| Tom Franken |
Dark Side |
|
Web Site Links
|
(Here's the original writeup.) I got a chance to test the run-flat technology this morning. Some neighborhood cat managed to get into the cage and turned the headlights on yesterday morning. (It had to have been a cat because I certainly would not have left them on.) Leaving the charger on the battery overnight still did not allow the battery to start the truck. So off to Autozone on the 'Wing to get a new battery. On right corners, the rear tire made a sound like it was rubbing. When I got to the store a mile away, I checked the tire and found a screw in the tread about 1.5 inches from the right edge. The sound was air coming from the screw as the screw went across the ground. Hopefully, it would hold air to get me home. It didn't I've ridden the 'Wing with a flat rear tire. It's doable but difficult. The back end is extremely squirrelly and I had to keep the bike under 10mph. With the car tire on, the bike was much more stable running with no air. On one right corner, my first thought was that the tire had managed to seal up and wasn't losing air since it wasn't making any noise. I didn't drag any pedals, but I did lean through the corner. Moments later, it dawned on me I wasn't losing air because I had no more air to lose. I wasn't far from home but did have a couple more corners that were stable. Even bouncing up the curb to the driveway was not bad. I plugged the tire. The plug was much harder to get in but I'm guessing it will hold up much better than the plugs I've put in motorcycle tires. When the rear tire needs replacing, I will take out the air and drive around for a more complete review. For now, I will say the car tire without air is much more likely to get you to a repair facility than a motorcycle tire without air. Note: keep in mind; I have a tire with "run-flat" technology. |
|