Would you go for a long ride on a slow leak?

[SWriverstone]

Or..."Does a known slow leak mean it's going to get worse and is therefore a major riding hazard?"

I've ordered a new rear tire for my V-Strom...but (dammit) it didn't show up in time for me to get it mounted, and I'm going for a ride with fellow STNers on Saturday.

I filled the (leaking) rear this morning (up to about 38psi)...and at 4pm this afternoon, it's only dropped down to 35psi. Seems to me like that's a slow-enough leak not to worry much about it and just ride (and of course check it every hour or so and air it up again as needed).

Would you do this? Or am I stupid for even thinking about it?

Scott

[thatguy]

If you have to ask...................................

[Bigfoot]

If you have to ask...................................

Agreed.  I've been to many MC fatalities to know I don't want to be one of them.  A slow leak in my Tundra-Acceptable.  A slow leak in my Yamaha-Stays parked until fixed.

[garry]

I would ride it. If you don't already own one, get a 12V air compressor from Walmart and have that with a plug kit (I use the sticky string kind) as a backup. You should always have a tire repair kit and some means of inflating a tire with you anyway. Check your tire pressure at gas stops and lunch. My 12V compressor has an SAE/Battery Tender connection on it to quickly hook to my permanently installed BT lead. Maybe inflate the tire a couple extra pounds (40 psi) and you'll be at/near normal by the end of the day.

The front tire on my DRZ will nearly go flat if left sitting for a couple weeks, but it doesn't lose much air over the course of a day. I'll get around to patching the tube sometime this winter, but a slow leak is no biggie IMO.

[Rocket_Cowboy]

I would really want to know where the air was leaking from, as that would be an indicator as to whether it's on the verge of letting go or not.

I wouldn't risk the ride unless the leak started while I was on the ride and I needed to get to someplace to work on it. Starting the ride with a problem just seems like asking for trouble to me.

[SWriverstone]

I haven't given it the spray-bottle-with-soapy-water test yet...but the tire only has 3K miles on it and has tons of tread left. I've eyeballed it while rotating the tire and don't see any foreign object or hole or crack or anything like that...which suggests that the leak is either at the bead...or maybe around the valve...or coming from some *very* tiny pinhole somewhere.

While I admit anything's possible (and I want to be safe), I also wonder how often people with microscopic leaks like this have suffered catastrophic blowouts while riding? It just doesn't seem likely that a pinhole would suddenly expand to a gash under normal riding conditions.

I do have a 12V compressor and a good tire patch kit.

I can also just ride a different bike.   (But I *want* to ride the Wee!)

Scott

PS - Just checked it again, and sitting in the garage, it's dropped 6psi in 12 hours. Maybe I'm wrong, but that just doesn't seem like "catastrophic blowout" potential to me.  

[Rocket_Cowboy]

That was kind of my point ... if the tire looks good, you don't see any cracks or objects in the tire itself, and the wheel doesn't appear to have any dings that could be affecting the bead, then it could well be the valve stem. I'd check the valve stem to see if that's the problem, to at least rule that out.

If it's not the valve stem and not an object in the tire, I'd be a little more comfortable riding on it, but not for something I'd consider to be a long ride ... nothing over 600-1000 miles or more. But then again, you mentioned stopping to check tire pressure every hour or so, and I tend to ride tank to tank on the RT (about 300 miles or 4-5 hours), so you would be inspecting more frequently and more likely to catch a developing problem.

[thatguy]

Add centrifugal force and you can be looking at catastrophic failure.It's your decision.Why do you ask these questions Scott?You've already made up your mind.

[SWriverstone]

Add centrifugal force and you can be looking at catastrophic failure.It's your decision.Why do you ask these questions Scott?You've already made up your mind.

Nope, haven't made up my mind at all.   In fact, I'd already decided to ride Holly's ST3...but I was genuinely curious what the consensus here is about riding on slow leaks. Just seeking information from others based on their knowledge and experience---that's all.  

Scott

[Nimh]

Maybe I'm a little doped up on turkey and red wine, but isn't that like a long walk off a short pier?   

Potentially twelve pounds per day?  That's quite a bit of pressure loss in a short period.  As others have pointed out, maybe in the cage but not on two wheels.  There's already enough road hazards out there without leaving the stable knowing the bike has potential issues.  Even if it's just a "very tiny pinhole" around valve stem, if it gets any larger (quickly) out on the road you could be in for a final ride or at the very least a hassle.  If you have another bike already lined up, you can still make the ride (which it sounds like the direction you're headed). 

Enjoy your ride Saturday.   

[chornbe]

Or..."Does a known slow leak mean it's going to get worse and is therefore a major riding hazard?"

I've ordered a new rear tire for my V-Strom...but (dammit) it didn't show up in time for me to get it mounted, and I'm going for a ride with fellow STNers on Saturday.

I filled the (leaking) rear this morning (up to about 38psi)...and at 4pm this afternoon, it's only dropped down to 35psi. Seems to me like that's a slow-enough leak not to worry much about it and just ride (and of course check it every hour or so and air it up again as needed).

Would you do this? Or am I stupid for even thinking about it?

Scott

There are risks and there are things just not worth considering.

For me, this is the latter. The only place I'd ride on a slow leak is to someone better-able than myself to fix it (read as: someone with a tire machine).

That's it. Fin. Period. Done. End of story.

$.02

[Walker]

I've had two flats over the last 23 years.... Never caused a wreck, but both left me stranded in the middle of nowhere... not worth it to me.

[Squareman357]

I've had a slow leak that I rode on, but we're talking going to 42 pounds on a Monday before riding to work, commuting all week and maybe a weekend ride or two, and finding that it's at 36 pounds the next Monday, 6 PSI over 7 days, not 6 PSI over 7 hours.  If it was the former, I'd air it up and ride on it, after all it's not going to lose more than 1 PSI during the ride.  In your case, where you stand to lose 6 to 10 PSI before the day is out?  Nah, I'd ride the other bike.

[Doug Just Doug]

Depends.

I mean Depends (TM).

[Mastros2]

Carry around the compressor and go for a ride!  Also, my flats have happened while the cars/bikes been sitting.  I guess my time is coming but been lucky so far.  

[bizarro]

In short? No. I have a mini compressor. It's for emergency patches when I have a puncture while on the road, not for periodic pressure maintainence on a known leak.

[Mastros2]

In short? No. I have a mini compressor. It's for emergency patches when I have a puncture while on the road, not for periodic pressure maintainence on a known leak.

Bizzaro, 11k posts and you don't live on the wild side?!?! Just kidding.

My tools are for emergencies but it is a slow leak.  Yes, it can develop into a fast leak and then go flat while being hit with lightning at the same time.  

Any update on your leak?  

[bizarro]

Bizzaro, 11k posts and you don't live on the wild side?!?! Just kidding.

My tools are for emergencies but it is a slow leak.  Yes, it can develop into a fast leak and then go flat while being hit with lightning at the same time.  

Any update on your leak?  

   

[Playinthestreet]

Hell, I rode 75 miles home on a tire that lost a pound per mile.  Blew it up to 45psi 3 times.

[bizarro]

Hell, I rode 75 miles home on a tire that lost a pound per mile.  Blew it up to 45psi 3 times.

But did you leave home knowing that was what you were going to have to do to get back home?