Chain clearance

[Arnie]

Simon,

That's the first time I've read an account of a "slow-motion tank slapper" which sounds very similar to what I experienced.
I was on my way home to Detroit from Michigan State on I-96 where I was a Sophomore in 1969.  Crusing along in a straight line at about 75mph on my Bultaco Metralla 250 (2 stroke single) when the rear end stepped out.  I was able to catch it and bring it back only to have it go the other way.  I was afraid to either brake or try to accelerate and I just held on with the clutch pulled in thinking it might have been an engine siezure . This tail whip continued all the way down to about 10mph getting most violent at about 30 (?).  After I stopped still upright and had the bike off the roadway, I discovered that my rear tire was flat.  
I put the bike in a semi-hidden position (so it wouldn't be stolen or collected by the police), got my gear off the bike and stuck out my thumb.  A guy in a station wagon stopped for me and after I was in the car with my stuff in the back seat, he asked where my bike was since I had a helmet and leather jacket with me.  I told him my story and he asked if the bike would fit in the back of his car.  I thought so, so he got off at the next exit and went back about 10 miles where we loaded the 200 lb bike in the back of his station wagon.  He took me right to my parents house.  Turns out he was a minister and actually practiced doing as he would want done. :-)

The bike had a flat and after inspecting closely, I saw a glimmer of metal in the tread.  Grabbed it with a pair of pliers and pulled out about 3" of sabre saw blade. :-(  Patched the tube and kept riding.  
With a tubeless tire, I'd probably have made it home without incident, none the wiser.
After this, it was the first time I had any confidence in my motorcycling skills.

Arnie

[Earl Svorks]

  Arnie,
Well now we know there are at least  three among  us who survived what might have been a terminal event. Pat evokes the Guardian Angels. You'll get no argument from me there Pat.
  Arnie, you were fortunate to have been the recipient of a Random act of kindness, after your close call.
I've been there too. I think it's important to pay that forward when you can. I try to do so, though it's hard to be sure you're not being played. I guess I have been played a time or two, but they haven't made a cynic out of me yet.
   Cheers
  Simon

[Pat Conlon]

Yep, pay it forward...

[ribbert]

......I think a motorcycle tire pressure monitor is a very very good idea. It's on my list.

A couple of years back I had the first puncture I could ever recall having. Whilst I was in the company of a couple of other experienced motorcyclists, they too had been spared punctures for many decades of riding, which made us all novices in the use of repair plugs.

Anyway, job done (on second attempt), riding home I approached a red light at an intersection and made my own 3rd turn lane on the outside of the two marked ones. No big deal, I do this all the time, you just have to make sure you get the jump on the cars and turn in front of them, joining their turning lanes before you run out of road.

Being conscious of the repaired tyre and failed first attempt, I was monitoring my tyre pressures more than usual. I glanced at it as I came to rest, yep, no worries. While I am waiting for the light to change, my tyre pressure monitor display starts flashing along the with the red warning light and see my tyre pressure plummet to nothing while I am sitting there, just as the light turned green.

The simultaneous launch and turn the manoeuvre required would have seen me go maybe 10' and end up sitting on my arse in the middle of the road with significant cosmetic damage to my bike (assuming no one drove over it)

More recently the monitor (and compressor) saved me from spending a night in the wilderness (if I didn't fall off first with a rapidly deflating tyre) with temps dropping to zero, let alone the logistics of retrieving the bike from such a remote location the next day and then not being able to get it repaired until after the weekend etc. It would have resulted in completely missing the Manshed weekend in Nowra I was en route to.
The monitor also shows tyre temps continually, it was interesting to note with my leaking tyre recently, the correlation between falling pressure and increased temp. It got very hot very quickly. Once under  20 psi, a faint smell of rubber was even apparent when kneeling next to the tyre while re inflating it.

Mostly though, it is peace of mind while riding and to a lesser extent, the ease of pre ride checks. It also has a low voltage warning light which for me, is enough to not need a volt meter.

I have had this unit for about 5 years / 100,000kms and it has proven to be totally accurate and reliable. I keep forgetting to change the batteries when I change tyres and they are still the originals.

On trips any longer than a day ride, I carry a spare ignition box, fuel pump, compressor, one coil (with leads), tools, test light etc. You can limp along on a couple of cylinders, you rig up something for a broken throttle cable, you can ride without a clutch, you can ride without brakes, you can hot wire your ignition, you can jump start the engine, you can get by without lights, you can even patch a hole in a side cover or crankcase, you can ride it bent and broken after an off (assuming you're not in the same shape) and so on......

BUT, you ain't goin' nowhere with a flat tyre!

I do a lot of trips, have penchant for out of the way places and roads free of other traffic. Anything the hedges the bet for getting to my destination is a good thing.

Noel

I want to be like Noel.

Aaah Pat, the fun I could have had with that .............

[Earl Svorks]

Thanks Pat and Earl but you guys set the standards I am just trying to keep up.

The owner of the FJR in the picture rode it up to Alaska and back with no tire problems. I followed him for a while in some twistys while looking a little odd it seemed to work pretty well. I am under the impression that a number of FJR owners do this for long rides. I forgot exactly but he indicated 15 or 20,000 miles on the tires?  He also said Cycle Gear wouldn't mount them because of liability but ironically the Yamaha shop had no problem mounting them. 

I would like to ride with him next spring and take some video. Sorry about high jacking your thread Earl just thought you would get a kick out of the tire .
George

I would like to ride with him next spring and take some video. Sorry about high jacking your thread Earl just thought you would get a kick out of the tire .
George   
George,,
Hijacked ? Not at all, I am happy to see feed back/ input from you anytime. Sensible, intelligent , helpful,, and you've got a fine lookin' FJ !
  Simon
[/quote]

[1tinindian]

For a smile 


George

This, at least, eliminates the worry of squaring off a soft compound tire while slabbing the miles away!