First Flat

[arp]

While scrubbing in a new set of Michelin PR3s I experienced my first flat in 18k miles and 15 months of riding.

The first sign of trouble (in retrospect) was heavy steering as I detoured through the four corners of a cloverleaf on my way home. With new tires the turn in and general handling is usually fantastic. The second sign was a wiggle in the rear when going over bumps. From the first sign until the time I stopped in a parking lot off the highway, I rode almost 1km.

The cause was a small finishing nail in the middle of the rear tire.

I had all the tools I needed tucked in the nooks and crannies under the seat, except for the pump. I don't always have the pump with me but this time it was in the top case. I used a small ratchet, spark plug tool (as a cheater bar), Torx socket for the muffler clamp and hanger, Torx socket for the rear wheel bolts, three tire irons, patch kit and pump.

I had researched all the bead breaking tools, watched the sidestand bead breaker videos and had the motion pro bead breaker with me, but in the end the bead broke just by stepping on it. Maybe this had something to do with how long I rode on it in a deflated state. The tire was warm but not so much more than the front tire.

The bead went on and off the rim easily enough with tire irons although it does require a certain technique.

After patching the tube, refitting the tire and pumping it up, the tire was leaking slightly through he hole where the nail had been. A second try produced The same result. So I slowly went the 1 km to the nearest garage just in case I needed pro help. But after pulling out the inner tube for the third time I saw the nail had made numerous punctures over a 3" length, probably due to the distance I drove after the first puncture. After a few additional patches it finally held pressure. This whole exercise took two hours from start to finish.

Lessons learned:

(1) The R1200R Classic spoked wheels and tubes are not a problem from a safety or practical point of view. I would have been on my way in less than an hour if I had done the initial patching correctly or had a spare tube.
(2) No air seemed to leak through the spokes. They appear to be airtight at least in the short term. Same for the valve stem.
(3) Next time I will have a spare inner tube.
(4) I would have been out of luck with CO2 cartridges.
(5) Instead of replacing a brand new tire, I only have to replace the tube!
(6) If something feels funny, dial it down and pull over.

[SF_Hooligan]

This mirrors my experience with my Classic. I've had two (maybe three?) flats on mine while riding - no catastrophes.