[Snoopy]

Don't remember this being discussed but has anyone had a front flat at highway speed and how did the bike handle. I have had two rear flats one at 90 the other at 60 large hole in the tire both times. The bike handled great with no problems until I could get to the shoulder of the road. One flat with the Elite 3 the other with Bridgestone.

 

[Joseph]

I rarely post any more but I have recent experience on this.

A couple weeks ago I was running at 85 mph north bound on the 5 freeway in Ocean Side CA in the number three lane. Just ahead and one lane over I spotted what looked like a large jagged chunk of concrete about 6 inches in diameter spin off the side of a car tire. Before I could think “Oh chit” it went directly in my path and was still moving when I hit it. The impact was dead on, the front suspension bottomed out hard enough that I felt it all the way to my shoulders, speaker grills flew past my head and the front end left the ground followed by the rear tire for a split second. I know because the engine revved while on cruise control. I was pulling my trailer and it struck it as well.

My front rim was bent approximately 3 1/2 “long and 1 inch up and out. Obviously I lost all air within a second or two and had an out of round rim to boot. The trailer did some nasty jerking and the handlebars started to shake side to side violently. With a bent rim and flat tire it was like I had a board strapped to the rim The first thing that went through my mind was I can do this, I can do this. Rather than grabbing the grips hard I let them loose. I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do but it’s what I did. The bars swung back and forth from my finger tips to my wrists. As the speed dropped on its own (I didn’t touch the brakes, another conscious decision) the shaking reduced. Once it dropped down to about 50 mph I was able to grab the bars and ride it to the side of the road, and a rough ride it was with a bent rim and flat tire. The front tires bead was broken all way around, front fender torn up as well as the rear fender and under carriage of my trailer was ripped up from stem to stern.

I did walk back and locate what I think was the chunk of conrete I hit. I will never know for sure, no paint on it and it wasn't talking. I had to drive it for about a mile on the shoulder at 3 to 5 mph to the next off ramp, called a tow truck and my insurance company.

I wish I could say skill kept the bike up… But I don’t think anything kept it up other than the good Lord and my Guardian Angle.


I'm certainly not trying to indicate what I did was correct, its just the choice I made and how it turned out.

 

[Snoopy]

I had one front flat years ago on a Honda CB350 I didn't go down but it was all I could do to keep it up. Was just woundering how the size and weight of the Goldwing would affect this. I know the rear flat is nothing like what is was years ago on the older bikes

 

[ElBando]

We all know that old saying..."You can't argue with success" What you did worked. Certainly grabbing the brake in a flat tire situation is bad, I think most people know that. As far as how much pressure to apply to the handle bars I don't really know, I sometimes think holding tight would be better but I really don't know. By letting the bars shake a little.. that might have acted like some type of "damper " and prevented a violent reaction on the front end. I don't have any experience with a flat front tire but I do with the rear. On a smaller bike..twin Honda...I almost lost it but I held the front bars tight for dear life and I kept it up. Still don't know if that was luck or the right thing. I posted a topic on this board with the same question a while back. Maybe do a search. Anyway most of the replies to me were positive...most people had blowouts at highway speeds on their GWs and kept it up.

 

[Joseph]

ElBando... I have had a couple on the rear of the wing and its never been a big deal. The front was but the impact and bent rim Im sure made a differance. Im not sure if the tire bead would have broken free if it has just been a puncture or blow out.

 

[Brendan]

How about standing on the pegs to get your center of gravity lower, do you think that would help ?

 

[Diavalos]

Oh yes...and I never want to repeat that experience.

Several years ago, the front inner tube split on my GL1000 at 80-85mph. The only indication was a sudden loss of power. Believing that I had engine problems, I pulled in the clutch and began to coast to a stop. At about 30mph the bike went into a violent tank slapper that lasted until the wing flopped to a stop. To this day I can't explain how the bike and I remained upright.

The only damage was a flat tire, ruined tube, and pair of heavily soiled Fruit of the Looms. After I calmed down, out came the tool kit complete with tire irons, patch kit, and air pump. Searching for something to wedge under the engine to lift the front tire off the ground took longer than fixing the flat!

Lessson learned:

1. Always replace the inner tube with each tire change because they fatigue and wear out as well.

2. Carry a small block of wood to use as a jack.

 

[zaT111]

You may want to try a search, if I remember correctly Tom Finch had a valve stem go bad releasing air (lost support, centrifugal force cracked valve stem). The loss of air was manageable and his speeds may :twisted: have been above the legal limit.

 

[Roadking522]

Oh yes...and I never want to repeat that experience.

Several years ago, the front inner tube split on my GL1000 at 80-85mph. The only indication was a sudden loss of power. Believing that I had engine problems, I pulled in the clutch and began to coast to a stop. At about 30mph the bike went into a violent tank slapper that lasted until the wing flopped to a stop. To this day I can't explain how the bike and I remained upright.

