If riding a motorcycle, and one of the tires blows out, Is there any way to keep the bike upright?

Question

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?

Answer 1

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!

Answer 2

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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?

Answer 3

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. ;)

Answer 4

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I've had two high-speed blowouts on a loaded cruiser. the front, believe it or not, is easier to control, if your arms are strong enough. Plus, you can use the rear brake. You can't use any brakes if the rear blows. When the rear blows, the bike slides full-lock one way, then the other. It continues to do this as you slow, ever so slowly. When you get down to 20-30mph is when it gets really bad, as that's when the tire truly goes flat and tries to walk off the rim. If it gets off the rim, it'll lock the wheel. Just stay with it and let it slow at its own rate; remember, it isn't safe until it's STOPPED. Stand on the pegs and grab the tank with your knees. Pull the clutch, so the engine doesn't fight the grip. Let the bike do what it needs to do, but stay in control, all the way to full stop.

Answer 5

Usually you wont have a blowout where the tire gets shredded. It might just get punctured. ease off the gas and let the bike coast to a stop. Dont try to turn or stop short. Slowing down is the hardest part. when your going fast, the centrifical force keeps the tire expanded to the correct shape. Once you get below say 30mph, the tire starts to get wobbly... but as long as you are calm and dont make any sudden movements you'll be ok. I was following my buddy when he ran over a peice of metal that put a 2 inch slice in his back tire. He rode for a mile before he even realized something was wrong (we were on a straight highway). He carefully slowed down to the side of the road and was able to stop safely.

Answer 6

According to the so-called "Hurt Report" of 1981 (Harry Hurt), the number of mc accidents caused by "catastrophic tire failure" was negligible. Tires are so much better now that I have never heard of a blow-out on one.

I have suddenly lost pressure in the front and again in the rear due to cracked valve stems. Both times I was doing over 50 mph. Neither time did I have a problem controlling the bike. I ride a Valkyrie which weighs about 700 lbs.

Answer 7

If you've ever ridden in the dirt its much like hitting sand. Do not brake, let off the gas easy and ride it out.Ive had both front and rear blow-outs at cruising speed on a 700 lb. bike,Scared the $hit out of me but did not "Eat It". Don't panic and don't put the bike down because you woosed out.

Answer 8

always keep good tires you only have two
a front tire blowout is severe and frightening
use the rear brake only as your front tire is already causing much more problems than u need
hang on for dear life and do not turn the wheel
pray pray fast
i have survived both front and rear blowouts at high speed
they are no fun but with luck and keeping your head you may stay upright

Answer 9

Front tire is worse, that's for sure. Certainly it depends on your speed for the simple reason it will take you longer to slow down. You can fight the oscillations to a point where you're going slow enough to lay it down, but you will most likely wipe out. It did happen to me on the freeway once. I rode it as long as possible and then hit the ground. Actually, I ended up on top of the side of my bike as it skidded to a stop, narrowly being missed by the car behind me. I got away with a few scrapes. But I was lucky. Sure, it can kill you, if you hit the concrete at 50 mph.

Answer 10

Tire blowouts are rare but it is possible to stay upright if it does happen:
http://motorcyclegiftshop.com/equipment_failure.html

Safest bet is to avoid it altogether by checking your tires regularly, keep them properly inflated and change them before they start showing signs of excessive wear.

Answer 11

The old saying is "it's not if you have an accident on a motorcycle, but when"

Speed is your biggest factor. If it's at high speed, you aint gonna save it. Just check your tires regularly and have fun.