Dear Biking Fraternity a friend of mine had a really horrible accident at the last Bank Holiday weekend. The rear tyre blew out on his Triumph Thunderbird he was doing 70 mph. He had to be air lifted to hospital (thank God for the air ambulance) off the A2. He had 2 broken hands, a broken arm and broken nose. His pillion was severely injured also. He's been biking all his life, custom built some of his triumph bikes. I have read that its unusual to have tyre blow outs and its if the tyre is worn and perished. Yet he wouldn't be someone who wouldn't have noticed something like that. Have any of you ever experienced such a thing or heard of friends who its happened to? I just wondered how common it is. Not great if you're dong high speed.
I would hope it's not common, but sadly I have heard of it before. That said, I know of a couple of cars also, including mine, although that was me neglecting my tyres. but if you worried about everything you hear of, you would end up doing nothing.
Tyres can and do fail but not very often if you do suffer from a tyre giving up on you I would send it back to the manufacturer who can see if there is a reason for it. Before you all start with the there's no point they wont do anything or give you a new tyre they do examine all tyres sent back some fail due to the tyre itself but most failed due to incorrect inflation. Or you may just improve the next generation of tyres on the market
I agree with JP, tyre manufacturer's will check every tyre sent to them as a friend of mine suffered a blow out ! luckily he was'nt going that fast and slid off on to a grass verge, he sent it in on the Police's recommendation as it was a recently new tyre..
I had a Bridgestone Rear tyre on a zx600 Ninja blow out, it was a just run in bike and the tyre was as new, a chunk of tyre had delaminated as I came out of a corner and was showing a 2 inch square of canvas!
This was not an isolated case on the early BT50's, I've never used Bridgestone tyres since, and Bridgestone refused to comment on the reason for the failure.
I've had a front tyre blow out on a Suzuki 200 x5 but that was a tubed tyre, that threw me down the road!
hi Shiralee : I had a blow out on my Norton commando back in 1975
on the M6 I was going flat out I didn't drop the bike but I will never forgot it the M6 was only just wide in-nuth it tuck about a couple of miles before I came to a stop I was all over the motorway
I also was two up my pillion was as white as a ghost all I could say is "didn't I do well" but to be truffle I shit my self
have had a front trye blow and a rear tyre. the front was the scariest thing ever. i have heard that modern tyres are designed not to blow but to deflate slowly so it may be worth getting the maufacturer to look at it. i use the a2 every day and it can get quite busy so i'm glad he is still here. hope for a speedy recovery.
Had too many puntures to count. Its not the norm for a modern tubless tyre to blow out they normaly deflate in a controled manner.
In Nearly 20 years as a courier and over 70,000 miles a year i have only ever had 1 tyre deflate scarley quickly and even that didnt blow out.
Tubed tyres how ever are a very differnt story when they go they tend to just let go often instantly.
Personaly i wouldnt worry about a tyre letting go if its in good nick. It would be interesting to know what make model, type and condition your buddys tyre was, and if he realy was only doing 70?. Hope he recovers fully and quickly.
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