Do these things really happen? - Page 2

Andy Capp · 05-18-2012, 07:47 AM

Funny you should mention.

........There was this one time when I hit a mouth foaming seagull that was staggering around in the road. If I hadn't been spooked by the event I don't think I would have braked so hard and I'm sure my lever wouldn't have snapped causing me to punch myself in the face. I attribute the outcome to my modular helmet that few open distracting me from doing what was needed at the very moment the plugged front rapidly deflated. I still managed to get her up on the rear wheel but doing it so quickly spun the rear touring tire too bad and I went into a deathly speed wobble highside.

It was a complete fluke the seagull's beak pushed on the exact spot of the plug. Although I still went down it could have been much worse if i didn't have the throttle performance of non-ethanol premium fuel. Luckily I didn't break any bones because I was wearing full gear. There was just a little scuff on my textile jacket, no damage to my street fashion jeans but my favourite mechanics gloves were sadly wrecked.

Be safe out there people, rabid gulls are far more evil than deer which you can easily scare with a blast of an air horn or loud pipes.

Monster4570 · 05-18-2012, 07:54 AM

Originally Posted by quik99

Has sport touring tires caused me to crash NO. Actually have they caused anyone to crash NO. You crash all on your own. Do they provide the same level of grip as a sport tire NO. If your pushing it and have a good sport tire vs a sport touring you can tell the grip difference but if you crash thats your fault not the tire

Oooohhhh...We got a thinker here...I'm not sure you're gonna fit in around here.

Originally Posted by mfrankpdx

Has anyone ever had a tire plug fail? People AWAYS advise not to ride on a plugged tire because there is a good chance it will explode or something. I think it's an urban legend.

I've ridden plugged tires to significant velocities with no adverse effects. I was told once that plugs are perfectly safe as long as the belts did not take any serious damage at the puncture.

rog1206 · 05-18-2012, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by Devil_Doc

1. No, I disagree. Far more testosterone in the "shirtless with a leather vest" crowd.

2. We make fun of them too. I die a little inside every time I see a spine guard over a t-shirt, or a helmet hawk. I will argue ATGATT until the day I shuffle off this mortal coil. I've never understood why cruiser riders don't wear better gear.

3. I think it's probably 50/50. I've only ever been flashed a set of hot ta tas by the passenger on a cruiser. But then again, most passengers on cruisers look like beef jerky wearing sunglasses. Nothing attractive about boobs that look like a tangerine in a tube sock. The "ricky ticky racers" get the naive 19 year olds. I'll take that please..

I got a screw in a BT016 after about 300 miles once. I got it plugged, and rode that tire for 8 or 9k miles, IIRC. Some of it quite spirited.. Never had a problem. The people that always tell you plugs are dangerous are the ones that are trying to sell you a tire.

I had the same amount of miles on my BT016 and got a nail puncture. Plugged it up and haven't had any problems for the next 6-7k miles.

FeralRdr · 05-18-2012, 08:38 AM

Originally Posted by Andy Capp

Funny you should mention.

........There was this one time when I hit a mouth foaming seagull that was staggering around in the road. If I hadn't been spooked by the event I don't think I would have braked so hard and I'm sure my lever wouldn't have snapped causing me to punch myself In the face. I attribute the outcome to my modular helmet that few open distracting me from doing what was needed at the very moment the plugged front rapidly deflated. I still managed to get her up on the gear wheel but doing it so quickly spun the rear touring tire too bad and I went into a deathly speed wobble highside.

It was a complete fluke the seagull's beak pushed on the exact spot of the plug. Although I still went down it could have been much worse if i didn't have the throttle performance of non-ethanol premium fuel. Luckily I didn't break any bones because I was wearing full gear. There was just a little scuff on my textile jacket, no damage to my street fashion jeans but my favour mechanics gloves were sadly wrecked.

Be safe out there people, rabid gulls are far more evil than deer which you can easily scare with a blast of an air horn or loud pipes.

Unfortunately, that tends to happen when you ride without insurance on a 1200cc R6.

Glad you are OK. You obviously stopped by Voodoo Donuts and ordered the Nyquil Shot to take the edge off the incident.

KevinD · 05-18-2012, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by Andy Capp

...I hit a mouth foaming seagull that was staggering around in the road.

...rabid gulls are far more evil than deer...

'T'weren't rabies: someone had stuffed an Alka Seltzer down 'im!

KevinD

Lone Rider · 05-18-2012, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by Devil_Doc

1. No, I disagree." get the naive 19 year olds.... I got it plugged, quite spirited.. a problem. dangerous are the ones that are trying to sell .

