An idea for protecting rear tires from road debris By salsashark (Read 431 times)

[salsashark]

Someone commented that the reason rear tires get punctured more often than front tires do is because when the front tire rolls over a nail it can set it upright in just the right way to skewer the rear tire. This seems plausible to me. The only other contributing factor I can think of is that most of the bike & rider's weight sets on the rear tire.

My idea is this, consider a kind of mud flap hanging from the belly of the scooter just a quarter of an inch off the ground, (perhaps on an angle to act as a sweeper) something just heavy enough to brush aside or disrupt the dance of temporarily excited sharp objects. It need only be a few inches wide.

Since I had to remove my centre stand to stop it gouging a hole in my oil pan, I've got the perfect thing to hang my "puncture curtain" from.

I think it'd be pretty exciting if this can help with the dread curse of the punctured rear tire. I'll put up images as soon as I get a prototype on my rig.

[davec]

Look fwd to the pics

[jct842]

That just might work. We don't care about what is flat on the ground when the rear tire goes over it, but what is up in the air needs to be knocked down.

[cyborg]

good idea

[richardv]

First, I believe that is just an old wives tail. But, I have seen mud flaps attached at the pivot of the motorcycle centerstand that was suppose to take care of that. The best seemed to be a brush type like used on the back of campers to keep the stones off the dingy.

Let us know how that works. But, if you don't pick-up a nail how will you prove the device is the reason. Kind of like deer whistles.

[salsashark]

That's a good point, Richard. I guess the R & D process would be a very slow one. Your comment about the brush gives me an idea. Maybe a combination of a brush and flap would be optimal.

[badcattitude]

I worked in an auto service garage for 5 years and can attest to the fact that over 80% of tire repairs were the right rear. Most debris ends up on or near the shoulder and it is true that the front tire rolling over an object at speed will start it tumbling just in time for the rear wheel to catch it. You would not believe the junk we pulled out of car tires...

[jct842]

richardv

One memorable puncture was in a brand new tire with just a few miles on it. A huge spike around 6 inches long that went in the rear tread hit the inside of the rim turned and bent and came out the side wall. At maybe 25 mph. The only way that could have happened was for the front wheel to stand it up at maybe a 45 degree angle. That cost me $180 for a new tire. Nails that big have never been found standing up and ready to go in and if it was it would have been too long to go in and would have been knocked down. A roofing nail maybe but not a long spike.