Tire Pom Jek

04 March 07, Sunday

I was riding in the middle lane of AYE at 10 am. The road was light in traffic.
Then suddenly I hear a muffled "POMP!" sound. Like somebody just burst a small plastic bag below my bike.

But nothing happened to my bike.
I rode on a short distance and thought, "Better check my bike to be safe."

I pulled to the road shoulder on the left and checked.
Nothing wrong leh.

Then I started to move off. I felt the bike moved-off was slighly wobbly.
Maybe I was just imagining. Maybe not. I side-standed again and check for any damage.
Nothing.

Then I start to move off again. Now the wobbliness is more obvious.
Something is wrong. I check the front tire. No damage. Check the front forks. No damage.
Then I check the rear tire.















Basket! The rear tire kena puncture!

The POMP sound must be my tire kena something and burst.
Despite the sound, good thing the puncture does not destablise my bike, until the air ran out of the tire.
I remembered some time ago, there was a discussion by some bikers that a biker fell off because his tube-full tire in his small kup kia bike punctured and he was thrown off the bike.
Someone said tubelss tires, which are used in most spokeless bikes in modern and especially big cc bikes, will not burst even if kena puncture.
So my this incident validated that tubeless tires are indeed safer.

BTW, my tires are Bridgestone Battleaxe BT-o20 sport touring tires.
I highly recommend them for sport tourers and long-distance tourers.
They provide more than enough grip for road cornering. Grips well dry and wet.
And they last long. My last 20,000 km liao. And looks good for another 5,000 to 8,000 km.

I told a friend that my bike kena puncture.
Wah, she very resourceful. Knows that can call LTA (1800-CallLTA) and ask for EMAS.
EMAS got free towing service.

I immediately call. Really EMAS provide free towing service if you breakdown along the expressway! But alamak, they kiam siap lah. Only tow you until the nearest expressway exit, to the nearest petrol kiosk or carpark. No use to me. I still need to get someone to tow my big bike to a bike mechanic to have my tire replaced or mended.

So I called a bike towing company to come tow for me ($30).

Frost stranded along the AYE with a tire pom jek (puncture).
Strike 4D also not so zun.

Sad to leave my frost without me. I immediately felt like a bird with its wings clipped.
Today and tomorrow no bike to ride around.