First motorcycle flat tire in 25 years...

[normzone]

I left the house this morning in a hurry, running a little late, and not really feeling the perky.

Pulling out of my parking space felt clumsy, and I focused on making the bike go where it should. Stopped at the bottom of the driveway and it stopped quicker than I expected. Made my turn and it was rough, I thought " I need to drink more coffee ".

The next turn, just a few seconds away, is a decreasing radius 90 degree downhill. I wobbled through it.

When I had trouble going in a straight line after that I knew it was time to take a look at my tires. Front, great. Rear, empty. Took it home.

Centerstand. Slowly spin the wheel - no visible cause.

I have a tendency to react impulsively and take unnecessary steps in breakdown situations, so I just left it and took the car. I want to think this out.

I have gas stations with pumps a couple of blocks away - I'm concerned about bead breaking though. I bought a plug kit and pump as soon as I bought the bike, but I think it got stolen out of the saddle bag early on - I'll have to check the tool collection to be certain. The tire is relatively recent and I'm loath to replace it, but I guess that's something to consider.

All counsel appreciated...

 

[canuguzzi]

First, determine why the tire went flat. Maybe just a loose valve? Could be something really simple.

[rocker59]

Stop by Autozone on the way home and buy a Slime air pump and tire plug kit.

When you get home, locate the leak.  Most likely from a nail or screw.

Plug the hole, air up the tire, and ride.

A tire repair kit, for me, is an essential piece of kit for the car OR the motorcycle.

[Bonafide Bob]

 I agree with both of the posts above mine, I carry a Slime air pump and plug kit of my bike at all times.
 Bob

[biking sailor]

First things first.  Like they are saying, get a air pump and air up the tire.  Then find the leak.  Soap bubbles are your friend here!

How it is repaired will be determined by what you find to be the cause of the leak.

Personally, I carry a plug kit (string type) and 12V mini compressor on both of my long distance traveling bikes.  Will borrow one for other bikes going very far from home (if they are tube-less).  When traveling in groups, always make sure somebody has one!

[normzone]

Thanks all - I'll post the story here as I figure it out.

I first read this string before posting this:

http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=59937.30

Memories of changing tubes by the roadside on my Eldo still haunt me - got the bike on top of me once  while attempting wheel reinstallation solo...

[Guzzistajohn]

I've had just two flats in all the years of riding, but I never leave the house w/o my little 12v pump and plug kit. It's save my arse and buddy's too.

js

[Guzzer]

I've never had a flat (yet) while riding, but I bought new tires & tubes for the Ambo and the T3.  OMG. How does anyone get the high enough to pull off the wheels on the road?  In my home shop I have a Craftsman motorcycle jack, a car racing jack, and a ceiling pulley so I did OK, but how do you get the frame high enough on the road?  Do you tube people carry an interest straight tube or a patch kit?

[pat80flh]

Norm, I ran out of gas on the Bassa yesterday, a first in all my years on a bike. The low fuel light , which had been working, apparently gave up the ghost. I coasted down the side of the road, with a gas station in sight, one right turn away. 120 yards to go, when it finally gave up. I put my feet down, shook the bike vigorously and was able to coax another 35 seconds, just enough to glide to the pumps. No pushing.

  Got to get that reset knob fixed.

[Wayne Orwig]

I've never had a flat (yet) while riding, but I bought new tires & tubes for the Ambo and the T3.  OMG. How does anyone get the high enough to pull off the wheels on the road?  In my home shop I have a Craftsman motorcycle jack, a car racing jack, and a ceiling pulley so I did OK, but how do you get the frame high enough on the road?  Do you tube people carry an interest straight tube or a patch kit?

Just find a grassy spot, and lay it over in the side.

[normzone]

Norm, I ran out of gas on the Bassa yesterday, a first in all my years on a bike. The low fuel light , which had been working, apparently gave up the ghost.

You look at your low fuel light? The previous owner told me not to bother, and I've never looked at it. I just assume that if I've gone a hundred miles it's time to get gas, and if I've gone 125 miles that the bike will be stopping soon...

[normzone]

Just find a grassy spot, and lay it over in the side.

So...I am only supposed to get flats around grass ? Does this mean I should worry more when the roadside is green ?

