interstate rear tire blowout what the hell happened

[DavidC6972]

  ok me and the wife were going to a ralley today and was running 75 on the interstate. Saddle bags full and so was the tour pak.  I noticed a small wobble in the handle bars. and then it got worse and worse. I put the hazards on and got into the shoulder. the slower I got the worse the wobble got until it was uncontrollable and pulled right out of my hands. the wife flew off the back and I slide into home plate at about 50 MPH. to everyones amazement we were not hurt. I cant say the same for my ride. HERES my question. I got over started slowing down. why did it get so out of control to the point I could not hold on to it? this is my first blow out and I practiced what I have been told about a blow out. slow down, keep straight and no braking. this all happened so fast. why did the three golden rules fall us. MY wife said the it was fish tailing so bad that she could see the front rim from her seat. WE are ok. Im not sure how given the speed but we are. NOT ONE SCRATCH. ON EITHER OF US

[Ohio HD]

The part about not braking is really a call that has to be made when it happens. Most of the time no braking would be recommended. But as you found out, you ran out of air prior to stopping. Hence the out of control. If you know it's rear for instance, and your running pretty fast, I would try to slow down by front brake, "gently".  There's not a set answer as to how to keep from going down, other than experience to know the situation, and some luck. Glad you both ok.

[Admiral Akbar]

I'm sure that there are others that can relate more direct experience as I've not lost a tire on a loaded bagger.. It's hopefully something I never have to do.. I've had tubed tires go flat quickly on bikes while at freeway speeds.. Had one a CB350 rental bike and just road it back to the shop, Did 80 miles on a dirt bike with a flat tire in Baja.. Last was a Evo softail at 75.. Made it to the shoulder..

From what I've seen the "slow down, keep straight and no braking" work well for cars and other 4 wheeled vehicles as you don't want to upset the direction of the vehicle..  Bikes are a little different since you have only 2 wheels..  It's better to let the bike go to one side kind of like you are flat tracking.. It will typically go to the low side of the crown in the road hopefully that will be a direction that will lead you off the road.. The problem is that if you try to make the up straight you have about 5 inches that the tire can slip from side to side and since side to side stability is gone. Things can go haywire quick.. If the tire is tracking to one side, you have the sidewall pulled tight and a bit more control.. You still need to watch the front brake as the stopping power is no longer centered with the mass of the vehicle.. 

Anyway, that is what has worked for me.. So far..

[02roadcling]

In that particular situation I think I would have REAR braked hard and fast. Not sure, never had it happen.

   cling

[ThumperDeuce]

I went through a rapid decompression of my front tire at the end of the season last year.  I used the rear brake to slow down.  It got very wobbly and I just held on as tight as I could.  I was lucky and didn't drop it, but it did ruin my front rim.  I wonder if the way you were loaded resulted in a high center of gravity and that helped to destabilize your scoot?  I am glad that there were no serious injuries.

[ndmp40]

Easy to second guess, but I would have used the front brake gradually and modestly.  Using the rear would have made it worse is suspect.

I had this exact thing happen on a CB450 many years ago, rear went suddenly and completely flat.  Use of the front brake got me stopped upright.

[No Cents]

 I'm glad your both ok!

Ray

[HyperDetroit]

First of all, I'm glad to hear that no one was injured.  I don't believe there's a "set procedure" to deal with the flat on a bike.  It's an experience I hope no one has to revisit.  In case of the rear blowout, I would think the use of the front brake would have been helpful, at least somewhat.  I've hit a crater of a pothole once doing around 75 mph and cracked the front wheel in 2002.  Somehow I kept it upright and got it to the shoulder, using the rear brake to stop as fast as I could.  Perhaps being loaded down seriously contributed to you losing it. I was alone and the bike had nothing in terms of luggage when I had my test, and I still don't care to try this again. 

[texaskatfish]

first thing's first! Yall are OK!!!!

