Author Topic: Flat tire on freeway: I lived, RE quality control problem  (Read 3497 times)

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emskee

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Rear wheel on the C5 went flat at 60 mph today on the freeway.  Tire stayed on rim, I did not crash, I did not die.  (I don't think....what if this is hell?)

Bike ran so well with flat I didn't know it was flat until someone pulled up next to me and told me.  Limped on sidewalls about 1 mile to work and swapped out the tube.

When I yanked out the tube, there lying in the tire was a second stem washer, just like to one on the stem.  On the tube, near the stem was a nice circle eroded into the tube through the presence of the washer dropped into the tire during assembly.  If I were a quessing man, and I am, I have some dude at the factory trying to wrestle the tube in, the stem washer falls off into the tire interior, hmmmmm, that'll take time to fish out, leave it and slip on a new one, fish the stem through the hole and continue.  Nice.

See the attached.  There is a picture of the hole cut into the tube and to the right of that the extra stem washer, provided to me at no charge.

Kinda sloppy, sorta negligent.  If I had crashed, looks like the wife could have cleaned up.  So close......

Anyhow, for what it's worth.

Mike

1998 Harley Davidson XLH1200 (Gone)
2001 Victory Standard Cruiser (Gone)
2004 Victory Vegas (My buddy Danny has her)
2005 Ural Gear Up (Gone, With good people)
2009 C5 (Gave it back)
2010 C5 (Still at home)
2010 Ural Taiga (Ditto)


ace.cafe

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Reply #1 on: October 01, 2009, 10:25:17 pm
Not good to happen, but good that you didn't get hurt.
Glad you're okay.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2009, 10:27:57 pm by ace.cafe »
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Cabo Cruz

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Reply #2 on: October 01, 2009, 10:40:35 pm
Amen, amen and amen!!!
Long live the Bullets and those who ride them!

Keep the shiny side up, the boots on the pegs and best REgards,

Papa Juan

REA:    Member No. 119
BIKE:   2004 Royal Enfield Sixty-5
NAME: Perla


emskee

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Reply #3 on: October 02, 2009, 06:06:48 pm
Thanks you guys.

I am seriously impressed with the wheel/tire and suspension design on this thing.  Tire stayed put and suspension and wheel-on-sidewalls combination preserved ridability at speed save for some wallowing on the off ramp (not enough to make me think flat).  I saw a bike once that threw right side bead completely off the rim at about 30 mph on a straight away with a holed tube.  The Bullet just stayed together and rode. 

Some piece of mind there.

I still think RE owes me a T shirt or something........
1998 Harley Davidson XLH1200 (Gone)
2001 Victory Standard Cruiser (Gone)
2004 Victory Vegas (My buddy Danny has her)
2005 Ural Gear Up (Gone, With good people)
2009 C5 (Gave it back)
2010 C5 (Still at home)
2010 Ural Taiga (Ditto)


Vince

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Reply #4 on: October 02, 2009, 06:30:29 pm
Thanks you guys.

I am seriously impressed with the wheel/tire and suspension design on this thing.  Tire stayed put and suspension and wheel-on-sidewalls combination preserved ridability at speed save for some wallowing on the off ramp (not enough to make me think flat).  I saw a bike once that threw right side bead completely off the rim at about 30 mph on a straight away with a holed tube.  The Bullet just stayed together and rode. 

Some piece of mind there.

I still think RE owes me a T shirt or something........
     Don't count on this type of event. You were LUCKY !!! The next flat may act completely differently.


emskee

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Reply #5 on: October 02, 2009, 06:40:06 pm
Vince,

Dig it.  Point taken.

Hmmmmm.

Okay, then I want a T shirt AND a coffee cup.

Mike
1998 Harley Davidson XLH1200 (Gone)
2001 Victory Standard Cruiser (Gone)
2004 Victory Vegas (My buddy Danny has her)
2005 Ural Gear Up (Gone, With good people)
2009 C5 (Gave it back)
2010 C5 (Still at home)
2010 Ural Taiga (Ditto)


Chris-G5

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Reply #6 on: October 02, 2009, 09:31:23 pm
Glad the tire stayed on the rim and you weren't hurt or worse. As far as the extra washer in the tire, that's what happens when companies run the assembly line as fast as possible to make as many products as possible per hour/day. Also they overload the jobs giving the assembler just enough time to perform the job and no time to correct errors. A repair man down the line should have been notified to retrieve the extra washer and maybe was, but I bet the more repairs an assembler ships down the line the greater the chance that he could be fired, so they don't notify of the repairs. I used to work at an auto assembly plant and the line ran at a rate of one vehicle every 45 seconds!


ScooterBob

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Reply #7 on: October 03, 2009, 07:59:49 pm
Glad the tire stayed on the rim and you weren't hurt or worse. As far as the extra washer in the tire, that's what happens when companies run the assembly line as fast as possible to make as many products as possible per hour/day. Also they overload the jobs giving the assembler just enough time to perform the job and no time to correct errors. A repair man down the line should have been notified to retrieve the extra washer and maybe was, but I bet the more repairs an assembler ships down the line the greater the chance that he could be fired, so they don't notify of the repairs. I used to work at an auto assembly plant and the line ran at a rate of one vehicle every 45 seconds!

This is quite true - and ESPECIALLY at the RE factory as of late, where demand for the bikes is requiring TWO shifts! The fellows in the factory are going FLAT OUT for us - and CMW is doing the same to make sure that everyone gets the chance to HAVE a new C5 if they want one. Incidents will occur - the good thing is that the bike behaved and didn't toss a fellow off - and I even heard that CMW was giving out a new tube to keep as a spare in addition to the one that was supplied WITH the bike. That probably resulted in a fist fight over in "Warranty and Claims" - Hahaha!!  ;)
Spare the pig iron - spoil the part!