Avon Storm failure on kids Blackbird

[brianm767]

My son called me a week or so ago, said he had a front end vibration on his Blackbird, he's not the most mechanical guy but he did give the front end a good look over and said he couldn't find any thing wrong, I told him to take another look, put the bike on teh stand and have some one lean on the back so he could spin the tire, he did, said nothing unusual was noted, tire looked ok, balance weights were still there,

Told him I come up and take a look, I was thinking maybe he had a bad wheel bearing or?

The next day he called again and said he found the problem, he was out riding it and trying to trouble shoot the problem around his apartments, when the front tire started rapidly loosing pressure, pushed the bike back to his place and found the front tire had a huge failure, after seeing the pics I asked if he was sure he looked at the tire the previous day?? he sad yes, as a matter of fact he had ran his hand on the tire to check for cupping and damage, and there was none visible or felt.

I went up and got the wheels, and took them to my friends shop, they say they had never seen any thing like that, I believe the tires had about 7-8K miles on them.

Couldn't tell if the tire had been puntured by some thing and then it split from there, no puncture damage was visible, just the big split.

I wanted to keep the tire to show Avon, but I was in a hurry and I for got to get the take off when I picked them up on my way out of town, needless to say we mounted PR2's probably wont ever run Avons again, makes me leery of the Storms I have on my ST right now?


Well pics are poor since their from his cell. but here it is.

 

[George]

Ouch! That looks bad. And I have 2 sets of STorms setting on the shelf.

Anyone else heard of this? Tim? Bueller?

 

[brianm767]

I'm actually on my second set of storms on my ST1300, I believe I ran one set on my XX, never had an issue, infact I swore by these tires, I love the way the feel and wear, but I think the set I have on now will be my last. and I'll probably swap them out a bit earlier than usual.

 

[BigTom]

Yes. It seems sporadic, but notable. This is the 3rd I have heard of, with one possibly being a regular 'run flat' puncture.

I really wish that you had got that tire to Avon, it's not much good in the dumpster. If there is a trend, it's nice to catch it early and often.

By the way, this is the first front one...and the worst one yet.

Did you check the inside of the carcass to see if there might have been a puncture??

I have one set on and one in the shed, too. Boy, do I like the feel of them...

 

[BigTom]

So. Rob. Where do you get your basis for that comment? How can they be sold as a first rate tire if they are third rate????

I've gone through 11 sets of Avons in the last 8 years on 3 different bikes. Please explain yourself.

 

[brianm767]

Yes. It seems sporadic, but notable. This is the 3rd I have heard of, with one possibly being a regular 'run flat' puncture.

I really wish that you had got that tire to Avon, it's not much good in the dumpster. If there is a trend, it's nice to catch it early and often.

By the way, this is the first front one...and the worst one yet.

Did you check the inside of the carcass to see if there might have been a puncture??

I have one set on and one in the shed, too. Boy, do I like the feel of them...

I've sent an email to my buddy who has the shop, if he still has the tire I'm going to get it back, and I didn't see the inside of the carcass.

I was heading home from work, I dropped off the tire at the shop, went home took a shower and headed back out and picked up the tire an hour or so after dropping it off, I was heading out to Utah after a ten hour shift, and my mind wasn't on the tire, it was on the 15 hour drive ahead.

 

[okckeith]

I have run Avons for over twenty years. I've never had a problem with them.
Dunlop is a tire I will never use again. That is just my opinion. And my option. Not to offend anyone.
I keep thinking about trying a set of PR2's. But I just love my Avons.

 

[George]

We went thru an Avon dry spell several years ago when the ST23 started failing. Stayed off them for 'til the Azoro started getting good ratings. Hope the STorm doesn't go that way.

 

[dduelin]

Geez you guys are a tough crowd. One split tire with no documented history and now Avon tires are death traps and 3rd rate to boot.

 

[biker5050]

My father-in-law had two storms fail. Both were rear tires. Avon was always good about it and replaced the tire free of charge. BUT, he was stuck both times. He had to pay for a tow, and had to buy a tire from the stealer to get home. He doesn't use storms anymore. To many problems.

 

[Byron]

That doesn't look like a tire failure or defect, it looks like it has been cut. Why else you you see the ends of cord showing?

 

[sherob]

That doesn't look like a tire failure or defect, it looks like it has been cut. Why else you you see the ends of cord showing?

+1

I'm thinking he must of ran over something... then the next day it just had enough :

 

[brianm767]

+1

I'm thinking he must of ran over something... then the next day it just had enough :

I sure hope I can get the tire back,

I did look at it pretty thoroughly when I picked it up, I didn't see any signs of punctures, it had obviously torn itself apart, now weather it did take a puncture and it ripped from that point, we may never know, my son did say he inspected it on two occasions and didn't see any damage prior to it blowing out, and I have no reason to believe he didn't, yes he may have missed something, but he even said he ran his hand around the tire.

