Motorcycle Flat Tire Safety and Prevention

If you have ever experienced a high-speed tire blowout in your car, it is fairly easy to imagine how much worse that loss of control would be if you were on two wheels instead of four. According to the Hurt Report, an investigative report that dissected causes of motorcycle crashes in 1981, only about 3 percent of motorcycle crashes are due to blowouts. No matter the percentage, nobody wants to be part of that statistic.

Motorcycle Tire Safety

Today we’re going to touch on some things that you can do to make it safely through a blowout on your motorcycle if you are unlucky enough to experience one.

Perform Safety Checks and Maintenance

The best offense in this case is definitely a good defense. Replace your tires when they’re worn and check them out each time that you ride to make sure that there is no damage or bald spots. It is better to avoid a blowout altogether than to figure out what to do once one happens. Also, be sure you are familiar with how to change a motorcycle flat tire in the event that it is needed.

Pay Attention

When you are riding, you should always have one ear on your bike so that you can hear any changes in motor, exhaust or road noise. One common sign of a motorcycle flat tire is a humming noise. You may also feel a wobble. If it is in the rear, you may feel like you are losing power.

Slow Down and Pull Over

Don’t wait. If you think that you are getting a motorcycle flat tire, immediately let off the gas and look for a pull-off spot. Don’t grab the brakes, change directions or downshift quickly; you want to roll smoothly to a stop. If you are sure which tire is flat, gently apply the brakes to the opposite tire unless you’ve got inter-linked brakes.

Stay Balanced

Don’t panic and get squirrely or try to look at the tire. Just sit tight, maintain your balance and focus on coming to a smooth, safe stop. Evaluate any issues or damage once you are safely stopped and out of harm’s way.

Don’t Ride with a Flat Tire

If you are fortunate enough to be able to fix a motorcycle flat tire, do so. If you can’t, you need to wait for a tow. It is not safe to ride your bike with a flat and you’ll damage your rim and ruin what may be a fixable tire. It is just not worth it.

Ride Smart

The more you ride, the more likely your motorcycle will get a flat tire. We hope that these motorcycle tire tips will help you if that happens. Take good care of your motorcycle, listen and feel for changes, and don’t panic. With a bit of luck, you’ll be back on the road in no time.