The only damage was a flat tire, ruined tube, and pair of heavily soiled Fruit of the Looms. After I calmed down, out came the tool kit complete with tire irons, patch kit, and air pump. Searching for something to wedge under the engine to lift the front tire off the ground took longer than fixing the flat!

Lessson learned:

1. Always replace the inner tube with each tire change because they fatigue and wear out as well.

2. Carry a small block of wood to use as a jack.

Inner tubes ???? :shock: :shock:

 

[JP3]

I rarely post any more but I have recent experience on this.

A couple weeks ago I was running at 85 mph north bound on the 5 freeway in Ocean Side CA in the number three lane. Just ahead and one lane over I spotted what looked like a large jagged chunk of concrete about 6 inches in diameter spin off the side of a car tire. Before I could think “Oh chit” it went directly in my path and was still moving when I hit it. The impact was dead on, the front suspension bottomed out hard enough that I felt it all the way to my shoulders, speaker grills flew past my head and the front end left the ground followed by the rear tire for a split second. I know because the engine revved while on cruise control. I was pulling my trailer and it struck it as well.

My front rim was bent approximately 3 1/2 “long and 1 inch up and out. Obviously I lost all air within a second or two and had an out of round rim to boot. The trailer did some nasty jerking and the handlebars started to shake side to side violently. With a bent rim and flat tire it was like I had a board strapped to the rim The first thing that went through my mind was I can do this, I can do this. Rather than grabbing the grips hard I let them loose. I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do but it’s what I did. The bars swung back and forth from my finger tips to my wrists. As the speed dropped on its own (I didn’t touch the brakes, another conscious decision) the shaking reduced. Once it dropped down to about 50 mph I was able to grab the bars and ride it to the side of the road, and a rough ride it was with a bent rim and flat tire. The front tires bead was broken all way around, front fender torn up as well as the rear fender and under carriage of my trailer was ripped up from stem to stern.

I did walk back and locate what I think was the chunk of conrete I hit. I will never know for sure, no paint on it and it wasn't talking. I had to drive it for about a mile on the shoulder at 3 to 5 mph to the next off ramp, called a tow truck and my insurance company.

I wish I could say skill kept the bike up… But I don’t think anything kept it up other than the good Lord and my Guardian Angle.


I'm certainly not trying to indicate what I did was correct, its just the choice I made and how it turned out.

Thanks for posting this. I always like to learn how others deal with emergency situations.

Glad you walked away from it to ride another day.

 

[laen]

I rarely post any more but I have recent experience on this.

A couple weeks ago I was running at 85 mph north bound on the 5 freeway in Ocean Side CA in the number three lane. Just ahead and one lane over I spotted what looked like a large jagged chunk of concrete about 6 inches in diameter spin off the side of a car tire. Before I could think “Oh chit” it went directly in my path and was still moving when I hit it. The impact was dead on, the front suspension bottomed out hard enough that I felt it all the way to my shoulders, speaker grills flew past my head and the front end left the ground followed by the rear tire for a split second. I know because the engine revved while on cruise control. I was pulling my trailer and it struck it as well.

My front rim was bent approximately 3 1/2 “long and 1 inch up and out. Obviously I lost all air within a second or two and had an out of round rim to boot. The trailer did some nasty jerking and the handlebars started to shake side to side violently. With a bent rim and flat tire it was like I had a board strapped to the rim The first thing that went through my mind was I can do this, I can do this. Rather than grabbing the grips hard I let them loose. I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do but it’s what I did. The bars swung back and forth from my finger tips to my wrists. As the speed dropped on its own (I didn’t touch the brakes, another conscious decision) the shaking reduced. Once it dropped down to about 50 mph I was able to grab the bars and ride it to the side of the road, and a rough ride it was with a bent rim and flat tire. The front tires bead was broken all way around, front fender torn up as well as the rear fender and under carriage of my trailer was ripped up from stem to stern.

I did walk back and locate what I think was the chunk of conrete I hit. I will never know for sure, no paint on it and it wasn't talking. I had to drive it for about a mile on the shoulder at 3 to 5 mph to the next off ramp, called a tow truck and my insurance company.

I wish I could say skill kept the bike up… But I don’t think anything kept it up other than the good Lord and my Guardian Angle.


I'm certainly not trying to indicate what I did was correct, its just the choice I made and how it turned out.

Absolute skillful riding and thinking.

 

[Quickdraw (OH)]

I haven't posted for quite a while but when I saw this it reminded me of an incident I had.

