wobbler
Race Dog
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2015
- Messages
- 757
- Reaction score
- 18
- Location
- Cape Town/Mozambique
- Bike
- KTM 990 Adventure
Today I found out that I have a guardian angel.
I also found out that he or she can fly faster than 100km/h.
I was out riding today with a few mates, and we hit the N7 for a short stretch between Moreesburg and Piketburg.
Just a little way past the PPC factory, I had a blowout of the front wheel while doing a little over 100km/h.
Luckily in that area it is 4 lanes wide and there was no traffic at the time it happened.
I felt a slight shudder/vibration on the bars and looked down between the fairing and the forks and saw it all shaking.
Just as I was about to start slowing down to pull over, the tyre blew out and I lost all pressure almost instantly.
It turns out the valve was just about ripped completely off the tube.
It took me probably 100m to gain control (read hold on for dear life, and hope for the best). I was using all 3 of the 4 lanes available, eventually stopping in the oncoming fast lane. Had there been any traffic, this would have ended very differently.
When I got the bike to the side of the road, now an uphill, the tyre was so hot it was causing the water to steam.
Water you might ask?
Yes, water, lots of it, inside the rim.
It would appear that the tube had quite a fair bit of water in it.
I had stopped and checked my tyres at a local garage a few days earlier.
I'm thinking there was water in their air system - not drained off and eventually it comes out with the air.
As luck would have it, my axle spanner was at home, on the workbench... So, a quick trip 40 odd km to Piketburg Agrimark and back we could start the mission of replacing the tube on the side of a very busy N7.
Ok, so front wheel comes off, no drama.
Getting that Heidinau K60 Scout tyre off so we could access the tube was another story!
1 set of tyre levers I used on my plastics bent like butter.
Motion Pro bead breakers faired somewhat better, not bending , but coming quite close, flexing slightly.
We got the old tube out, which showed a pinch flat from the rim and a ripped off valve, and put the spare tube in using a valve puller without issue.
Getting the tyre back on the rim was a doddle with the Dessert Fox easy tyre tool. Until it too broke.
Snapped clean off where the ratchet teeth are welded to the shaft. You can clearly see it was a shit weld.
Ok, more elbow grease and the motion pro bead breakers managed to get the last little bit done.
As guys will be guys, a buddy decided that we needed to test his co2 bomb goodie despite having a compressor at hand.
Well, the plastic valve body exploded off at force when the bomb was pierced, adding more debris to my already brown trouser situation.
Question: Could water in the tube cause it to heat up or weaken the valve stem area and lead it to fail?
Tyre pressures were checked at the start of the ride and all was as normal, so something happened to cause the initial loss of pressure.
That loss of pressure would have caused the tyre to heat up and possibly fail?
Tube was a Metzler heavy duty number.
I also found out that he or she can fly faster than 100km/h.
I was out riding today with a few mates, and we hit the N7 for a short stretch between Moreesburg and Piketburg.
Just a little way past the PPC factory, I had a blowout of the front wheel while doing a little over 100km/h.
Luckily in that area it is 4 lanes wide and there was no traffic at the time it happened.
I felt a slight shudder/vibration on the bars and looked down between the fairing and the forks and saw it all shaking.
Just as I was about to start slowing down to pull over, the tyre blew out and I lost all pressure almost instantly.
It turns out the valve was just about ripped completely off the tube.
It took me probably 100m to gain control (read hold on for dear life, and hope for the best). I was using all 3 of the 4 lanes available, eventually stopping in the oncoming fast lane. Had there been any traffic, this would have ended very differently.
When I got the bike to the side of the road, now an uphill, the tyre was so hot it was causing the water to steam.
Water you might ask?
Yes, water, lots of it, inside the rim.
It would appear that the tube had quite a fair bit of water in it.
I had stopped and checked my tyres at a local garage a few days earlier.
I'm thinking there was water in their air system - not drained off and eventually it comes out with the air.
As luck would have it, my axle spanner was at home, on the workbench... So, a quick trip 40 odd km to Piketburg Agrimark and back we could start the mission of replacing the tube on the side of a very busy N7.
Ok, so front wheel comes off, no drama.
Getting that Heidinau K60 Scout tyre off so we could access the tube was another story!
1 set of tyre levers I used on my plastics bent like butter.
Motion Pro bead breakers faired somewhat better, not bending , but coming quite close, flexing slightly.
We got the old tube out, which showed a pinch flat from the rim and a ripped off valve, and put the spare tube in using a valve puller without issue.
Getting the tyre back on the rim was a doddle with the Dessert Fox easy tyre tool. Until it too broke.
Snapped clean off where the ratchet teeth are welded to the shaft. You can clearly see it was a shit weld.
Ok, more elbow grease and the motion pro bead breakers managed to get the last little bit done.
As guys will be guys, a buddy decided that we needed to test his co2 bomb goodie despite having a compressor at hand.
Well, the plastic valve body exploded off at force when the bomb was pierced, adding more debris to my already brown trouser situation.
Question: Could water in the tube cause it to heat up or weaken the valve stem area and lead it to fail?
Tyre pressures were checked at the start of the ride and all was as normal, so something happened to cause the initial loss of pressure.
That loss of pressure would have caused the tyre to heat up and possibly fail?
Tube was a Metzler heavy duty number.
