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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!tektronix!hplabs!hp-pcd!hpfcms!tatge
From: tatge@hpfcms.UUCP (tatge)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: RE: tires
Message-ID: <43300032@hpfcms.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 15-May-85 12:30:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: hpfcms.43300032
Posted: Wed May 15 12:30:00 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 20-May-85 08:37:05 EDT
Organization: Hewlett-Packard - Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 30
Nf-ID: #N:hpfcms:43300032:000:1359
Nf-From: hpfcms!tatge    May 15 08:30:00 1985

Flat tires are definitely bad news on a bike.  I wish the Japanese would
put some serious R&D into it.  

Note: All comments apply to tubeless tires unless specified otherwise.

1. Once a motorcycle tire has been punctured it should be thrown away.
This is the basic rule of thumb even if it sounds rather drastic.  Let's
face it, there are some concesions that one has to make for the joy of
riding and tires are one of them.  The only possible exeception to this
is putting a tube into a tubeless tire that has been mildly punctured.

2. Any emergency roadside or gas station type of repair should only be
used to get you slowly and safely to the next motorcycle shop where you
can get a new tire (or at the least a tube).  Sure, it is possible to
go 7000 miles on a patched tubeless tire.  So what?  You can also go
5 out of 6 playing Russian roulette on a good day.  

3. In light of one and two, it makes little difference if you use a
patch or some kind of goop.  You just want to take it slow and easy to
the closest place to get a new tire.  

4. As for the advantages of tubeless tires, in a word it is temperature.
All things being equal, a tubeless tire will run cooler and at a more
even temperature than a tube type.  This helps wear and handling 
predictability.


                   George Tatge
		   Fort Collins, CO
		   ihnp4!hpfcla!tatge