Flat front tire after winter, is this normal????

[Sh1ftyClutch]

I went to check on my motorcycle today because it is 48 degrees outside and quite warm and found that my front tire is completely flat. Its a new tire i had put on in spring time 2012. The back tire is fine, is this normal to happen over winter? Should i get a new tire? The motorcycle was in a garage tent outside all winter and parked on dirt with a block under the kickstand. hope this helps. I really hope its nothing drastic. Thanks

UPDATE: JANUARY 14, 2013

THIS WAS A BRAND NEW TIRE PUT ON IN SPRING! Ugh brought it to the motorcycle shop to get fixed. I hope its not expensive!!!

 

[Rhydian]

As far as I'm aware a flat tire should always be treated as a puncture and be replaced or sealed.

 

[Sh1ftyClutch]

Thanks for the advice

 

[MysteriousVlogger]

If you havent checked your PSI then it is normal.

Your PSI goes down in the winter anyway because of the colder weather. If you haven't been riding it that will also make it go down.

 

[Skully521]

If you haven't been riding it that will also make it go down.

What Oo how does that work

 

[MysteriousVlogger]

If you haven't been riding it that will also make it go down.

What Oo how does that work

because if it has been stood for a long time it naturally goes down :geek:

 

[Skully521]

so why does riding it stop it going down then? this is more of the question i was asking the first time.

 

[Sh1ftyClutch]

If I use a can of compressed air how long should I wait to see just in case? I have no other methods of getting air.into it otherwise

 

[Grandsatsuma]

Get a foot pump xD

 

[Trinith]

Fill it back up, and watch it. Spray the whole tire/wheel/valve-stem with a bit of soapy water (dish washing soap, nothing special.) Look for bubbles. You'll find any leak pretty quickly. If a leak doesn't show up then don't worry about it too much. Tires leak, some faster than others. A lot of the time air leaks quite slowly through the valve-stem. That's one of the many reasons you're supposed to check the air pressure of your tires before you ride.

Freaking out about it and taking the wheel off and rushing off to a shop to get it checked is a bit premature.

Oh, and go buy an air compressor. They're not very expensive and are available anywhere that sells car parts of any sort.

 

[Skully521]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-Tire-Ty...tyres_trims_Valve_Caps_ET&hash=item2a274262d5

If your like me and dont check it as often as you should

 

[BikerSpeedTriple]

Fill it back up, and watch it. Spray the whole tire/wheel/valve-stem with a bit of soapy water (dish washing soap, nothing special.) Look for bubbles. You'll find any leak pretty quickly. If a leak doesn't show up then don't worry about it too much. Tires leak, some faster than others. A lot of the time air leaks quite slowly through the valve-stem. That's one of the many reasons you're supposed to check the air pressure of your tires before you ride.

Freaking out about it and taking the wheel off and rushing off to a shop to get it checked is a bit premature.

Oh, and go buy an air compressor. They're not very expensive and are available anywhere that sells car parts of any sort.

Was basically posting the same sort of thing, but you beat me to it. To test a small area, spit works well, too.

Note that valves can (usually) be replaced easily and are cheap, so definitely check that.

 

[UnstableBoy]

this is the best thing ever... enough air to fill a car tire from full flat to enough to ride to a proper shop. great for topping off bike tires. fill it at a gas station or shop. close it up and it keeps for months.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/access ... id=1960636

 

[BikerSpeedTriple]

What's wrong with one of these? Very cheap, always ready to use, never needs topping up...

 

[Sh1ftyClutch]

Thank you all for your replies. I bought a foot pump and filled the tire up. The gauge didn't work on it. I might return it. Found a construction nail in the tire after it was filled. Took a huge risk and drove it to the shop. Its now getting fixed. Hope its not expensive!!! I added a picture at the top of the fourm topic

 

[Trinith]

Good job. Any time you come out and a tire is mysteriously flat the first step is fill it back up. It's also worth noting that nails hold better than you think. You don't want to ride any farther or faster than absolutely necessary, but you can put a surprising number of miles on a tire with a nail in it.

 

[Sh1ftyClutch]

I drove no more the 30mph to the shop. I didn't want it to pop. I told them don't bother to plug it. Just replace it. Thats a better route anyways right replace with a new tire

 

[Trinith]

Eh, I put a little over 9,000 miles on a tire that had a combination patch/plug in it. I'd ridden about 300 miles the day I found that nail at surprisingly high speed, and have no idea when I picked it up. I also drove my truck about 1500 miles (so far..) with a nail sticking out of one tire. IF the nail comes out it's going to take a bit to go flat, it's not going to explode.

Although yes, simply replacing the tire IS the best way to deal with it, it's not the only option.

 

[BikerSpeedTriple]

I bought a foot pump and filled the tire up. The gauge didn't work on it.

The gauges on them are usually always complete crap. Get a separate, good quality handheld gauge - they're fairly cheap and easy to carry around/stick under your seat.