Lets say the front tire. If it blows is ther absolutely no way of staying up? How much does it depend upon your speed? I‘ve ridden in the country for two years, but then moved to L.A., and now am thinking about riding on the freeway. Will a blowout kill you?
yes, if its a suregrip rear end
yes, if your rear end is a limited slip differential you must still ad limited slip additive UNLESS it says additional limited slip additive not required not adding limited slip additive will cause you to feel a wierd shudder on turns
I had my rear go at about 110 km/h today. From fully inflated to zero in about a second. The bike (loaded up Kawasaki KLR650) went to full lock one way, then changed its mind and went full lock the other way. I pulled in the clutch, gently applied the rear brake, and rode it out until the bike stopped. Not crashing was maybe skill, maybe luck, maybe the KLR being such a stable bike. It was a lot like being in deep sand, but worse. All I could do was try to keep the bike upright; I had very close to zero control. I ended up crossing the center line, but got lucky with no cars coming the other way. In sand, I can somewhat the bike, here it just felt like shut up and hold on. But to answer the question; can you keep it upright? Yes. I gently applied the rear brake, although the bike was doing a pretty good job of slowing itself down due to the flat. I think any front brake would be a very bad idea, but the rear is ok. After the incident, I was thinking I should have applied more rear; worst case is a locked rear, which if anything is easier to control. But at the same time, when the bike is at full lock and the rear is flopping about, any input should be gentle. But it felt a *lot* like hitting deep sand when going flat out someplace. So if you want to simulate it, grab a dirt bike, head to a beach, do 80 km/h in hard sand, and then hit the soft stuff. ;)
This Site Might Help You. RE: If riding a motorcycle, and one of the tires blows out, Is there any way to keep the bike upright? Lets say the front tire. If it blows is ther absolutely no way of staying up? How much does it depend upon your speed? I've ridden in the country for two years, but then moved to L.A., and now am thinking about riding on the freeway. Will a blowout kill you?
Front flats are bad, but also extremely uncommon. You are safer at speed with a front flat because the centrifugal force of the tire keeps it somewhat in traction. Aim for the shoulder, preferably to grass because you ARE going to crash when your speed drops. Rear flats are unsettling, but usually recoverable. DO NOT try to accelerate! Your rear end will fishtail if you do - not good on the freeway. You can use your rear brake GENTLY to help maintian directional control as you slow down. I learned these things during the 40 years that I rode. Remember - Keep the shiny side up! Bon voyage!
