Today the family and I went to the lake for a picnic and some riding. We arrived at the lake me riding the klx all the way and the family with the truck and the little 50cc dirtbike for the daughter in the rear. We set up the picnic site and the daughter and I did some riding. I hit a few jumps and there was one jump I hit wrong and landed right on the front tire pretty hard but no damage that I felt. After that jump we stopped and had lunch. After lunch I started up the bike and hit one of the smaller jumps, back tire hit fine, then the front tire came down and then I went down with the bike hard on the left side. I had no idea what happend. It was like the bike just slipped out from under me. I finally caught my breath and with the help of my wife and daughter picked myself up and noticed I was pretty scrapped up but nothing broken. I picked up the bike and looked it all over. Nothing broken some added scratches and then when I looked closer at the front tire it was flat. I must have had a blow out or somthing. I was very lucky and had the wife and the truck with me. I put the bike in the truck and drove home. Once I got the bike on the jack and pulled the tire away from the stem I noticed that the stem and tube were seperated. The only thing that I can think of is that I had to little tire pressure. Any thoughts on the reason why this might have happend? Could I have damaged it when I landed on the front tire on that last jump?
Anyway I'm okay and I guess I can use this to purchase a new front tire with a heavyduty tube.
Sorry no pictures,, to busy trying to catch my breath...

 

At least I wasn't going 60mph down the road when I had the blow out. This is my worst fear. Having a blow out on the rear is not as scarry as having one on the front tire.

 

I'm assuming it didn't lose air until the 2nd jump. Maybe the tire slipped on the rim which ripped the valve stem? Do you have a rim lock on it?

 

ok dang i thought you were gonna say the tire fell off[sm=icon_guiness.gif]

 

no rim lock. and i looked at the ground, its pretty soft with pine needles and some loose sticks but nothing that might puncture the tire. So it might have slipped and cut the stem like you said. Man it did not feel good thats for sure.

 

Gravy Train - What tire pressureswere you running ?

 

Man, Gald your ok!!!!! Any time the front tire goes out, its pretty hard not to go down...

All my dirt bikes always had front and back rim locks so when I purchased the bike, I had them put them on before it even left the shop.

I also went for the heavy duty tubes with the thicker valve stems when I switched to the Dunlop 606's for added protection.

I work for an insurance company can you tell????

Cheap insurance (rim locks arelike 3 bucks each or some such thing)and easy to put on if the tube is being installed anyway...

 

I knew there was a good reason that I don't jump my bike......yea that's the reasonOr could it be because I'm over 40 and don't want to break anything permanently?[8D]

 

Glad your ok GT,
sounds to me like your tyre was low on pressure and you ripped the stem upon landing. Do you know what your pressure was before you left home? Did you lower the pressure for off-road? As Dave said maybe a rim lock and H/D tubes are cheap insurance.
Garry
P.S. maybe you damaged it on the jump that you landed hard but not enough to drop all your air, the next jump ripped the valve?

 

Glad your ok and the truck and wife were right there with ya.. i thaught something bad like the forks blew apart or something.