Blew a tire in the middle of a trail

Crap. Blew a tire on my new Shinkos I installed yesterday. I had to hike the bike fOr a mile so aaa can pick it up. Lol

I'm writing as I'm waiting fOr the flat bed to come. Just my freaking luck. Haha

Am I suppose to set the PSI low when going on these trails? I just don't want this to happen again next time I go back up because it was a pain in the arse hiking with the bike to the base point.

The tire actually blew? Or did it go flat?

BoredAzHell20 wrote:

Am I suppose to set the PSI low when going on these trails?

What psi were you running?

Have you discovered what caused the blowout? Nail? Thorn? Glass?

Was there an instant right after you hit something that you knew the tire pressure was dropping?

I know some of the knobby folks here run pressures down in the 10 psi range. Somebody here even said something about 8 psi in their knobbies. As a street rider that sounds insane to me. With street tires that sounds like bent rim time.

Please update us if/when you discover what happened.

Sounds like you got a pinch flat.

32psi. I just went from the street in the canyons straight into the dirt trail. There was a lot of gravel and jagged rocks. I just went flat fast. No punctures. I noticed it when the rear started to get really squirly and I was able to touch the ground as it I was riding a harley. lol

Sounds like you pinched your tube when installing your tire, and when you were out on the trail the tube gave out. 32 PSI is really high for trail riding and road too, I think.

BoredAzHell20 wrote:

32psi.

Wow. That's pretty high for sure.

I usually sit in the 24-26 psi area with Distanzias.

Found out what happened to the tube. I ripped the tube off the stem. Lol. Do they make rim locks for x wheels?

Are you sure the damaged tube and tire were installed properly?

I find it a little hard to believe you "need" a rim lock.

You will be the first case I've heard of, and I know somebody always has to be first........but..............


I can't be sure, but I if I recall, the majority of R owners here don't use rim locks. Surely they stress their tubes and tires more than a guy with non-knobby tires.

motokid wrote:

Are you sure the damaged tube and tire were installed properly?

I find it a little hard to believe you "need" a rim lock.

I don't know if it was due to improper installation, but i saw the tube. Right where the stem is suppose to be there is a hole. Well if this is a freak accident I'll give it another go on the trails, but going to be prepared if it happens again.

How will you prepare for a valve stem getting ripped off?

I just learned how to change my tire, and I watched ALOT of youtube videos on it. Seems about all the dirt riders were saying that you should butt the valve stem nut up against the plastic valve cap. They say the tire will always slip, and this way it wont rip the stem off of the tube. It seem opposite of what I would have done, but thats how I'm runnin now. Guess we'll see.

ps Changeing your own tire is easyer than I feared. Im glad I desided to do it myself and just remember to take it slow, and review review review.

Mikechicago wrote:

Seems about all the dirt riders were saying that you should butt the valve stem nut up against the plastic valve cap. They say the tire will always slip, and this way it wont rip the stem off of the tube.

Mmmm.... True?

motokid wrote:

How will you prepare for a valve stem getting ripped off?

Answer: Simply by putting a rim lock on the rear wheel.

Mike/Gator: Even with the jam nut locked up against the valve stem cap you can still pull the stem off. The idea there (I think) is to give you a visual that your tire slipped on the rim - Which to me makes little sense, because if it did slip, you could have just as well pulled the stem right out leaving you with the visual indicator that YOUR TIRE IS FLAT ! Like: Duh.....

I have seen guys run screws into the tire from the side of the rim which also works. ....but would also create a weakening point on the rim. Probably not something you'd want to do on an off-road bike. Maybe for a SuMo.

Rim locks are somewhat of a pain and can also be the cause of many a pinched tube. Personally, I'll take my chances WITH a rim lock.

BTW: I run my (tubeless) R1 and the SVS shoes at just about 30-32 lbs depending on the season. Less pressure in summer to allow for self-heating.

Edit: If you DO install rim locks don't forget to re-balance your wheels if they were previously balanced !

motokid wrote:

How will you prepare for a valve stem getting ripped off?

Using Mikechicago's suggestion. Changing the tube right when it fails. X-Racer gave a lot of useful information to me when trying to figure out how to change a tire without a bike stand. I'm going to practice unmounting and mounting the tire off the rim just using tools I can carry with me in a back pack. Tire irons, 12mm wrench for the valve stem, and maybe a pair of rim protectors. Any tools I am missing excluding the 10 & 12mm wrench, and wrench for the 27mm socket for the wheel bolt?

If I can borrow my friends welder this weekend I am going to try and make a swing arm stand.

X-Racer wrote:

BTW: I run my (tubeless) R1 and the SVS shoes at just about 30-32 lbs depending on the season. Less pressure in summer to allow for self-heating.

30-32 psi is quite acceptable sport bike pressure, as a starting point. The WR250X is really unlikely to need that much. 10% pressure increase from cold to hot is what you're looking for. At the track I run my X at 18 & 22 (cold). At 20 & 22 my tires have too much pressure to grip properly and start slipping out on me!!!

What quality is the tube? You might need a tougher off road one if you were using the tube designed for the road tyres.

The other thing I've seen from a recently installed tyre is that there was a lot of soapy water still in the tyre when it was removed, left over from when the owner installed the tyre. He'd basically fitted the tyre and gone straight out so there was no time for the excess to dissipate and as a result the tyre slipped on the rim and tore the stem.

BoredAzHell20 wrote:

I'm going to practice unmounting and mounting the tire off the rim just using tools I can carry with me in a back pack. Tire irons, 12mm wrench for the valve stem, and maybe a pair of rim protectors. Any tools I am missing excluding the 10 & 12mm wrench, and wrench for the 27mm socket for the wheel bolt?

