Vigilance is not always my strong suit

[The emperor has no clothes]

Brenda and I took off towards San Francisco after work today. My youngest brother recently relocated to the Bay Area, and we thought we'd take a long weekend and visit. Being that it's a little over 600 miles we thought we'd go to Bakersfield tonight and do the rest tomorrow instead of all of it tomorrow.
  I'm not near as vigilant at checking tire pressures as I should be. If I am honest about it I probably do it between every 2-4 weeks. But, usually I'm pretty good about checking before a big trip. Work has been busy and I kept telling myself I'd do it today before we left. Nope, I forgot. I get no further than a 1/4 mile from the house and see a screw on the road at a stop sign. I swerve and miss it (I believe). We get down the road uneventfully, stop and grab a bite and churn out some miles. I don't know if this is common in other parts of the country, but in California it is not uncommon for them to use concrete for their highways and put grooves in it for rain water to run off. Well I get on a section of it and I feel the typical squirminess that you get with these grooves. But then my mind starts playing with me. I start thinking, did I run over that screw and am losing tire pressure ? Are my tires low to begin with ? All the while I'm running at 80-90 mph. Then my mind starts thinking I've got my wife on back here and I'm going to kill her in a fiery crash because I didn't check my tire pressures beforehand. Luckily after about 40 miles of this the road turns back to regular asphalt, and I realize everything is fine.
  On a separate note, it was quite invigorating going over the Tehatchapi Pass in the dark and cold.
Don't be a dufus like me. Check your pressures ! 

[Firefighter]

Check mine before every ride, If I don't I worry and think the tires are not feeling right.  80-90 mph! Dang!

[sandy]

So did you finally check them and what pressures were they?

[DDT (12)]

Rob,

Yep, we do indeed have much in common, my friend! Among the many questionable habits I've developed over the years is to be neglectful when it comes to checking air pressure. ALI and I are together so much, that I've allowed 'familiarity' to override one of the so-called 'Cardinal Rules' of riding... that... I fill to 44 psi when I add air, but I don't add more unless the reading dips below 40psi when I do check.

When she is 'topped off' her steering feels like power steering. She is nimble, spry, and oh so easy to counter-steer through the twisties... When she dips below 40 or so psi, her steering becomes more sluggish, and I must 'muscle' her through turns... It has almost become second nature to 'sense' when she is getting low, so... False security, perhaps, but there it is...

Various road surfaces, interestingly, have a role to play in bringing out any wee bits of paranoia we may harbor, also... The 'rhythm' of the road changes depending upon many factors, and occasionally I'll find myself worrying about 'strange' noises... I take note and pay attention, and I anxiously wait for confirmation that the noise is NOT the result of some brewing issue... 99% of the time, there is no issue at all... and the majority of those times the noise is coming from the friction of tires on differing road surfaces.

As for those grooves, not too much we can do about that. Even if we do check our tire pressure before departing on a ride, there is no guarantee we won't hit a screw within a quarter mile of our start point, like you worried about. If I get on a questionable surface, like one with grooves, I'll wait for an opportunity to wiggle or do a shallow turn, maybe even change lanes, just to see how she 'feels'... Works for me usually.

I've had flats while riding! Never a blow-out, though, but I do know that awful feeling when the rear looses air! I've had one flat front tire but not while riding. I'd picked up a nail during the day, and the tire had gone flat overnight. Try to get stopped and parked before the bead is broken, if possible, as that will make re-inflation much easier. Better yet, sign-up for a towing service... I get mine through GWRRA, where I'm a life member.

We can worry ourselves sick over all the stuff we're supposed to do, check, evaluate, monitor, yadda, yadda... As for me, I have more than 800K miles with the flat six 1500 power train we operate (ALI plus two Gold Wings), and one could convincingly argue that I have become complacent in the extreme... Oh well, dependability is one of the primary reasons I ride 'Red', though, and I don't expect I'll become a nervous Nellie anytime soon...

DDT

[Bigwolf]

I am happy to find out that I am not the only person to be a bit complacent about tire pressure checking.  I would check more often if they varied much.  The front tire on my bike usually drops about 3 pounds in 4 months and the rear never changes unless I change it because of a load change.  So, I tend to check every 2 months or so.

I have to agree with Bruce on the different feel of just a couple of pounds difference in tire pressure.

