[JasonHC73]

If you think just looking at and "kicking the tire" to see if it's got air, I think you are doing it wrong...

Yesterday I go out to ride to class, look at the tires, give a quick kick. Yep they feel stiff. Off I go. 2 miles into my trip, I go over some train tracks, and then my rear end is all goofy on me, like holy cow why am I going sideways goofy. I pull over and look at the rear end thinking I broke the axle or something crazy. Nothing obvious is glaring at me when I get off the bike and look at the wheel. The ride side is still straight and even with the bike.

Then I look at the left side. I discover this "minor" problem. Well, somehow, by magic it must be, the tire had gone flat and the entire left half of the tire was off the bead!!! The rear tire, a Pirelli, has such stiff side walls, that I couldn't even tell it was flat riding it, looking at it, or kicking it. So I figured, I came this two miles, what the heck, go back home, off the bead even.

Now I've got to set the bead, I'm getting my tools all ready. Speed Air chuck used to air up tires off the bead, like at the tire shop. Valve stem puller, and what not. Then I just decide to give it a try by just seeing if airing it up on it's own will happen. I put on the air chuck squeeze the trigger and magic happens. The tire just goes on and airs up. I've never seen this before on a tire that didn't have a tube. There was just enough pressure from the shape of the tire pressing against the bead, that it kept a good seal even with no lube!

I was on a 35mph road, just after train tracks, going probably 15-20 when it happened. It's a very odd feeling to have a complete flat like this and "crabbing" to go straight.

Use an air gauge to check your tire pressure. Ideally every day you go out, or at least once a week.

 

[fernando]

glad to hear you made it back home safe, certainly checking the air pressure its one of the most underestimated checks

 

[greginnm]

This is just my opinion, but I would take a really hard look at the tire. Anytime you have a tire bead break loose from the rim and has been ridden on, there is a very distinct probability of sidewall damage. This may show up as a bubble on the sidewall to include a catastrophic failure at speed. The only way I know to inspect this would be to dismount the tire completely off the rim and visually look for sidewall damage although that isn't foolproof. In any event I'd keep a real close look at your tire for possible future issues.

Greg

 

[Yoda]

And one other point. A low quality gauge is about the same as kicking your tire to check the pressure. Get a good gauge. A REALLY good gauge. If your gauge cost less than $5.00 throw it away. It may have a tolerance of + or - 10% or MORE. The cheaper the gauge, the more inaccurate it likely will be.

It DOES NOT MATTER if it is digital or analog! Digital does not mean it is necessarily accurate. The digital gauge I bought is certified to read + or - 1/2%. That would be within .15 psi at a 30 psi tire pressure. It may not quite be accurate enough for Formula 1 auto racing, but is accurate enough for my daily riding.

 

[Chatman128]

Instrument accuracy is a pretty dodgy concept. Typically, accuracy is expressed as a % of full scale. So if your analog gauge reads up to 100 psi then a 0.5% accuracy would be .5 psi at any point on the scale. Then with digital instruments you typically add in a one digit uncertainty so your reading on a digital scale would be considered accurate to +/- 0.5% FS +/- 1 LSD. Personally, I've ridden 40K on the Burg and have had rear tire pressures range from 36 to 20 psi, 36 to 25 on the front. At 20 psi on the rear I will admit to noticing that the ride felt a little odd. Not unrideable, just a little off. I certainly don't recommend regularly operating the scooter over that large a range of tire pressures. But I do not think you have get a traceable, laboratory grade, pressure gauge. I would be somewhat more concerned about why the bead dislodged from the rim. I've found it difficult enough to get it lodged in the first place and that is with tools and intent.

 

[Scootereno]

I picked up a nail in my Rear Pirelli and thought it felt funny. When I got home 30 miles later it had 6 psi of pressure and still rode ok but felt funny.
Yes, since then I always try to check my tires with a gauge before riding as well as a good visual check too.