Well it finally had to happen. I've been really lucky, in the last five years I've had only three flats and I could ride home on all of them. Last night I blew out the rear tire on my 14. A stud the size of my pinky finger went through and let the air out in about a block. Luckily, I was pulling into the Starbucks and was able to call a motorcycle towing service. They were there in twenty minutes and the guy was a real pro. He had a hydraulic lift and all of the right straps, not a scratch on my bike but it cost $125 for the tow. The tire was a Bridgestone BT-016 and had only about 300 miles on it. It's coming off this morning and a new one going on. Total damage around $300....ouch! Why do bikes get flats so often? I've gone 54,000 miles on my truck tires with no flats.

my best guess is cause the rubber is softer than vehicle tires and picks up the road shit easier... I have never had a flat on my street bike... but have had them on my work bikes... little cheaper on them tho!! $0!!

Kruz:

An AMA membership would have saved you the towing charge. -bg

Total damage was $300 for towing, a new tire which I had in stock and mounting and spin balancing. I might check into that AMA membership, could of saved me some money. This is the second puncture in three weeks, got one on the CBR a short while back.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 8/6/2010 @ 11:09 AM *

switch to avons, they come with road hazard warranty

Really?

my best guess is cause the rubber is softer than vehicle tires and picks up the road shit easier

That's the only thing I can figure, soft rubber picks up sticky bits of metal and after a couple rotations of the tire you have penetration.

OK, whose got the best deals on BT-016s right now?

watch what your running over stupid . i see shit on the road all the time .. i don't just run over the stuff like a blind man

that's a big object to hit! I've put 20K miles on my bike in the last year and have had 0 flats.

Well Bad there is shit everywhere on the road, small shit you don't see, even rocks can get stuck on soft rubber and lead to a puncture... if you travel gravel at all ie; driveways, alleys, or in my case the parking lot at work there may be screws or metal.... oh i forgot bad u are the best rider in the world amd are invincible to everything!!! I wish we cud all be like you!!

Oh Kruz sorry for ur bad luck with tires.... jcmotors.com usually has good deals on tires....

* Last updated by: Fuzz4141 on 8/6/2010 @ 3:44 PM *

NOT MY FAULT Y'ALL SUCK WORST THAN ME

35 YEARS RIDING 0 plugs

I got my first puncture for this bike this year after about 23K miles. It was small so I put some slime in it and ran it till it was wore out.

Why do bikes get flats so often?

...and why does it always seem to be the rear?

the parking lot at work there may be screws or metal.

It's probably a good idea to check the tires if you have an un expected off road excursion. It's surprising the amount of junk that gets blown off the edge of the pavement and just sits there waiting to puncture a tire. My last flat happened when I was taking a corner a little faster than I should have. I hadn't been on that road in a while and I found myself a little feint of heart in the first left hander that I came upon. I could have made it but I saw a section of curb that had been worn down to a wedge shape and looked safe to jump. I took the curb and rolled through about 20 feet of gravel right along the road. The tire was fine for the next few hours but in the morning it was flatter than a pancake. I had a steel bristle off a sweeper truck stuck in it.

NOT MY FAULT Y'ALL SUCK WORST THAN ME

It's worse, you dumb truck.

* Last updated by: loadedmind on 8/8/2010 @ 9:44 PM *

ISn't it "worser?" or "worster!"

Nah...it's Worchestershire.Geez.One flat so far...friggin STAPLE from when I recovered my seat two years back.Unbelievable!(took several days to go flat...when I saw that in there...OMG was I pissed!)New tire as well.Plugged her up...rode er hard.No prob.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 8/9/2010 @ 2:36 AM *

Compared to other tires I've run, I was surprised how flimsy the carcass on bt-016 was. It's really thin.
High performance equals light weight, I suppose.
I live on a dirt road and shale as sharp as razor blades, is a problem.
So far I I've lost a Pirelli Rosso and BT-016. Usually, it's when the tire is near the end of life.
Luckily, I was pulling into the garage both times when the tire went down.

oh i forgot bad u are the best rider in the world amd are invincible to everything!!! I wish we cud all be like you!!

Laughing my arse off on that one!

Nah...it's Worchestershire.

Worster-shister-sheer!

Compared to other tires I've run, I was surprised how flimsy the carcass on bt-016 was. It's really thin.

So far I I've lost a Pirelli Rosso and BT-016. Usually, it's when the tire is near the end of life.

Good point to bring up there CJ. Goes to show that riding a tire to it's end entails a greatly increased risk of getting stranded somewhere with a flat ....or a blowout which might require both bike and rider to be sent in for repairs.

I have to admit that I have some kind of compulsion to extend the life of stuff that most people would have long replaced. It hurts to throw away a tire that still has tread on it.

1badzx14r wrote

35 YEARS RIDING 0 plugs

No.....you just blow your motor up every other weekend.

I recall putting a hand inside the BT-014 stocker after it was worn right out -- not to the cords but 0 tread on center. seemed like about 1/8". I don't see why the BT-016 would be any thicker.

It's not, it's thinner.
I have both, a worn bt-014 & bt-016. If you push in the center of the tire with 1 finger, the 014 takes a lot more pressure to flex than the 016.

Maybe it's not thinner, just a more flexible construction. Or maybe my 016 is more worn than the 014.

I think the easier flexing contributes to a more comfy ride.

I used to run a certain Michilen on a full size van. They made it ride like a Caddy, but if anything hit the sidewalls they would shred. Had to go with another tire, (again) because the shale on our dirt roads would chew them up.

It's a friggin BRIDGESTONE!!!!CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP.I run my Stradas to the cords(unintentionally that is).Been "lucky" so far.If they only had a wear bar on the center...that would top off a superb tire!

Hey Fuzz...you don't REALLY wish we cud all be like Bad do ya?(No offense Bad...yer one of a kind...as it should be!)

* Last updated by: blue07 on 8/9/2010 @ 3:14 PM *

...and why does it always seem to be the rear?

I'll take a rear blow out over a front any day, all day!

No.....you just blow your motor up every other weekend.

i keep fresh motors in my junk and heaven full of blown motors .. see i have a reason for that .. but your just stupid ..

but your just stupid