By MIKE Phillips

TIRES may be the most

The first crash was in northwest Arkansas and did not cause any injuries. The rider said his front tire just washed out, going around a curve at about 35 mph; the bike went down and received damage to the fairing and left side. The bike was taken to the repair shop. The mechanic at the shop found the front tire had 13 pounds of air pressure and the rear tire had 21 pounds of pressure. The underinflated tire was a direct cause of the crash. This was the fault of the rider. Riders must check tire pressure often with a gauge. Most tires will not appear low on air when looking at them. Check the pressure at least every couple of days and always before and during long trips. If your bike is handling strangely or mushy, it may be due to under- or over-inflated tires. Pay attention to your bike if it feels wrong; stop and check it out.

The second crash happened at night in Fort Worth, Texas. Fifteen bikes riding in a group all went

down on the freeway. Twenty-one people were injured, with fourteen riders taken to the hospital. Investigators said the lead bike suffered a front tire blowout, causing the other bikes to crash in a chain reaction. A motorcycle tire blowout is rare, but it does happen. There are several things riders can do to help prevent a blowout. First, put the correct tire on the bike. Make sure the tire fits by using the tire size recommended by the bike builder. Make sure the tire fits the rim.

Several years ago, people were putting car tires on the rear of cruiser bikes. Riders said they got more miles out of the car tires. These tires were not made for bikes and did not correctly fit the rim. These tires caused many problems with cornering stability and braking. Any tire that does not fit the bike or the rim may work for a short time, but it will eventually cause trouble.

Inflate tires to the correct pressure for the bike and the load it will carry. The pressure stamped on the outside of a tire is the maximum pressure for that tire. Check your owner’ s manual or with your service department to find the recommended pressure for your bike tire. Assess the tread wear on the tire. Do not set an arbitrary number of miles before you change tires. Different roads and riding conditions will cause different tire wear. Inspect the tire. If you see the tread is gone or the steel belt

is showing through, it’ s time to get new tires. If you even think it might be time to get new tires, do it. Remember, tires have a recommended shelf life of about five years, regardless of wear. Tires have a four-digit date stamped into the side wall to tell you when it was made. The first two numbers are the week it was made, and the next two are the year.

Tire blowouts can happen due to road damage from trash or debris. The rider must be constantly aware of road conditions to avoid hitting debris. Scan the road as far in advance as you can. If something on the road does not look right, acknowledge it is there, then look past it as you swerve around it. If you look directly at something on the road, you will run over it. Ride at the speed limit or less. This will give you more reaction time to avoid any hazards. Practice swerving at different speeds so you are prepared if you need to swerve. Even if you run over some debris, having a new, properly fitting, properly inflated tire will help prevent a blowout.

Bikes and trikes only have two or three tires. Bikes will not work correctly if a tire blows out, is worn out, past its renewal time, or is improperly inflated. Maintenance is the responsibility of the rider. Don’ t let problems occur because you tried to save money or time or neglected the maintenance. CMA

Mike Phillips is a certified Motorcycle Safety Foundation( MSF) instructor in Arkansas.

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