Don't forget there is a front tire as well... You'll need the wrenches to get the front tire off. All the tools to pull a tire and fix a flat or replace the tube will go into a fender pack, including a spare front tube. With the help of the tool kit your bike came with, of course, or whatever replacement for that kit you have come up with.

You can fix a flat with the tire still on the bike if you're really desperate, but you will not have had fun by the time you're done.

I'm not sure why you want to take the tire right off the rim. Take it off just one side and that is enough to patch or replace the tube with the tire still mostly in place on the rim.

Of course, if you believe you need rim locks on your tires, all the above is subject to significant change. My valve stems tell me there hasn't been much slippage since the last time I played with the tires each time (not tilted either way from vertical, indicating everything is staying still) and I have locked up the binders on the slab when Bambi jumped out in front of me a number of times, as well as spinning my way up roads a time or two and having the rear tire suddenly grab. I feel pretty safe without rim locks on this little bike, generally speaking.

There's a guy over on ADV that makes a pretty slick little trail stand if you don't like what you make yourself. I think Greer posted pics of one here some time ago, but I could be wrong.

BoredAzHell20 wrote:

Crap. Blew a tire on my new Shinkos I installed yesterday. I had to hike the bike fOr a mile so aaa can pick it up. Lol

what would happen if you rode a mile on the flat?

NorgeWR2X wrote:

BoredAzHell20 wrote:

Crap. Blew a tire on my new Shinkos I installed yesterday. I had to hike the bike fOr a mile so aaa can pick it up. Lol

what would happen if you rode a mile on the flat?

I can answer that--I had a flat with the stocker rear. After I got it off I found it had split the tube about 4" or so right in the middle. Anyway--pump was useless and I was about 3 miles or so from home--wife gone. I rode that puppy home being very careful not to waggle at all to keep the rim running on the tire. No rim damage but two very nice groves cut deep into both sidewalls of the tire--tire was toast--but I hate the stockers anyway. Tube was toast but the rim lock held and the tube didn't pull the valve stem out--lock nut down against the rim.

playwme wrote:

What quality is the tube? You might need a tougher off road one if you were using the tube designed for the road tyres.

The other thing I've seen from a recently installed tyre is that there was a lot of soapy water still in the tyre when it was removed, left over from when the owner installed the tyre. He'd basically fitted the tyre and gone straight out so there was no time for the excess to dissipate and as a result the tyre slipped on the rim and tore the stem.

I was looking into buying some more heavy duty tubes, but after some research I've read that heat failure is common with these tubes. I guess it's due to the extra weight from the heavy duty tubes and riding it on the hwy at high speeds. I guess on off road application it would be ok.

Jäger wrote:

I'm not sure why you want to take the tire right off the rim. Take it off just one side and that is enough to patch or replace the tube with the tire still mostly in place on the rim.

Of course, if you believe you need rim locks on your tires, all the above is subject to significant change. My valve stems tell me there hasn't been much slippage since the last time I played with the tires each time (not tilted either way from vertical, indicating everything is staying still) and I have locked up the binders on the slab when Bambi jumped out in front of me a number of times, as well as spinning my way up roads a time or two and having the rear tire suddenly grab. I feel pretty safe without rim locks on this little bike, generally speaking.

There's a guy over on ADV that makes a pretty slick little trail stand if you don't like what you make yourself. I think Greer posted pics of one here some time ago, but I could be wrong.

I will have to look at the trail stand. Is this what you were talking about?
Trail Stand

Not the original post but the 3rd reply on that thread. Looks pretty cool and it's cheap as hell. Probably a lot safer than anything I could build myself. lol

Thanks for the link. I think...

A KLR with everything from the front to back except the tires and glass - even the spokes - painted up in Marpat? Quick; somebody pass the eye bleach.

This is the trail stand the ADV guy does. You can do something similar with a crutch end and some scrap metal if $27 is excessive:

http://endurostar.com/

Jäger wrote:

Don't forget there is a front tire as well... You'll need the wrenches to get the front tire off. . . [/quote]

What are you carrying for the rear wheel dismount? I have a handy tire tool/box end for the front, but the 27mm rear nut seems like a problem in the field. I brought a socket, 3/8-1/2 adapter, breaker bar on my last trip, but borrowed a wrench at a repair shop to do the chain adjust. My portable rig didn't have the torque to break the nut loose.

twday wrote:

Jäger wrote:

Don't forget there is a front tire as well... You'll need the wrenches to get the front tire off. . .

What are you carrying for the rear wheel dismount? I have a handy tire tool/box end for the front, but the 27mm rear nut seems like a problem in the field. I brought a socket, 3/8-1/2 adapter, breaker bar on my last trip, but borrowed a wrench at a repair shop to do the chain adjust. My portable rig didn't have the torque to break the nut loose.[/quote]

I just bought a Sears box-open combo and cut it in half--rounded off the ends. I use one on my WRR the other on my KTM. I use the box end on the WRR so I can slip it on and then use my foot to break it loose--no problems so far, with the nut torqued to spec before hand.

Being the cheap bastard that I am, I couldn't choke down the $60+ for a 27mm wrench/tire tool. So, I went to Fleet Farm, boughtt a $10 wrench, cut off the open end, and ground out a tire tool on the cut end. It took about 20 minutes to get it shaped, but it works really well. Tested and fully approved.


I curved the back side (instead of grinding it flat like my Motion Pro 22mm tool), on the theory that it would slip under the tube easier and make more space once it was there and that turned out to be a pretty good theory.