Thursday, January 12, 2012

How are Motorcycle Tires Different from Regular Vehicle Tires?

Hi, I have been wanting to buy a motorcycle for a very long time now and just started wondering one day what would happen if you got a flat tire on a motorcycle? I mean, if you got a flat tire somehow then you'd pretty much be dead, especially on a highway. Is there some kind of safety protection that prevents flat tires? Maybe stronger tires that can't be pierced through by nails, glass, etc.?How are Motorcycle Tires Different from Regular Vehicle Tires?
I had a rear tire go flat once. The rear end slid to one side. I corrected by steering into the slide and then it slid to the other side. I zigzagged to a stop. It was scary but not that dangerous. I've never had a flat front tire, but that might be worse. It would also be worse if the tire just burst or 'blew out'. Usually a flat comes on slowly enough that you feel it coming. I've been riding for decades but I only had that one flat tire.



Motorcycle tires are very different from car or truck tires. They are softer, so they have more grip, which is needed because in curves you are putting a lot of sideways pressure on the wheel. They don't last nearly as long as car tires, maybe 10,000 miles. They are probably more dependable (against flats) than car tires, but then both are pretty dependable these days.



Also when you ride a motorcycle you learn to scan the surfaces in front of you and pick a line over the road to avoid loose stuff (gravel, broken glass, whatever). You don't do this as much in a car. Sliding a few inches sideways because there's gravel or dead leaves on the road doesn't bother you as much in a car, but on a motorcycle it can cause a spill, and you learn this right away after you have a spill or two. 8^) So it could be that riders just protect their tires more than drivers.How are Motorcycle Tires Different from Regular Vehicle Tires?
You can carry puncture plug kits to get you home, with a small compressed gas cylinder to pump it up 鈥?they are fine unless you puncture a sidewall.



The chances of having a catastrophic puncture 鈥?losing pressure very quickly 鈥?are less nowadays thanks to construction developments, not completely out of the question though. Normally you have time to react, check around you, signal and move to the side. It is possible to ride on a flat tyre 鈥?takes a bit of confidence to go round a corner though and will not do your wheels many favours.



If you find a nail in your tyre, and it hasn鈥檛 deflated, do not pull it out until you are home (go slow and keep checking the pressure) the chances are that it will hold in the puncture.How are Motorcycle Tires Different from Regular Vehicle Tires?
Motorcycle tires are built using more layers (plies) than auto tires, usually 7 ply where the tire contacts the road and 5 on the sidewall. Tires that were too tough to be pierced by nails would have to be so hard that they wouldn't offer any traction.



I have ridden 120 miles on a flat rear tire. I also rode 40 miles on a flat front. Both times it was because the valve stem broke. My bike has cast rims rather than spokes.



There is a product called, "Ride On" that some motorcyclists swear by. It temporarily seals punctures.

http://www.ride-on.com/
from my experience with motorcycles i've never really seen a full flat tire. i've seen them get low with air and before it becomes any danger at all you'd have had plenty of time to fill it up by then. i've never had any problems with motorcycle tires just getting flat on the highway.

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