When's the last time you had a flat?

[fredintoon]

I worry about having to fix a flat by the roadside.
That's why I switched my bike from it's elegant aluminum rim wire wheels back to it's stock artillery wheels; so I can run tubeless.
No more roadside wheel removals and tire spoons and patchkits and handpumps.
Just a quick squirt of fixaflat to ride home for a proper repair.
But it's the perception of risk, not the reality, that drives me.
My one and only fixaflat job was 7 years ago.
My last roadside tube repair was in the UK in 1968.
When's the last time you had a flat?

 

[NONclow]

Upwards of a decade ago Fred...

It don't feel too good doin' 65 on a freeway and having it feel like the pavement ended onto freshly graded gravel. Back of the bike moving back and forth more than a foot! Luckily (accident wise) sparse traffic, coast to shoulder, no tire kit, instantly resign to walking at least ten miles in either direction (26 miles between the closest towns sparse).

I walk 50 feet give or take....when a local gent pulled over with his pickup and half full utility trailer. We cleared enough room to throw her in the back..... and he was kind enough to drop me off in front of me shop.

My tubeless equipped Ninja, new tires every season.... no flats yet....(fingers crossed)

 

[Downeaster]

A year ago this past summer.

Took a short blast to the bank to cash a check and when I came out, I had a flat rear tire. Picked up a nail somewhere.

Fortunately, it was one of the rare times that I remembered to take my cell phone with me, so I called home and had wifey come get me with the car, then went back with the truck and trailer and lugged it home.

Tubes as my mags aren't marked as being suitable for tubeless tires.

 

[fredintoon]

Hi downeaster,
just because they ain't marked don't necessarily mean they won't work.
Next time you install a new tire fit a tubeless inflator in the rim and try it without the tube.
If it stays up you are golden.

 

[lakeview]

My last flat was on my DL1000 Suzuki 3 years ago at speed in traffic on I-81 somewhere north of Watertown going through a construction zone. Good luck after an inauspicious start, as it was a tubeless on the rear, went down slowly so I got to a nice clear bit of shoulder to pull off, called CAA which sent out a truck driven by a two wheel enthusiast who got me to a Honda dealership which stayed open long enough to get me back on my trip. Which is why I have a Pilot Powers on the back and a Tourance on the front, but it's good in the rain.

 

[retiredgentleman]

24 years riding motorcycles, and I've never had a flat.

With my cars, the last flat was about 13 years ago.

 

[Airwolfie]

Last summer, on my way to work. It felt like I hit loose gravel around a corner. Was ok on straights, then the next corner I nearly came off! Decided to stop and have a look, true as nuts, my rear was as flat as a pancake! (yes, spoked with tubes!)

Called in to work, said I got a flat. My boss came over with a foot pump(he's got a two wheeler too!). Tried pumping it, but it just didn't want to go, just blew like there was a big gash somewhere. Checked the tire for any signs of penetration, but could not see anthing.

Long story short, turns out the VALVE ripped off the tube!! I was glad I was in an urban area when this had happened, only doing 30mph!

 

[grizld1]

2 years ago last May. The rear tire on my Kawi EX650 (tubeless, of course) started giving up a couple of pounds of pressure per day. Somehow the tire had picked up a staple--the kind that would hold a shipping box together, not a big fencing staple. The result was a pair of little holes side by side; there was no way to use a proper inside "mushroom" plug, had to replace the tire. (For those who like to live dangerously--please do everybody a favor and fight the urge to smart off with a cute fix.)

 

[wrenchjohns]

Never had a flat tire on a bike. I'm kinda picky about tires on the bikes, although during the current restore I did ride 20 miles on 40 year old virgin tread tires. The next ride in the spring will have 2 new virgin tread K70s.

 

[FLEA]

6 months ago on my piaggio mp3 250 rear tyre ,luckily at home ,when I say luckily is because it takes about 1 1/2 hours to remove and replace back wheel along with a couple of large sockets that don't normally carry on a bike ,good bike ,stupid system as only get 2500-3000 kls out of a back tyre other than that yrs ago ,arnt modern tyres and tubes great (I better be careful,my xs650 has good hearing)

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

My last 2 flats were 44 years ago.

Highway cruising to Houston on my panhead, the rear felt a bit squirmy. Slowed down, and when I hit 40 mph it was all over the road, swapping lanes. Rear flat. But, on rolled-edge safety rims. Sped up to 50 mph and it was manageable again. Made it to a service facility, but the slowdown below 50 was like the Apollo re-entry procedure. I must've ground off 1/2" worth of boot soles.

Second flat after that was on an old '67 Honda cb-125 twin (like the old 305 scrambler, just smaller), at about 75 mph. No warning, just went down quickly, with my foot pinned under the bike, couldn't escape, so we both skidded together for another 1000 feet, in morning rush-hour traffic, asphalt grinding meat off my foot and butt. What follows would fill a book. Took 4 months to recover.

That was the LAST flat! No more!!!!

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

...Double post...

 

[Scottie]

Two June's ago. Drove my 1985 Goldwing Aspencade from NC to Kansas. Brand new tires and valve stems. Riding mostly 75-80, got to KS and decided to see if it would do 100 on the straight farm road. Easily! Missed my turn trying to see the roadsign and slowed down to pull over. Little warning strips on the road edge, brrrp, brrrp and blam the front tire went totally flat in about 5 feet. Only doing 15 mph. The 90 deg valve stem had ruptured and tore right at the wheel. That bike was not fun to keep upright with the tire flopping from side to side. No more 90 deg valve stems for me that do not have the support bridge on them. To think just a few moments before and the many times in ugly traffic on the interstates....scary.