Stupid tubed tires!

[johnnyadventurepants]

I finally bit the bullet and ordered the TKC's.  I decided to put them on my self with no powder/lubricants so I would be prepared for when it happens in the middle of nowhere.  Got the front all put back together and is leaking.  Shit.  Take it apart and patch it and put it together again.  Leak.  A second tiny hole in tube.  Well I am not going to put an old tube with 2 patches on it in my new tire and I don't have a spare and I've wasted way too much time on this already so to the local shop I go.  I thought I could do it no problem and I was careful with the tire irons.  I keep telling myself the tubes were too old or something- it wasn't me that was the problem.  Took it for a test drive in the rain.  The first 10 minutes were scary as shit.  However, now they are broken in a little and I like them.  I just have to be careful in the rain.  I really think these tires tranform the whole look of the bike.  Well, now I am nervous about when I get my flat tire in the middle of nowhere so I came up with this plan:  don't get any flats.  :lol:

[aeronca]

hum, thats the same plan i follow :lol:

[sanjoh]

Convert to tubeless and don't look back.

I have around 10k miles since converting with 0 issues.  Many others have converted, I've not heard of any issues.

[Wiggus]

Convert to tubeless and don't look back.

Sounds like a great idea. How much does that cost?

[sanjoh]

Most people have done it themselves.

I used Permatex Ultra Black Hi-temp Silicone
https://www.neverseezproductscart.com/shop/images/ultrablack.jpg

Clean the rim and multiple layers of silicone!

[JetdocX]

Be careful with that conversion.  Make sure you use tubeless tires when you remove the tubes.  I think that rear TKC might not be rated for tubeless operation.

[johnnyadventurepants]

It's the same tire as on the Vstroms cast rims and tubeless BMWS so I am sure the TKC is fine on tubeless.

[johnnyadventurepants]

I like the idea of converting to tubeless.  I can't afford to do it professionally.  I have seen that some have done it themselves.  I guess I will just see how well these hold up over time before I pull the trigger.  If it doesn't work, that's a big mess all over my rims!

[flux]

Man, it just takes practice, don't give up so easily.  You should always have a spare ready to go living in the garage, or at least on your bike (so you can fix it out in the field if need be).  

They make little things of baby powder... look in the travel and sample section of the drug store where the little bottle of shampoos and stuff live.  Another trick is to store your spare tube in a zip lock with baby powder in it.  This helps keep the rubber fresh as well.

Make sure you have good tire levers.  We sell some of the best you'll find.  Lightweight and unbreakable, with a lifetime guarantee.  Sometimes having a 3rd one helps as well.

Like everything worth doing, it takes practice.  

I'm not sold on the tubeless conversion.  If it starts leaking mid trip you are screwed, at least so it would seem.  To each his own but I just don't trust it.  

The TKC's are good tires, but if you're like me you'll soon be crying that you only got 2000 miles out of the rear.  Now I run a TKC front and an Anakee rear.   The front has worn pretty good... I should have kept track of mileage but I can tell you it's gone to Daytona for Bikeweek, to Knoxville a few weeks ago for camping, and in between every weekend.

[coachgeo]

Flux..... think your off on the screwed point.  

One- leaks in tubeless are often slow where in tubbed things go from good, medium to busted flat pretty fast. Sometimes in seconds.(experience only with large truck tires (my Unimog which is for sale  :(  )  Sometimes in seconds.

Two- you might can put a tube back in temporary. Don't know this for sure.  Just a suspiscion.

Here is one that is like Staun beadlocks offroaders use.  Intresting concept

http://www.nuetech.com/tubliss.shtml  That one would work on front tire too.

There is some threads on Adv Riders about home brewed setups with tons of miles

[TigerTrax]

I think you should wait for Hans or a few others who have re-worked their rims for a tubeless set-up.
Several have been running for 3-4 years.

As time moved on there have been som improvements in converting and results... so you should be able to do it with little problem. I think they all
encountered some slow leakage on first go-round, but was resolved quickly.

FYI:
Your spoked rims are in fact tubeless beads.... that's why they are so friggin difficult to break when removing tire.

Speakin from experience.....
1. When you are done converting... throw some Amerseal in your tires. It will stop a leak in ONE revolution. That buys you time & distance. It bought me 78 miles with a large screw in the tire. Non-acidic, non-flammable.
2. Find a small battery operated air compressor. Remove the guts from the housing; Pack it with you. Fits in your fist.
3. Carry 2 tie down straps!

[flux]

Flux..... think your off on the screwed point.  

One- leaks in tubeless are often slow where in tubbed things go from good, medium to busted flat pretty fast. Sometimes in seconds.(experience only with large truck tires (my Unimog which is for sale  :(  )  Sometimes in seconds.

Two- you might can put a tube back in temporary. Don't know this for sure.  Just a suspiscion.

Here is one that is like Staun beadlocks offroaders use.  Intresting concept

http://www.nuetech.com/tubliss.shtml  That one would work on front tire too.

There is some threads on Adv Riders about home brewed setups with tons of miles

I'm talking about leaks from the conversion process, not if you pick up a nail or something.  

Just so we're clear.

I'm not trying to start a tubed vs tubeless debate or anything.  Personally, I would love to have tubeless tires but I just don't trust the conversion.  That's not based on anything but my personal feelings.  To each his own.

[coachgeo]

Flux..... think your off on the screwed point.  

One- leaks in tubeless are often slow ...

I'm talking about leaks from the conversion process, not if you pick up a nail or something.  ....

Im talking about any possible leaks from conversion process too.  

Can't expect one would get a fast leak causing blow out and danger situation with the homebrew or professional spoke sealing methods.  Slow leaks I suspect should be able to be sealed enough to get you home using standard leaky tire Goo....   Infact some of the homebrew suggestions is to use the tire goo on each spoke anyway.

[rainycoastguy]

I've been running tubeless for the last three years...well, tubeless on the rear, although the front has been sealed and I did run it tubeless until - a fast and hard ride one day on a paved mountain road with lots of little slips in it, one and two inch drops running along the road that your tire would come off the edge of.  When I got home I found that the air pressure was down about 50% front only.  I think what happens is - on the rear rim (at least on my '02) there is a raised line of metal inside the bead that keeps the tire in place, hence no problem, but on the front no such feature exists. This can let the tire slip inwards on the rim and leak a bit of air before the pressure pushes it back.  Of course after a period of time the pressure is too low to shove it back and then there's a problem.

I carry a front tube, (fits under rear rack) patch kit, tire irons, tubeless repair kit and a 12v pump.  The pump goes in the tank bag and the rest fits under the seat.  It has been my experience that most flats are on the rear, and if the tubeless fix doesn't work I can stuff the spare front tube in.  I also carry a piece of thin, light, strong rope to tie the back end down to whatever if I need to get the front end off the ground.  Unlike my xrl one doesn't lie the Tiger on its side unnecessarily.  

I sealed the rims with a relatively cheap silicon formulated to stick to metal, bought at a local builders yard, and have never had a problem with it.  Whenever I true the rim I peel out the silicon from around the spoke nipples I have turned and refill them.  Simple and effective and really no big deal.  

Running one tube means carrying more gear but the way I look at it, the front tire is dirtbike easy to remove, the rear is preferably a job done at home in the shop.

[abruzzi]

(experience only with large truck tires (my Unimog which is for sale  :(  )  

DUDE!  I want a Unimog.  One of the greatest trucks ever made.  That or a Pinzgauer.

Geof