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From: tjs@cbdkc1.UUCP ( Tom Stanions)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Re: Tires and intimate relations with pavement
Message-ID: <961@cbdkc1.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 13-May-85 16:05:26 EDT
Article-I.D.: cbdkc1.961
Posted: Mon May 13 16:05:26 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 14-May-85 23:39:11 EDT
References: <192@greipa.UUCP>
Reply-To: tjs@dkc1.UUCP ( Tom Stanions)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
Lines: 42

In article <192@greipa.UUCP> jordan@greipa.UUCP (Jordan K. Hubbard) writes:
>Uh, all this talk of tires and flats ect. has re-awakened an old
>fear of mine. Namely, what happens when one of your tires blows
>at 55+ MPH? I travel about 80 miles a day on my bike (freeway) and
>frequently glance at my front tire wondering "gee, if it blew out,
>I would...".. Has this ever happened to anyone? Front or back tire?
>Does the bike do anything that might be construed as fatal?
>
>Do bike tires even 'blow out' that often? Hope not..
>
>
>				Apprehensively..
>-- 
>			Jordan K. Hubbard
>			@ Genstar Rental Electronics.
>			Palo Alto, CA.
>			{sun, decwrl, dual}!twg!greipa!jordan
>
>			Leave me alone.

How often is "rare", it only takes once.  The problem with a blow out
occurs when the tire seperates from the rim.  Once this has happened
the bike tends to ride on the tire on one side pushing you to the left
and then ride on the other side pushing you to the right.  You have to
experience it to understand the sensation (once experienced you will
never forget).  My current bike (a 1975 Honda CB750) has only had one
blow out in 67000 miles.  The tire I had on at the time had a "safty
bead" (this means that it is very hard to seperate the tire from the
rim, especially when you want to change tires :-).  I was able to slow
from 60mph to about 40 before the tire seperated, then all the flats I
had during my dirt bike days came into play.  Your first reaction is
to ditch the bike, don't do it, don't brake with the tire thats flat,
just stay upright as long as you can.

By the way, Goodyear made a tire called the Eagle GT-II.  I ran one of
these tires on my bike after the above flat.  The bead came out around
the rim and therefore could not seperate.  This was a great idea and
gives a good feeling of security.  However, due to law suits not
related to the locking bead idea Goodyear no longer makes motorcycle
tires :-( .  I hope someone else picks up the ball.

{allegra|ihnp4}!cbdkc1!tjs