Four Wheel Forum

Buckets81 wrote:Had a bit of a scare today. I was going about 55 (downhill with a tailwind, of course) when my rear tire went flat. The whole back of the bike started wobbling around like crazy. I was able to get it off of the road without dumping it but it was not a fun sensation. I'm not sure if there was something foreign in the tire, if the tube was pinched or if the little piece of the wire I pulled out of the tire managed to puncture the tube (there were a few holes in it, some likely caused by the tire spoons when we were replacing it) but it isn't an experience I would like to repeat.

I second that - glad you're ok. Maybe it's a good thing that it was the rear wheel and not the front.

Done.

Yikes...happy to hear you were okay..

Good to hear your OK as well. Guys, this is a wake up call about fixin old bikes. Their nice and fun...but remember, be carefull. These bikes are for show and scoot only (IMO)

Being that these bikes go fairly slow, I wonder if putting some ...how shall I say... that green sealant that I have seen at Walmart and Ag stores, to seal and prevent flats in tubed and tubeless tires, would work in these bikes. Perhaps it would slow or stop a puncture. Don't know.

Spokes wrote:Good to hear your OK as well. Guys, this is a wake up call about fixin old bikes. Their nice and fun...but remember, be carefull. These bikes are for show and scoot only (IMO)

Agreed. With these projects we seriously need to consider replacing all the 'consumables' like tires, tubes, chains & sprockets, cables, brakes, bearings and seals. The previous owner of my bike planned to retain the ancient tires, which he proudly demonstrated that they still held pressure.

Even when everything is replaced, we're dealing with 50 year old technology mixing with modern traffic. Our beloved CA95s accelerate slowly and stop slowly (single-leading shoe drum brakes - the oldest braking technology you'll likely ever encounter).

That said, I have blast pushing my '72 CB175 around the twisty roads up here at 65-70 MPH. Its addicting.

Jetblackchemist wrote:Yeah, the rear end can get super squirrely on this bike when it goes out of control, and handles like a tank without disk brakes to help slow it down; I'm glad the both of you made it out in one piece.

Did you use rim strips? Spokes will make lots of lovely holes without them. I seem to recall someone saying their rims were super rusty inside; can't recall who that was though.

I do have rim strips installed. Like I said, I made it out in one piece and I'm thankful for that but it sure was scary!

Glad your O.K .
When a tube is punctured the hole in the tube expands allowing the tire to go flat immediately .Even a small piece of wire will cause the hole in the tube to expand and let the air out much more quickly . Tubeless tires if punctured and the object , a nail perhaps , staying in the the will develop a slow leak that may not be noticed for quite some time .
It's worth the time to inspect the tire for any penetrations to the inner liner . Also use new tubes ! Saving a few dollars because the old tube held air isn't worh your life as your traveling down the road . I bought a Honda 500-4 many years ago from a friend . Of course the back tire was worn out and flat . Once I got the bike home I removed the tires and found the front tire's tube had been patched in several places and the rear tube had 3 patches stacked one on top of each other ! Tubes at that time were about 5$ each . Cheap insurance .

The tubes were replaced with the rebuild (I wasn't about to trust my life to a pair of patched up 47 year old tubes) and I replaced the rear after the flat. I do think I'll pick up some slime and stick that in there. I'm just glad it happened on a straight road instead of in a bend when I was coming down the mountain. I almost certainly wouldn't be posting about it right now if that had happened.

Buckets81: Try "Ride-On" instead of the green slime. I have experienced the use of it in Police cars for years and now I think it is standard in some new motorcycle manufacturers tires. Truckers and ags use it as well. Also does not create the mess that green slime does. Their website has a special section for motorcycles: http://www.ride-on.com

No affiliation here.........

Just an update. I've been riding the bike for almost a year now and have put almost 1700 miles on the ticker. It still rides great, although it recently started leaking oil like a sieve. I spent this afternoon replacing a bunch of seals (kick starter, clutch rod, front sprocket, shifter) and the leak has gone from a steady thing that left a puddle of oil in my carport to a few small drips out of the shifter side when it's really hot.

Congrats on 1700 miles and safe. Yea. I think the replacement seals we get today may not be the best. Anyway if anyone asks you, the bike does not drip...it's just marking its place.

You are riding that bike for sure, 1700 miles is a good clip. And yet another thread revival this week...

Just thought I would upload a few pictures I took on my ride today. My brother's Goldwing is out of order at the moment so he rode his '62 Dream that I'm going to buy off of him in the near future. It was 106 degrees in Tucson today (only 100 when we came down from the mountain but still way too hot for my taste) and we rode up to the town on top of Mt. Lemmon for coffee and breakfast. It was 70 on the mountain and the twisty roads and views were incredible.







By the way, if you guys haven't seen it, the new episode of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee has an old "You Meet The Nicest People on a Honda" TV ad spliced in near the end.

Well done nice pair....
I'll bet you were the talk of the mountain....

Awesome pictures! I love those off-road tires. I think they are the way to go for the 150 and 160 - unless you are trying for the land speed record. The road tires are ideal for the higher horsepower bikes that can carry more speed on road. Nice looking pair.