Rear Flat Tire...? Again.

Well here is a funny story & a good lesson. Last Friday was my 5th flat rear tire in less than a year :mad: WTF i'm beginning to think that someone is putting nails in my rear tires... Last year I needed new tires, so I went to my local Cycle Gear & got a set of Metzler M3 (very nice tires) BTW. So the salesman talks me into buying their Moto-guard warranty. Good thing I did, because since then I've had 5 flats & they won't repair them just replacement. Every time I get a flat it's usually only a couple of months. So I get a new tire & only have to pay for the installation & new warranty. I'm really starting to feel bad for them! Of all the other flats, the only one that left me stranded was last weeks. So I'm riding on the Freeway & start to feel the rear get a little loose, I slow down & pull into a gas station, damn a flat. I pull out my can of fix-a-flat spray it in, air it up & I'm on my way home (only 7 miles to go). Well about 2 miles down the road it goes flat again.... :angry: Now I'm pissed. OK this can't be happening again. Am I jinxed or what. Never had a flat before on the VFR :happy: What do you guy's think? If I ever get to the point of buying a new tire, I'm going back to Dunlops :cool:

Brand new Michelins Pilot Roads, less than 5 miles from the dealer, nail in rear. Replaced under hazard policy. :cool:

Here's the shot of the offending metal stick, about 6:30 center in the new bun, with BT-020s and Pilot Powers pictured for tread reference:

[image: Posted Image]
BT-020/Pilot Road/Pilot Power Crop

[image: View Post]crazybrother, on Mar 15 2009, 11:34 AM, said:

Well here is a funny story & a good lesson. Last Friday was my 5th flat rear tire in less than a year :mad: WTF i'm beginning to think that someone is putting nails in my rear tires... Last year I needed new tires, so I went to my local Cycle Gear & got a set of Metzler M3 (very nice tires) BTW. So the salesman talks me into buying their Moto-guard warranty. Good thing I did, because since then I've had 5 flats & they won't repair them just replacement. Every time I get a flat it's usually only a couple of months. So I get a new tire & only have to pay for the installation & new warranty. I'm really starting to feel bad for them! Of all the other flats, the only one that left me stranded was last weeks. So I'm riding on the Freeway & start to feel the rear get a little loose, I slow down & pull into a gas station, damn a flat. I pull out my can of fix-a-flat spray it in, air it up & I'm on my way home (only 7 miles to go). Well about 2 miles down the road it goes flat again.... :angry: Now I'm pissed. OK this can't be happening again. Am I jinxed or what. Never had a flat before on the VFR :happy: What do you guy's think? If I ever get to the point of buying a new tire, I'm going back to Dunlops :cool:

I'm just wondering about the averages vs things that can be done about lowering them. The first thing is do you try and stay in the tyre tracks of the lanes you're using (most crap will be kicked out of that area)? The other is not following behind pickups (a major source of nails coming out of their beds)? Also following close is enough that if the vehicle in front kicks up a nail it doesn't have time to lie flat before you run over it.....Just a few thoughts I'll through up for discussion.....Any more ideas.......Monk

My last 4 (5?) rears have all picked up nails/screws. Plug and keep rolling...

I've had two flat tires ever. One rear, one front. The rear was about 3/4 gone when it was punctured by a sharp rock. The front tire was half gone when it was punctured by a piece of metal, looked like half of a construction staple.

I've never had a hazard policy on my bike tires. Never even been offered one. But I doubt I could have used it in either of these cases, anyway. In each of them, I was thousands of miles and multiple border crossings away from the shops where the tires were purchased.

[image: View Post]Monk, on Mar 15 2009, 12:06 PM, said:

I'm just wondering about the averages vs things that can be done about lowering them. The first thing is do you try and stay in the tyre tracks of the lanes you're using (most crap will be kicked out of that area)? The other is not following behind pickups (a major source of nails coming out of their beds)? Also following close is enough that if the vehicle in front kicks up a nail it doesn't have time to lie flat before you run over it.....Just a few thoughts I'll trough up for discussion.....Any more ideas.......Monk

Stay out of construction sites, landfills, recycle centers, frontiers, war zones, and the third world. :blink:

I usually only get one flat a year. I'm often concerned when I pull over a lot to take pictures knowing that my tires are hot and sticky. There is a LOT of debris at the road's edge. Riding a bicycle gives you a chance to see how much crap is on the road and it makes me wonder why we don't have more flats on all vehicles.

