This is a huge reason why I run 'Tyre Slime' puncture sealant in my tyres. For the sake of $10 you're covered for nails, thorns, glass...and just plain WTF? stuff like this.

Good to hear you got out of it ok, my Dad was in a prang the other night on his Beemer. He got out of it ok but his bike took a trip down the road...he'd just finished some restoration on the front end as well :(

- boingk
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i hate. hate. hate. that shit. deal with it all day at the bike shop. people use it to seal their tubes (some even AFter getting a puncture). in short when it does puncture it gets everywhere and makes a mess. its shit. it doesnt help with punctures. there are strips that go on the tire itself that isnt too bad, but id worry about balance at higher speeds.
 
Rocan said:
i hate. hate. hate. that shit. deal with it all day at the bike shop. people use it to seal their tubes (some even AFter getting a puncture). in short when it does puncture it gets everywhere and makes a mess. its shit. it doesnt help with punctures. there are strips that go on the tire itself that isnt too bad, but id worry about balance at higher speeds.
Click to expand...

Exactly, not to mention all that shit eats away at the rim as well. None of them are intended for prolonged use. I've seen automotive rims that've been eaten so badly that they won't allow the bead to seat. Pure garbage.
 
No kidding... even though its just glycol based stuff that you use in a more diluted form throughout your vehicles cooling system? Huh, go figure I suppose. Well, its not in the 1100 yet so I might just hold off on it.

So no-one's gonna ask about my Dad? Geez, you bloody lot :D

- boingk
 
Haha, yeah he's fine. The story was that he had a front puncture and when the fellows turned up to tow him, he got hit from behind by a Ford Falcon. Bike jolted forward, throwing him off onto his feet. The tow truck driver copped the Beemer falling on him and got an ambulance called. Kid in the car said he didn't know what happened... we figure he was texting.

Bike got fixed up by a mob in Syndey overnight... basically apart from a blown fork seal, scratched head covers and a broken numberplate assembly it was good to ride away on. Hows that hey? In-de-bloody-structible!

The tow company agreed quite freely to pay for all damages, even the pay he missed out on (he was on his was to a 12hr shift).

- boingk
 
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