Valve Failure

Well, valve core, anyway. Anyone ever have a valve give out going around a corner on the pavement? Hoooly sheepshit what a ride! I was coming onto the highway off the side road my place is off of, and the damned valve core let go...second gear shift my back tire decides to give a short PFWEEE noise and tried to pop off the rim, shooting me into the oncoming lane. I managed to get the front end pointed back to where it was supposed to go but that back end was floppin around like an oyster being stuffed into a slot machine. Ditch, here I come.

Have to say I have never heard of this happening. If you think of the literally billions of valve stems in use, it seems unusual, especially on a tire which has relatively low pressure, I would bet at some time the valve stem core was cross threaded and someone let it pass. Lucky it wasn't the front wheel as you sure would have lost it.

You may already know this, it is a good idea to take those little nuts off the valve stem that screw down against the rim. It's better to have the stem pulled inside the rim if a tire slips on a rim, rather than have the tube rip because it is bolted down, which can happen with loss of pressure with a puncture, or when all the horse power slips the tire. This was an issue when riding in mud with only 5LB PSI.

Good that you did not lay it down

Man SheWolf, glad you're OK!

I'd read about backing those nuts on the valve stem off a bit, too. This'll remind me to double check things next time I swap tires.

Sarah

Glad you're safe and sound. :)

So, the core went flying out of the tube somehow?

The only way I see it could happen is if it wasn't tightened when installed. It doesn't have to be tightend hard but must be seated.

It reminds us that nothing is perfect and we must be aware of anything.

Glad you're ok!!

Not going around a corner , but yeah, I've had one blow out.

*could not change tire after, for over 10min as it was too hot to handle.

edit**sorry, reading comprehension is not my specialty. Mine was the stem shearing off doing over 50mph(?).

Well...not quite. The bike sustained cosmetic damage but not much after I ended up in the 'ditch'. It's actually the emergency lane/bank on the side of the highway. Bike ended up on top of me. The left shroud got scraped a bit, footpeg, handguard and barkbuster. The grafix scratched but didn't rip... that stuff is tough! As for me I'm sore all over, I'm going to go in and get checked out today. I think I took a whack to the head because I remember hitting the bank and then some guy helping me out from under my bike. Real sore spot on my left eyebrow. Helmet looks absolutely fine but my goggles came off at some point and were also under my bike. The day I took off the tailbag was the day I needed the stuff in there. Both spare tubes and the air pump. Backing nuts are on finger tight, if that (I did what Inspector did on my old enduro, so I always have that nut on there, just not cranked on). The valve was in tight. I had to use my leatherman and the valve cap to undo it. The valve itself just failed. I took it out and looked at it, everything moved ok but it wouldn't seat properly at the base so air would bypass the collar and piss out the top. I was able to suck and blow thru it no matter how I wiggled it. The tube was brand new when installed with the tire, MSR thick offroady tube too. I managed to cop an old core from a bicycle shop that's in there now and holding fine. Looks like I'll be going to my buddy at the tire shop and get a handful of cores to keep in a baggie for spares to pack into the tailbag with all my other tire supplies. Tailbag's going back on the bike too. The other half knows I got the flat but not 'really' how I got it. He'd be all over me about how dangerous it is to be riding on the road and could have been flattened by a truck or something. So yeah, um... 'I checked the pressure in the parking lot cause it felt funny and it started leaking..."

They make caps that have a seal on them so in the event of valve core failure, you still maintain pressure.

I had my back tire blow out last week while I was on my way to work. 65 mph in rush hour traffic is a fun place to loose a tire, let me tell ya.

I had to lay the bike down on its side to change the tube and apparently one of the umpteen-hundred cars that drove right on past took the initiative to call 911 because they thought I wrecked. Here comes the fire truck with its lights going and siren blaring He seemed a little upset to find me just changing my tire

Thanks Brian, didn't know those things existed. I have a baggie full of new cores now to go in the tailbag, which is now back on the bike.

Glad to hear you did't get hurt too bad..sounds like it could have been much worse.It reminds me of something I read in the book ROADSHOW written by Neil Peart ( the drummer for RUSH) who rides a BMW GS1200. He almost got killed when he was riding down the highway and a wheelbarrow fell out of a truck and almost took him out,landed right next to him.He pulled over to collect his thoughts after his near death experience and thought to himself "when I'm riding my motorcycle, I'm glad to be alive.....and when I stop riding my motorcycle, I'm glad to be alive." I think anyone that rides can relate to that......hope you feel better..

I've seen it happen in the worst of times, a fellow road racer had one fail on his front tire during a race. That is why we use metal valve caps only, they have o-ring seals on the inside and enough strength to hold pressure in case the stem fails. Of course this racer had neglected to put his caps on.

Wooo ruffy!If you were a cat with 9 lives...you may have used a couple!!That has never happened to me,but i did take a wash-out spill on that shitty bridgestone and got a bobo a couple of summers ago!
glad to hear you're ALRIGHT~
ja

ooomph, glad that didn't end up worse!

seems a lot of us are having tire problems this week, hold three mf'ing tubes today just on the FRONT tire. Giving up, time for bourbon...

Yeah, I'm fine John. Next time you're in headed this way with the bike let me know. Oh, btw Brent has a used 09 that came in on the weekend. Think he was asking like 6k for it, 1200k on the ODO. Someone traded it off for a 530 EXC.

Crappy with the tubes... Been there enuf times myself. Have a nice BBQ tenderloin, on me.

hmmm..tenderlion..remember don't play with your food!
Yeah i'll have to come down with the bike sometime,dunno when thou!
09' for the ktm some peoples children...
off to the loops for a few,i'm restoring a ford crew cab(over the winter) and need to get caught up.
ride hard bale lightly or have a steak on hand
john