Saturday, I picked up a nail in my tire.

The nail didn't puncture the tire however. It pierced through the ridge, where the tread meets the sidewall. I was able to pull it out easily enough, and experienced no loss of tire pressure.

The funny thing about it is that I kept hearing metal clanging against something while I riding Saturday. Several of us where riding along Hwy 62, coming out of Morongo Valley, and into Desert Hot Springs, where those series of curves are. I was doing about 75mph, and at each turn I could hear clanging.

So when we got into the straight-away, I pulled over to the side and stopped to take a look. I couldn't figure out where the clanging was coming from. It was around 5:00pm at the time, and the sun had already set, so I couldn't see much.

The clanging would only occur when riding about 75mph or higher.

So the next day, I went into the garage, pulled the saddlebag off, and took a look around. And then I saw the nail.

The nail actually cleared everything as the wheel spun around. However, when the tire spun fast enough, the centrifugal force pulled it outward enough to where it struck the inside of the fender.

Labels: Tires

There's a pretty good thread on HDForums concerning Metzeler tires, specifically those made in Brazil. Apparently, one person experienced a sidewall ripping open...

i have found out that the metzler tires from brazil are the problem. these tires were made 6-8 months ago. i dont have the dates. but please check your tires for side wear. I was told they have recovered most of the tires but the stealership still had two in stock and had removed them when i complained about the safety issue. this tire was only 3 months old when i bought it. it only had 3k on the tire

Labels: Tires

SmarTire Systems Inc. develops on-the-go tire pressure monitoring systems for cars and motorcycles. The motorcycle version has been shipping since May 2004, and was enhanced in April 2005.

SmarTire for Motorcycles is an active tire pressure and temperature monitoring system that provides real-time tire information to the rider while the bike is in motion. At a push of the button, the SmarTire system displays each tire's pressure, temperature and pressure deviation. If the system detects a loss of air pressure or abnormally high tire temperature, an ultra-bright warning light automatically alerts the rider to the condition.

So how does it work?

A tiny tire-pressure & temperature sensor is mounted inside the tire. The sensor is capable of sending data wirelessly to a receiver mounted on the handlebars. At the push of a button, the receiver can display the tire's pressure and temperature. If the tire pressure drops too low, it will alert the rider.

The sensor is powered by a lithium battery designed to last five years, at 30,000 miles per year. If the motorcycle is stationary, the sensor goes into "sleep mode" to reduce battery consumption. Once the wheel rotates around 5 mph, an internal switch turns on the sensor and data is transmmitted immediately.

The display/receiver is powered by the motorcycle's electrical system. It's equipped with non-volatile memory so that if the battery is disconnected or goes dead, the unit will not lose its programmed settings.

Labels: Tire Pressure, Tires