Never had a flat on my VFR :knockonwood:

I have been lucky with flat tires. This is the closest one I have had. The tire was a Pirelli Corsa III and I was absolutely loving it!

[image: Posted Image]

I was riding through california this past summer and pulled over for gas (Ukiah). I put my bike on the center stand and thought to myself I should check the tires out. I guess fate had a say in this one. I was missing a chunk out of my rear tire but it was still holding air! Luckily there were a few bike shops nearby but none of them would take a look at it, just replace it. The one dealer who shall remain nameless saw me as a opportunity and I paid the most I have ever had to pay for a set of tires (I was nearing the wear bars on the front).

No flats but plenty of replaced tires due to nails. :dry: Heck, I keep finding them in places like my driveway when I check it over quite often. :huh: I live on a cul-de-sac in the city. Makes me wonder how they get there and who is doing the deed. But regardless, here in Albuquerque no shop will plug a bike tire because of liability issues. According to them if you are riding a plugged wheel you are limited to 50 mph and it is like the donut in the rear of your car...to get you to a place to get it fixed properly. Frankly, I agree considering a blow out on a bike isn't something I ever wish to experience first hand. A tire isn't that expensive....

Ever since I was stranded with a flat rear, i put some Slime in it. When I got to plug it,I inspected it from the inside and found 5 metal objects sticking out :ohmy: . Only one was leaking air, but any one of them could go at any time.
I removed and patched all of them and then added some Slime for extra measure. Tire holds air perfectly now and I don't feel any ill effects ont he balance. Slime is a great product. If you deside to use it, make sure not to put too much.

Oh, and stop riding in the gutter :cool:

I rode for many years and many, many thousands of miles without ever getting a flat, and that includes touring in Mexico.

Then, starting about '02-'03, I began to get flats regularly.

Got one on a brand new Pirelli Diablo, on the way home from having it mounted. Big construction nail, tire scrapped with less than 50 miles on it. That was in Huntington Beach, California.

Got multiple flats from failed 90 degree rubber valve stems, one rear, one front (that one was SCARY). Quit using them. These were in Missouri and Illinois.

Had a blowout on rear tire, late one Sunday afternoon, on freeway in St.Louis, Mo. Big time scary. Don't know what caused it.

Had another rear flat in Challis, Idaho, where I had stopped for a meal. Got that hot patched at a gas station and returned to Boise, aborting my trip due to lack of confidence in the repair. It did hold, though I replaced it soon after.

Most recent was in Oregon, on a ST-N group meet/ride. Fortunately, I had returned to motel and was just checking rear tire when I spotted the offending nail. Repaired with plug and Slime pump and made it home to Idaho. Replaced tire.

What's weird is that I spent five straight months and almost 30,000 miles traveling solo around the west and Canada without ever having a flat. Highway, twisties, rural roads, dirt and gravel trails, campground access roads, you name it, but never a flat.

Maybe it's the VFRs ('96, '00), maybe it's the tires (Metzler and Pirelli), but my recent luck sure has changed, and not for the better.

I'm thinking that many people behave very carelessly with puncture causing items, be it around construction sites, stuff falling from vehicles on to roadways, whatever. I regularly pick up nails, construction staples, etc... around my apartment complex parking lot, left by careless workers or residents. No one seems to give a shit any more.

I even had a flat on my car not long ago, first one in many years, and on a near new tire. Nail again. Tire plugged.

[image: View Post]maddog, on Mar 15 2009, 01:43 PM, said:

I rode for many years and many, many thousands of miles without ever getting a flat, and that includes touring in Mexico.

Then, starting about '02-'03, I began to get flats regularly.

Got one on a brand new Pirelli Diablo, on the way home from having it mounted. Big construction nail, tire scrapped with less than 50 miles on it. That was in Huntington Beach, California.