What???!!! Oh wait..., I still have my earplugs in . They are so comfortable I forget I'm wearing them.....,

Originally Posted by K2TheM

Modular helmets by nature don't offer as much face protection in a crash compared to a solid full face helmet. The locking mechanisms are getting better, but if memory serves if you face plant it's still popping off/up. Could be wrong though. IMO I've always considered modular helmets for the people who prefer a fit of a 3/4 helmet but don't like getting blasted with rain/bugs.

Actually its so I can smoke weed, drink jagger and snort coke without taking my helmet off...,makes passing out painless

Originally Posted by Andy Capp

Funny you should mention.
a mouth foaming seagull

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Its funnier when you mention it!

Originally Posted by rog1206

I had the same amount of miles on my BT016 and got a nail puncture. Plugged it up and haven't had any problems for the next 6-7k miles.

Dont say you gots 6-7K miles outa sports tire.....,its impossible!!!

thomb · 05-18-2012, 09:14 AM

Well I've had two getoffs while riding on ST tires and wearing a modular helmet. I would attribute both to poor judgement rather than any issues with the tires, and my helmet stayed shut on both occasions. And in one of those I scraped it up pretty good. As far as plugs go, I just replaced a rear tire which had ~10k miles on it and was plugged after about 1k, with plenty of spirited miles on it in between. I never had to put more than a pound or two of air in it, and that only when the weather got cold.

Desvio · 05-18-2012, 09:34 AM

The only area of concern anyone should have for modular helmets isn't that it flips open, it's that they tend to weigh a lot more than a full-face helmet.

The force necessary to cause a failure in the locking mechanism is more than the brain you have sloshing around in your head can handle. We could take that sucker with or without your head in it and probably beat it with a baseball bat many times before the latching fails, but ultimately you are putting it through 20-times the impacts than a single crash (what it was designed to do) would do to it. Peoples impression of them not being safe is a bit of an overreaction IMO.

Bluuu · 05-18-2012, 09:53 AM

In 97.3% of instances where modular helmets popped open, they were found to have BBQ sauce in the locking mechanism.

crfracer96 · 05-18-2012, 10:27 AM

The whole discussion on tire plugs is weak.

MAKE YOUR CHOICE..... yes plugs work, sometimes they fail too. Is it worth your risk? The cost of new well made gear or the cheap shit stuff from someplace you have never heard of before.... Its all good till something happens.

If you can afford the consequences of a cheap ass decision making process then go that way!

Personnally, i would never risk the potential life altering events that could occur. Sure plug to get home, till a new tire arrives..... but several K is to me like taking a big risk like that jackass in the cage who has has had that trunk spare mini tire on the car for the last 8k. "Hey its working still! I has never been a problem"....

Rule of thumb - normally, what you pay determines the quality you get and most say "good for 1 event" ....

DGA · 05-18-2012, 10:36 AM

Not the modular helmet problem, since I've never worn one, but definitely the tires.

Coming back from Fossil, in at 90-100 degree temperatures, spirited pace, and that grippy chip-seal, the rubber was coming off the tires in sheets and they had that nice rainbow color to them. It was kind of funny really, as soon as you'd lean the bike over, she'd start squirming like crazy. You could drag your hand over the tire and the rubber would come off in rolls.

Devil_Doc · 05-18-2012, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by crfracer96

The whole discussion on tire plugs is weak.

MAKE YOUR CHOICE..... yes plugs work, sometimes they fail too. Is it worth your risk? The cost of new well made gear or the cheap shit stuff from someplace you have never heard of before.... Its all good till something happens.

If you can afford the consequences of a cheap ass decision making process then go that way!

Personnally, i would never risk the potential life altering events that could occur. Sure plug to get home, till a new tire arrives..... but several K is to me like taking a big risk like that jackass in the cage who has has had that trunk spare mini tire on the car for the last 8k. "Hey its working still! I has never been a problem"....

Rule of thumb - normally, what you pay determines the quality you get and most say "good for 1 event" ....

Absolutely, you get what you pay for. Why is a car tire different than a bike tire? I get the obvious differences in shape, etc. But what is different about plugging a car tire vs a bike tire?

Bluuu · 05-18-2012, 11:13 AM

Originally Posted by Devil_Doc

Absolutely, you get what you pay for. Why is a car tire different than a bike tire? I get the obvious differences in shape, etc. But what is different about plugging a car tire vs a bike tire?

If a car tire blows, you probably aren't going to crash. If your bike tire to blows on t2 @ pacific?

Desvio · 05-18-2012, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Devil_Doc

Absolutely, you get what you pay for. Why is a car tire different than a bike tire? I get the obvious differences in shape, etc. But what is different about plugging a car tire vs a bike tire?

Plug repair worked fine for the earliest tires, because the rubber was so thick it seldom split or cracked, it would just puncture. The tire could be left on the rim, a big time-saver.