Bigwolf

[Gavin_Sons]

I check mine before every ride. And while on a ride at a stop like a gas station or restaurant I will visually check them. You only have 2 tires and both of them are equally important.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

Even when I know I've recently checked them a road surface will sometimes make me stop and do it again. Tar strips caused me to double check twice last summer.

[hubcapsc]

There's been a lot going on around here the last month or so. Retirement,
the cold, A cold, new job... anywho... I finally got The Logtruck out the
other day, last time I rode it was a week before Christmas. The pressure
was still right in both tires and she started... what a bike 



-Mike

[The emperor has no clothes]

There's been a lot going on around here the last month or so. Retirement,
the cold, A cold, new job... anywho... I finally got The Logtruck out the
other day, last time I rode it was a week before Christmas. The pressure
was still right in both tires and she started... what a bike 



-Mike

congratulations on the retirement. A new job ? Are you a glutton for punishment ?  As to the pressures not changing much, that's been my experience also. Still, I need to make myself more vigilant. If just for peace of mind. 

[Fazer]

I try and check every month or so, if I think about it.  You guys that get worried enough to stop in the middle of ride to check pressure, know that it will be a false reading once the tires heat up, right?  A blue tooth pressure monitor is avialable if one is obsessive about tire pressure.

[3fan4life]

I don't always check tire pressures before every ride.

I do check before any long rides or if it has been awhile since the bike has been ridden.

Ever since my sudden 70 mph rear tire deflation last year I've been a little more paranoid.

I have been looking at tire pressure monitoring systems and will most likely install one.

[baldo]

I don't always check tire pressures before every ride.

I do check before any long rides or if it has been awhile since the bike has been ridden.

Ever since my sudden 70 mph rear tire deflation last year I've been a little more paranoid.

I have been looking at tire pressure monitoring systems and will most likely install one.

I've been thinking the same thing about a TPMS. I've been dealing with several 'slow leaks' (talking tires now) over the past year, and have installed new tires. Hopefully this up-coming riding season will be less of a pain.

I just went to an ATT, looking forward to experiencing the great performance others have talked about.

Also, I hope the bit of extra height makes it easier to use the center stand I installed just before Inzane last year. It's about impossible to get that bike onto it.

[Tony C.]

In the March 2018 issue of Rider Magazine Clement Salvadori wrote an article about a ride he did on a Indian Roadmaster that took him over the Tehatchapi Pass on the way through Bakerfield and then to Death Valley. Based on the article there are a large wind farm along that ride on 58. Since you crossed the pass at night, you may not have seen them.

Sounds like an awesome ride! I'm here in the cold and icy Northeast waiting from spring.   

[Gavin_Sons]

I try and check every month or so, if I think about it.  You guys that get worried enough to stop in the middle of ride to check pressure, know that it will be a false reading once the tires heat up, right?  A blue tooth pressure monitor is avialable if one is obsessive about tire pressure.

I don't think you can be too obsessive with 2 tires. 4, sure but not 2. Either one of the 2 go flat at speed or in a turn if is very difficult to not hit the ground. So being obsessive about motorcycle tires could save your life. I check pressures every single day i ride, even if i have ridden for 30 straight days. Just like putting a helmet on. Ahh hell nothing is wrong today so i'll go without it and you get in a wreck and hit your head. I too have stopped and checked tires on the side of the road because they suddenly started feeling weird. What does the pressure being up once the tires are warmed up have to do with anything? If you have a low one it's going to be low no matter how warm the tire is. So yes check them in the middle of a ride. If they are ok they will only be 3-5 psi more in most cases. You only have 2 so take care of them.

[John Schmidt]

OK.....80-90 mph? With your wife on the back?  C'mon man, do you realize how little time you save doing that?  Less than hour....not worth it my friend. 

As for checking you tires, I feel I need to check them all the time since I'm not getting out to ride as much as of late. The c/t in back seems to always be on the mark, the m/t in front often will be down a couple lbs. over a period of a week or two.

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

I try and check every month or so, if I think about it.  You guys that get worried enough to stop in the middle of ride to check pressure, know that it will be a false reading once the tires heat up, right?  A blue tooth pressure monitor is avialable if one is obsessive about tire pressure.

I work in a machine shop, I also own a gunsmith/machine shop, I pickup industrial parts on my bike and I ride mostly rural, sometimes gravel roads. I get a punctured tire every year or two. Nails, screws, construction staples, random bits of metal, once a piece of some kind of heavy gauge wire.

