Author Topic: Anyone ecounter exploding Semi Truck tires while on your bike? (Read 1389 times)

Buttmask · « **on:** June 10, 2014, 04:19:21 PM »

This weekend I drove 1500 miles in a car from Chicago to Virginia and back. Beautiful drive.

Each way I encountered an exploding semi truck tire.

The first one was 2 car lengths ahead of me, sent rubber everywhere, hitting the car, scaring the crap out of me and my girlfriend.

The one on the way back made me almost piss myself. The truck was coming in the opposite direction, and exploded directly next to me, the pressure from it was insane! It actually moved the car, I'm still kinda deaf in my left ear, it was like a shotgun was shot next to my head.

I am legitimately scared of these now while riding my motorcycle, I will for sure rethink my position nearby semi's now. I cant even imagine what that would do if that happened while I was on my bike.

Anyone have any experience with that situation?

Don R · « **Reply #1 on:** June 10, 2014, 04:23:21 PM »

I caught a chunk of tire on my 40 chevy once, It left tread marks in the paint. A guy in a cavalier got most of it across his windshield and went into the center ditch. I too got a new respect for them.

Schnell · « **Reply #2 on:** June 10, 2014, 04:48:20 PM »

Just think of the infinitesimal likelihood of this happening at the moment you would happen to be nearby. Then imagine it happening twice on the same trip. The only way to explain this is that the universe must really be out to get you.

lucky · « **Reply #3 on:** June 10, 2014, 04:50:24 PM »

An extremely unusual event. A nexus.
"Buttmask" maybe it was supposed to explode in your face? LOL..lol

RJ CB450 · « **Reply #4 on:** June 10, 2014, 04:51:59 PM »

Yup.

I rely on my ears approaching semis to pass. On bike, provided not excessively loud, you can hear a tire ready to go usually. Opposite direction? I always go to near shoulder past semis. When I pass, I pass fast....

Irukandji · « **Reply #5 on:** June 10, 2014, 04:53:30 PM »

I'll tell you my scare. Riding through Mississippi on I-10, maybe 2am, on my way back to Louisiana from Florida. No traffic at that time of night on a Tuesday. There was a heavy fog about four feet above the highway.
I was running in the left lane and a semi was hauling ass by me in the right. I had to be laying on the tank to be under the fog and was taking it slow at around 70mph. Semi zipped by into the fog, tail lights looking like two great red eyes dimming into the night. That when I heard a loud sound ahead of me. What the heck it that? Then there it was , a vertical flaming 3 foot specter of the devil himself. The carcass of the tire had burst into fire when it came off. I was terrified as it flew over the bike. Pulled off the road for a smoke. I was like Our Father who at in heaven ect. My guardian angle was riding with me that night.

No Lie

City Boy · « **Reply #6 on:** June 10, 2014, 05:06:04 PM »

Hi.I experienced a semi tire explosion while coming up behind a rig on my bike.This occurred after dark so I had no visual warning of the shrapnel heading my way.Pieces bounced off my knees but nothing large enough to hurt.The trucker pulled over as did I.He said I was very lucky.NO KIDDING!This happened many moons ago but I remember it like it was yesterday. Rock On

HondaMan · « **Reply #7 on:** June 10, 2014, 07:13:19 PM »

Yep. To this day (because I chose to remember it by not fixing it) there is a chunk out of the left front edge of my Vetter where a steel-radial recap chunk tried to behead me! The Vetter knocked it down and it flipped around, hit my left shoulder and kicked me almost to the shoulder of the road. When I think of it, it still stings!

754 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 10, 2014, 07:20:57 PM »

I have seen many many rubber gators on the road, but never seen one being born..

Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er · « **Reply #9 on:** June 10, 2014, 08:05:40 PM »

Yeah and that sunna#$%* would not pull over. He knew it too and didn't give a #$%* about peppering me with shrapnel. One way to get rid of a bad tire I guess or a biker.

Then there was the oncoming exploding trailer tire that took out my headlight and almost me. Tank hugging time.