When radial tires were invented, puncture plugs would cause distortion of the tire shape, and interfere with ride and handling. Patches, hot and cold, became the only way to fix radial tires.

You must remove the tire from the rim to patch it with either a cold or hot patch. Cold patches are cemented and pressed onto the tire liner with a rolling tool carefully, to prevent leaks. Hot patches are heated and fused to the inside of the tire with a heating clamp.

With new plugs that self-vulcanize and melt into any kind of tire, plug repair is now preferred again for punctures. Plug repairs cost from $2.00 to $5.00 and can be finished without removing the wheel from the car.

mars · 05-18-2012, 11:17 AM

I've heard the major concern with modular helmets isn't that they might flip up in a crash but that padding material is sacrificed in order to make room for the flipping mechanism, and without that padding to disperse energy you instead get clocked by the metal hinge.

However, I'm not sure how much truth there is to that.

Devil_Doc · 05-18-2012, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by Desvio

Plug repair worked fine for the earliest tires, because the rubber was so thick it seldom split or cracked, it would just puncture. The tire could be left on the rim, a big time-saver.

When radial tires were invented, puncture plugs would cause distortion of the tire shape, and interfere with ride and handling. Patches, hot and cold, became the only way to fix radial tires.

You must remove the tire from the rim to patch it with either a cold or hot patch. Cold patches are cemented and pressed onto the tire liner with a rolling tool carefully, to prevent leaks. Hot patches are heated and fused to the inside of the tire with a heating clamp.

With new plugs that self-vulcanize and melt into any kind of tire, plug repair is now preferred again for punctures. Plug repairs cost from $2.00 to $5.00 and can be finished without removing the wheel from the car.

I'm obviously no mechanic.. But this is what they did to my bt016 a few years ago. Guy pulled the tire off the rim, ground the inside of the tire, put a circular patch with a cementing compound on the patch over the puncture. I don't remember if he put a plug in the puncture as well..

I'm not saying i'd go to the track on it, i'm saying my patch lasted for thousands of miles of street riding, some spirited.

justinsabre · 05-18-2012, 12:56 PM

mars i run with a moulder helmet and my hinges are plastic with metal clasp to hold it closed, i think u get more air movement threw them because of the hinges but other then that i feel safe with it, i would just make sure that if u are going to buy one that u get one with the metal holders to keep it closed, when i did my safety schooling the instructor was telling us that he had a guy with one dropped it off the desk and when it hit the floor it popped open and broke one of the tabs off...

Desvio · 05-18-2012, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by justinsabre

~dropped it off the desk and when it hit the floor it popped open and broke one of the tabs off...

To keep from stereotyping, be nice if he actually noted what brand it was.

justinsabre · 05-18-2012, 01:09 PM

lol he said he didnt want to put any names out there but it had the plastic clips that hold it shut, so im thinking it had to be one of the cheaper ones made. i run a shoei and there have always been metal clips.

courier11sec · 05-18-2012, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Andy Capp

Funny you should mention.

........There was this one time when I hit a mouth foaming seagull that was staggering around in the road. If I hadn't been spooked by the event I don't think I would have braked so hard and I'm sure my lever wouldn't have snapped causing me to punch myself In the face. I attribute the outcome to my modular helmet that few open distracting me from doing what was needed at the very moment the plugged front rapidly deflated. I still managed to get her up on the gear wheel but doing it so quickly spun the rear touring tire too bad and I went into a deathly speed wobble highside.

It was a complete fluke the seagull's beak pushed on the exact spot of the plug. Although I still went down it could have been much worse if i didn't have the throttle performance of non-ethanol premium fuel. Luckily I didn't break any bones because I was wearing full gear. There was just a little scuff on my textile jacket, no damage to my street fashion jeans but my favour mechanics gloves were sadly wrecked.

Be safe out there people, rabid gulls are far more evil than deer which you can easily scare with a blast of an air horn or loud pipes.

King of the internet for the rest of the day.
Well done.


05-18-2012, 07:47 AM	#21
Andy Capp Superbiker Joined: Oct 2010 From: Everett, WA I Ride: 05 GSX-R750, 08 675, 72 XL250	Funny you should mention. ........There was this one time when I hit a mouth foaming seagull that was staggering around in the road. If I hadn't been spooked by the event I don't think I would have braked so hard and I'm sure my lever wouldn't have snapped causing me to punch myself in the face. I attribute the outcome to my modular helmet that few open distracting me from doing what was needed at the very moment the plugged front rapidly deflated. I still managed to get her up on the rear wheel but doing it so quickly spun the rear touring tire too bad and I went into a deathly speed wobble highside. It was a complete fluke the seagull's beak pushed on the exact spot of the plug. Although I still went down it could have been much worse if i didn't have the throttle performance of non-ethanol premium fuel. Luckily I didn't break any bones because I was wearing full gear. There was just a little scuff on my textile jacket, no damage to my street fashion jeans but my favourite mechanics gloves were sadly wrecked. Be safe out there people, rabid gulls are far more evil than deer which you can easily scare with a blast of an air horn or loud pipes. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter Last edited by Andy Capp; 05-19-2012 at 09:42 AM..


