K11 Owners Group

Flying Duck · Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:58 pm Post subject: Fook! It's not my year.

In all of my riding career I've only had one flat up until this year. Got a small bolt in the front tire of my K75RT on the way to Alaksa in 04.

Fast forward to August of this year. My dumbass GPS takes me down a "paved" road in Montana that ends up having a mile or so of gravel with razor sharp little rocks on it. Bam! Flat strands me for a day in Ted Kaczynski land until i can get the local auto shop to open Monday morning and patch it.

Then riding down here to Rancho Mirage in October my rear goes flat on I-5 at 80 just north of Portland. Not much drama as the LT seems to ride OK with just a little wobble when the rear is flat. Did a sticky string on the side of the freeway and got a new PR2 from an indy BMW shop south of Portland before continuing to CA.

Then yesterday I ran down to Home Depot in the rain because my bike needed a wash. Come out today and the tire is half full of air. I found this nice little shard of metal in one of the tread grooves:

That's three flats on the same wheel in five months!!!! And this PR2s got maybe only 1,200 miles on it. (Since I ride fairly hard I don't trust a sticky string or internal patch to last the life of the tire I'm just going to replace the tire to be on the safe side.)

FOOK!!! FOOK!!! FOOK!!!
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE

old guy old bike · Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 9:11 pm Post subject:

My last PR2 (rear) had 3 plugs it it. One of the plugs had almost 12,000 miles on it. Not saying it's for everyone, but being the cheap bastage that I am.
Jeff
_________________
1993 K1100LT
2003 K1200GT Gone but not forgotten
2014 Victory Crossraods

mnb · Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 9:49 pm Post subject:

I've used plugs for years and had great luck with them.

The key too a good plug is:

don't use the mushroom type (rope type is best)

use a good amount of glue (but not a bucket of it)

ream the hole pretty good.

On the pull out, I try to pull most of the rope out by pulling slowly to minimize the extra weight, then when I'm comfortable I haven't pulled out to far, but just far enough, I yank quickly and it deposits the rope.
_________________
M N B
1997 BMW K1100LT ABS Special Edition
2003 Husqvarna TE610e
2007 Harley Davidson Road King
2009 BMW F800GS
2011 Husqvarna TE310
2014 Ducati Multistrada Pikes Peak MNB Edition

Flying Duck · Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:03 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the input, guys. Maybe I'll reconsider over the next few days. I've got some Safety Seal strings on the bike with me. I bought those after the August thing because I didn't want to be stranded again and it sure paid off when I got the flat on I-5. The bonus was the WASHDOT helper truck that showed up and had a decent compressor on board.

Nobody can ship until Monday anyhow.
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE

SugarHillCTD · Posted: Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:09 pm Post subject:

That was one of the few things I liked about the Concours.

It had tire pressure monitors on both wheels- not just low pressure but actual psi readout. Kept the scrolling readout on TPI all the time, in case either tires was losing pressure.
_________________
John & Cathy

'92 K100RS4V Pearl White SOLD
'04 K1200GT
IBA Several-SS1k, BBG, 50CC NYC to S.F.

bmwtf · Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 12:07 am Post subject:

I'm trying something called "Ride On" Supposed to be good up to 150 mph prevent flats, help balance tires. No obvious failures to deliver as promised.

Flying Duck · Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 12:24 am Post subject:

Off the grid · Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 1:11 am Post subject:

If flats are the worst thing to happen to you this year I would call that pretty luxurious. Razz

_________________
Bane of your existence since July 2006
2007 Triumph Tiger ABS. "Sabertooth"
2009 Husqvarna TE610. "The dirty Italian mistress"

Jim · Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 1:49 am Post subject:

I had Ride On in the bike and trailer tires when I left for San Diego last year.

The trailer tires were replaced in Little Rock - Ride On gone. The rear tire was replaced in Flagstaff on the way back. More Ride On gone. I replaced the front tire because it was worn out at 17,000 miles.

Guess it's time to buy more Ride On.
_________________
Jim
1997 K1100LTSE 94,000 - still has gremlins!
1995 R100RT Classic 16,650 crashed - repaired!
1992 K75RTP 46,000

"We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed."

Flying Duck · Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 2:28 am Post subject:

You got 17,000 miles out of a MC tire? Jeebus. Shocked

Note to self: Must do more LT wheelies.
_________________
93 LT (x2)
94 RS
86-97 K75F(K75/100/1100 Frankenbrick)
86 K75C w/paralever, hi perf cams,TURBO!
91 & 92 K75Ss
91 K1
86 custom K100
14 WR250R
IBA #17739 (SS1K, BBG, 50CC)
Buy parts HERE

Flying Duck · Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 2:47 am Post subject:

Jim · Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2010 2:45 pm Post subject:

Yeah - the Ride On wasn't added until later in that tire's life.

It was a Michelin Macadam 50E that I put on in '07. When I tried to find that tire again, I couldn't. I think Michelin realized their mistake.

John Clauss · Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 10:50 pm Post subject:

I am just confused why you ride the bike to Home Depot when it needs to get washed. None of my Home Depots have wash stations, do yours?
_________________
1997 K1100LT
1975 R75/6

It will bring you so close to nausea, it will make you sick! - Big Al

Flying Duck · Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 11:19 pm Post subject: