On my way back from a business trip to New Haven this morning I was behind a biker on one of those cruising bikes…I think it was a honda. It was big I know that. But I was wondering, if he had a flat, he and his wife would be plastered all over the highway…And it made me wonder what motorcyclists do when they get a flat…Does it happen often? Do you check your tired before you ride…everytime?
Mundane I know…thus the forum.
I used to get the occasional flat when I was riding offroad. (i.e., before I was old enough for a license.) I don’t remember how it affected the bike.
I’ve had two flats and a broken chain while riding street bikes. Both flats occurred at low speeds: when I was getting on the freeway, and just as I started off from parking. Both flats were on the rear tyre. The bikes became “squirrelly”. I don’t know what would have happened at high speed. But I’ve never “blown” a tire. They just leaked, and the handling became progressively worse. I think that in most cases the rider would have time to slow gradually to a stop.
When the chain broke on my XJ600 the rear wheel locked up. I started to skid. Then the force being applied to the chain that was wrapped around the swingarm caused the swingarm to deform. The wheel began rotating again and I made a safe stop in the centre divider.
Had a flat whilst riding a little Yamaha T80, (think of a Honda 90 style) and you simply sort them out at the roadside pretty much as you would with a bicycle with glue patches for the inner tube, as long as you have brought a few tools along for the ride.
Also had one when out for a blast, I was struggling to keep up on my Honda CB750F2 but the puncture didn’t help. It was not an instant blow out, just a steady slow loss of air. Used that gunk you inject in through the valve, worked a treat.
Tch… I thought this was going to be about dragging a motorbike up the stairs of an apartment block, or something :rolleyes: