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Message started by Ramsforever on 06/11/09 at 10:03:39

Title: Front tire question
Post by Ramsforever on 06/11/09 at 10:03:39
Has anybody had the front tire go down when riding? Is it possible to keep the bike up until you can stop it?

Just wondering.

Thanks!

Title: Re: Front tire question
Post by serowbot on 06/11/09 at 10:20:33
You mean a flat?...
Sure,!... Just try to keep going in a straight line, don't panic,... use the rear brake to slow down gently,... you don't want to transfer to much weight to the front... when you're down to a slow jog, gently steer to the side of the road...  if it resists steering input, don't force it, (wave off vehicles behind you)  stop slowly,  get off and walk it off the road.
Panic,... will get you tossed....

On a different bike, I've ridden several miles on a front flat.... totally shredded it,.. but no crash...

Title: Re: Front tire question
Post by Ramsforever on 06/11/09 at 10:34:45

5741564B53464B50240 wrote:
On a different bike, I've ridden several miles on a front flat.... totally shredded it,.. but no crash...


Wow  :o

Thanks for the advice.

Title: Re: Front tire question
Post by Stimpy on 06/11/09 at 11:40:53
...since the savage is a "low-speed bike"
I use SLIME in both tires, really works.

This might give you those extra few precious seconds
you need to come to a safe stop in case of trouble or,
even better if get a puncture, it seals itself and allows
you to get home normally and you may not even notice
this till' the next day in you garage, if at all.

(i also carry canned air in my backpack
at all times, self reliance rules!)

www.slime.com
;)  

Title: Re: Front tire question
Post by Ramsforever on 06/12/09 at 07:20:36
Does the SLIME effect the inner tube?

I mean does it hurt it? I know that fix-a flat can cause damage to a car tire, so just wondering if SLIME does the same to an inner tube.

TIA

Title: Re: Front tire question
Post by bill67 on 06/12/09 at 08:26:04
Slime has one for tubes and one for tires.

Title: Re: Front tire question
Post by Phelonius on 06/12/09 at 09:32:48
A flat or blowout on a front tire is less detrimental to the handling of the bike than a rear tire. Judgement made by personal experience. Over my 45 years of riding experience, tires have gotten much better in quality and such mishaps are less common today.
I have had more than one flat on the front, I don't remember exactly how many but the steering simply got very stiff and sluggish.  I would not use the front brake when such occurs, but roll to the side of the road slowing gently with the rear brake.
A blowout on the rear tire causes instant instability and back and forth wobble that is very difficult to control, sometimes impossible. If it happens in a curve, the likelyhood of a crash is very high.
I once rode 25 miles down a mountain in Oregon on a flat fron tire to get to town. I rode at speeds above 60 MPH so that centrifugal force would keep the tire round. NO REAR BRAKE WAS USED. In curves, I would hike my butt as far to the rear as possible and slow in a straight line, then accellerate through the curve to unweight the front wheel.
This was on an SL350 Honda which weighed about the same as a Savage but being a Dual purpose bike had considerabley better handling under the circumstances.

Phelonius

Title: Re: Front tire question
Post by bill67 on 06/12/09 at 10:12:57
   
I've only had one flat while riding,It was on a Suzuki GS1000, my wife was on the back,It was the rear and it started wobbling a lot I thought it was the front because it wobble so much.

Title: Re: Front tire question
Post by John_D on 06/12/09 at 12:43:04

132B262F2C2D2A3630430 wrote:
A flat or blowout on a front tire is less detrimental to the handling of the bike than a rear tire. Judgement made by personal experience. Over my 45 years of riding experience, tires have gotten much better in quality and such mishaps are less common today.
I have had more than one flat on the front, I don't remember exactly how many but the steering simply got very stiff and sluggish.  I would not use the front brake when such occurs, but roll to the side of the road slowing gently with the rear brake.
A blowout on the rear tire causes instant instability and back and forth wobble that is very difficult to control, sometimes impossible. If it happens in a curve, the likelyhood of a crash is very high.
I once rode 25 miles down a mountain in Oregon on a flat fron tire to get to town. I rode at speeds above 60 MPH so that centrifugal force would keep the tire round. NO REAR BRAKE WAS USED. In curves, I would hike my butt as far to the rear as possible and slow in a straight line, then accellerate through the curve to unweight the front wheel.
This was on an SL350 Honda which weighed about the same as a Savage but being a Dual purpose bike had considerabley better handling under the circumstances.

Phelonius

Just out of curiosity, have you had a flat on any portion of a sidecar rig (car or bike)?  If so, how was handling affected?
The idea of a blowout on my bike is not a comforting thought.  Had it happen on a bicycle as a kid, and wiped out good.  Of course it was on a gravel road, so that never helps either! :o

Title: Re: Front tire question
Post by Phelonius on 06/12/09 at 16:22:46
I have had one flat on the sidecar tire. I ran over a chip of wood with a nail sticking straight up.  I turned around and slowly went back to town. ( about one mile)  The tire was very soft but not yet flat until I pulled the thing out. I did not have a passenger at the time
I weighted to the outside so that very little weight was on the sidecar tire. No serious handling problem. I stopped behind a gas station so that I would have compressed air after patching the tube.

BTW The first post should say NO FRONT BRAKE WAS USED.  My brain was not in gear when I posted the first one.

Phelonius

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