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From: felcher@reed.UUCP (William Abernathy)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Re: Tires and intimate relations with pavement
Message-ID: <1514@reed.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 11-May-85 12:49:36 EDT
Article-I.D.: reed.1514
Posted: Sat May 11 12:49:36 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 13-May-85 03:11:59 EDT
References: <192@greipa.UUCP>
Reply-To: felcher@reed.UUCP( William Abernathy)
Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon
Lines: 25
Keywords: Don't Panic!
Summary: Serious Bummer


 I had a front wheel blowout last summer and would like to relate to all what   occurred.
  Having made a tire change that same day, I discovered the ease with which one can put nasty nicks in inner tubes. "No sweat" says I, putting no fewer than    four patches on my front tube,"it holds air and it's a new tire, so it should 
keep pressure.". A friend wanted a ride to the airport, "No problem", I say, 
tossing her a helmet and gloves.  We're cruising down the main drag two-up to 
the airport. Everything is now as it was except... You Are There.
     Every thing is fine until you suddenly feel a substantial wag in the front end.  You wrestle with the handlebars to keep the bike in a straight line.  
Peering over the headlight, you notice that your once proud, firm, erect tire,  is now only so much flaccid latex.  You contemplate the futility of human 
existence.  Perhaps Mother was right about motorcycles.  Common sense vaults to
the fore.  "Stay away from the front brake.",you think, as the bucking gets 
fiercer.  Light back brake, applied with scupulous delicacy to avoid lockup 
brings the speed down most efficaciously. The voice of your high school physics
teacher pops into your head.  "Grasshopper,the gyroscopic ying stability of the
front wheel decreases as you slow down, while the unstable, yang force of the 
tire cha-chaing under the wheel is remaining constant.".  At between ten and 
twenty MPH, you hear the theme music from "KOYAANISQATSI" and, down you go.  
      The worst possible scenario is complete, clear off the rim blowout.  
For these contingencies, one wears lots of leather.  Keeping your bike up after
a rapid deflation gets easier with your brawn/bike weight ratio. That is to say
that a piano mover on a dirt bike has a much better shot than the average mortalon a GS1150.
     For rules of thumb, though, remember to stay away from the front brake, 
ease off the power, grapple as best you can until you it's down to the 10-20
MPH range, and then expect to pay bux to your fiberglass dealer.