Around 1980 my girlfriend at the time and I were riding my '78 CB 750 when the inner tube blew. We had just finished a left hand curve and straightened up going down hill when the front felt like it sank and the handle bars started a violent tank slapping. I let off the gas and held on. We were traveling at 45 mph when the tire went and slowly drifted to the right. I had the bike slowed to a walking speed when the front rim hit the dirt off the edge of the road. The front end stuck and the rear end came around and dumped us half on and half off the road. Neither of us got hurt. Barely scratched my leather jacket.

The two guys I was riding with came back to see if we were ok then went to find a pay phone to call a guy with a van. Back at the ranch we pulled the tire and replaced the tube. I was riding again the next day.

Of course it took a few hours and a number of beers before I unclenched enough to make water but I was young and it was a minor scare. I sure wouldn't want to do that again. My girlfriend said all she heard was "Oh sh**, oh sh**, oh sh** until we hit. Gotta laugh.

Gregg
02 Black GL 1800

 

[Guest]

I had a flat which was not a sudden pressure loss.

I was traveling Interstate 20 coming into Jackson, Mississippi. I noticed that the bike seemed to be wandering left and right. At first, I thought it was because of the truck ruts in the right lane. I tried adjusting my position in the lane, but the problem actually got worse. I changed lanes to the left lane, where there were no ruts. The wandering got a little less, but it was still there. I decided to pull off at the next exit as I needed fuel anyway. When I pulled into the gas station, I got off and checked the front tire. It was almost all the way down. I tried to fill the tire with my compressor that I carry and found that I had a leak at the valve stem. It was cracked about 1/4 through. It would still hold air, but not for long.

I called a few bikes shops until I could find one on Saturday that could help me. I aired the tire up, and rode the bike to the shop, where they replaced the valve stem and got me on my way.

 

[joe_flash]

Tom Finch seems to have them regularly... I think he lives for them.. :lol:

 

[John in YVR]

I had a front tire puncture at about 50 mph. At least I think it was about that speed - I did not notice anything unusual until I slowed to turn and then I thought that my head bearing had somehow jammed. The slower I went the harder it was to turn. By the time I got to a service station - about 3 mins - the tire was flat and now VERY hard to turn.

I happened to have a 1/2 inch wood screw in my tool kit. I screwed it into the hole, put in air and waited 10 mins. The pressure stayed up so I rode it that was to a dealser (about 25 mins). Yes it click-click-clicked down the road, but the screw worked. (An old trick that I've read about but it worked the first time I tried it.)

PS after this I installed the SmarTire sensors and am very pleased with it.

 

[cosmic_chariot]

A bunch of years ago .. a bunch of us riding on a sunday afternoon.. the lead bike hit a 4x4 peice of wood laying on the highway... blew out his front tire... he tried to save it.. but we were running about 75MPH... he ran off the road into a ditch... went airborne... broke his right leg..
he fully recovered.. but was a scary sight...

cosmic

 

[LordZarkon]

had a front tire go down on my old 1500 a few years ago.... the valve
stem hadnt been replaced in years... the previous owner had let it
sit for a long time..... i took it out for its first 100mph plus run down the highway and it lost the little plastic tab and the valve stem started
loosing air fast.......

i noticed some slop up front first........but it wasnt till i made my first
left turn after i got off the hiway.... the bike layed waaaay over
in the turn and almost pinned my foot under the shifter.... thats when
i knew something was wrong with the front,,,,,but at this point i didnt
know it was a front flat........ i managed to drive it another 15miles
until i got home..... and only the last right turn near my house
was where the bike did the wierdest thing.... i turned right and the
bike tried to go left.... i was only doing about 10-15mph.... and
i was sooo glad to get it into the barn to see what was causing all this
and then of course discovered the totally cracked open valve stem....

so......... i guess if ya get lucky..... a front flat can be rideable....
especially if u dont have enuf sense to stop ;-).... i figured as
long as its moving.... im headin fer home and just goin slow.... if
it would have behaved any worse.... then i would have pullled over
fer sure.... but it seemed managable ;-)

thats my story and im stickin toit ;-)

 

[Rid'nrandy]

I haven't experienced a flat on the front of my GL 1800, but I have on the back. I've had flats on the back tire on other motorcycles in the past (2002 Yamaha Royal Star Venture for one) and it was a hand full to keep them up while slowing down to get off of the road. With the Goldwing it took me quite awhile to be convinced I even had a flat. Because the radial tires have a tendancy to be self supporting the bike is not affected by the tire losing the air like on other bikes with regular tires. I'm guessing that as long as the tire doesn't suffer from catastrophic failure it should remain controllable.
I had a flat tire on a 350 Honda one time while doing highway speed and it was very difficult to stay in my own lane.

 

[Guest]

Knock on wood - 40 years riding, over 30 bikes and hundreds of thousands of miles. never a flat tire. I would not have a clue.

 

[robeth]

I had one front flat years ago on a Honda CB350......

What year was it? I didn't know Honda made 350's in 1927.



Bob E.

PS.....my head is flat; does that count?