[ciresmis]

I haven't been riding long, maybe 2 years now. I find myself riding about 80mph on a regular basis. That's just the speed the bike seems to ride best for me. On the way home the other day I wondered what would happen if I had a blowout at this speed or faster. A friend told me that bike tires were designed differently and would not blowout like an auto tire. He said he thought they would not blow completely all at once but would slowly flatten. He also said bike tire sidewalls were designed to be stronger to withstand the brief ride it would take to stop the bike. I told him I was skeptical. No one mentioned this to me when I bought the bike. I was a newbie asking newbie questions, safety being chief among them. I would think the salesman would have told me this to help him with the sale. He didn't. So now I'm asking the forum for clarification. I am also interested in what would happen if a blowout happens at this speed (80mph). IMHO if you are going 100mph+ and have a blowout, you are as good as dead. I appreciate any stories on the subject to better prepare me for this possibility. Thanks everyone!

PS: How many miles can I expect to get on a new set of tires?

 

[Marty W]

I'm curious to see the responses to this also.

I run Metz ME880's a change them both out at about 10,000 miles. usually I could get more out of them but since I only have two tires I want to be sure that they have good tread on them.
I also change the front out along with the back even if the front looks good, less down time and more safety.

 

[DrOmega]

Welcome to the Cafe! Try not to be the statistic... err... one who has the blowout at 100 mph

 

[vtxpreacher]

I found this pretty interesting.

How to Handle a Tire Blowout While
Riding a Motorcycle​

With today's tubeless tires, actual blowouts are rare, but may still occur. When tires do fail, the most common cause is improper tire pressure � usually pressure that's too low. Checking the overall condition and pressure levels of your tires frequently can go a long way toward ensuring you'll never experience a blowout.
However, if one of your motorcycle’s tires should fail while you’re riding, you’ll need to react quickly and decisively to avert a crash. So take a few minutes now to familiarize yourself with the following steps for successfully handling motorcycle tire blowouts:

1. <LI class=style8>Ease off the throttle and slow down gradually.
   
   <LI class=style8>Do not use the brakes . Braking, especially braking hard, will only make keeping control of your motorcycle even more difficult. If you must use some brake, apply gradual force to the brake on the good tire and ease your motorcycle to a safe stop.
   
   Caution: Using the brake on the wheel with the bad tire can cause the tire to separate from the rim, resulting in immediate loss of control. Be aware, however, that integrated braking systems don't permit �rear-brake-only� applications, while linked braking systems do not allow for single-brake operation. On motorcycles with either of these two systems, braking with the �good tire only� may not be possible. Any braking necessary should be done very lightly and with great care. Avoid downshifting too. Like braking, this will only make your bike less stable.
   
   <LI class=style8>Firmly hold on to the handlebars while keeping your arms bent. Do not “fight” the steering to correct the wobble or weave that will likely develop. Focus instead on maintaining control by keeping your motorcycle directed in as straight a line as possible until it comes to a stop.
   
   <LI class=style8>Remain seated until your motorcycle has come to a full stop.
   
2. Once stopped, push your motorcycle as far away from the travel lanes as possible.

 

[Marty W]

Here is a thread that Mredshead started about a flat that he had at 70 mph.

http://www.vtxcafe.com/showthread.php?t=30601

 

[PhotoChopper]

I've never had a blowout on a bike. But, my buddy Don did about a month ago. He had bought this nice old 79 Honda 750 Custom, thinking it would be a good first bike for his wife. He took it for a ride out in the country where he lives. The front tire blew doing 65. He let off on the gas and tried to get to the shoulder of the road. I guess he turned it too much, because he lost control and ended up sliding sideways on the grass a ways. Then he just let go and the bike flipped a couple times and so did he. He was really bruised up, but nothing busted but his glasses. He learned a lot about dry rotted tires. He sold the bike for what he paid for it the next day. He was damn lucky. That is his Shadow 750 we just put new tires on in my darkside thread. I sure wouldn't wanna do it at a 100...

 

[meanstreak]

If you have a 'blow out' at 100 mph on the front tire its more than likely you will get seriously hurt. on your back tire you still have some capabilities to steer but under what conditions. Is there traffic about, condition of the road, etc. At any rate a blow out at almost any speed can/could be catastrophic.

 

[wanderingbear]

I pray that I can never answer this question.

 

[Bassdude404]

Don't know for sure, but I'm thinking that a blowout at 100+ mph would result in taking a ride in this....

That's my cage....A 1981 Cadillac S&S Victoria funeral coach....:mosh:

I've never had my VTX above 95 mph, and that was only a very short blast up there, then back to about 70 mph cruising speed....

 

[MtnCruiser]

MC tires can blow out and deflate suddenly and it is definately not a pleasant experience. Like it said in a previous post, if it is the rear use the front brake to slow the bike gradually and keep the bike in a straight line. Don't make any sudden manuevers. If it is the front, good luck!!!

I might take a chance and run a questionable rear tire for a short distance if I had too but if the front tire has a problem it is staying parked.

