Flat tire and a horrifying outlook for tomorrow

[the big mike]

so, yesterday I decided to spend the day riding my beloved ninjette. It was beautiful outside with a clear sky and a very nice temperature. After about 150 km, and still 50 km away from my house, I felt like it was time for a break.

The moment I got off my bike, I started hearing a sissing sound and after looking for about a minute, I found this guy in my tire (see pic)

I called my insurance and they sent a truck to pick me and the bike up. I decided it was best to drop the bike at the dealer so that the tire could be replaced the day after.

The problem is that I just found out today that the dealer is on holiday for another two weeks and the bike is just standing there where I left it, only protected by a brake disc lock.

So, as I know nobody with a suitable trailer and don't want to pay for transport, nor leave it there... I'll put on some sport clothes tomorrow and push a 169kg bike with a flat rear tire for 20km to bring it home again.

Looks like I'll be having my own olympics I'm gonna die

[CC Cowboy]

Plug it and ride it home.

[the big mike]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Plug it and ride it home.

Plug it? with what?
and to be honest, I've never done anything with my tires
Is it as easy to pump it up as with a bicycle? I suppose I'd need another pump though...

[lgk]

you could plug it, buy a 12v compressor, and ride to your house...
just get a kit made for tubeless cars tires, from your auto parts store or your equivalent of walmart.

or get a good workout...
you expend more energy than a marathon, but less than the ironman triathlon.
since the tire flat i imagine it will be tough.

[csmith12]

worst case is a gas a station fix..... but will get you home

1. tire plug kit $4.89
2. one can of fix a flat $3.98

Ride to nearest air station and inflate to proper psi and go straight home

Go slower and be safe

[Alex]

Originally Posted by the big mike

Plug it? with what?
and to be honest, I've never done anything with my tires
Is it as easy to pump it up as with a bicycle? I suppose I'd need another pump though...

Yup, just needs to be plugged to get you home. When you say you've never done anything with your tires, were you at least checking their pressure every couple rides?

[the big mike]

Originally Posted by Alex

Yup, just needs to be plugged to get you home. When you say you've never done anything with your tires, were you at least checking their pressure every couple rides?

Other than kicking them every couple rides? no
Tire pressure is checked during maintenance every 6 months... Me, I don't have a clue, we even don't have the needed material...

Now please don't think I neglect my bike. I actually spend a lot of time keeping it clean, lube the chain regularly and I'm sure that I would notice and recognize a problem with my tires. Still a mechanical noob though

[Alex]

Originally Posted by the big mike

Other than kicking them every couple rides? no
Tire pressure is checked during maintenance every 6 months...

Noted.

Originally Posted by the big mike

Now please don't think I neglect my bike.

Impossible, I tried.

Originally Posted by the big mike

I actually spend a lot of time keeping it clean, lube the chain regularly and I'm sure that I would notice and recognize a problem with my tires. Still a mechanical noob though

Keep the tires at the proper pressure and your bike will feel transformed; it will handle exactly as intended with no surprises. (somewhere around 28 psi front, 32 psi rear, depending a bit on your chosen tires). The thing about tire pressure is that even if it is absolutely perfect today, is that 3 - 4 weeks from now it is guaranteed to be lower than perfect; all tires lose a certain amount of air over any extended period. If you need an owners manual for the bike, it's downloadable at the top of the tech section.

[Mountain Dew]

There is no way you're pushing almost 400 lbs with a flat tire 20km. Plug the hole, pump up the tire, and baby it home, or do another dealership.

1. Check your tire pressures, with a gauge every week.
2. Keeping your chain clean means nothing if your tires are too flat coming around a corner and going into a ditch.

[the big mike]

Ok, thanks a lot you guys

I'll look into this plugging thing tomorrow.

[strytnyne]

i been riding with a plugged rear tire for 600 miles.

[the big mike]

Originally Posted by strytnyne

i been riding with a plugged rear tire for 600 miles.

I believe I've read once that a tire that has been penetrated completely is no longer safe to ride as if it's new... Am I wrong?