Got multiple flats from failed 90 degree rubber valve stems, one rear, one front (that one was SCARY). Quit using them. These were in Missouri and Illinois.

Had a blowout on rear tire, late one Sunday afternoon, on freeway in St.Louis, Mo. Big time scary. Don't know what caused it.

Had another rear flat in Challis, Idaho, where I had stopped for a meal. Got that hot patched at a gas station and returned to Boise, aborting my trip due to lack of confidence in the repair. It did hold, though I replaced it soon after.

Most recent was in Oregon, on a ST-N group meet/ride. Fortunately, I had returned to motel and was just checking rear tire when I spotted the offending nail. Repaired with plug and Slime pump and made it home to Idaho. Replaced tire.

What's weird is that I spent five straight months and almost 30,000 miles traveling solo around the west and Canada without ever having a flat. Highway, twisties, rural roads, dirt and gravel trails, campground access roads, you name it, but never a flat.

Maybe it's the VFRs ('96, '00), maybe it's the tires (Metzler and Pirelli), but my recent luck sure has changed, and not for the better.

I'm thinking that many people behave very carelessly with puncture causing items, be it around construction sites, stuff falling from vehicles on to roadways, whatever. I regularly pick up nails, construction staples, etc... around my apartment complex parking lot, left by careless workers or residents. No one seems to give a shit any more.

I even had a flat on my car not long ago, first one in many years, and on a near new tire. Nail again. Tire plugged.

:+1: Police the nails !

[image: View Post]elizilla, on Mar 15 2009, 11:25 AM, said:

[image: View Post]Monk, on Mar 15 2009, 12:06 PM, said:

I'm just wondering about the averages vs things that can be done about lowering them. The first thing is do you try and stay in the tyre tracks of the lanes you're using (most crap will be kicked out of that area)? The other is not following behind pickups (a major source of nails coming out of their beds)? Also following close is enough that if the vehicle in front kicks up a nail it doesn't have time to lie flat before you run over it.....Just a few thoughts I'll trough up for discussion.....Any more ideas.......Monk

Stay out of construction sites, landfills, recycle centers, frontiers, war zones, and the third world. :blink:


.............and Lousiana

Holy cow, crazybrother, that's a lot of flat tires! :+1: on the road hazard warranty from Cycle Gear. I started buying my tires from Cycle Gear and think the add-on coverage is great. I had a Pilot Road punctured last year with less than 500 miles on it. Unfortunately, that's before I started buying tires at CG. I'm with Monk and elizilla: be wary of the roads used for riding territory. Sounds like the roads you travel lead to a nail factory?

In the last 11 years I experienced two punctures... I plug them and keep on riding...

My screwed Rennsport... boo hoo...
[image: Posted Image]

In my tank bag is a BMW tire repair kit with the rope type plugs
[image: Posted Image]

Nylon Rope type plugs found at any auto parts store or order Safety
Seals on line...
http://www.safetyseal.com/
[image: Posted Image]

Inside the same Rennsport for proof that the rope type plugs stay intact
even after 1500 miles... miles not in moderation either...
[image: Posted Image]

I don't recommend the mushroom type plugs because my mushroom type
plug started to come unstuck from the inside...
[image: Posted Image]

I don't think I suffered a single flat in my first 80,000 miles of riding, but in the last 10-20k miles I've had several! :blush:

[image: View Post]vanion2, on Mar 15 2009, 12:07 PM, said:

No flats but plenty of replaced tires due to nails. :dry: Heck, I keep finding them in places like my driveway when I check it over quite often. :huh: I live on a cul-de-sac in the city. Makes me wonder how they get there and who is doing the deed. But regardless, here in Albuquerque no shop will plug a bike tire because of liability issues. According to them if you are riding a plugged wheel you are limited to 50 mph and it is like the donut in the rear of your car...to get you to a place to get it fixed properly. Frankly, I agree considering a blow out on a bike isn't something I ever wish to experience first hand. A tire isn't that expensive....

I've had plenty of nails, screws and even a bottle cap cause flat tires.
The brand of tire does not matter, they all will get a nail at some point in time.

