Well, that's a first for me...

[oramac]

So, I went out yesterday for a ride.  The weather was beautiful, just the right amount of clouds and sunshine with a temperature of about 77.  I was psyched about wringing out the SV a little on some clean, curvy, country roads.  About five or six miles into the ride, something just did not feel right.  The bike seemed to want to wander, just a little, from side to side, and inputs became more sluggish.     

I got to the first fast sweeper, and the bike started to fight me ever so slightly, trying to stand up and straighten out with just a little front end wobble.  I kept checking the front end, looking down several times at my front tire/wheel 'cause it felt out of balance, or maybe low pressure, or maybe out of round...I couldn't tell exactly what it was.  It continued to worsen until I decided to pull over and check the bike over.  Upon slowing, the problem became VERY obvious.  The rear end start sliding back and forth like I was riding on jelly.  I fought the bike through a slow left turn, pulled to the shoulder and put the kickstand down.  Hopped off and looked down at the rear tire...





The next hour or so was spent on the phone trying to get my bike trailer to where I was.  At least the weather was nice and my breakdown spot had a beautiful view.   

I don't know what caused the tire to go down, but the shredding is from riding on it I'm sure.  I feel very fortunate that I never lost control, that the tire didn't break its bead, the tire didn't fly apart (though I think it was close, and the rim received no damage at all.

Wow.  Now I have to decide what tire to put on next; Conti Road Attacks, or Michelin Pilot Powers.  Decisions, decisions.   

[5thAve]

Glad the rubber side (even shredded) stayed 'down'.

[The Buddha]

Its the hatred darts of gstwin ... muhahahahahahahah ... hahahahahaha ... hahahahahahaha ...
Oops ... maybe the buddha will cover the SV with his spare coat of armor.
Cool.
Buddha.

[Trwhouse]

Hi there,
Your tire valve looks strange. It's bent.
Could someone have done that intentionally and caused your air loss?
I can't imagine how that could have happened on it's own.
Perhaps that  is what caused your flat.
I'd replace that valve.
It looks like it is pulling out of the rim.
Let us know what you find.
Good luck,
Trwhouse

[ohgood]

Hi there,
Your tire valve looks strange. It's bent.
Could someone have done that intentionally and caused your air loss?
I can't imagine how that could have happened on it's own.
Perhaps that  is what caused your flat.
I'd replace that valve.
It looks like it is pulling out of the rim.
Let us know what you find.
Good luck,
Trwhouse

ya man, i was thinking the same thing.

the tire shredding must have been a defect, or you rode it for a looooooong time with low pressure. i'm using these now:



yes, i know, someone will bash me for not checking before each ride with a 'real' pressure gauge. whatever. if it's GREEN, i ride. if it's not,  i check. there, i can check at a stop sign if i want


how you liking the sv ? i LOVE the sound of a sv 1000 or tlr. fantastic drummin noises those things make  !

ride on !

[Hawk996]

Yea, believe it or not rear blow outs are more dangerous than fronts.  Good save.  I am running  Pirelli Diablos on my bike and I love them.  They really stick and you can find deals pretty easily on line. 

[Y2K6GS500F]

Whoa, Good Save! That must have been scary.

[bucks1605]

Wow, that's crazy. I've got Pilot Powers and I can vouch for them, great tires. What kind of mileage have you been getting out of your sv? I went out yesterday, pretty much all highway with some country roads and got the fuel light at about 115 miles. I put about another 20 on after the light turned on and didn't run out. I think that's about average, is yours any better?

[cstilt]

I feel your pain.  I walked out to take the GS for a spin and noticed a rock in my rear tire. Bent down to pry it out and thought.  Why does this rock have 6 sides and a place for a screwdriver? (honest to God thoughts)  So yeah, my rear Sport Demon with under 100miles has to get replaced.

I'm glad you kept it shiney side up during your ride.  I know I'm going to pay more attention to my tires before my next ride.

[oramac]

Your tire valve looks strange. It's bent.
Could someone have done that intentionally and caused your air loss?
I can't imagine how that could have happened on it's own.

It didn't happen on its own...it was designed that way.  It's a 90 degree valve...easier to access and fill.  The front and rear valves are both that way...not a defect.

I live on an alley that frequently has unwanted objects in it.  I've had several flats/slow leaks in my cars while living here.  I think it just went down slowly, and I destroyed the tire while trying to figure out why the handling was so sluggish.  I'll know better next time.

[BaltimoreGS]

ya man, i was thinking the same thing.

the tire shredding must have been a defect, or you rode it for a looooooong time with low pressure. i'm using these now:



yes, i know, someone will bash me for not checking before each ride with a 'real' pressure gauge. whatever. if it's GREEN, i ride. if it's not,  i check. there, i can check at a stop sign if i want


how you liking the sv ? i LOVE the sound of a sv 1000 or tlr. fantastic drummin noises those things make  !


Hey,

Not to discourage anyone who is actively trying to monitor their tire pressure but I have seen a lot of customers with those add on cap sensors and I have yet to see any that are very accurate.  Do some experiments with your caps and a good tire pressure gauge and see how accurate yours our.  Another problem I have seen are from the threads on the caps being made of metal instead of plastic like a regular valve stem cap.  If moisture gets in the threads, corrosion forms and the caps seize on the valve stem and won't uncsrew.  At that point you have to break the tire bead and replace the valve stem.  My 2 cents.....

-Jessie

ride on !
[/quote]

[Porkchop]

I feel very fortunate that I never lost control, that the tire didn't break its bead, the tire didn't fly apart (though I think it was close, and the rim received no damage at all.

Glad you stayed upright!

yes, i know, someone will bash me for not checking before each ride with a 'real' pressure gauge

I won't bash anyone for using cap sensors as long as they still check the actual air pressure regularly.  Checking every ride would be great but I have to admit that I only check my tire pressure in the morning before I go to work but only eyeball the tire in the afternoon before going home.  The cap sensors are great to catch the slow leaks between rides.