                      (go buy a LOTTO ticket NOW!  )

Had a front tire *POP* at freeway speed on I-10 decades ago (on a CB750/4) - I got no explanation whatsoever - but I purposefully (still do not know WHY) laid it down on the left side and stood on it (right boot on the cylinders and left one on the side of the seat) hangin on to the right end of the handlebar (kinda surfin with a joystick hehehehe) - my angel was definitely working overtime as I slid straight ahead in the fast lane - a Datsun 240Z behind me hit his flashers and a handful of shifter and did not run me over while keeping the rest of the fast lane traffic from mowing me down

my Gracie (2001 FLHR) is always heavily loaded with all the junk I carry.........had the rear go flat fairly quick 2 years ago and managed to make it to the shoulder (nice wide shoulder thank goodness) - I do recall the more I slowed the squirrelier it got 'till I was stopped........pulled out the plug and go kit and my slime compressor and was rolling again in 30 - 40 minutes with the kind help of a BACA Brother & Sister who were only a couple of minutes behind me on our way to Church............

[86fxwg]

Problem with a rear flat versus a front is tthere's no steering the rear. Then the side walls start rolling over & that's when real trouble starts.
Witnessed a guy running @ least 85 or better when his primary chain bbroke or something to that effect,WOW
he was all over the intetstate, left, right,left,more left then right. He kept it up but man he was shook up,at least 150 yards if rubber.
Glad u are OK,& able to tell about it.

  86

[04 SE Deuce]

The fact that you both remained unscathed is huge,  happy ending to a bad event.  Riding a flat out 2-up with full luggage would be a handful.  I would have pulled on some front brake if the bike felt stable enough otherwise just ride it out.
Way back when my dad was a dealer we would get road calls for cop bikes with rear flats close to the shop,  rather than load the bike we would just air the flat and ride it till it needed air again,  2-3 refills would normally get it to the shop.  Totally different scenario being aware of the problem and riding solo on a bike with minimal extra weight. 

Max's idea of letting it crab to one side sounds good if it doesn't go too far or wrinkle/wad the tire and kick back the other direction which is what they frquently do...one right before the other.  -Rick

[shovelinabox]

Glad you and your wife are ok..

[Mark222]

Great news neither of you were hurt.   Not sure what to tell you about what went wrong.  I have lost two (2) rear tires at 60+ and 70+ MPH on different bikes. The slower first event I was solo, the second years later on I-20, loaded heavy.

The first was on IL 53 and there was a center low median lane between N & S traffic lanes.  That's where she wanted to go, so that is where we went..... stayed upright until full stop.  The car following was cheering as they went by, they must have thought it was a good save I guess.   I was busy and not scoring style points.

The second I was running the middle lane between Birmingham & Talladega AL when tube split a seam on a spoke rim, zero notice, 100% immediate loss. Again, stayed up and got to right shoulder, fully loaded this time. 

I wonder how much the type of tire and sidewall stiffness plays a part?  No recall on the first tire type, it was 1980Something.  The second was on a Metz 88 (German made).  Not the tire's fault, blame the installer IMO since the tube split 200 miles after tire and tube replacement.  Pinched the tube when installing?  Likely IMO.

So I would not know what to offer for advice, but I used a bit of front brake once the ride got interesting as speed dropped off and the flopping tire side to side started getting more aggravating.

I am no expert here, just happy to say I kept two bikes up and losing two rears.  And I know guys with a lot of miles ridden that have never lost even one tire.  I'm just lucky I guess   

Mark

[Beave]

I had a similar blow out running 75 MPH fully loaded with passenger in the left lane of I35 in Iowa after I clipped a semi tire tread on an 05 RK with factory Dunlop 402's.  It punched a 1/4" hole in the tread, but I was able to coast to a stop at the edge of the median, after a bit of wobbling.  I think the stiff Dunlop helped my situation as it never broke the bead.  I was able to plug the tire and return to our trip.  I did not brake, and I would not recomend it as a flat tire is a hell af a brake by itself.  Were you running a softer tire like a Commander?

[dr. evil]

Out of curiosity...what brand/model tire? How many miles were on it? Have you given the tire the once over to see what may have happened to cause the failure? I have only had one vaguely similar experience but was riding solo and lightly loaded. Bike bike got squirrely and I was able to pull over safely. Sum bitch there was a hole in the center of the tread that you could have stuck a pencil through. Just curious. Glad you guys came out the other side in one piece.

[UltraNutZ]

Glad to hear you guys made it out of that situation in good health. 

