Chain and Tire Question

[jaypeezy215]

Hey everyone. Just took my bike out after a few months. I have a few questions. I was riding today, and when i got back i realized there was a nail in my tire. My friend who has a gsx-r had a leak in his tire and it blew the other night so I'm wondering if its still saffe to ride with the nail in it? I'm sure it'll be ok given I've been riding around all day, just trying to get some other opinions. My second question is how does one know whether or not they  need a new chain. Since i left my bike outside for the winter, my chain looks rusted and I was wondering if I needed to buy a new one? thanks again for the help, this forum has always been newbie friendy 

[beRto]

Per the tire issue, here's a recent thread on the topic (I would suggest you replace the tire):
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=39965.0

As for the chain, it depends if it's only surface rust (normal) or rust that is affecting the internals of the chain (bad). A picture would be helpful (especially a close-up of the o-ring sections).

[ohgood]

Hey everyone. Just took my bike out after a few months. I have a few questions. I was riding today, and when i got back i realized there was a nail in my tire. My friend who has a gsx-r had a leak in his tire and it blew the other night so I'm wondering if its still saffe to ride with the nail in it? I'm sure it'll be ok given I've been riding around all day, just trying to get some other opinions. My second question is how does one know whether or not they  need a new chain. Since i left my bike outside for the winter, my chain looks rusted and I was wondering if I needed to buy a new one? thanks again for the help, this forum has always been newbie friendy 

tire: depends on the tread left, and where the puncture is. pictures will help. some will plug, some will replace, some don't lean past 10 degrees in ANY turn. post a pic.

chain: the amount of rust and known stretch is a good indicator. a good cleaning with WD-40 can show your chain is still plenty of life left. OR it can show there is a link about to crack. If you're like this guy, and just throw some oil on a rusty chain without checking it.....


you may just regret it. Notice the master link did not fail, and he admitted he didn't clean it for 8 months or so, and it was rusty, so he 'oiled' it.



pics of the chain cleaned and where your adjusters are will tell us allot.

[jaypeezy215]

thanks alot for the pictures. I'll post some tommorow after my first class. Yeah i bought a brand new rear tire, i was just wondering can i make it to the motorcycle shop or sohuld i tow it down?

[Travis-Mc]

I'd ride it.  You rode all day on it and had no problems.  I'd go nice and slow and don't lean it over any.   

[GSnoober]

thanks alot for the pictures. I'll post some tommorow after my first class. Yeah i bought a brand new rear tire, i was just wondering can i make it to the motorcycle shop or sohuld i tow it down?

Just remove the wheel and take it in with the new tire; you'll save a chunk of money (in labor costs) getting the tire mounted by removing (and reinstalling) the wheel yourself. Is it really worth risking damage to yourself and your GS just because you want to squeeze a few more miles out of a tire? Who is more at fault if you ride the bike, wreck it, and get injured: the guy who "advised" you to keep riding it, or you for not recognizing how dangerous that is? What happens if the tire suddenly loses air, and you ride it off the rim, sending you directly into the path of an oncoming schoolbus? Should anyone grieve for you? Will your survivors try to sue GSTwins.com for the "advice" you got, or accept the fact that you CHOSE to ride, knowing the tire put your life at risk? If you survive the crash, but lose an arm or a leg as a result, who would you blame?

This isn't a smart thing to do; you seem willing to endanger your motorcycle AND your health when common sense tells you that you have only TWO contact patches with the road, and ONE of them has a nail in it. Do the math, OK? One of the two items that keep you from making contact with the asphalt is DEFECTIVE; just because the tire hasn't failed yet, does that entitle you to think that it won't fail until you get to the dealership? Isn't it logical to conclude that every second you're stressing a defective tire brings you closer to the moment of failure? Forget about your GS; is your life/health really worth the risK? If you don't get hurt, but you damage the GS, who should pay for the repairs?

My (now former) brother-in-law had his left arm almost completely severed in a crash, just by riding to the gas staion on a low tire. It did NOT have a nail in it; as it turned out, it didn't have a lot of AIR in it, either, and he had no business riding on it. The surgeons were able to reattach his arm that night, but it didn't heal properly, and he required two more sugeries to keep from losing his arm forever. He never got on a motorcycle again; can't say I blame him... but the accident was HIS fault, for riding on a low tire. I didn't see the accident, but I rode through the intersection not long after the ambulance left with him in it, and the amount of blood in the road told me something VERY bad had happened there. I kept riding, not realizing that the wrecked motorcycle lying next to the curb was his; we had planned on meeting at his house, and leave on a long day trip from there. When I got to his place, my (pregnant) sister was nearly hysterical; she'd just been notified about the accident by a friend who worked in the ER at the hospital... it was probably a minor miracle that she didn't have a miscarriage. As terrible as it was, it would have been a LOT worse if we'd had to hold a funeral for him, OR the baby... or maybe both of them.

There are times you can take risks and get lucky; this shouldn't be one of them. Take enough needless risks, and you won't live long enough to be an old-timer, posting in a forum mainly populated by new riders, trying to help them survive long enough to become old-timers, and keep the old traditions alive... especially the one where old-timers help new riders learn what mistakes NOT to make, BEFORE the shaZam! hits the fan.

[Travis-Mc]

Sooo..  jaypeezy215, did you ride it to the shop or trailer it or take the wheel off and bring it there?