And yet, I've never been stuck beside the road with a flat. Why? Luck to some extent, but also because as soon as I feel a tire maybe low, I pull over and check them. Obviously if they are a pound or two high I would know it's because of a warm tire. But, if a warm tire suddenly has low pressure you know you need to get off the highway and figure it out. I don't know if you've ever been behind someone on a high-speed ride whose tire suddenly starts going low? It's puckering to say the least, usually you smell their tire heating up just about the time they notice it.

As far as hitting 80 and over on the scooter with the wife on the back every once in a while, if I didn't she'd find somebody else to ride with. Wheelies piss her off though. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

In the March 2018 issue of Rider Magazine Clement Salvadori wrote an article about a ride he did on a Indian Roadmaster that took him over the Tehatchapi Pass on the way through Bakerfield and then to Death Valley. Based on the article there are a large wind farm along that ride on 58. Since you crossed the pass at night, you may not have seen them.

Sounds like an awesome ride! I'm here in the cold and icy Northeast waiting from spring.   

It has been a great ride so far. We've been across Tehatchapi a few times. Usually in the middle of summer and the cool air feels great after riding in 120* 

So did you finally check them and what pressures were they?

It was too dark last night. Checked this morning and down just 2 lbs. Those grooves in the concrete were just messing with my head. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

Got my Alice’s visit in.  

[OzValk]

What are the 3 short pipes just below the fuel tank?-
 if you get the time, thanks.

[Pete]

Happy that you are having fun and a nice trip.

Just wondering why you did not stop and pick up the screw?  
Just so everyone will know, I do stop and pick up any sharp object I see in the road.
And yes it happens all the time, seems like more in the last 15 years.
Nails, screws, screwdrivers, open end wrenches, knives, etc.
Keeps from ruining someone else's day and keeps someone else from hitting them and slinging them at me.

[The emperor has no clothes]

What are the 3 short pipes just below the fuel tank?-
 if you get the time, thanks.

Just bling. I forget what they are called right now. They are basically imitation velocity stacks.

Happy that you are having fun and a nice trip.

Just wondering why you did not stop and pick up the screw?  
Just so everyone will know, I do stop and pick up any sharp object I see in the road.
And yes it happens all the time, seems like more in the last 15 years.
Nails, screws, screwdrivers, open end wrenches, knives, etc.
Keeps from ruining someone else's day and keeps someone else from hitting them and slinging them at me.

I would have. The light was red as I approached and turned green, then as I was about to turn onto the Hiway I noticed it. But yes, I agree. I pick up stuff all the time. Mostly because I'm afraid I will hit it the next time thru.   or my wife.
Edit: I would never hit my wife. 

[OnaWingandaPrayer]

I dont physically get on my knee and check very often . But i do use a Doran 360M TPMS. It has a display you push a button and read pressure or an alarm lamp goes on if a tire goes down . It is capable of doing four tires for those who may pull a trailer.

[Savago]

Damn! I was at Alice twice this week!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/sn0R73UGrm2pTDTn2

[The emperor has no clothes]

Damn! I was at Alice twice this week!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/sn0R73UGrm2pTDTn2

I thought about PMing you. But I didn't know what time we would get there. I screwed up and missed the normal turn up to it. Went up 84 instead. That was cool !

[northernvalk]

OK.....80-90 mph? With your wife on the back?  C'mon man, do you realize how little time you save doing that?  Less than hour....not worth it my friend. 

That doesn't seem fast for a big 4 or 6 lane highway?!?! Crash forces at 70 vs 80 are not that much different...Round here, the "flow" is often going 120-130km/h on those big roads.

[Hook#3287]

Hey Rob, is that Brenda's "What the heck is he doing now?" look?

Even the women to the left is wondering.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Hey Rob, is that Brenda's "What the heck is he doing now?" look?

you nailed it Bill

[Oss]

Back when we toured with the bushtec trailer I would ask her to turn around and make sure it was still back there because even at 80-90 you just didnt feel it if it was loaded and balanced right

Fortunately she was never on the bike with me when I had a flat, Ive had at least 3 go down while riding solo.  My mind really messed with me the first 100 or so miles after each tire was plugged or replaced.  Of course the fact it was raining didnt probably help any the last time.

I think the fastest we were going was about a half hour at 100-110 trying to keep up with Taz and the voia maniacs in western colorado (we were going to be white water rafting) I dont do that speed anymore for that long, even solo

Yeah like Gavin said, it costs nothing to check the tires in the morning

[Avanti]

I don't always check tire pressures before every ride.

