Anyone run tubes?

[Ramseybella]

Than use diluted KY Jelly!!! :-*

 

[jimmy z]

If its leaking 5p.s.i. a day and put wheel in washtub you WILL find the leak.Jim

 

[cosmic]

it could be leaking trough a small bent on the wheel. Check the wheels.

 

[Checkswrecks]

It took a couple months in my case. Whole different motorcycle. It was a Honda 1200 goldwing. What can happen is the soap is more or less permanently trapped in the bead seat area where it is corrosive. On the goldwing I removed the tire and could immediately see the aluminum bead seat area was all corroded and the tire was all nasty looking all around the bead. Simply cleaning the wheel and tire and remounting without soap fixed the leak right up.
This may or may not be your problem, but to anyone that mounts their own tires I would recommend spending the money to use an actual tire lube. The lube from NoMar is highly regarded. I use it with good results.
I don't think using soapy water on the outside of your wheel is a problem if you want. The problem is the soap that gets trapped in the bead seat area. Keep soap on the outside you'll be ok. Good luck.

Ron, corrosion would depend on the soap and this type of problem is generally with the "aggressive" types that have an oxidizer. The problem types are very seldom the common soaps and especially not dish soap or similar. And yes, there is a place for real tire lube.


People will occasionally run tubes in tubeless tires and it can be done safely, but be aware of what the tire makers state. For example, the following is by Dunlop:
Do not fit tubes in radial motorcycle tires, nor fit radials on rims requiring tubes, unless the tubes bear matching size and radial (R) markings.
(from http://www.dunlopmotorcycle.com/info-center/care-and-maintenance/#additional-safety-information-and-training)


As to Toxic Mark, as somebody wrote, a 5 psi/day loss should be enough to fizz when soapy water is applied. Don't look for a stream of bubbles, watch for foam to be created over a several minute period. While it certainly could be the valve, there could instead be rubber residue on the bead area of the rim from the old tire. When you pull the tire, clean the bead with Scotchbrite.

 

[Ramseybella]

::017::

 

[markjenn]

I'm with the others here.... fix the leak rather than give up the advantages of tubeless. 5 psi/day should be detectable, although probably not without a water tank, good light, a careful eye, and some patience. If you can't find a leak in the tread, I'd dismount the tire, give it a careful inspection (it is truly amazing how small and difficult to detect a small foreign object can be), and clean up the rim/tire-bead mating areas. I use WD-40 and plastic scotchbrite pads to clean up the rims prior to mounting new tires. Also take a close look at the valve stem or just replace it as insurance.

If you still can't find the leak after doing all this, I'd just replace the tire. It probably has a defect.

- Mark

 

[Toxic Mark]

I'll be a son of a bitch!!!

You know those little whiskers you see on a new tire? The Mitas-E07 has whiskers pretty damn close to the edge of the rim. Guess what happens when a string of adjacent whiskers get tucked under the edge of the rim during mounting? Bubbles.

I'll try to make time to break the bead, clip off the whiskers, pop the bead back on and re-bubble test the tire this weekend to make sure, but considering the uncanny equal spacing between the patches of bubbles I'm pretty sure this is the cause of my woes.

Thanks for everyone's input.

Mark

 

[Ramseybella]

::008::

 

[Toxic Mark]

At this point plucking the whiskers from under the rim did not get rid of the leak(s). The whiskers provided channels for visible amounts of dust and dirt to make its way under the rim. I had to clean the tires and underside of the lip of the rim pretty good to get a good seal. So far no bubbles. I'll check the tire pressure again tomorrow to confirm it is holding.