Right after I bought this 12 model (still had paper tags on it) the wife and I were headed out to Royal Purple Speedway down I-10 close to baytown, non weighted other than us.  Was doing about 75 in the middle lane of 5 lanes of traffic.  Noticed I was losing speed so I throttled up and RPMS climbed but speed didn't.  I'm like wtf?  Brand new bike, clutch failure already.. so scooted on over towards the shoulder as I could.  Get off, start looking around  and what I found was the valve stem on the rear wheel broke off flush with the rim and the tire was simply spinning on the rim.  I guess that should have been my omen to stay with Dunlop tires and I probably wouldn't have posted the Metzler tire story on the other thread.

[DavidC6972]

thanks everyone for your best wishes. means a lot. let me start by saying we rented a car and Then rented a bike and still enjoyed THUNDER BEACH 2015. until we had to return the rental. then we got the hell out of there. because NO BIKE= no fun at a big rally. on to the tire.
it was a two year old,Dunlop 402 with 3400 miles. did not ride much the past two years due to a drive belt concern. the drive belt was repaired before we left for this trip. Heres an interesting point.  :potstir:that shop that did the repair (3 weeks before this happened) had to remove my tire. hmmmmmmmmmmm.  I have another post about that. anyway
its at a local dealer now and the they and are working up a repair estimate sooooooo. I got to thinking about the bike and called before we left FL. They told me that they have not really dived into it yet, but they took a short survey of it and found that just under the neck at the top of the down tubed; there is a metal plate that is part of the frame. this is also the location of the top bolt of most crash bar mountings to the frame.
THE WELD around that plate the frame paint has popped off the welded line and the welding bead has a very large stress crack. I will try to upload pics to morrow

[hd06]

  David what tire did you have on your bike.

[76shuvlinoff]

One of the guys at work lost the rear tire on his Honda at 60-65 mph 3 days ago. Luckily he did not go down.  I won't mention the brand because he had ran it well beyond it's useful life.

[truck]

thanks everyone for your best wishes. means a lot. let me start by saying we rented a car and Then rented a bike and still enjoyed THUNDER BEACH 2015. until we had to return the rental. then we got the hell out of there. because NO BIKE= no fun at a big rally. on to the tire.
it was a two year old,Dunlop 402 with 3400 miles. did not ride much the past two years due to a drive belt concern. the drive belt was repaired before we left for this trip. Heres an interesting point.  :potstir:that shop that did the repair (3 weeks before this happened) had to remove my tire. hmmmmmmmmmmm.  I have another post about that. anyway
its at a local dealer now and the they and are working up a repair estimate sooooooo. I got to thinking about the bike and called before we left FL. They told me that they have not really dived into it yet, but they took a short survey of it and found that just under the neck at the top of the down tubed; there is a metal plate that is part of the frame. this is also the location of the top bolt of most crash bar mountings to the frame.
THE WELD around that plate the frame paint has popped off the welded line and the welding bead has a very large stress crack. I will try to upload pics to morrow

That alone is enough to total the frame according to insurance companies and coupled with the age of the bike and the other damage, I think you're looking at a total loss.

[UltraNutZ]

That alone is enough to total the frame according to insurance companies and coupled with the age of the bike and the other damage, I think you're looking at a total loss.

yep.. same thing happened with my 06.  tore the weld at the neck ever so slightly where the crash bar mounts.  INS company totaled the bike because of it.  Frame off restoration would have been cost prohibitive.

[DavidC6972]

we believe this was the cause of  it all.

[harley_cruiser]

I've been told by a HD tech that at speed the centrifical force keeps the flat tire from flapping around. (So it must be true) Slowing down is the problem, so before you slow down get over to a safe lane.
I have had several go down, never had the death wobble, get it stopped as quick as possible to get it through that dificullt speed use both brakes sparingly.
I won't have a bike with tubes, I love my stiff wall Dunlops, I have ridden with as little as 3-5 lbs pressure to get home.
Carry plugs and a compressor, have never needed a flat tire tow.

[dr. evil]

1. drive belt repaired? WTF? When did drive belts become repairable?
2. that pic is impressive. To my untrained eye...that is a heck of a cut.
3. looks like the tire did not come off the bead, is that correct?