Flat tires are no fun and are almost always a dangerous event.

Story by QUINN REDEKER / Photos by JUSTIN W. COFFEY

TODAY WE ARE GOING to discuss the fun and exciting world of flat tires, but we’ re going to approach it a bit differently than most articles and videos you might have perused on the subject. See, many discussions related to flat tires begin at the end, when you are safely on the side of the road and the flat tire is already upon you.

I’ ve suffered many flat tires while riding, racing, working, and training, and I can tell you there is a mammoth difference between having a flat tire and being in the throes of getting one as you bebop down to Electric Avenue. It’ s like the difference between sitting on the tailgate of your buddy’ s truck with a freshly chilled Fresca 10 minutes after finishing a marathon; far less eventful than the fear and loathing that took place moments before you tripped past the finish line just shy of your PR. We want to formulate an action plan for that traumatic portion where our feet are still moving.

First off, not all flat tires are created equal. Some are slow leaks, some are blowouts, and some are in between. More importantly, some involve your front tire, and some involve the rear. Not to mention some happen in your driveway and others while battling on a busy interstate.

In other words, a flat is not a flat is not a flat. So today I’ m going to present you with a few different flat-tire scenarios in the hope that they contribute to your making safer decisions when they inevitably come upon you.

No, I can’ t predict and address every eventuality, nor the“ best practices” for the flat tire you will encounter next fall because you bought some low hour racetrack“ take-offs” on Facebook Marketplace. However, if we can get your mental engine turning just a few rpm quicker, that’ s a win.

SCENARIO # 1: SLOW LEAKING REAR TIRE

While a slow-leaking rear tire will result in a flat tire at some point, we will still have plenty of time and adequate bike control to safely figure things out. The key here is to recognize that it’ s happening so we can address it. Do you have a tire pressure monitoring system( TPMS) on your motorcycle? If so, it will throw out a warning which will both alert you and provide specific PSI details to help provide a time window to handle things.

In this case, treat it like a fire alarm at your local Denny’ s restaurant; take one last bite of your eggs benedict, calmly

exit the building in an orderly fashion, and stand by. Simple. Without TPMS, the warning will be a bit later in the scenario and present itself as rear-wheel“ wallow” when you execute a turning movement or will cause the rear end to wander as if you were in sand. Still, remember we have a little time, so just stay calm and be thoughtful about moving yourself to a place of safety from which to sort out your flat.

SCENARIO # 2: FAST LEAKING REAR TIRE

These are trickier because they come on quickly, forcing us to get a plan together sooner than later. TPMS or not, I usually don’ t count on having more than a half mile or so before I will experience significant wallow in the rear end, making direction changes and general bike control exponentially more dangerous. I take this short window of time to get off the freeway, off the roadway, or stop in a safe place. I’ m looking for shelter( if possible) and minimal traffic if I can find it.

If this happens to you, focus on smooth, minimal throttle, brake, and steering inputs and subtle direction changes, making sure to shift your body weight forward. Also, stay off the rear brake! Count on having just enough time to execute a hasty plan and that’ s about it. The longer you continue down the road, the more likely the tire will peel off the bead and significantly ratchet up the risk of continuing.

48 / OCTOBER 2026 / RIDERMAGAZINE. COM