3 ms·

Holy cow - good to know. Were those run-flat tires? I'm about to replace the tyres[0] on mine in a month and I'm researching the safest options. [0] British,

by mdip 6y ago

Holy cow - good to know. Were those run-flat tires? I'm about to replace the tyres[0] on mine in a month and I'm researching the safest options. [0] British, mate?

_carbyau_ 6y ago
No, the tyres were not runflat. They were Michelin Road 2. Sports touring-ish tyres. But I suspect most modern radials would have performed similar. Few caveats: - a GSXR being a sports bike doesn't carry a lot of weight on the rear, until you accelerate hard. I suspect a cruiser style bike might have struggled more. Especially if with a pillion or loaded up with luggage. - a flat tyre does deform a lot! It wasn't enjoyable riding! It wiggled and jiggled the whole way, only a little on the straight, much more on even a slight turn. - my 30kmhr speed was because the GSXR1000 1st gear meant the engine idled at 20kmhr and so was on the verge of stalling. I picked minimum above that. - After the 30km I had wrecked two strips either side of the main middle strip. I guess the middle strip didn't take much weight and flexed out of the way a lot (like a "W" shape) hence heating and ruining the two strips of rubber either side. - I got a plug to get me 200-ish km home (cruising at 100kmhr again but otherwise being gentle, no hard acceleration or cornering) and then that tyre got replaced as soon as I could get it into a shop. Am Australian. Maximum safety means different things to different people. Around the city, something that handles the wet and has good grip. Your regular multi-compound (harder middle, softer edges) tubeless. If I were tyre shopping for "maximum safety" for long cruising trips into the Outback etc with fully loaded bike. Maybe a tyre that takes a tube, and carry a spare tube, tools and knowhow to use them. Much happens nowadays with a simple good modern tubeless tyre, a $1000 emergency budget and a mobile phone. If going really far out, an epirb or satellite phone or similar. Edit: forgot to mention, some people think Slime and a pump might be an option. Hand pumping a motorbike tyre from truly flat though might take a while! Might want at least a foot pump or a small compressor... But the point is that modern multi-compound radial tyres ARE really quite good. Even my tyre puncture was a nail, likely from leaving the town before I noticed the flat...

by mdip 6y ago

Holy cow - good to know. Were those run-flat tires? I'm about to replace the tyres[0] on mine in a month and I'm researching the safest options. [0] British, mate?

_carbyau_ 6y ago

No, the tyres were not runflat. They were Michelin Road 2. Sports touring-ish tyres. But I suspect most modern radials would have performed similar. Few caveats: - a GSXR being a sports bike doesn't carry a lot of weight on the rear, until you accelerate hard. I suspect a cruiser style bike might have struggled more. Especially if with a pillion or loaded up with luggage. - a flat tyre does deform a lot! It wasn't enjoyable riding! It wiggled and jiggled the whole way, only a little on the straight, much more on even a slight turn. - my 30kmhr speed was because the GSXR1000 1st gear meant the engine idled at 20kmhr and so was on the verge of stalling. I picked minimum above that. - After the 30km I had wrecked two strips either side of the main middle strip. I guess the middle strip didn't take much weight and flexed out of the way a lot (like a "W" shape) hence heating and ruining the two strips of rubber either side. - I got a plug to get me 200-ish km home (cruising at 100kmhr again but otherwise being gentle, no hard acceleration or cornering) and then that tyre got replaced as soon as I could get it into a shop. Am Australian. Maximum safety means different things to different people. Around the city, something that handles the wet and has good grip. Your regular multi-compound (harder middle, softer edges) tubeless. If I were tyre shopping for "maximum safety" for long cruising trips into the Outback etc with fully loaded bike. Maybe a tyre that takes a tube, and carry a spare tube, tools and knowhow to use them. Much happens nowadays with a simple good modern tubeless tyre, a $1000 emergency budget and a mobile phone. If going really far out, an epirb or satellite phone or similar. Edit: forgot to mention, some people think Slime and a pump might be an option. Hand pumping a motorbike tyre from truly flat though might take a while! Might want at least a foot pump or a small compressor... But the point is that modern multi-compound radial tyres ARE really quite good. Even my tyre puncture was a nail, likely from leaving the town before I noticed the flat...