Porous tire..

Post by **deilenberger** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 1:19 pm

I've been experiencing a very slow pressure leak from my rear tire since I got the Roadster. At first it was only a few PSI/week - and I thought I was imagining it, or it was within normal range. It advanced now to about 1-2PSI per night. The tire is a Conti Road-Attack with about 5k miles on it.

Over the weekend I decided to try to track it down, and after about 2 hours using my laundry room sink as an improvised dunk tank - I found it. Finding it wasn't easy - it didn't show up at normal 40PSI. I had to inflate the tire to about 90PSI to get it to show.

I have air coming out of perfectly sound looking rubber. There isn't a sign of a nail puncture, tear or anything else. Just looks like perfectly good rubber - even with a 5x eyeloupe.

I tracked down Continental's US sales department - which appears to be one guy sitting in Ohio. Sent him an email and he has taken the ball and is running with it to get me a new tire.

Anyone experienced anything like this? The only thing I can think of is the inner liner in the tire has a flaw in it allowing air to pass through the rubber of the tire. I'm hoping to get the new tire by Weds - since I have to lead a ride on Friday. If I can't - the tire is getting a dose of "Slime" until I can get the new tire..

Damnedest thing I've seen - air coming out of perfectly good looking rubber. Go figure..

hass · Post by **hass** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:14 pm

That sounds really weird... maybe Conti will have to follow Michelin and do a major recall!

Post by **mogu83** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:31 pm

Ill try to be kind

When someone I know saw my bike for the first time he announced, loud and clear to all present, that mine was equipped with the (expletive)
Michelin Pilots and not the better Contis. I didn't tell him I really didn't like Continental tires on cars or bikes, and now this. Strange.

BTW: If you put slime in that tire someone is going to be really unhappy when they crack it open to change it.

Post by **deilenberger** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:55 pm

mogu83 wrote:Ill try to be kind
When someone I know saw my bike for the first time he announced, loud and clear to all present, that mine was equipped with the (expletive)
Michelin Pilots and not the better Contis. I didn't tell him I really didn't like Continental tires on cars or bikes, and now this. Strange.

BTW: If you put slime in that tire someone is going to be really unhappy when they crack it open to change it.

Harry,

I realize the downside of slime - but I do have a ride this Friday.. so..

Hey - if Conti comes up with a new tire for me.. I can stand paying someone to wash out the rim.

FWIW - I've had mixed results with Conti's on the BMW cages.. had one that couldn't balance due to out of round. They offered to replace it - after inspection by one of their authorized dealers. Took it to Sears (dumb on me..) to have it checked - and the dolt(TM) said it looked fine to him (as I could see it hopping in the spin balancer.) It became my spare.

Post by **deilenberger** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 3:56 pm

mogu83 wrote:Ill try to be kind
When someone I know saw my bike for the first time he announced, loud and clear to all present, that mine was equipped with the (expletive)
Michelin Pilots and not the better Contis. I didn't tell him I really didn't like Continental tires on cars or bikes, and now this. Strange.

Oh... right. That WAS me wasn't it..

Post by **Caroanbill** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:46 pm

mogu83 wrote: ... the (expletive)
Michelin Pilots and not the better Contis.

I'm swappin' to Metzeler Z6 in predelivery. I just like 'em. Because, that's why .. because y's a crooked letter and you can't make it straight.

You can keep the squabbling to yourselves.

Post by **mogu83** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 6:11 pm

No squabbling, and I don't want to start a tire thread. Just something we'll (Don and I) laugh about when he buys me a beer or two in payment for those handgrip bolts I sent him.

Post by **deilenberger** » Mon Jul 30, 2007 10:35 pm

mogu83 wrote:No squabbling, and I don't want to start a tire thread. Just something we'll (Don and I) laugh about when he buys me a beer or two in payment for those handgrip bolts I sent him.

So Harry - are you coming to the Blackthorne rally this weekend? Will gladly pay for the bolts there, especially before 6PM ($1/drafts..)