Thank goodness for windshields!

andy750 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 10, 2014, 08:06:05 PM »

Yes! Riding 2-up with my brother on the back of my K5 going down the highway in Virginia. Semi in front and tire blows out, bits everywhere across the highway right in front of me. I have to swerve a couple of times, driver pulls over as do I and asks if I am ok...my brother is holding on tight

No damage all good!

cheers
Andy

Buttmask · « **Reply #11 on:** June 10, 2014, 09:56:56 PM »

Luckily sounds like everyone encountered flying rubber and was able to dodge it. I'm mostly now scared of being next to the tire when it actually explodes. Being next to one blowing in a car I can only describe it as what I would imagine as a bomb going off. There was a concussion wave like I've never felt or heard, I would assume it would instantly lay down a bike. Super scary stuff.

70CB750 · « **Reply #12 on:** June 11, 2014, 04:20:52 AM »

Never seen tire explode from motorcycle, but did you ever seen a cobble stone wedged in the double mount tire on semi? More European thing I guess but I was there on my little CZ when the stone flew out and passed me.

Scary like hell

Vicman · « **Reply #13 on:** June 11, 2014, 05:24:35 AM »

Had one go out on a flat bed as I was getting ready to pass it on I-96. I saw it before I felt it before I heard it before I knew what the heck happened.
As has been mentioned I usually go by trucks on the far side of my land and with urgency.
When I mention I saw it first, that image has stuck with me for nearly 30 years. It looked like a steam hose of vapor coming out the side of the tire, I can still see it as clear as it just happened.
Shotgun concussion is about right.

ekpent · « **Reply #14 on:** June 11, 2014, 05:49:10 AM »

I drove over the road for a major company for around 13 years and have been behind a couple of tire failures. Most of the time its not a blowout but a recapped trailer tire delaminating. Safest thing on a bike is to not dawdle to closely behind the big rigs.

Vicman · « **Reply #15 on:** June 11, 2014, 06:27:42 AM »

Just to add one more harrowing experience with a truck...
It was late one night and I was following (safe distance, just cruising down the Hwy and he was at a speed good for me) a rig when I noticed it kind of shuddered. Suddenly a huge deer carcass slung out between the rear wheels, my peg just brushed it.
Dude hit a deer right in front of me. If I had been riding in the middle like I see so many people nowadays I would've had a hard decision to make.

MRieck · « **Reply #16 on:** June 11, 2014, 06:48:05 AM »

I was riding on Rt 128N in MA when one exploded (drivers side last rear tire) next to me as I was going past. I was on my FJ1200 and it shook the bike. It is in the top 3 scariest moments riding I can remember over the last 40 years of riding

Lostboy Steve · « **Reply #17 on:** June 11, 2014, 07:03:16 AM »

Quote from: 754 on June 10, 2014, 07:20:57 PM

I have seen many many rubber gators on the road, but never seen one being born..

+1
I have gone bird hunting before tho.

Vicman · « **Reply #18 on:** June 11, 2014, 07:53:53 AM »

Quote

It is in the top 3 scariest moments riding I can remember over the last 40 years of riding

Tire, Deer, and having the front tire on my KZ blowing are the top three I had no control of.
Top scariest are having the bike loosing grip dragging a peg at 120 or so and drifting across two lanes of hwy before it hooked up followed by (most likely top stupid thing to do) running 140+ and going between two semis instead of around the shoulder. That hole at the end was wayyy smaller than it looked when I started

.
Maybe this is a good title for a new thread. Top three scariest and top stupid things.

bryanj · « **Reply #19 on:** June 11, 2014, 08:24:13 AM »

Try driving the rig when the drivers side front(nearly new Bridgestone) blows out on a UK motorway (your interstate) at 56mph. Don't forget all the UK trucks are cabovers not conventionalsso the tyre is under youe Ar*e

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Author Topic: Anyone ecounter exploding Semi Truck tires while on your bike? (Read 1389 times)