I got my first flat tire on Vulcan 900! $181 cost

[davidcruiser]

My Vulcan 900 got its first flat tire yesterday! It was on the rear. As usual I put on my riding gear and ready to move it out of parking lot but to my surprise I couldn't roll off with my feet. I got off and check around the bike and bang, my rear tire just flat!
It was dark around 6pm and my bike was in the parking garage at my work. This is the first time I got a flat tire with a bike. It happened to my car before and normally I either fix it with my tire repair kit or replace with my spare tire. But for this bike I realize it's nothing that I can do to help myself.
I had it sit there overnight and called my insurance for towing truck the next morning. The tow man had to roll it down from the 4th floor parking garage to the ground level where he parks his truck. The parking garage does not have enough clearance for his flat bed tow truck (watch out so next time parking in level 1 )

It took a Honda dealer (happen to be nearest to my work) few hours to fix it. It replaced the inner tube and the total cost is $101 in which labor costs $70/hr. Now I learn that tube type tire (like VN 900) can be costly with flat tire. If I adds $80 for towing (which my insurance paid), the total $181.
I don't know how other folks with tubeless type deals with flat. I believe you can fix it yourself if you have enough repair kit. But with the rest of cruiser with spoke wheel, DIY is almost impossible since you need to remove tire from wheel rim, take off its inner tube and replace with new one, etc.

But I'm happy that the flat wasn't happening when I ride. Otherwise who knows what happens and if I still sit here and writing to this forum! Safe riding and always check your tire pressure before hitting the road.

P.S. There was a long big screw (not a nail) that punctured my tire. Bummer

[colbycurtis]

Originally Posted by davidcruiser

My Vulcan 900 got its first flat tire yesterday! It was on the rear. As usual I put on my riding gear and ready to move it out of parking lot but to my surprise I couldn't roll off with my feet. I got off and check around the bike and bang, my rear tire just flat!
It was dark around 6pm and my bike was in the parking garage at my work. This is the first time I got a flat tire with a bike. It happened to my car before and normally I either fix it with my tire repair kit or replace with my spare tire. But for this bike I realize it's nothing that I can do to help myself.
I had it sit there overnight and called my insurance for towing truck the next morning. The tow man had to roll it down from the 4th floor parking garage to the ground level where he parks his truck. The parking garage does not have enough clearance for his flat bed tow truck (watch out so next time parking in level 1 )

It took a Honda dealer (happen to be nearest to my work) few hours to fix it. It replaced the inner tube and the total cost is $101 in which labor costs $70/hr. Now I learn that tube type tire (like VN 900) can be costly with flat tire. If I adds $80 for towing (which my insurance paid), the total $181.
I don't know how other folks with tubeless type deals with flat. I believe you can fix it yourself if you have enough repair kit. But with the rest of cruiser with spoke wheel, DIY is almost impossible since you need to remove tire from wheel rim, take off its inner tube and replace with new one, etc.

But I'm happy that the flat wasn't happening when I ride. Otherwise who knows what happens and if I still sit here and writing to this forum! Safe riding and always check your tire pressure before hitting the road.

P.S. There was a long big screw (not a nail) that punctured my tire. Bummer

Thank you for adding the P.S. I was worried maybe there was a problem with tire manufacturer but letting us know it was a screw makes me feel better but that sure is wierd you must have picked it up riding into work and it just slow leaked till flat

[davidcruiser]

Good point! It should have blown up the moment it picks up the screw because the tire is tubed. The only explanation I can come up is that the tire picks up that screw not far from parking garage and when I mostly slow down to get into the garage. Maybe other long time cruiser riders may know better.

[texrider]

To do your own flat emergency repairs requires a tube patch kit, tire levers, and a pump or compressed gas cylinders, like a BB gun uses. The repair can be done by breaking one side of the tire bead loose, and positioning the punctured area where you can get at it, without even jacking the bike up. All this takes a great deal of patience, of course.

This reminds me to assemble such a kit to carry in my 900...

[msa1956]

Suggestion, ROK towing to the dealers for things like this.

[2WheelFun]

Any flat sucks.

[Neous]

Originally Posted by 2WheelFun

Any flat sucks.

and that's any

[thrustmaster]

I had a flat on my old ace and used a couple of cans of fix a flat to get me to where I could take the wheel off. The fix a flat didn't get me very far, only about 8 miles, but that was far enough.

