I think my bike hates me!

Soooo... After six months of battling my 73 850 Commando, I finally got her running great. For the last week I have been on her every day. Yesterday while banking into a nice smooth turn she goes on the full wobble. Almost hit gravel, but was able to hold her steady. The thread "The Norton Weave" automatically came to mind. Once I straitened out she continued to wobble. I pulled over to find my rear tire flat, like completely flat! The tires are new so I am convinced that I some how have anger the motorcycle gods...

Was it a blow out or a slow leak? Just curious. That certainly would give it the weaves.

Dave
69S

DogT said:

Was it a blow out or a slow leak? Just curious. That certainly would give it the weaves.

Dave
69S

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Dave,

Not sure... I had not rode it very far when it happened. I did an inspection before taking off and it was fine. It had not wobble before the turn... Its not blown, but i think it has a tube in it. I have K81's. Maybe that went. It sucked all the same. I have to wait till tomorrow to do anything about it because everywhere is closed for memorial day. So much for riding today.

You can't blame a pinched tube or bad valve on the gods, unless of course you tend to worship your tire changer.

If you are the tire changer and take responsibility, the god will reward you and give you long"er" and "less" trouble free trips.
Noticed I stayed away from absolutes.

One word on this matter:

"Michelin tubes."

Ok, two words.

+1 on the Michelin Tubes
But I have pinched one....doh! Brand New too. :evil: Look at it from the bright side....you kept it up right. 8)
CNN

CanukNortonNut said:

+1 on the Michelin Tubes
But I have pinched one....doh! Brand New too. :evil: Look at it from the bright side....you kept it up right. 8)
CNN

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Yes... Thankfully. I just took it apart because I have no patience and want to ride... Part of my tire came off the bead and pinched it. I patched it for now and ordered a new tube. Since I have not hit any big bumps I'm guessing they were not installed right. That's what I get for having a shop that is not familiar with Norton's do the tires. They tried to leave the blocks out of my rear brake, that should have been a sign. She's fixed for now so off I go. Thanks for letting me stand on my soapbox for a sec.

I can understand your frustrations with a flat tyre and you can't blame the gods for that its just life I surpose, I remember many years ago I had put a new K81 on the rear wheel, a week later a flat and I was about 70 miles from home and just on dark, had to leave my Norton in someones front yard till I could get home and get a mate to go and pick it up in his ute (pickup truck to some) after I got it fixed a week later the same thing, in one month I had 8 flats on the same wheel, I was so frustrated but after a while the bike shop I got the tyre from found it had a very little split inside the tyre casing, it was very hard to pick it but when the bike was running it was opening up and pinching the cube, he replaced the tyre at his cost and never had any more problems after that, but flat tyres are a part of motorcycling life, but one good thing about what happen with my tyre was I got good at changing tyres.

Ashley

I've had trouble with Oriental tubes. One of them just wouldn't hold air for 2 weeks. Make sure you get a quality tube. What I'm saying is forget Bikemaster.

After you get it fixed, keep an eye on it until you trust it, and then still check it.

Dave
69S

I guess I've been lucky. Over the years I've never had a flat tyre on the road on any of my vehicles. I have gone out to my car or ute (pickup) in the morning to find a flat tyre at times.
On bikes I've never even had that.
However, once upon a time many years ago I was about to fit a new tyre to my 250 Ducati. I had fitted motorcycle tyres previously without any problems, but an acquaintance who "worked as a tyre fitter" offered to do it for me. Well I should have not taken the easy way out should I? He pinched the tube in 5 places. Since then I have always done it myself.
I am sorry to say that my Commando has languished unused for some years now, but the tyres have pretty much held pressure all that time. They are English made tyres and tubes.
Of course they were too old to leave on during the current rebuild. The new tubes are made in Taiwan. Hope they're ok.
Cheers
Martin

You can be thankfull it wasnt the FRONT . 8) :lol:

I have had more punctures than I have had hot dinners, a total of 18 in one year; OK I had 19 hot dinners that year.
I have had a puncture on a 3 lane motorway and been left stranded on the central reservation, got pitched off the bike coming uphill from a underpass into the line of traffic with my leg trapped underneath the bike, saying my prayers, luckily for me all the tin boxes missed me. I also went around a corner speedway style when the inner tube valve ripped out-it’s all part of the wonderful world of biking :!:

I'd say a six month battle to get your commando running great means your bike loves you !! mine took serveral years, I just wish this forum was around in the 80's and 90's. Worse flat I got was 2 weeks after new paint job with a WOT, I didn't care about being stuck in the middle of nowhere just that I kept the bike upright, and myself of course!! yep I swore my bike had it in for me for years till I finally waded through the issues, Patience and Beer got us through together. Stay with her she'll come right

Soooo... After six months of battling my 73 850 Commando, I finally got her running great. For the last week I have been on her every day. Yesterday while banking into a nice smooth turn she goes on the full wobble. Almost hit gravel, but was able to hold her steady. The thread "The Norton Weave" automatically came to mind. Once I straitened out she continued to wobble. I pulled over to find my rear tire flat, like completely flat! The tires are new so I am convinced that I some how have anger the motorcycle gods...

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Yep most can control blow outs w/o crashing but it alwasy feels more like luck to me than skill each time, and I've had em on either end on both skinny and fatso tire bikes. Skinny were easier to tolerate. Also why I preach some low air practice time to get sense of wiggles that ain't wind nor reacts to control corrections the same as just wind gusts. Its also similar skill to avoid/recovering a too fast too lumpy too gusty Hinge onset with full aired tyres. Imagine the thrill with heavy tall cargo on back, whoowhoo.

My quandary after a flat is should I re- fit tire that's been run on flat so cords and bead weakened to distort and rub tube raw to test my luck again. Make no mistake its always Nature's God out hunting for good souls, either setting up to buy poor tubes or distracted to pinch em or just behaving well while crossing some spilled screws. ...

SierrasCafe530 said:

Soooo... After six months of battling my 73 850 Commando, I finally got her running great. For the last week I have been on her every day. Yesterday while banking into a nice smooth turn she goes on the full wobble. Almost hit gravel, but was able to hold her steady. The thread "The Norton Weave" automatically came to mind. Once I straitened out she continued to wobble. I pulled over to find my rear tire flat, like completely flat! The tires are new so I am convinced that I some how have anger the motorcycle gods...

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Six months? You're complaining to people who have been trying to get their bike working right for 40 years! :mrgreen:

Flat tire and you're still alive. Meh. Fix and go ride some more...