I wasn't on my bike, thank God, but a car kicked up a section of a truck tire that looked to weigh 5 or 6 pounds and hit me right in the windshield. My first thought was, if I had been on the Ultra that would have at least broken the windshield and maybe the fairing. It could have done who knows what after that to me and the bike, and my wife, if she had been with me. The stretch of road I was on was loaded with ticket writing cops. If they are there for our safety, and not to generate revenue, why don't they clear the roads of these potentially deadly hazards?

 

I've seen that on occasion, thankfully never while on the bike. Pucker factor is quite high when you see the tire blow right in front of you.

 

I was riding on highway a few years ago on my softail when a car in front of me kicked up a piece of a blown out tire. It was a large piece that just missed my face by inches. I wondered what the outcome would have been if it would have nailed me in the face. Not good for sure. Since then I have never ridden without a full face helmet. Not saying that I wont have a problem if that were to happen wearing a full face but between a full face and a large fairing on my now streetglide I think I stand a better chance.

 

I've seen truck tires let go. I don't hang around in the lane next to a truck when I'm on a bike.

 

Experienced that on I-75 going through Detroit about 8pm traffic light,I'm in the hammer lane running 75mph and Pow three lanes over about 200 yards ahead this Tanker blows a tire,I have hundreds of little gators scattering across all lanes a look up and here's mama gator about 3ft long and 10 ft in the air aiming in on me WOT got me past her.Talk about sh!tting your pants,always leery of those big trucks and the dreaded GATORS.

 

Had one show up in front of me one time...I just leaned back and pinned it.

 

This weekend, I saw the cars ahead going wide and when I got there, it was the majority piece of a retread. If the speed hadn't been so and cars were behind me, I would have stopped and moved it.

 

My bike died in the middle of a 6 lane busy county road. I made it to a turn lane in the center and sat there for over an hour until a tow truck came. 3 cops went by me and never even slowed down. Actually the only 2 people to stop and ask me if I needed help were women..

 

You don't want to be next to one of these when they blow - they are loud, lots of dust, dirt, debris - +1 on not hanging around any tractor trailer - safest spot is in front of them

 

How did you know it was a retread and not the tread off a new tire?