[honestlyinsane]

I had a nail earlier his year on my sportbike and the tire alone was 180.00
and the tire that got the nail had about 200 miles on it. It was about 25 bucks to have it mounted and balanced seeing i took the wheel off myself.
Flats suck anytime

[bluestringer]

Originally Posted by davidcruiser

My Vulcan 900 got its first flat tire yesterday! It was on the rear. As usual I put on my riding gear and ready to move it out of parking lot but to my surprise I couldn't roll off with my feet. I got off and check around the bike and bang, my rear tire just flat!
It was dark around 6pm and my bike was in the parking garage at my work. This is the first time I got a flat tire with a bike. It happened to my car before and normally I either fix it with my tire repair kit or replace with my spare tire. But for this bike I realize it's nothing that I can do to help myself.
I had it sit there overnight and called my insurance for towing truck the next morning. The tow man had to roll it down from the 4th floor parking garage to the ground level where he parks his truck. The parking garage does not have enough clearance for his flat bed tow truck (watch out so next time parking in level 1 )

It took a Honda dealer (happen to be nearest to my work) few hours to fix it. It replaced the inner tube and the total cost is $101 in which labor costs $70/hr. Now I learn that tube type tire (like VN 900) can be costly with flat tire. If I adds $80 for towing (which my insurance paid), the total $181.
I don't know how other folks with tubeless type deals with flat. I believe you can fix it yourself if you have enough repair kit. But with the rest of cruiser with spoke wheel, DIY is almost impossible since you need to remove tire from wheel rim, take off its inner tube and replace with new one, etc.

But I'm happy that the flat wasn't happening when I ride. Otherwise who knows what happens and if I still sit here and writing to this forum! Safe riding and always check your tire pressure before hitting the road.

P.S. There was a long big screw (not a nail) that punctured my tire. Bummer

The last flat I had was on my 800, rear. Cost me 35 bucks with tube. Best to remove it yourself and take it to a local independent bike shop, not a dealer.

[relli]

gotta remember, aint nothing bout this lifestyle thats cheap!!

[Wild Rice]

I picked up a nice shiny screw in my front tire (VN1600 Classic) with only 600 miles on it. Since nobody had a replacement in stock... I wound up patching it... and ordering a new tire. (Dealer told me they would NOT patch/plug my tire... had to have a new one. Bought it online for $40 less than dealer wanted. (including shipping). I actually rode it for about 1000 miles before having the new one put on. So... I think it's actually fairly safe to plug and run.

I now carry a plug kit and an air compressor that plugs into a 'cigarette lighter' socket, in the event of another flat. This way.. at least I know I'll get home without being towed.

However ALL flats S*ck!!!

[RWJC]

Does anyone use Slime in their tires or have used it? Do you reccommend it??

[powday]

Originally Posted by RWJC

Does anyone use Slime in their tires or have used it? Do you reccommend it??

Although I haven't used a sealant in my moto tires (due to tubes), I have used it on my mountain bike tires (tubeless) with fantastic success. I rode a half a season with a screw in my tire (in fact, it's still in there) and haven't lost any air at all. I pumped up my tires once at the end of last season when I put the sealant in. I swear by that stuff on the mtb trails, but don't know how that will translate to the motorcycle/street. Just wanted to share my experience with you though, for what it's worth.

Justin

[VulcanRev]

Originally Posted by powday

Although I haven't used a sealant in my moto tires (due to tubes), I have used it on my mountain bike tires (tubeless) with fantastic success. I rode a half a season with a screw in my tire (in fact, it's still in there) and haven't lost any air at all. I pumped up my tires once at the end of last season when I put the sealant in. I swear by that stuff on the mtb trails, but don't know how that will translate to the motorcycle/street. Just wanted to share my experience with you though, for what it's worth.

Justin

+1-Used it in my MB this past summer riding the passes between ID & MT, lot's of goatheads in tires, would have normally gone flat immediately, never had a problem! I don't think I would like it in my MC tires due to the potential out-of-balance issue.

[colbycurtis]

So do you guys think if your gonna get a flat while riding it is safer with a tube type tire or tubeless? I'm thinking having a tube might be safer when you run something over that punctures the tire?

[relli]

dont think theres a diff as far as saftey goes. just a diff in the repair/repl process

[honestlyinsane]

Slime will never solidify so its like put water in a tire it throws it out of balance.
Used it in my atv was fine until I hit long straight and hit high speeds.Needless to say it was uncontrollable

[jimbo-vn900]

I picked up a screw with my 900 not too long ago. The first flat I have had in six years of riding. I went out and bought a jack, took off the tire, brought it to the dealer and they took care of installing a new tube, mount and balance for $50. I think it was $50, I will have to check. It took less than an hour. When I put it back on, I just tried to put the axle back in the same place it was before I took it off. I don't have the deflection tool to check the belt tension properly, I will have the dealer make sure it is to spec next time I take it in. I don't want to mess up anything. I should probably pick up the tool for measuring deflection.

[davidcruiser]

Originally Posted by colbycurtis

So do you guys think if your gonna get a flat while riding it is safer with a tube type tire or tubeless? I'm thinking having a tube might be safer when you run something over that punctures the tire?

Colbycurtis, flat on any tire type is not safe. However the tubeless tire will deflate slowly (similar to our car tire) instead of blowing out like tube type tire (ie. Vulcan 900). Secondly you can fix it by a plug/sealant like someone here mentioned on the tire. On the other hand, flat on tube tire needs to replace the inner tube and so you need to remove the wheel off the bike.

Any cruiser with spoke wheel has tube type tire. If it's a cast wheel, most likely it's a tubeless. I heard conversion from tube to tubeless is possible with somekind of seal material applied to the inside rim to seal off spoke leaks.