...and managed to keep the bike upright! I just had tires installed and had ridden a total of about 60 miles. I just can't believe how much the bars were jerking back and forth. My wrists hurt so much this morning that it woke me up. I took a healthy (or not so healthy) dose of aleeve and they are better, but d@mn!

While I was waiting on the interstate, I almost got taken out by an 18 wheeler. It was close enough that I was running for the ditch as he went by. He was well accross the white strip and couldn't have missed the bike more than an inch or two.

I had a valve core brought to me (at a cost of $125.00!) thinking I could ride the bike home, but the tire was damaged.

So, I had to get the bike towed the remaining 50 miles to the local Harley shop. And while we were waiting on the roadside assistance approval, we both almost got taken out by a mobile home....

On the wrecker ride back, I call the Harley shop to see if they have any tires (I run Metzlers) and of course they didn't. So, I call the shop owner that installed the tires and he was supposed to ship one down. I haven't called yet to find out if he did. We will have a discussion about the labor once I have all the bills in hand.

We finally get to the shop, and they say they can't get to it until Thursday. That would be OK, but the computer just went out on my truck and now I'm afoot. Fortunately, a buddy came through with a truck I could borrow...

Anyway, I am just glad to be here. I have alway heard horror stories about front blowouts. I am just thankful that the GF and I decided to do other things on Sunday instead of ride. I don't think the outcome would have been quite the same. I'm not sure I could have handled it two up....

 

Glad to hear you're okay. Dayum that it scary, especially after I just had my tire changed and I'm riding my wife 2 up pretty much every day. Well, I gotta go check my valve stems.

 

Damn dude that is hairy! Great job on saving the bike and yourself. Who installed the tires? sounds fishy after only 60 miles. (lawsuit)?

 

Very scarey; excellent recovery! This reminds me to ask if anyone has seen the metal valve extensions on the GW's... they are bent to the outside of the rim so you can easily put a gauge on them or fill them without the gymnastics I have to do to get to the valves on my Ultra.

Bob

 

That is really scary!! Glad to hear you could handle it at that speed - sure hope I have that ability if it ever happens to me, one never knows until you experience it yourself.
I've heard of others having valve stem problems like cracking from dry-rot, etc. It seems that bike dealers don't feel it necessay to change valve stems at tire changes like car tire people do - to me it seems it would be more of a safety feature for bikes much more than for a 4-wheeler.
For that reason I had my Harley dealer install metal valve stems on my last bike (98 Heritage - never had a problem in over 80K miles - my new '08 still has the original tires and stems, but if it's still possilbe to have metal stems installed on the '08 rims, believe me, that will be the first thing I ask for at my first tire change.

 

Good job.. front tire is the worst.

 

They changed the valve stems, but didn't tighten the cores down. I will withhold the name for now. We will see whether or not I get fully compensated.

That wasn't the only issue I had with them. I left the bike there the Friday before, as we were going on vacation. I told them I would be back the following Friday to pick the bike up. The day I was to pick the bike up, they called me. They said they installed a 150 rear tire. I told them it was supposed to be a 140 and a 150 wouldn't fit.

Well, they had never bothered to check, in the week the bike was there, if they had any 140 tires in stock. Of course they didn't and they put the 150 on there. They said the mechanic rode the bike around and it didn't rub. Well it did, so they had to put a 130 on there so I could get home. I live 100 miles from this particular shop. I used them because they were close to where we would be flying from.

Anyway, the whole thing was one big cluster. The last time they will be seeing me will be when I present them with the invoices and ask for my check. If I don't get it, then the credit card company will get the call...

 

Man, were you lucky. I'd still be in church...

 

I am very glad you are OK.

 

I hope I could do as well if this happened to me. You seem to be very calm about it. Personally I would want a piece if you know what I mean.

Glad you are OK.