How much air before a tire blows?

[shrekonwheels]

Luckily I do not know, but I nearly found out.

I was a little ticked off that my fork seal was leaking again after only a few hundred miles, very annoying surely I cannot be the only person experiencing this nonsense?

Anyhow I was checking the tires and decided to add a bit of air to the front. Well the air chuck would get stuck for whatever reason, unable to get it off my first reaction was to turn off the pump, yea like that helped. So then I disconnect the chuck. Finally after a couple seconds more I get the chuck off, I check the air, it is beyond the 75lb max of my tire gauge!

Happy there was no kaboom!

 

[EricV]

Glad you didn't have an unpleasant loud noise occur. Maybe time to replace that air chuck/compressor?

In regards to the fork seal, do you park the bike on the side stand when in the garage? If so, perhaps try parking on the center stand. Probably not the only reason I've never, ever had a fork seal leak in 300k, but it helps.

Do you use any type of fork seal protection? Kriega MSR Fork skins Shock Sox Seal Savers If not, check out the links and pick your favorite type/color. They do help a lot.

 

[shrekonwheels]

Newer Chuck, older compressor
I have left it cranked up to set beads.

Yup it is on the side stand, and hell this is the first time In years I have ever had leaky fork seals, and never on a bike this fresh.

I really do not get much dirt time in, I bet I have 100 miles on dirt roads since I replaced the last set of seals. Those were just run of the mill roads, dusty very little mud etc. She gets a bath nearly every time she gets dirty too ::001::

I have not been able to ride much as August and some of September I had shingles, yea they are as fun as you hear. I also had a baby previously (wife ::018: sooo trying to find time to ride.

 

[offcamber]

Try one of these before you replace the seal...

http://www.amazon.com/Motion-Pro-Seal-Mate-Cleaner/dp/B0039LDF4A

 

[EricV]

Yup it is on the side stand, and hell this is the first time In years I have ever had leaky fork seals, and never on a bike this fresh.

I really do not get much dirt time in, I bet I have 100 miles on dirt roads since I replaced the last set of seals. Those were just run of the mill roads, dusty very little mud etc. She gets a bath nearly every time she gets dirty too ::001::

Yes, shingles suck. BTDT.

I offer that you try parking on the center stand when the bike is in the garage. The uneven pressure on the forks seems to aggravate seal issues, imho. Sounds a little odd, but since I started parking on the center stand for the garage about 25 years ago, I've not had a single seal failure/leak, including bikes I didn't have seal protectors on. Just one man's experience. My riding friends with the same bikes of the same age that park on the side stand seem to have seal issues when I don't. Even with many less miles for them. <shrug> lots of variables. I have 95k on they S10 now w/o a hint of seal leakage. 160k on the FJR w/o seal leaking.

I get dirty when I can, but not all that much in the overall miles I put on. I remove & wash the seal protectors and apply some WD-40 to the inside of them after dry and before re-installing. The mfg says to do that after dirt rides.

The only other variable I read that makes me wonder, is how often you wash the bike. No idea how often that really is, just suspect less often than I do. I maybe wash the bike twice a year. No point for me, the next rain ride it will just get dirty again. I've never been one of those guys that washes the bike often, and oddly, never had many of the issues others with sparkling clean bikes seem to have.

If you haven't yet tried the Seal Mate saver, (suspect you have), it's worth a shot. You can make your own if you have some old 35mm film negatives around.

Good luck and hope you can stop having seal leaking. Kind of annoying and I suspect it worries you some. Something you likely would gladly live w/o.

 

[OldRider]

I really do not get much dirt time in, I bet I have 100 miles on dirt roads since I replaced the last set of seals.

What brand of seals did you use?

 

[shrekonwheels]

The sidestand thing really makes no sense, at least on a new bike but I suppose I could put it up on the center stand for now, sigh.

I probably have given the bike a good washing four times in as many months, not counting when it gets at least hosed off, which as I said is pretty much every time it even looks dusty
Hose is right next to the Garage so why not?

