WARNING ABOUT FIRE FLY'S ON VALVE STEMS

[thrasherfox]

I "had" (key operative word "HAD") things on my valve stems named fire fly's (I think that is what they were called)

Anyway they are stupid little bling bling things that when you r tire spins that light and make this really cool (but geeky) ring of light when your tire rotates.


yes I know, looks stupid to most, really over the top as far as light bling goes. but I like lights and still used them.



I have had one person in the last few years tell me they could cause a valve stem to crack if your tire spun fast enough due to the weight of these little boogers. can remember who it was, I think maybe it was BA BUSA.

anyway, ever since then it has been on my mind to keep an eye out for problems.


Driving home the other day, front tire went flat.

I took it to the shop and they told me while both my tires needed to be replaced badly due to wear (I tend to ride tires down to the cord) they said the reason the front tire went flat was due to the valve stem being cracked.

They looked at the rear valve stem and it was cracked and getting worse also, so they replaced both.

I am pretty confidant that the tire fly's I had on were the problem and the cause of the valve stems cracking. I even notice lately when I changed the chain and sprockets that the valve stems were angled which was due to the weight of the tire fly's pulling on the valve stems.



anyway, most of you probably know this and wouldnt put them on a motorcycle tire, but live and learn, hopefully this post will be read by someone who might have / might be / or in the future might have considered putting these little buggers on.



Ron

 

[Spudley]

Hmmmmm....well Ron, now what other "blingy items" you got on that noisy-@ss Busa of yours

........whatever they are..."Take them off".......

Like a Hayabusa needs "bling"....it's the "BLINGY-EST" already Brother !!!!!

 

[JQBusa]

I had some on mine for a day and saw the stems were bending over and not straight anymore, figure they better get off there before they tear off the stems.

 

[06BUSA]

I would imagine the tire fly's would still be ok if you had aluminum valve stems.
Or were they?

 

[NoFearSpear]

Happened to me on my Ninja last Nov,,,in Fla , Lucky a bike shop was only about 2 blocks away,,,just ripped that rear stem off,,,lol. It was cold to,,,some freek cold front in Fla last Nov,,lol.

 

[Rainer3012]

(NoFearSpear @ Aug. 01 2007,09:09) Happened to me on my Ninja last Nov,,,in Fla , Lucky a bike shop was only about 2 blocks away,,,just ripped that rear stem off,,,lol. It was cold to,,,some freek cold front in Fla last Nov,,lol.

cold in FL hard to believe, after a year in Groton, CT, and a year and a half in Seattle, I'll never think of FL as cold again. Some freak storm indeed.

 

[ALLshow.NOgo]

Yes PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM THEM

I had them on my rice burner I had before. Went through so many sets before I realized the firefly's were making tire go flat at the stem. I kept thinking someonce was slashing my tires!

Oh I was getting on the on ramp one time and I heard a whiz, a guy riding next to me alerted me about my flat tire. But it was too late ALREADY ON THE FREEWAY WITH A FLAT!

Avoid at ALL COST especially on a moto, won't be a nice thing on 2 wheels.

 

[Rayabusa0818]

Definately taboo at Busa speeds...

 

[Kento-Moto]

I have a couple sets and I think they are cool, but I only put them on if I am gonna ride at night which is rare. And I was surprised to find out when I took my last Calif license test they are illeagle.

 

[Sloto200]

the exact reason i've never bought them... actually had someone call me stupid when i told them that this could happen if they put these on their bike... bout year 1/2 later... back tire went flat, broken valve stem... hmmm...

 

[BA BUSA]

(thrasherfox @ Aug. 01 2007,05:03) I "had" to (key operative word "HAD") things on my valve stems named fire fly's (I think that is what they were called)

Anyway they are stupid little bling bling things that when you r tire spins that light and make this really cool (but geeky) ring of light when your tire rotates.


yes I know, looks stupid to most, really over the top as far as light bling goes. but I like lights and still used them.



I have had one person in the last few years tell me they could cause a valve stem to crack if your tire spun fast enough due to the weight of these little boogers. can remember who it was, I think maybe it was BA BUSA.

anyway, ever since then it has been on my mind to keep an eye out for problems.


Driving home the other day, front tire went flat.

I took it to the shop and they told me while both my tires needed to be replaced badly due to wear (I tend to ride tires down to the cord) they said the reason the front tire went flat was due to the valve stem being cracked.

They looked at the rear valve stem and it was cracked and getting worse also, so they replaced both.

I am pretty confidant that the tire fly's I had on were the problem and the cause of the valve stems cracking. I even notice lately when I changed the chain and sprockets that the valve stems were angled which was due to the weight of the tire fly's pulling on the valve stems.



anyway, most of you probably know this and wouldnt put them on a motorcycle tire, but live and learn, hopefully this post will be read by someone who might have / might be / or in the future might have considered putting these little buggers on.



Ron

Don't remember telling you that they would crack or damage the stems...just that they were
bending them because that they are heavier than the standard type of caps.

Everybody should replace their valve stems...every other set of tires would be sufficient.

And YES any neon accessories are illegal in CA on bikes and autos, trucks.

 

[probusa]

my brother had some on his tl and the back 1 shattered on his valve.
there was also a case that a bloke had them on his fireblade and it ripped his valve of his back tire out.
so yea dont use them on extreme hp bikes not very good at all.
i think they where acturly made for montain bikes and the like.

 

[katman]

I tried them a while back, but after a day of hard riding there would only be the base theaded part left on the valve stem so I stoped using them. I guess they were not ment for HIGH SPEED............

 

[heavybusa]

Just get metal stems.... I mean yeah these are stupid.

 

[rubber2burn]

I had a set on my 02 and never had a problem with it bending over the valve stems. Just had a problem with the batteries dying on me.

 

[thrasherfox]

(rubber2burn @ Aug. 02 2007,07:49) I had a set on my 02 and never had a problem with it bending over the valve stems.  Just had a problem with the batteries dying on me.

You were not going fast enough

 

[rubber2burn]

LOL!! I think that was my problem that was why the batteries were dying from over use.

 

[GMbusa]

I never had a set of the fireflys last long enough to do any damage to anything. Usually after a week or two, the top half of them were missing.

They look cool when used with a chrome rim.

 

[SANDFLEA85]

i have them sitting in the garage,never put them on cause one didnt have a thread when it came,now im glad it didnt,i was pissed at first but did think they looked a little silly