Tire popped

[NeoTericJM]

Hey everyone need some advice. I was going to PT in the morning at about 5:00AM and they were doing construction on this road I was going down. There was this manhole that was sticking up about 3 inches high. I didn't see it and hit it and now my tire is flattened and the rim is slightly bent. What do you think I should do? I do not have hardly any money at the moment. Is there a DIY or a cheap route to take? I haven't checked out the condition of the tire to see if it needs completely replaced or maybe if the air just escaped through the side. I have to tow it home here in the next few days. I will put up a picture of the rim damage. It isn't bent really bad but enough. Take a look at it and if you could throw some ideas out there as to what to do that would be helpful. Im going to try and fill it with air and see what happens.

 

[JSP]

Hard to fix a bent rim... Check with a few shops and see if they think they can do it if it is not too bad. If the tire is actually punctured, replace it. Its not worth your life. If the bead just broke from the impact you should be fine.

 

[yfz6r]

That rim bend will be fine in short term but could wear a tire prematurely. Get funds together and hire someone to fix it or grab a new one. I have no problem patching a tire but some people do.

I rode 5k miles on a rim that was bent much worse than that in that area (on my fz1) and the only ill effect I had was at less than 15mph there was a small bump every time the tire went around. Felt similar to a tire with a flat spot.

Anyway, If this happened to me, I'd mount the old tire back on and if there is a hole that is small enough to plug, I'd stick a plug in it. Hell, If you have it off the rim, patch it from the inside. Many kits are available to do this. The kits WORK. Otherwise, lawyers would tear apart whoever makes patches and plugs.

 

[MiltonDorkenhoff]

Don't go cheap when it comes to tires - get it fixed (if it can be fixed) right. Your tires are your life.

You might also check into getting whoever was doing the construction to pay for the damages (get a picture or two of the manhole cover if you can, and the damage, etc).

 

[yfz6r]

There is little to no chance on the road company paying. Would need to confront them them when it happened anyway. Also the op said he had no money. Some people have circumstances where they can't do what they want. I have a plug in my back tire right now that I'm not happy about but have to live with.

 

[NeoTericJM]

Ok so the update. I filled the tire with air to see how it acted. It quickly lost air on the right side where the rim is bent. I don't know if its the rim or the tire that is causing it to leak. Im having a hard time looking and checking on it cause tossed it in the back of a trailer and took it home. I live on campus and haven't had much time to get out there to look into it further. I will look into the plugs if its the tire. I don't really care if its a cheap way or not. I want to ride for the last couple months I can and I was planning on replacing my tires after winter. I talked to my insurance company and they told me that I can file a claim but my insurance would go up because they will consider it a Single Vehicle Accident. It crap considering.

 

[JSP]

Looking at the rim, it looks like the tire just cant seal... Fill it with air again and spray it with a bottle of soapy water. That will tell you where its leaking when it bubbles up. May need a new rim it seams, unless you can find someone to repair that one.

 

[yfz6r]

The tire should still bead to that rim. There is most likely a tear or hole in the tire. That really sucks you live on campus. Going to be hard to work on

 

[Marthy]

I hammered steel rims back straight before... but you can't do that with alloy. The problem is it might or will crack if bend back.

The only way i can see being fix is welding/machining/powder coat... just check on Ebay. I've seen wheel for sales... That will be your cheapest alternative.

 

[MiltonDorkenhoff]

There is little to no chance on the road company paying. Would need to confront them them when it happened anyway. Also the op said he had no money. Some people have circumstances where they can't do what they want. I have a plug in my back tire right now that I'm not happy about but have to live with.

Right - like I said - take pictures. With documentation, he could probably have gotten it paid for. It might have taken some time, but if you've got no money, the time is well spent, no? It worked for someone else in Ohio (here).

 

[madmike]

I will look into the plugs if its the tire. I don't really care if its a cheap way or not. I want to ride for the last couple months I can and I was planning on replacing my tires after winter.

I know it sucks from a money standpoint, but tires are the last thing you should ever cheap out on. Tires are THE most important and critical part on a motor vehicle...it's what keeps you on the ground where you want to be. And that is doubly true on a motorcycle, because you have half as many contact points as a cager. And those contact points are ridiculously small. So if one of your tires is compromised, think of what that does to your risk factor.

Looking at the picture, it's highly likely the bent rim is the culprit. But even if it is the tire and can be plugged, is it really worth saving a hundred bucks plus mounting?

Better to think of it this way. Would you risk your life for 5 large pizzas? Of course you wouldn't. But that's all you're giving up if you spend the money on a tire. 5 large pizzas.

Get it fixed properly dude. We wanna see you on these boards for a long time to come.

 

[Jots S.R.M.C.]

Hard to fix a bent rim... Check with a few shops and see if they think they can do it if it is not too bad. If the tire is actually punctured, replace it. Its not worth your life. If the bead just broke from the impact you should be fine.

No its not, FInd a metal working shop in your area.. get you a rubber mallet and get to banging it out.. then take it to the shop and have em finnish it out

 

[DragonBlu]

I spent years in the tire business. Like Marthy said,an alloy wheel will have cracks in it if straightened. You may not be able to see big gaping cracks,but they are there. Get a new tire and a good used wheel,that is the cheapest way to do it right and safe. A new wheel would be the optimum. Good luck!

 

[markoz]

That rim bend will be fine in short term but could wear a tire prematurely. Get funds together and hire someone to fix it or grab a new one. I have no problem patching a tire but some people do.

I rode 5k miles on a rim that was bent much worse than that in that area (on my fz1) and the only ill effect I had was at less than 15mph there was a small bump every time the tire went around. Felt similar to a tire with a flat spot.

had a mate ride with a buckled rim. went over a bump and it gave way... he ended up with a broken collarbone, and a pretty messed up leg.

not trying to scare, just saying if you're riding on a buckled rim, to be extra careful.

 

[KeysRider3]

The impact was enough to fully compress your tire, and then bend the rim. I wouldn't ride on a rim bent like yours. Tires flex at speed, and when cornering. You don't want a sudden loss of air in either situation. Pick up a new, or good condition used wheel. You'll probably not know if the tire is okay until you try to mount it on the new wheel.

 

[FZ6R_Blue]

Honestly spend the money on a new rim. a bent rim(even when fixed) can be a huge issue. the more metal is bent the weaker it becomes. i would not risk my life to save money

 

[Spunky99]

This is why I ride with a helmet cam at all times. The road construction company is 100% responsible and pictures are the bomb in small claims court.
Replace the tire and rim. A used rim if like new will be cheaper if you can find one.
Get photographs of the manhole cover and the construction crew. Call the construction company and see what they say. If they tell you to pound sand, sue them in small claims court and bring the tire, rim and photographs. The Judge will find in your favor. You can also ask for punitive damages too.
I'm not sure how to attach the State bond they have to put up in order to get a license but that is also an option. You also can notify the city of the problem and maybe they will pressure the company to settle to avoid any legal issues.
They cannot send a Lawyer to small claims court BTW.......

 

[JSP]

Its been about 5 months, any updates?