I do check before any long rides or if it has been awhile since the bike has been ridden.

Ever since my sudden 70 mph rear tire deflation last year I've been a little more paranoid.

I have been looking at tire pressure monitoring systems and will most likely install one.

I've been thinking the same thing about a TPMS. I've been dealing with several 'slow leaks' (talking tires now) over the past year, and have installed new tires. Hopefully this up-coming riding season will be less of a pain.

I just went to an ATT, looking forward to experiencing the great performance others have talked about.

Also, I hope the bit of extra height makes it easier to use the center stand I installed just before Inzane last year. It's about impossible to get that bike onto it.

I check my tires every time I fuel up, but not always with a gauge. I put bike on center stand and rotate the tires a complete revolution at stops to look for any unwanted hitchhikers.

That is what a center stand is good for. A center stand with the proper leverage for lifting 800 + pounds of dead weight is helpful. A taller tire will help. Hopefully the tire will still be off the ground so you can rotate it around. If not, an adjustable height center stand would come in handy.

[Gryphon Rider]

Hey Rob, is that Brenda's "What the heck is he doing now?" look?

Even the women to the left is wondering.

No, that's the "why haven't you read my text message, I sent it 30 seconds ago" look.

[The emperor has no clothes]

[Savago]

Nicely done!

[The emperor has no clothes]

I took my grandson across the Golden Gate on the Valkyrie while his Mom was having a heart attack in their rental car. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get a pic due to traffic. Here he is about to be incarcerated at Alcatraz.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Found my new north-south route thru California. CA 25, 198, 33 was awesome! I don’t know why I never went that way before. So much better than other routes.

[Hook#3287]

Ok, so I'm confused.  Happens quite steadily lately

I thought you said were visiting your brother?

But a picture of the grandson?

Is that your son or daughter?

That route you posted looks like a cool ride thru the country of Cali.

[The emperor has no clothes]

Ok, so I'm confused.  Happens quite steadily lately

I thought you said were visiting your brother?

But a picture of the grandson?

Is that your son or daughter?

That route you posted looks like a cool ride thru the country of Cali.

Sorry, I've been posting on the fly. Brenda and I rode the bike up. My daughter and her family flew up and met us. Then we did the touristy thing for a day and a half while my brother worked. Saturday all of us went out to Alcatraz. I've been riding the roads of California since '77. I wish I had tried that route before. Hiway 5 sucks, the 101 isn't much better, the 99 is just bearable, the 395 is good but it takes you to east side of the Sierras.  This route was great. We saw just about everything you can imagine minus traffic. Nice and twisty in sections.

[Hook#3287]

Well thanks for clearing that up 

This route was great. We saw just about everything you can imagine minus traffic. Nice and twisty in sections.

I checked it out on Google Maps Satellite,  it looks real nice.

Now, to get back to the (your) original post, don't forget to check your tire pressure. 

[The emperor has no clothes]

Well thanks for clearing that up 

This route was great. We saw just about everything you can imagine minus traffic. Nice and twisty in sections.

I checked it out on Google Maps Satellite,  it looks real nice.

Now, to get back to the (your) original post, don't forget to check your tire pressure. 

Oh, I've got another story about that.  This morning as Brenda was getting ready to leave, I figured I'd go gas up and check my pressures. I left my gauge back at the hotel though.  Their pump had one of those brass gauges built in, so I figured I'd add a little air and check it back at the hotel. When I did I needed to let some air out. I must have sucked a balance bead in the schrader valve, as it wouldn't seal back up. I'm freaking out, trying to get it unstuck to no avail. Finally put the cap back on to seal it up as best I could and rode slowly back to the station. I had my gauge with me this time and all ended well. 

[DDT (12)]

Rob,

One heck of a trip you have going there! Glad you're getting time with family, especially the grands... Thanks for the heads up on that new to you route you found... I just may have to check that out for myself, since you make it seem so attractive! Keep on keeping on, my friend! Tell Brenda I said hi, too, please...

DDT

[The emperor has no clothes]

Rob,

One heck of a trip you have going there! Glad you're getting time with family, especially the grands... Thanks for the heads up on that new to you route you found... I just may have to check that out for myself, since you make it seem so attractive! Keep on keeping on, my friend! Tell Brenda I said hi, too, please...

DDT

she said hi back at you.