Should be good weather, and I hope to either have a new tire on the wheel by then, or I'll get by on the old one since a friend with a shop is going to dismount it tomorrow and patch it from the inside. I decided to forego Slime for the moment. Did pick up a nice collection of sticky-ropes at PepBoyz.. since I've heard bad things about Plug&Go and steel radials.

Post by **mogu83** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 7:20 am

No Blackthorn or Heath rally this weekend for me. The SO has requested me to pick Her up at Newark Airport on Sunday morning. Seeing as She has endured my motorcycle addiction for over 35 years and She also is still wondering where the funds for the R1200r came from, I think it would be in my best interest to comply with Her wishes.

See you at Finger Lakes,Black Diamond or New Sweden

_______________ I live with fear everyday and sometimes SHE lets me ride.

Post by **deilenberger** » Tue Jul 31, 2007 7:51 pm

My friendly local shop couldn't bring himself to run an awl through what looks like perfectly good rubber in order to install a patch/plug (the only ones that are really safe on bike tires IMHO - I've used them several times before and when I took the tires off to replace, I tried to get them out.. no way, no how.. but I digress..)

When I got there - he was rotating the tire on his spin balancer. He said it put in some "RideOn" - and he'd had very good luck with it on other peoples tires that had tiny leaks or punctures.

There was only a very tiny bit of air leaking at this point (wet finger test..) and the instructions said to take the bike for a 3 mile ride to let the stuff circulate and deposit itself on the inside of the tire.

So - I came home, put it on and did the onerous job of going for a ride - about 5x longer than suggested, but it was a nice evening so what the heck.

Came home - tire pressure hadn't dropped at all, and NO air leaking that I can detect (wet finger test, and then dish soap test..) No feeling of imbalance - if anything it felt smoother than it had (it came from the factory with no weights - go figure - a perfect tire?)

Will report tomorrow after a round trip to work and back.

Post by **deilenberger** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 8:39 am

(Copy of a posting I made to the thread "Tire sealer" where this thread was copied):

I can report - so far - so good. Seems fine at highway speeds (bike may actually be a tiny bit smoother.. go figure) - and tire is holding air fine (can tell by how tippie-toe I am when I come to a stop.)

Will check pressure again tonight, but it appears to have stopped the air from oozing out of the tire.

And since my friendly local shop installed it - they get to deal with it when it's tire time (I asked him - he said it's a non issue. Very little to clean up, most of it sticks to the inside of the tire.)

Post by **deilenberger** » Wed Aug 01, 2007 12:02 pm

Lunchtime pressure check.. 40.5 PSI, it was 40PSI when I left this AM... but it's pretty hot outside. I think the goop is working. Cool!

Post by **deilenberger** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 10:04 am

I heard from the Conti US Rep this AM. They and BMW are doing a warranty replacement on my porous tire. No cost to me.. and the tire has just shy of 6,000 miles on it (but still 4.5MM-5MM of tread out of 7MM new.)

A big thumbs up $\:D/$ to Greg at Conti for following up on this for me! (And they just won a fan for life..)

Post by **celticus** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 11:35 am

So, With the new tire on will you countinue to use the Ride On? I mean if it doesn't hurt the alloy of the wheel and it could stop the catastrauophic loss of tire pressure, then it just seems like a good idea to me. At least at first glance.
Mark

Post by **deilenberger** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 12:02 pm

celticus wrote:So, With the new tire on will you countinue to use the Ride On? I mean if it doesn't hurt the alloy of the wheel and it could stop the catastrauophic loss of tire pressure, then it just seems like a good idea to me. At least at first glance.
Mark

Pretty much my thought also.. have to stop and pick some up..

Post by **celticus** » Tue Aug 07, 2007 5:04 pm

I believe I'll pick some up also.
Mark

BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Porous tire..

Porous tire..

No more porous.. so far.

THumbs up for CONTI/BMW!