Either way, I'll put on a new one

[flynjay]

Originally Posted by the big mike

Ok, thanks a lot you guys

I'll look into this plugging thing tomorrow.

A regular bicycle pump will do. It will take a little bit of pumping but it will get it done.

If I only need to add 2 psi or so I will bust out the bicycle pump (takes about 20 pumps).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpmxWY4I8kQ

[the big mike]

Originally Posted by flynjay

A regular bicycle pump will do. It will take a little bit of pumping but it will get it done.

Exactly what I needed to know, thx

[cuong-nutz]

Originally Posted by flynjay

A regular bicycle pump will do. It will take a little bit of pumping but it will get it done.

If I only need to add 2 psi or so I will bust out the bicycle pump (takes about 20 pumps).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpmxWY4I8kQ

Buy yourself a tire plug kit and bring along bicycle pump. I have my portable mountain bike bike pump with me on long rides and let me tell you, it'll take like 100 pumps to get inflated to proper psi. You could get away with half that and ride to your local gas station or tire place.

You should check your tires daily if not every other day or worse case weekly. Our tires do not hold a lot of air and small changes in temperatures affects tire pressure. Also rubber is slightly porous so you will lose a small amount of air over a period of time.

What really sucks is when you have a nail or puncture in your brand new tire!!!

[strytnyne]

Originally Posted by the big mike

I believe I've read once that a tire that has been penetrated completely is no longer safe to ride as if it's new... Am I wrong?

Either way, I'll put on a new one

well im a conservative rider , hyper mile for the most part . don't think a plug would lead to anything catastrophic

[Joule]

w00t is this felony O_O

if u have a punctured tire, then get it patched up or simply do it yourself =_=?

dafuq, why would u replace the tire LOL

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...-puncture.html here is a DIY for tire repair.

i myself have a puncture repaired, with many nails still inside tire lOl. they don't make tire leak any air though so i never took them out because taking them out means i gotta repair them lol

Originally Posted by strytnyne

i been riding with a plugged rear tire for 600 miles.

And i have been riding mine for 6 k kilometres.

whatsup =_=? don't u guys plug your tires and ride them?

[Joule]

Originally Posted by the big mike

I believe I've read once that a tire that has been penetrated completely is no longer safe to ride as if it's new... Am I wrong?

Either way, I'll put on a new one

it's not gonna blast or something =_=

[the big mike]

Originally Posted by Joule

dafuq, why would u replace the tire LOL

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...-puncture.html here is a DIY for tire repair.

but such repairs are only a TEMPORARY solution. perfect for me right now, but I won't keep riding around with it...

[FrugalNinja250]

In the last three+ years and 46,000 miles that I've ridden I've plugged four flats. One was a double puncture in the front with 15K on that tire, I rode it until it was worn out at 27K. The rest have been rears, and I've worn those tires out with plugs in them. Each time I replace the tire I examine the plugs to see how they look, and they're fully intact. I have zero qualms or concerns riding with a plugged tire. But, I also check my pressure daily so if a plug started to leak I'd catch it before it got too far. So far, though, not a single one has leaked, not even the tiniest amount.

[flynjay]

Originally Posted by FrugalNinja250

In the last three+ years and 46,000 miles that I've ridden I've plugged four flats. One was a double puncture in the front with 15K on that tire, I rode it until it was worn out at 27K. The rest have been rears, and I've worn those tires out with plugs in them. Each time I replace the tire I examine the plugs to see how they look, and they're fully intact. I have zero qualms or concerns riding with a plugged tire. But, I also check my pressure daily so if a plug started to leak I'd catch it before it got too far. So far, though, not a single one has leaked, not even the tiniest amount.

I'm with frugal.

I got a nail in the rear within 100 miles of installing my current set of tires. I've got 4000 miles them now.

[Vampyre]

My buddy got a nail on his 955i 2 weeks after getting a new rear tire. I plugged it and he rode it down to the wear bars just fine, and not exactly cautious riding either.