And Byron when you say it has been cut, if you mean some one used a tool to cut the tire, I can assure you that is not what happened, the tear was jagged, even if the pics look like a clean cut, it was not, it had been torn apart, and the bike is kept locked in a garage, he took it out, rode it, after awhile he felt the vibes, brought it back home inspected it, and locked it up till the next day.

If you mean something on the road cut it, and it tore from there? maybe so, but nothing was seen on a couple inspections by my son, after he first felt the vibes, he looked at it, then I had him look at it again, and send me pics if he found any thing, nothing was found, then on his next ride, it blew out.

Personalty, I hope it was from a puncture, I would hate to think Avon tires might do this without taking any damage, but even from a puncture, this shouldn't happen, but since he felt a bad vibe , and nothing was visible, then the next day, it came apart, it leads me to believe that the tire was separating from the inside out, maybe it was caused by a small puncture that he missed, but the tire held air from the first day of the vibe, till the next day when it came apart, I would think if it had a puncture, it would have went flat in the 30 hours or so it sat in his garage, and he would have seen some thing on his inspections.

I wish I wasn't in such a hurry when I picked it up, I remembered I had for gotten the tire when I was a few hours out of town, I guess I should have called the shop the next day, but I was on vacation, it wasn't on my mind till I got back.

I'm not going to stop riding my St with it's Storms installed, like I've said, I've always loved the Storms, but I normally run them to their max life, I think I'll swap mine earlier than normal (for me), as I probably should be doing any ways, and I have always wanted to try the PR2's, but their just too pricy, but now I'll bite the bullet and give them a try, because even if this was a puncture, it would have had to be a small one, since it held air, was undetected on two visual and one hand inspections, and then it came apart the next day? If he had hit some thing big and it tore his tire apart, I could see that, but for it to be undetected, hold air for a day then tear apart like this on his next ride? that makes me leery.

 

[tdeboeser]

Quick question, are these Storm2's or regular storms?

Thanks,

Tom de - thinking I should change tires sooner than planned....

 

[sennister]

I have run several sets of storms on my 1100 and love them. Way better than Dunlops. I won't put them on my 1300 though.

Also it is worth mentioning that another reason to get that tire back is that Avon includes a free road hazzard warranty with the sale of their tires. So get it back and get it replaced. I know you already have a tire mounted but they might give you some cash or prorate another tire for later.

 

[George]

As I understand it, the Avon road hazard warranty only works if the tar was originally sold and installed at an authorized dealer.

I've never needed it myself so "official" data.

 

[Byron]

. . . And Byron when you say it has been cut, if you mean some one used a tool to cut the tire, I can assure you that is not what happened, the tear was jagged, even if the pics look like a clean cut, it was not, it had been torn apart, and the bike is kept locked in a garage, he took it out, rode it, after awhile he felt the vibes, brought it back home inspected it, and locked it up till the next day. . . .

What I meant was it looks like he may have ridden over something in the road that cut the tire like metal banding or a piece of sheet metal.

 

[sennister]

As I understand it, the Avon road hazard warranty only works if the tar was originally sold and installed at an authorized dealer.

I've never needed it myself so "official" data.

Oh, maybe. I have never needed it either. I picked up a nail in my last Avon Storm but I didn't bother with it because the wear bars were about flush with the tread so I was due for a replacement. I would assume they prorate the warranty and I might have gotten $5 for the old tire. I figured it wasn't worth my time to pursue. I am sure that Tim can provide more info on the warranty that they offer. I could see them maybe denying something if it were improperly installed. But if the coverage is for running over a nail or something how does it matter who installed it?

 

[BigTom]

I'm pretty sure they prorate per the tread, and it doesn't make any difference who mounted it (unless, of course, Avon claims mounting damage). I've never even had a nail in an Avon, and I have got a horrible gob of miles on them...All the way back to the Venonms on the Yammie...

I have been out moving MCs around here, and I looked at mine again. Look just fine, to me...

 

[Two Brothers]

Avon will maybe want to see the tire. If you can get it back that would be great. They might send a call tag for it. As far as warranty not sure thats Avon's call on that due to mileage.

The first thing they will ask is air pressure? What I am seeing is that when these tires get into that mileage range (7 to 10K) air pressure is real critical. The tires start producing a lot more heat if under inflated even by 5 lbs. This will cause the tire to delaminate. It seems there has been a lot of this going around. Becareful out there guys and gals. Keep a good check on things when your on the road and around town.