 

[Spoiler]

I'd be willing to bet that about anyone who has blown the front out at 100mph, is not going to be able to answer this one.... as they may be pusing up daisy's...

 

[ciresmis]

Thanks for the great replies to this thread. I am still wondering if motorcycle tires are designed differently to withstand a blowout. Are bike tires designed to not blowout as opposed to car tires that can? Whether they actually do or not is another story.

Thanks again for the advice and stories.

 

[jagarcia]

They are designed differently, as you can see, but it is not a real (or significant) protection against blow-out. The MC tires are made for using more of the sidewalls than a car tire (with all due respect to the darksiders).

If you're routinely driving above 80, you're driving too fast, but you already know and accept the risk there. As for a blowout at 100, the chances must be high that it will be fatal.

 

[PhotoChopper]

About 20 years ago I had another friend Marvin who "got off" a bike doing 70 on I-10 in Jacksonville... Two months in the hospital. Broke both legs, his hip, one wrist, lots of nasty road rash, and his fractured jaw was wired shut for three months. He was wearing a half helmet, jeans and a denem jacket. It was 6 months before he could work again. He did start riding the same bike again. He didn't have a car. OUCH!

 

[madmatt]

I had a blow out at about 35 with a tube tire when I was a teenager (honda cb 200). bike writhed like a snake, and I went down. Destroyed the full face helmet, and ruined the new leathers (It was about the 3rd time I'd ever ridden with leathers - think somebody was looking out for me). It sucked. I'd hate to think what would have happened at any higher speed at all. As it was, I got VERY lucky, had some road rash, and very bruised, nothing more. I guess that guardian angels can fly at more than 35 mph. I don't know about 80 though.

 

[frostbite]

We just had a couple that blew out the rear tire about 30 miles west of here - put him in the hospital and killed her.

 

[UncleDirty]

How to Handle a Tire Blowout While

Riding a Motorcycle​

With today's tubeless tires, actual blowouts are rare, but may still occur. When tires do fail, the most common cause is improper tire pressure � usually pressure that's too low. Checking the overall condition and pressure levels of your tires frequently can go a long way toward ensuring you'll never experience a blowout.
However, if one of your motorcycle’s tires should fail while you’re riding, you’ll need to react quickly and decisively to avert a crash. So take a few minutes now to familiarize yourself with the following steps for successfully handling motorcycle tire blowouts:​

1. <LI class=style8>Ease off the throttle and slow down gradually.

1. 
   
   
   <LI class=style8>Do not use the brakes . Braking, especially braking hard, will only make keeping control of your motorcycle even more difficult. If you must use some brake, apply gradual force to the brake on the good tire and ease your motorcycle to a safe stop.​
   
   
   Caution: Using the brake on the wheel with the bad tire can cause the tire to separate from the rim, resulting in immediate loss of control. Be aware, however, that integrated braking systems don't permit �rear-brake-only� applications, while linked braking systems do not allow for single-brake operation. On motorcycles with either of these two systems, braking with the �good tire only� may not be possible. Any braking necessary should be done very lightly and with great care. Avoid downshifting too. Like braking, this will only make your bike less stable.​
   
   
   <LI class=style8>Firmly hold on to the handlebars while keeping your arms bent. Do not “fight” the steering to correct the wobble or weave that will likely develop. Focus instead on maintaining control by keeping your motorcycle directed in as straight a line as possible until it comes to a stop.​
   
   
   <LI class=style8>Remain seated until your motorcycle has come to a full stop.
   
   ​
2. Once stopped, push your motorcycle as far away from the travel lanes as possible.

The above works. At least at 70 mph with a rear blow out. I did add two steps:
0.1 "Oh shit, God please don't let me die".
3. Clean drawers

Dirty

 

[joeldooris]

I was riding 2 up about three months ago and had a blow out at 70 on the highway. I had been going to DC and was about 1 hour into my ride when it happened. The rear end went into a wobble, not the death wobble but it felt like I was riding on Jello. Thank GOD I was on a straight away and there was no traffic around me. I hit the front brake for all it was worth and about did a stoppie! Probably not what I should have done but I freaked out. I slowed down to about 5 mph in the right lane then exited to the shoulder. When I did that I hit some rumble strips and that about caused me to dump the bike. I too couldn't get the bike onto it's kick stand but a little farting around with it I got it to stay.
Long story longer, I have no idea why it blew out. There was a nice patch of rubber missing from the center, but I swear I didn't feel like I hit anything. All in all I consider myself a very lucky(blessed) person to not have had a much worse outcome.

I got a MC tire put back on that day, but after a few months I've switched to a car tire. I just don't trust the MC tire any more.

 

[Lone Rider]

100+ :hmm2: my vote would be dead! Unless the road was straight and prefectly smooth, not traffic either direction and it's the rear tire. Front, I don't think you have a chance! In Jersey, with the roads we have you don't have a chance with either... even if you stop, most likely somebody will drive over you!

 

[MattX13]

DO NOT LISTEN TO YOUR FRIEND. No offense, but he is an idiot.