Rear tire keeps blowing out! 99 1500 Drifter

[chief]

Very perplexing.

No wear before the 100 mile trip... then blow-out...

It HAS to be hitting something at the same spot EVERY time. On the drifter the tire and fender move together, unlike standard bikes. If there were something inside the fender hitting the tire - I would think it would happen to the whole tire, not one spot - if the wheel is true.

I live in TN too ... its not hot roads... tires can and do handle a lot hotter.

Please keep us advised... I'm REALLY interested in finding out about this.

Cheers.

BTW - I still can't find anything indicating maxxis is stopping its street bike tire sales... not doubting what you read at all. Seems like there would be something on the web about this. It does/will impact a lot of drifter riders and I'd like to get an online source so I can point people to it.

[bigbike4]

Chief:

This is what is making this so hard to find.  I weekly check my air pressure and tire tread.  When I left that day I had decent tread on the rear tire, and tire pressure was 38 pounds.  I put about 100 miles on the bike that day and was running speeds of around 80 on the intra and innerstates in and around my area.  The day was warm and the roads were warm, like usual for Tenn. in the summer.  I can find no place where the tire hits the rim and will be pulling the wheel probably this weekend to check things out.  The center of the tire is bald where the blow out happened!  Very perplexing.  I will find out more when I get the rear fender off and take a look see.  I know it is not hitting the fender or swingarm.  Only thing I can figure is warm roads, bad tire this go around, that caused tire failure-perhaps tread seperation.  will have to examine closely.

As for Maxxis not making street bike tires anymore, well Dealernews sent around a note to those of us in the trade back in January, which I happened to find my old issues and sure enough it was anounced they were discontinuing street bike (still making atv and garden tractor).  And then when the place I had ordered my tire from sent me back the little reminder that they (Maxxis, chenshin's upper eschelon tire) were no longer making them, I kinda remembered seeing something about it.  Yes some tire places still have some in stock, around the web.

[chief]

Yeah, this IS a bike specific failure.

Gravel and rough surfaces have nothing to do with this failure. You can see the wear pattern developing so there is no reason to allow it to continue to blowout.

The only way for this wear to occur is for that spot to continuously impact something at the same place every rotation... otherwise there would be other wear spots on the tire. As a result, it almost certainly is the rim/tire which is the culprit.

I'm not sure where you heard Maxxis isn't making street bike tires any longer. I don't think that is the case. They are still available all over the web, and their website makes no mention of stopping.

Personally, maxxis are not my favorite WWW. My last set, the WWW were baby blue and I could never get them white. Don't want no smurf tires.

Cheers.

[bigbike4]

The blow out area is totally bald and a 8-10" gash opens where it blows out.  The rim is true and the tire is electronically balanced on a balancing machine.  The bike never quivers or gives me any problems.  The fender is not hitting the tire and I can not find anything inside the tire rotation area that would be causing this.  The only thing I can figure is that stone and gravel driveways and roadways may have something to do with it, as this is the only rough road surface I have to travel on.  Or maybe the aggressive style I take while riding twisty mountain roads, but then again the Drifter handles so well, it is hard to imagine it is not a sportbike-GRIN!

Maxxis is no longer making street bike tires.  Shame, they had the nicest looking wide whitewall.  So this time I am gonna go with a Dunlop WW.  At least the company where I bought the tire is gonna give me a replacement tire for their cost and even discount the shipping for me.  (www.tirewarehouse.com).

The thing that is perplexing is that prior to last years rear tire blowout the bike always got 10-11K out of the tires.  Then Last years Maxxis only lasted 8K and this years did not make it 3K.  While I have the tire assembly off the bike I will recheck the truing, something has definately changed.

[chief]

I've never gotten 11K on any bike tire, but I'm very particular about tires... had rear failures too.

1. failure always in same place - relatively
2. 440's on rear
3. you have checked fender to ensure no scrapping or protrusions are striking the tire.
4. air pressures maintained (using a confirmed accurate gage).
5. I haven't heard others are having this problem which likely eliminates a bad tire batch.

Q:
Does a wear pattern develop prior to the failure?
Is the tire/rim properly balanced?
Has the rim been checked "true"? Spokes - remember.
Has the bike sat in one place for long periods?

Sounds like the rim might be a problem. You should be getting some vibration, however.

If all that checks out. You might wanna try a different brand tire and monitor the wear patterns.

Cheers

[pcarrell]

Has the rim been checked?  If it has a slight side to side bend in it (from the first blowout maybe?) that could cause the tire to be scrubbing the pavement in the same spot every revolution, which would cause the wear you describe.  Just a thought........

[bigbike4]

Hi Guys and Gals, I am somewhat embarrassed to be asking this, since I am a part time motorcycle mechanic, but after racking my brain I am unable to come up with anything.  I have been running Maxxis WW front and rear on the bike for 9 years now.  I check tire pressures weekly-only putting about 500 miles a week on the bike.  This past year I have not ridden much due to moving into my shop and home.  Anyway, I normally run the rear at about 36 pounds, will up it to 38-40 if I travel with luggage - for high speed riding.  This last rear tire did not even last 3000 miles!  I blew the previous one (Maxxis also) at about 8000 miles.

Like I said, tire pressures are checked weekly, and are generally 36 in the rear and 32 in the front.  It is the rear that keeps blowing out.  Not a lot of fun on curvy mountain roads which have no cell phone coverage-for getting help.  Any ideas as to why?  Before these last 2 Maxxis I always got 11000 or more miles out of the tires.

I can not find anything in the fender that the stock tire size is hitting, and the blow out is always the same-about a 10" long patch right down the center of the rear tire.  At least this time the tire stayed on the rim!

Any thoughts or suggestions where else to look?  Suspension is Progressive 440's on the rear and not a lot of weight was being hauled either time-ie saddle bags and rack were both empty and I weigh 150 lbs.