Blue Knights AZ IX

We all know someone who has a H-D equipped with the stock laced wheels. This is the first I have heard of this issue. If you go the the web site, UnSafe Motorcycles, you will see there is and has been a problem with thte safety of the Dunlop 402 (tire used primarily for H-D applications prior to 2009). Please share this info with everyone you know who rides a Harley.

Texas law firm investigating rim failures

Publish date: Dec 12, 2010

A Texas law firm says it is investigating motorcycle rim failures in two accidents that may lead to more claims.

The Edwards Law Firm says rim failures may have led to catastrophic deflations of tires on Harley Davidson Ultra Classics. Both were steel chrome-plated 40-spoke factory rims manufactured in Italy.

The firm operates the web site Unsafemotorycles, where it says consumers contacted the firm about incidents in Michigan and Ohio.

“Failures of two rims manufactured at the same plant could mean defective metals or processing. If this is the case, other riders could be at risk,” says Billy Edwards, attorney and motorcycle rider. “We will be sending the rims to experts to see if they can determine what caused the failures.”

A Michigan man riding a 2001 Ultra Classic reported he was traveling in October 2009 along a two-lane state highway at about 40 mph when his rear tire suddenly deflated.

“There was no warning, no sound, and all of a sudden the rear of the bike became extremely loose, squirrelly, uncontrollable,“ he said. He credited experience as a lifelong rider and Motorcycle Safety Foundation classes for his ability to stop without going down. “I knew, don’t panic, don’t slam on the brakes, bring it down easy. I was fortunate,” he said.

The tire had less than 1,200 miles on it and had been installed at a Harley-Davidson dealership, which also reported they had inspected the rim, he told the law firm. He said there was no hole in the tire, a D402, just a shredded tube and a long, lengthwise crack in the rim.

The Michigan rider, an engineer, says he contacted the firm after a fellow rider from Ohio experienced a similar rim failure in September, 2010. In the second instance, the Ohio rider reported he was traveling 78 mph on I-75 when the tire gave way.

“He crossed three lanes of traffic before he reached the berm where he could start applying brake to the front wheel. He almost didn’t make it,” according to the Michigan rider’s account. He said the Ohio rider, an auto mechanic, was on a 2003 Ultra Classic with Messler tires, again with no sign of puncture, but the rim shows a long, vertical crack.

Posted by Holly Wagner

WORDS TO SURVIVE BY

1.  KNOW AND BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE INVISIBLE TO ALL OTHER DRIVERS.

2.  When approaching any intersection, assume cars traveling in the opposite direction are going to turn left and run over you. Be prepared to take evasive action.

3.  ALWAYS-ALWAYS have an escape route out of a situation to avoid the consequences of other peoples’ mistakes. Keep looking for the gap that you can use when someone else screws up.

4.  Adjust your speed to your reaction time. At the end of a tiring day it will be much longer than it was on the way to work at 8:00AM, so ride with bigger safety margins.

5.  Check BOTH directions when the light turns green. Someone will run the red light, sooner or later.

6.  Drivers that are using their car phones are not using their brains. Watch out for them.

7.  Mirrors are important. If they don’t show anything but your elbows, buy some that do. Always use your mirrors.

8.  Use other people’s mirrors, too. Look into the mirror of the car in front of you. That way you can see where they are looking, and how attentive they are. If you can see them, chances are better that they can see you.

9.  Trucks and vans often have a hard time checking their right side blind spot.

10.  Slippery oil, antifreeze, and ATF look like water, particularly in low light. Try to avoid all wet spots, but if you can’t, ride over them smoothly.

11.  Check under (behind) parked cars. Those legs you see belong to a child who may run out in front of you.

12.  Anticipate the moves of other vehicles. Drivers don’t always use their turn signals in traffic, but you MAY be able to tell where they are going by watching their heads turn just before they change lanes.

13. Treat all metal surfaces – train rails, bridge gratings, manhole covers – with the utmost respect. They offer very little traction when dry, and almost none when wet. Ride over them as smoothly as possible.

14.  Ride in a gear that will allow you to accelerate quickly if you need to get out of a tight spot.

15.  Never lose your temper when riding….If you do, STOP, take a breather, then resume your ride.

16.  Always be on the lookout for, and expect, the unexpected.

17.  Avoid racing with other motorists.

18.  IF YOU’RE NOT SURE, DON’T!

Courtesy of BMWMOA, BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, Motorcycle Club