05-18-2012, 09:14 AM	#27
thomb Knee Dragger Joined: Mar 2006 From: Free Ballard!! I Ride: Moto Gootsi and Buell	Well I've had two getoffs while riding on ST tires and wearing a modular helmet. I would attribute both to poor judgement rather than any issues with the tires, and my helmet stayed shut on both occasions. And in one of those I scraped it up pretty good. As far as plugs go, I just replaced a rear tire which had ~10k miles on it and was plugged after about 1k, with plenty of spirited miles on it in between. I never had to put more than a pound or two of air in it, and that only when the weather got cold. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


05-18-2012, 09:34 AM	#28
Desvio Retired Joined: Mar 2008 From: SE Portland / Bucerias, Nayarit Mx I Ride: 03' CBR1100XX, 84 GL1200A	The only area of concern anyone should have for modular helmets isn't that it flips open, it's that they tend to weigh a lot more than a full-face helmet. The force necessary to cause a failure in the locking mechanism is more than the brain you have sloshing around in your head can handle. We could take that sucker with or without your head in it and probably beat it with a baseball bat many times before the latching fails, but ultimately you are putting it through 20-times the impacts than a single crash (what it was designed to do) would do to it. Peoples impression of them not being safe is a bit of an overreaction IMO. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


05-18-2012, 09:53 AM	#29
Bluuu Señor verde Joined: Mar 2011 From: Kirkland I Ride: behind the girls.	In 97.3% of instances where modular helmets popped open, they were found to have BBQ sauce in the locking mechanism. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


05-18-2012, 10:27 AM	#30
crfracer96 Licensed $crfracer96's Avatar$ Joined: Mar 2010 From: olalla, washington I Ride: ducati 1198s, 13 crf450,	The whole discussion on tire plugs is weak. MAKE YOUR CHOICE..... yes plugs work, sometimes they fail too. Is it worth your risk? The cost of new well made gear or the cheap shit stuff from someplace you have never heard of before.... Its all good till something happens. If you can afford the consequences of a cheap ass decision making process then go that way! Personnally, i would never risk the potential life altering events that could occur. Sure plug to get home, till a new tire arrives..... but several K is to me like taking a big risk like that jackass in the cage who has has had that trunk spare mini tire on the car for the last 8k. "Hey its working still! I has never been a problem".... Rule of thumb - normally, what you pay determines the quality you get and most say "good for 1 event" .... __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


05-18-2012, 10:36 AM	#31
DGA Joined: Jun 2007 From: Portland, Oregon I Ride: naked	Not the modular helmet problem, since I've never worn one, but definitely the tires. Coming back from Fossil, in at 90-100 degree temperatures, spirited pace, and that grippy chip-seal, the rubber was coming off the tires in sheets and they had that nice rainbow color to them. It was kind of funny really, as soon as you'd lean the bike over, she'd start squirming like crazy. You could drag your hand over the tire and the rubber would come off in rolls. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


05-18-2012, 11:17 AM	#35
mars Permit Joined: Jun 2009 From: Portland, OR I Ride: slow	I've heard the major concern with modular helmets isn't that they might flip up in a crash but that padding material is sacrificed in order to make room for the flipping mechanism, and without that padding to disperse energy you instead get clocked by the metal hinge. However, I'm not sure how much truth there is to that. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


05-18-2012, 12:56 PM	#37
justinsabre Licensed Joined: Sep 2010 From: beaverton or I Ride: 82 honda sabre v45	mars i run with a moulder helmet and my hinges are plastic with metal clasp to hold it closed, i think u get more air movement threw them because of the hinges but other then that i feel safe with it, i would just make sure that if u are going to buy one that u get one with the metal holders to keep it closed, when i did my safety schooling the instructor was telling us that he had a guy with one dropped it off the desk and when it hit the floor it popped open and broke one of the tabs off... __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter


05-18-2012, 01:09 PM	#39
justinsabre Licensed Joined: Sep 2010 From: beaverton or I Ride: 82 honda sabre v45	lol he said he didnt want to put any names out there but it had the plastic clips that hold it shut, so im thinking it had to be one of the cheaper ones made. i run a shoei and there have always been metal clips. __________________ Follow PNW Riders on Facebook and Twitter

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