[Triple Jim]

I haven't had a flat in about 35 years, but I have a nail in the rear tire of my H2.  It doesn't leak air though, so it's staying in there until the tire is worn out. 

[lucydad]

I was rear passenger around 1967 on my brother's Honda S90.  Had a rear flat going about 30 mph.  Not fun, but we did not dump the bike.  We walked it to town, took it into the Honda dealer.  Big nail.  Bummer. 

[canuguzzi]

So...I am only supposed to get flats around grass ? Does this mean I should worry more when the roadside is green ?

Wait, you don't carry a roll of that artificial grass, a folding chair and six pack with you?

[normzone]

Well, the six pack kept getting warm and shaken, so I popped the tops, let them calm down, and drank them warm.

The folding chair is on hold until I buy one of those thousand dollar BMW rally chairs, can't remember what they're called at the moment. Something green...

But the roll of artificial grass is brilliant. That and some skimpy european swimwear for sunbathing and I'd be set. Okay, I'll strap one on the handlebars like Bronson's old sleeping bag.

Remember when you were in your twenties and a sleeping bag was always on the bike because you never knew where you could wind up at ? Nowadays I use a credit card for the same purpose.

But I digress...the flat tire.

Rather than search my tool pile in the spare bedroom/distillery brewery for my tire repair kit, which may or may not have been stolen, I stopped by the Autozone at [rocker59]'s advice and bought a pump and a plug kit - about twenty bucks for the two. I then parked my Camry next to the bike and let them communicate until the rear tire got to 30 PSI and the pump shut off automatically.

Okay, thirty it is. I began with the soapy water (Dawn for dishes) and there it was, down in a tread groove in the middle of the tread, no culprit in sight, just a small rough spot, several inches from the P in Sports Demon.

I ran the tool through it, put a plug in it, cleaned up and here I am. I haven't put a plug in a tire since Randy Wall's Texaco at Jamacha and Lexington in El Cajon, circa 1981 or so. Here's hoping it all works out, we'll freeway it tomorrow with a prayer on my lips.

Thank you all for your encouragement, I really appreciate your counsel.

[Wayne Orwig]

Wait, you don't carry a roll of that artificial grass, a folding chair and six pack with you?

Hell, I tow a trailer with a tire changer in it, and a LARGE cooler of beer.
You never know when you may need to change a tire on the roadside.

[Wayne Orwig]

no culprit in sight, just a small rough spot, several inches from the P in Sports Demon.

Don't get me wrong, I have run a LOT of miles on plugged tires.

But if you don't know WHY it sprung a leak, proceed with caution. If the inner rubber is cracking or damaged in some way, it may deflate quickly on you.
If you were sure it was a simple object that holed it, and you plugged it, then you are probably good.

[normzone]

Thanks, the same thought has occurred to me. The damage looked small, but while I put the reamer in it I wondered if I was knocking some small sharp object all the way into the tire. Nothing was visible or could be felt, so I think I'm as good to go as the process allows...initially I thought having the hole in a tread groove was good, now I think I wish it was in thicker meat.

Oh well, we'll see how it holds.

[Farmer Dan]

Had a front tire blow out on my GT750 on the highway.  Don't have a clue how I did it but I got it stopped with out dropping it.  Just glad to have lived through it.

[normzone]

I'm the oldest of three brothers - the next younger one leads a calmer life, but my youngest brother was my riding partner during the first Eldo days.

He was on a chopped Honda 750 four on a Los Angeles freeway surrounded by tractor-trailers when the front went flat fast and he fought for control wobbling back and forth cross lanes, causing much displeasure among his neighbors.

At a break in the guard rail he shot the gap and went up a hill covered in ice plant, getting off someplace in the process.

Some riders passing by helped him fix his tire and he rode to my house to share the tale, striped with dried iceplant slime. A story that I'm glad is not mine...

[dibble]

Do you tube people carry an interest straight tube or a patch kit?

Not sure what you mean but I on my trail bike I carry a spare tube and a patch kit.

Changing a tube is quicker but if you plan to have a few punctures in a day the patch kit is belt and (red) braces.

I have had to use a patch kit on someones rear tyre because they didn't have the right wrench to remove the wheel, fortunately lots of room within the swingarm.