Bent Rim... Front Tire Blow Out... Crashed

[pmong]

Police had to be involved because there were 9 riders stopped on a highway exit ramp with no shoulder and crazy car drivers barrelling down the blind exit. For the safety of us all we needed the police to close the lane before someone got killed.

Since it was an accident scene the state police arranged for the tow. I have a AAA membership, but they are useless and don't tow motorcycles anyway.

Tim, sorry to hear about the problem and crash. Pot holes can be hell, and it is getting worse. Good that the accident was not worse.

Interesting thing about the tow and AAA. Here in Southern California, one can buy a special membership that includes motorcycle towing. My son has used it twice, with a flatbed truck. Maybe there is that option in your state.

 

[Guest]

Wow Tim, just came across this thread, glad you're ok!

When I learnt to ride, the instructor drummed into my head constantly about road positioning... avoiding potholes, manhole covers, the centre of the lane when stopping, white lines... this is just another reminder to do so.

Just saw the first clip and yeah sometime's they're just too hard to dodge!

 

[Tim Tom]

Tim Tom, glad you're ok, but I'd move out of Newark and out to western NJ for some enjoyable riding from looking at your video(maybe not heavy traffic but still crap).

Well thats where we were headed . Had a nice 200 mile loop including High Point, Port Jervis, and Bear Mountain. The three best riding areas around by far. Unfortunately the only way to get out of Newark is by highways. Unless you want to take surface streets through some REALLY bad areas. The kind of areas where you half expect everyone to knock you off your bike and steal it. I'd take the highways every time.

Tim, sorry to hear about the problem and crash. Pot holes can be hell, and it is getting worse. Good that the accident was not worse.

Interesting thing about the tow and AAA. Here in Southern California, one can buy a special membership that includes motorcycle towing. My son has used it twice, with a flatbed truck. Maybe there is that option in your state.

Paul thanks for the advice with AAA, I'm gonna have to look into it for sure. This is the second time now I've had to pay out the ear for a tow, and I really don't want to have to do it a third time...

Wow Tim, just came across this thread, glad you're ok!

Just saw the first clip and yeah sometime's they're just too hard to dodge!

Thanks Pete. I'm doing alright, but still bummed that I haven't had time to get the bike fixed up yet. I have the damn replacement wheel just 30 miles away, but I've been so damn busy I haven't had an hour to myself, let alone enough time to get it fixed. I may have to call in sick on Monday to fix it. Hmmm....

I think I will be sick if I don't get a bike ride soon

 

[lurch12_2000]

Well thats where we were headed . Had a nice 200 mile loop including High Point, Port Jervis, and Bear Mountain. The three best riding areas around by far. Unfortunately the only way to get out of Newark is by highways. Unless you want to take surface streets through some REALLY bad areas. The kind of areas where you half expect everyone to knock you off your bike and steal it. I'd take the highways every time.

No, I meant move out there....not just for the day ride, but permanently and get a nice place in the country and enjoy riding from your front doorstep! My wife was born in Newark but no need for us to spend anytime down there.

 

[Tim Tom]

No, I meant move out there....not just for the day ride, but permanently and get a nice place in the country and enjoy riding from your front doorstep! My wife was born in Newark but no need for us to spend anytime down there.

Hahaha I'd love to. Unfortunately it is WAYY too economical and convenient to live within walking distance of school and work. However once school is done (this Christmas!!) you bet your ass I will be moving out of the city.

 

[shwaz]

still ashamed of myself for not pulling over after that hit.

been in denver most of this week, but ardbeglily dropped off a front wheel and tire at my in-laws in highland park. gotta make it down there this weekend hopefully to pick it up. the goofball didn't take the envelope with the money i left out for him either gonna have to ship some irish whiskey to him or something.

anyway, i hear you tim about needing a ride. i'm itching to get mine healthy again... not to mention my 1000 (carbs are 95% back together again... i'm inching ahead on the rebuild)!

anyway, i'm definitely going to look into some insurance options and make sure they include towing, or find out how i can upgrade my insurance for more than a 15 mile tow.

sigh. heading to the airport - cheers

 

[Steveb64]

You showed me yours...

You showed me yours...