I just put the sixth plug in the rear avon (yeah 3 in the last 5 months), so I must disagree with you.
a rear tire is well over a hundred dollars, while a mushroom plug is a couple of cents.
Since I do my own work on tires, there is no shop labor in either case.

Sounds like NM has a law on the books to keep you buying new tires. I wonder how much their road hazard warranty costs.'

[image: View Post]Goosechef, on Mar 15 2009, 02:45 PM, said:

[image: View Post]elizilla, on Mar 15 2009, 11:25 AM, said:

[image: View Post]Monk, on Mar 15 2009, 12:06 PM, said:

I'm just wondering about the averages vs things that can be done about lowering them. The first thing is do you try and stay in the tyre tracks of the lanes you're using (most crap will be kicked out of that area)? The other is not following behind pickups (a major source of nails coming out of their beds)? Also following close is enough that if the vehicle in front kicks up a nail it doesn't have time to lie flat before you run over it.....Just a few thoughts I'll trough up for discussion.....Any more ideas.......Monk

Stay out of construction sites, landfills, recycle centers, frontiers, war zones, and the third world. :blink:


.............and Lousiana


Heh. See the states visited map in my sig? And the state that's not colored in?

[image: View Post]crazybrother, on Mar 15 2009, 10:34 AM, said:

Well here is a funny story & a good lesson. Last Friday was my 5th flat rear tire in less than a year :mad: WTF i'm beginning to think that someone is putting nails in my rear tires... Last year I needed new tires, so I went to my local Cycle Gear & got a set of Metzler M3 (very nice tires) BTW. So the salesman talks me into buying their Moto-guard warranty. Good thing I did, because since then I've had 5 flats & they won't repair them just replacement. Every time I get a flat it's usually only a couple of months. So I get a new tire & only have to pay for the installation & new warranty. I'm really starting to feel bad for them! Of all the other flats, the only one that left me stranded was last weeks. So I'm riding on the Freeway & start to feel the rear get a little loose, I slow down & pull into a gas station, damn a flat. I pull out my can of fix-a-flat spray it in, air it up & I'm on my way home (only 7 miles to go). Well about 2 miles down the road it goes flat again.... :angry: Now I'm pissed. OK this can't be happening again. Am I jinxed or what. Never had a flat before on the VFR :happy: What do you guy's think? If I ever get to the point of buying a new tire, I'm going back to Dunlops :cool:


I feel your pain. I just fired up my bike in the garage (still too cold to ride, but I'm getting impatient) and I was doing a visual inspection while she rumbled away. What to I find but a deep 1/2" gash in the rear tire, with a glass chunk sitting deep in the rubber. It's not leaking but I won't be riding with 'as is'. Of course it only has around 2000km of use. :mad:

Oh yeah that will be my 3rd flat in 2 years (55000km). :pissed:

Keep the faith

[image: View Post]elizilla, on Mar 15 2009, 08:18 PM, said:

[image: View Post]Goosechef, on Mar 15 2009, 02:45 PM, said:

[image: View Post]elizilla, on Mar 15 2009, 11:25 AM, said:

[image: View Post]Monk, on Mar 15 2009, 12:06 PM, said:

I'm just wondering about the averages vs things that can be done about lowering them. The first thing is do you try and stay in the tyre tracks of the lanes you're using (most crap will be kicked out of that area)? The other is not following behind pickups (a major source of nails coming out of their beds)? Also following close is enough that if the vehicle in front kicks up a nail it doesn't have time to lie flat before you run over it.....Just a few thoughts I'll trough up for discussion.....Any more ideas.......Monk

Stay out of construction sites, landfills, recycle centers, frontiers, war zones, and the third world. :blink:


.............and Lousiana


Heh. See the states visited map in my sig? And the state that's not colored in?