I have not tried the seal mate, but I did make a home made one which I tried last time and used with success on a buddies GS 650.

The seals where factory.

I probably will also take off the dust covers and clean them up.

 

[Juan]

My new 2013 had a seal leak after only 500 miles or so with only paved road riding. This occured a couple of years back. The Yamaha dealer said he would replace the seal under warranty. Off came the fork leg and before he started the work he phoned me to say that Yamaha would be replacing the leg as it had a minute scratch on the lower telescopic part which was tearing the seal as the seal moves over the scratch. He confirmed that the position of the scratch made it very unlikely that I could have done it as it was right behind the fork protector.

Since then, after around 13k miles, all is well. For info, I use the centre stand (mainly to save space in the garage) and I wipe clean the forks very often.

 

[shrekonwheels]

My new 2013 had a seal leak after only 500 miles or so with only paved road riding. This occured a couple of years back. The Yamaha dealer said he would replace the seal under warranty. Off came the fork leg and before he started the work he phoned me to say that Yamaha would be replacing the leg as it had a minute scratch on the lower telescopic part which was tearing the seal as the seal moves over the scratch. He confirmed that the position of the scratch made it very unlikely that I could have done it as it was right behind the fork protector.

Since then, after around 13k miles, all is well. For info, I use the centre stand (mainly to save space in the garage) and I wipe clean the forks very often.

This makes the most sense, some sort of a Flaw causing this problem will see what I can find.

If it happens again, the bike goes goodbye, friggin BS to deal with this out of the gate with such little use.

 

[Ramseybella]

I use Shock Sox.
Zip tied both ends the Velcro starts to get dried out after awhile.
Am planning on installing rubber fork boots when I have my fork oil changed, haven't seen a tenere with them on yet.
Or inverted forks with them yet as well..

 

[Chuck B]

My better half is medical type who plays around in operating rooms. Seems nearly every spring she is having to reattach or attempt to reattach fingers and other body parts due to overinflation of tires. I can only think of one being from a motorcyclists but damn, watch out for those wheel barrow tires. They are dangerous. Last one was with a 16 yr old....saved two fingers but lost one other. I cringe reading folks having trouble seating a tire bead and guys running over 50 psi of air trying to seat them....darwin award wantabe.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Tire designers generally as a rule of thumb design for a 3X overpressure and about 2X for high stress like some hp bicycle tires. A NEW wheel barrow tire of 15-ish psi nominal very well may burst somewhere around 45 then. The 200 psi aircraft tires have destroyed protective cages used for inflation.


While 2X should be a lot more than needed for a m/c tire, it ought to be OK. What I tell folks new to changing tires, is that if it hasn't seated by full pressure, let the air out and get the bead wet with lube or soapy water before trying again.

 

[shrekonwheels]

I thought wheel barrow tires all were tubed?

I learned something new today

 

[Chuck B]

I thought wheel barrow tires all were tubed?

I learned something new today

Neither my wheel barrow or hand truck have tubes.... I think the biggest issue is very small tire and folks hooking up air chucks with 125psi sitting behind it. Most air compressors have adjustment knobs for air pressure. Best to regulate that down to 25 psi or so before using on such a small tire.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Just remembered having seen this video a few years ago. Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gBHoeB1vfk

 

[Dogdaze]

In this age of got have it now, can't wait a minute seems like accidents are waiting to happen. What's wrong with a good old fashioned foot pump? If I need to increase the psi in my tyres a few lbs, I just use my bicycle hand pump, it's quicker than plugging the compressor in and running pressure up. Still, I do enjoy the odd Youtube videos of Darwin contenders.....

 

[shrekonwheels]

In this age of got have it now, can't wait a minute seems like accidents are waiting to happen. What's wrong with a good old fashioned foot pump? If I need to increase the psi in my tyres a few lbs, I just use my bicycle hand pump, it's quicker than plugging the compressor in and running pressure up. Still, I do enjoy the odd Youtube videos of Darwin contenders.....

Hell use a hand pump for all I care. Having done a few hundred tires, I am good the way I do it, with a different chuck of course ::014::