Here's mine - my Ducati front, from back in '95. I was behind a car, in sheeting rain, LOTS of road spray - AND I was sitting back, because the intersection that I had already overshot was about 200 metres away (and destination another 5-6 kms after that) - and the pothole was full of water. First thing I knew was CRASH! - and I went flying in the air. I think the only part of me still in contact with the bike was my hands! At least I didn't drop it... It wasn't until the next morning, when I wheeled the bike out to resume my ride home, that I noticed the dent. It was worse than what the picture shows, as I borrowed a large hammer and a bit of wood, and gave it a few good whacks to push it back in (still had 500+ kms to ride) a bit, as it looked like it might break the bead... Slow ride home - but made it OK. I also went for a replacement front rim - but I've recently found a wheel specialist here in NZ that has a good reputation for fixing similar damage, so it'll be going for a trip sometime soon.

 

[cableguy]

Glad you guys are OK-that looked like a sketchy curve you were on, but all those roads around the older part of Jersey were designed for much slower speeds and far less volume of traffic. What a buzzkill for such a nice day.

 

[Tim Tom]

Well I called in sick on Monday and now I have a ride-able bike again!

It isn't pretty, as the case guards and pipes are pretty rashed up, but it is a rider again!!

 

[cableguy]

Rash = battle scar = conversation starter at the gas pump

Glad you're back up and running!

 

[Tim Tom]

Riding a GS = conversation starter at the gas pump.

I fixed it for ya. I'd like my pipes to be nice and shiny, along with the rest of my bike. Sigh. Someday

 

[Steveb64]

I fixed it for ya. I'd like my pipes to be nice and shiny, along with the rest of my bike. Sigh. Someday

Just think of the scars as an 'anti-theft' disguise.

 

[Tim Tom]

Just think of the scars as an 'anti-theft' disguise.

Hah my bike is itself an anti-theft device. I'm pretty sure it only responds when I try to start it. One of those little idiosyncrasies that make it MY bike .

I did notice it was a bit louder and tinnier sounding on the ride though. It's possible I've got some pinholes or something in the pipe, or even the thinner metal there is affecting the sound . Either way it is liveable for the month or so left of riding I suppose. Just glad to have a bike back.

Nothing worse than wanting to ride and the bike is laid out for repairs...

 

[Steveb64]

Hah my bike is itself an anti-theft device. I'm pretty sure it only responds when I try to start it. One of those little idiosyncrasies that make it MY bike .

I did notice it was a bit louder and tinnier sounding on the ride though. It's possible I've got some pinholes or something in the pipe, or even the thinner metal there is affecting the sound . Either way it is liveable for the month or so left of riding I suppose. Just glad to have a bike back.

Nothing worse than wanting to ride and the bike is laid out for repairs...

Yes there is. Being in that situation, and listening to/watching dozens of bikes going past on a nice sunny day...

We live on a 'bike' road, that's access to some of the more popular riding in the area.

 

[Guest]

...I hit a huge pot hole. It didn't look so bad before I hit it, and figured it shouldn't be a problem. WRONG. This was the mother of all potholes and DEEP. Mistake number one.

We got down the road a little ways and I felt the front end feeling really heavy, and the bike not wanting to turn at all. However our group had become spread out, and with there not being too much of a shoulder, and our exit approaching, I figured I could make it off the highway. Mistake number two, and sealed my fate.

Now knowing something is very wrong with my front tire, I slowed down a lot for the exit ramp. It is a gentle curve, nothing drastic or challenging so I didn't think much of it. Being careful I initiated the turn in. About a third of the way through, the front tire gave way. I guess the sidewall pressure was enough to break the bead from the bent wheel, and down I went.
....

Tim Tom, was the tire cut? I still can't believe it lost air from that little dent.

The tire might have been cut. I can't tell without looking at it. (It used to be a small part of my job.)

The dent in the rim is easily enough to cause fairly rapid deflation. The dimensions of the rim and the tire are controlled to within several thousandths of an inch. The bead, being primarily high tensile, stiff wire, has very little flexibility, so air pressure isn't enough to push the bead to conform with the rim. A car tie, mounted properly to a clean rim, can go at least two years without requiring air. A tiny deformation, such as the small kinks that any bead gets when the tire is dismounted, changes the situation.