If I knew how to post a map,I could put all states but North Dakota,Alaska,and Hawaii. Yes I,ve been to Louisiana. I haven't been to Canada either. Glad to see you've gotten to travel. I can't think of anything I'd rather do. I carry a string plugger in my tank bag,and a mushroom gun in my side bags,along with a full one piece heavy-duty rainsuit. My logic is,if you have it you won't need it......Monk

[image: View Post]DDO-VFR, on Mar 15 2009, 08:39 PM, said:

[image: View Post]crazybrother, on Mar 15 2009, 10:34 AM, said:

Well here is a funny story & a good lesson. Last Friday was my 5th flat rear tire in less than a year :mad: WTF i'm beginning to think that someone is putting nails in my rear tires... Last year I needed new tires, so I went to my local Cycle Gear & got a set of Metzler M3 (very nice tires) BTW. So the salesman talks me into buying their Moto-guard warranty. Good thing I did, because since then I've had 5 flats & they won't repair them just replacement. Every time I get a flat it's usually only a couple of months. So I get a new tire & only have to pay for the installation & new warranty. I'm really starting to feel bad for them! Of all the other flats, the only one that left me stranded was last weeks. So I'm riding on the Freeway & start to feel the rear get a little loose, I slow down & pull into a gas station, damn a flat. I pull out my can of fix-a-flat spray it in, air it up & I'm on my way home (only 7 miles to go). Well about 2 miles down the road it goes flat again.... :angry: Now I'm pissed. OK this can't be happening again. Am I jinxed or what. Never had a flat before on the VFR :happy: What do you guy's think? If I ever get to the point of buying a new tire, I'm going back to Dunlops :cool:


I feel your pain. I just fired up my bike in the garage (still too cold to ride, but I'm getting impatient) and I was doing a visual inspection while she rumbled away. What to I find but a deep 1/2" gash in the rear tire, with a glass chunk sitting deep in the rubber. It's not leaking but I won't be riding with 'as is'. Of course it only has around 2000km of use. :mad:

Oh yeah that will be my 3rd flat in 2 years (55000km). :pissed:

Keep the faith


I noticed one post with a pic of a small chunk,and you saying you have a gash....I'm just wondering again....If these where probed to see if they aren't any deeper than the tread depth. Shouldn't they be no worse for wear than a normal tyre.....Monk

[image: View Post]Monk, on Mar 15 2009, 08:44 PM, said:

If I knew how to post a map,I could put all states but North Dakota,Alaska,and Hawaii. Yes I,ve been to Louisiana. I haven't been to Canada either. Glad to see you've gotten to travel. I can't think of anything I'd rather do. I carry a string plugger in my tank bag,and a mushroom gun in my side bags,along with a full one piece heavy-duty rainsuit. My logic is,if you have it you won't need it......Monk

It's true. I've carried a mushroom gun, sticky string, and a pump, for at least 100,000 miles. When I've had it, I have never needed it. Both times I had flats, I didn't have my tire repair kit with me. Sigh. Once, I had left my side cases behind at camp, forgetting I'd pulled the tire kit out from under the seat to make room for some other stuff. The other time, I was in Europe on a borrowed motorcycle, and my host had promised to handle that stuff, so I wouldn't have to carry it on the plane from the USA. Then he forgot.

I've had a handful of rear flats. Always a nail or screw or some such.
The only time I had a front flat, the valve stem had a leak on Big Tujunga Canyon, about 10 miles from town.
Got down the mountain on a combination of CO2 carts, and riding it on the flat tire.
That was fun. :dry:

Not a flat yet.... :blush:

Never had a flat in 26 years of riding. But I do carry a repair kit and pump with me just in case.

Dirk

[image: View Post]keny, on Mar 16 2009, 01:25 PM, said:

Not a flat yet.... :blush:

I think you're less likely to as well. From what I've seen,in lots of Europe is there's less crap on the roads...Monk

Ive never had a flat either but after reading this, Im gonna go out and get a kit and carry it on the bike.

[image: View Post]alwaysaware, on Mar 16 2009, 03:14 PM, said:

Ive never had a flat either but after reading this, Im gonna go out and get a kit and carry it on the bike.

+1

[image: View Post]VF1000R, on Mar 16 2009, 12:57 PM, said:

Never had a flat in 26 years of riding. But I do carry a repair kit and pump with me just in case.
Seems like when you're prepared, nothing ever goes wrong. So I try to always be prepared. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.