Blowouts

[bbtheking]

I've never experienced this but has anyone experienced having a blowout? If so, was it at high speed, or even low speed? Did you lose control of your bike? Were you able to get to safety easily? Was the bike hard to drive afterward?

Thanks

[92xjunker]

Proper tire maintenance and replacement, not just by milage but, age also, would prevent this from happening or at least make it a very rare occurrence not accounting for defective tires of course. Some have had the tire separate due to defects.

[bbtheking]

I totally understand but is there a standard way to handle a situation like this? I know thatyyou have to do what you have to do to save your a$$. But I was wondering is there a typical way you handle this and I was curious to see if it has happened to anyone here.

[92xjunker]

You may be able handle a rear blow out buy letting off the gas and apply the font brakes and glide to the side of the road, not any abrupt turns. You blow a front tire, you will have major loss of control if you haven't crashed when it happened, same applies as to the rear except NO front brakes.

[zuma]

Yes, I have. No, I didn't know what to do, but I just followed through intuitively and it came out okay.

About seven years ago I was on my Suzuki Marauder on a 2-lane highway doing 75. All was cool until I felt my back end swerve to the right, then to the left, then back straight. The back tire felt loose, so I used all my concentration just to keep the bike upright. I had only had the bike for three days, a cruiser, and I was used to sport bikes, so this was new to me.

I knew I could not touch front or back brakes, so I put all my strength into holding the bars steady without jerking and without losing control if the rear end swerved again. The swerving stopped, and when my speedometer showed 45 mph, I edged off the side of the road to my right and rode it to a stop in the sandy bar ditch.

I didn't know what to do in the situation, but instincts told me to lay off the throttle and lay off the brakes so I could coast to a stop in the bar ditch. I hope this is helpful to you.

Oh, I forgot...I blew a front tire at 80 on the sport bike (GSX 750 ES) a year prior. I did basically the same thing.

[Stefano Il Postino]

"yes I didn't know what to do, I intuitively followed through..." Not at all surprised, I think I might instinctively shit myself too!

[zuma]

"yes I didn't know what to do, I intuitively followed through..." Not at all surprised, I think I might instinctively shit myself too!

It happens so fast. It's one of those "your life flashes in front of you moments" and in my case, my mind machine guns adrenaline through me, a good thing, and FOCUS is everything.

[bbtheking]

Wow. That's awesome everything turned out ok. I know that motorcyclists face some of the same hazards car drivers do and more. Of course, a car blow out is fairly intuitive and simple if you've been driving for a while. Thanks for the input Zuma! I'm sure I'd sh!t my pants if that happened.

[michael Douglas]

I would shit myself. I had a flat on the highwy, but it was slow enough of a puncture to let me slowly ride off to the side. I had already slowed down. The bike definitey will feel super sluggish..

[TT120]

I had a rear blow out just as I was geting on the gas and entering a freeway onramp. The back end swung way out and my dirt experience took over. I put my foot down and took some weight off the bike while using my foot as a balance point. Eased off the gas (do not chop the throttle) and got the bike back under me. Then I was able to get off to the side of the road and used the front brake very gently to stop. I didn't have time to be scared, my years of dirt bike experience kicked in immediately and I managed to stay on the bike.

[FotoTomas]

A couple of months ago I was riding my Honda Shadow Aero 750 west on I-4 from Daytona and my front tube went out. Thing is I did not notice until I tried to exit at the108 mile marker. I was doing about 60 and I was trying to turn right to exit, the bike wanted to go straight and fought me so I turned harder at which point the bike went waaaay to the right and I had to fight it back to the left all while trying to stay upright and out of the trees. To this day I do not know how I did not kill myself on that turn.

As a side note... there is a marker in the trees where a motorcycle went off at the same spot and the rider was killed.

The problem was I had replaced both tires with brand new Dunlops the week before and the shop stated the tubes were good so I did not replace them. They were wrong. The shop was only five miles away so I filled up the tire and rode it in with several road stop air fills. (battery air pump) The shop manager heard my story and took it to the back. The shop staff was amazed with the way the tube had blown (two wide rips across the flat) and sold me two new tubes and installed them at no cost. She has been running sweet since then.

Blow outs can be very scary and dangerous.

[crazycraven420]

I prefer tubeless tires at every chance I get

[michael Douglas]

Blow outs are my worst nightmare.. That and steering wobble.

When it happens to me, I don't know what I'll do... probably try to hold on for dear life

[bluelinewall]

I believe if the front tire goes out, you sit as far back as possible and use the rear brake to slow. When the back tire goes I believe you sit as far forward as possible and use your front brakes to slow. I have never had to deal with it and hope it stays that way. Proper tire pressure and regular checking of the tire conditions go a long way.

[FireKit]

watch out with putting your feet down with a heavier bike, your foot can get caught under the bike or catch a gap in the roadway and the weight of the bike will break your femur or ankle pretty quick.