Probably what happened is that the bead bent a little, while the rim bent a lot. A gap of a few thousandths of an inch is enough for air to leak out quickly. By the time you felt that the bike was handling poorly, you probably had almost no air left in the tire. Wiping out in a corner was almost inevitable.

... i was trying to keep our formation relatively tight. .... but i decided to try to keep things somewhat close, in contrast with the mile long tail of 8 other riders spread out behind us. you can see in the video where Tim hits the pothole. I was fairly close behind him and I swerved to try to avoid it and MOSHED it square on. i'm pretty certain that if i had kept going on my existing arc i would have missed it entirely. anyway, lesson 1: leave more distance between riders, don't worry about taking up extra length of road. the cagers will figure it out.
...

Keeping a tight formation is very dangerous, as this incident shows. It may also be illegal. Part of safe driving/riding is continually scanning ahead for road problems such as pot holes. Maintain the same following distance in a group as you maintain as individuals.

Cancel that - at least half of the drivers on the road pay almost no attention to safe following distances when driving cars. Riding a bike requires much greater care than driving a car. Maintain at least 3 seconds following separation, which works out to 200 feet at 60 mph.

 

[Tim Tom]

Yes there is. Being in that situation, and listening to/watching dozens of bikes going past on a nice sunny day...
We live on a 'bike' road, that's access to some of the more popular riding in the area.

Your right that is worse...

Here's hoping for a nice day this weekend so I can get out and shake off the cobwebs a bit!



Tom: I don't think the tire was cut, the bead was bent. Either way I will not be using that tire on anything again. Don't want to take the chance on it.

 

[duaneage]

I can agree with this. I hear bikes winding up all day long while I'm in the garage. Taunting me. I then get on one of my GS bikes and go out.

 

[shwaz]

Nothing worse than wanting to ride and the bike is laid out for repairs...


i went to replace my front wheel the other day. had the donor wheel i picked up for a kind $20 from a local GSer. swapped the tires, had it balanced, replaced, and was tightening the fork clamp bolts to hold the wheel in place, and it just kept turning and turning. didn't feel right so i backed it out and started over. about 4 turns in (i was using a torque wrench, mind you) the bolt snapped. realized afterwards that the stud itself was stretching.

tried backing out the remainder of it with a vise grip and the rest of it snapped off flush to the bottom of the fork.

sat down, had 4 or 5 whiskeys, removed the fork legs from the bike and called it a night.



2 days later (that would be yesterday) i bought this
2007 Suzi DL650a with loads of upgraded parts. 33k on the clock but well maintained and very impressed with the seller's write up and behavior.
so i'm rolling again *

will still fix up the GS850, get it rolling but then i'm looking to sell. it's been great having it but i've done more wrenching than riding. Anyway i still have the skunk project i can tinker with and have for sunday rides, showing off and general late 70's muscle bike awesomeness. (just need to get emjay working on that titling for me

 

[Tim Tom]

BEAST of a bike! Congrats again Aaron! Looking good.

On the downer, and some more updates about my bike... Did the front wheel swap two weeks ago. Finally had the first chance for a good shakedown ride on friday. I start it up, and my top end is ticking like a friggen bomb .

Use my not so calibrated ears, and traced it to the number 4 valve area. It's connected to the throttle, increasing in frequency proportional to the revs. I think most likely it is a sticking or bent valve. What fun.

On top of that, I noticed my front tire was on the rim backwards, and had a damaged valve stem leaking air. Ohh and I have seeping oil from the head gasket. Yippee.

The tire is easy to fix, no problem. But there goes my riding season, replaced instead my a top end rebuild. What fun.

Ordered some gaskets, and will open up the valve cover and have a look around, checking all the simple stuff first like the cam holders and valve adjust. Hoping the problem is up there and I won't have to go deeper into the block. Seems like wishful thinking a bit though. Most likely I will have to rebuild the valves . This will be the most invasive surgery I've done to a car or bike, and am a bit nervous.

 

[Dogma]

This will be the most invasive surgery I've done to a car or bike, and am a bit nervous.

You've got this. Easy. It just takes some time the first time, just like anything else you've done to the bike. You know the drill. Ask questions about anything you're unsure of. Read the service manual. Be methodical and don't forget anything (cam chain tunnel o-ring). Don't force the rings into the bore and break 'em. Understand the cam chain tensioner and how to install it.