Putting a Tube in a Tubeless Tire

[Cat Man]

I am having trouble keeping the rear tire up. Doing a soap check on the tire, I am noticing the bubbling coming through the rim. I don't want to find a different rim, especially since who is to know the next one is as good as this one. The rim does not show any damage that I can recognize. It appears it just comint through the metal. I was wondering if I can put a tube in there? Or is there any other repair possible to seal the air leakage throught the rim.

[Nessism]

What kind of bike, year and model. I assume the tires do not have tubes in them currently? Are the wheels labeled "tubeless" - cast into the metal?

[duaneage]

Assuming the rim is "leaking" I would not trust the rim. Tubing a tire is an option, I would tube a tire that had a small puncture if the tread was deep and I was short on cash. One of my parts bikes had tubes in both wheels, real bugger to get the tire off.

Tubes make the wheels heavier for sure, but give you a slight measure of safety from flats. I would let a shop install a tube with a tire machine and a little experience. It's hard to get the tire on without pinching something.

The tubes I pulled out were attached at the stem to the rim. The tubes were actually tightened down.

[Zooks]

The tubes I pulled out were attached at the stem to the rim. The tubes were actually tightened down.

I thought all motorcycle tubes were like this. I've never seen any other type. It's designed to stop the tube from trying to spin inside the tyre when 'G' forces are applied during acceleration / braking.

Edit - It is also designed to stop the air rushing out rapidly if you get a puncture. A 'rapid' flat is a scary thing on a motorcycle.


Cat man,
Can you be more specific as to 'exactly' where the air is coming out???

[gazingwa]

I bought my 850 a year and a half ago, just replaced tires 4 weeks ago and found the rear tire (tubless design) had a tube in it. I put 5000 miles on it that way without even knowing it with no problems at all.

[p_s]

I found small bubbles coming out of my rear tire along the rim, but it dropped one whole pound of pressure in 2 weeks. It may be normal to some degree.

[chef1366]

I have the 80 mags. They don't say tubeless so I run tubes.

[focus frenzy]

the early GS cast wheels are a tube type wheel because the technology was not mastered yet and they were prone to leaking.

some would hold air good others leaked very bad, so Suzuki just put tubs in them all and called for tubes to be used.

it is not a absolute requirment to run tubes but you would be required to do a trial and error test and see how much air is lost over time.

late model GS have wheels made with a improved process and are marked tubeless.

this is why Honda used comstar stamped and rivited steel and aluminum wheels. they didn't trust casting technology avalable at the time.

a funny side note is Honda ran into casting trouble with Early Acura V-6 engine leaking oil out through the cast aluminum blocks.
a internal coating with high temp epoxy cured the problem and also works very well with our wheels.

[Zooks]

a internal coating with high temp epoxy cured the problem and also works very well with our wheels.

I was wondering exactly that. Would POR15 or similar do the trick?

[Cat Man]

Thanks to you all. I have a '82 GS650, and the air in the tire will exhaust wintin a week. I never had any problems before, but some strange happenned while stored for the winter. The rear tire was off of the floor all winter. I aired the tire up, and with in a week it was flat. The dealership is hesitant to put a tube in the tire. I just wanted to know what others had experianced.

Thanks again,

[Zooks]

After riding on it, is it any better? Sometimes a leak in a tyre (that has been sitting for a while) will disappear after the tyre has been used again. The tyre re-seats in the bead and the leak stops.

[Nessism]

Thanks to you all. I have a '82 GS650, and the air in the tire will exhaust wintin a week. I never had any problems before, but some strange happenned while stored for the winter. The rear tire was off of the floor all winter. I aired the tire up, and with in a week it was flat. The dealership is hesitant to put a tube in the tire. I just wanted to know what others had experianced.

Thanks again,

Sounds like a problem with the tire, or valve stem, not the wheel. Wheels don't just go bad while a bike is in storage.

[1980GS1000E]

I have had good results running tubeless. Hardly any leaking at all.

[Grandpa]

We've had lots of discussions at various times about the tubeless tire thing.

Running tubeless on the old-style pentagram front wheels, the ones that are not stamped to run tubeless, works for some, yet not for others. There is no consistency here.

I have three front wheels that alternate service on my GK -- two old-style tubed wheels and one newer-style, stock tubeless wheel. I run a tube on the old wheels, and tubeless on the new one.

They are interchangeable, by the way. You can run a new-style 1982 GS850GZ front wheel on an older 1979, 80, or 81 GS850G. The old wheel fits just fine on my 1984 GK.

If you have an older-type front wheel and haven't had leak problems by running tubeless, you're lucky and should continue to do so.

I don't want to take that chance.

I'm running an old-style pentagram 17-inch rear wheel on my GK right now, tubeless. Both old and new rear wheels are stamped tubeless, so there's no problem there.

[rphillips]

No problems with a tube in any wheel. If you install a tube type tire on that same tubeless rim, you would install a tube. The tire will run a few degrees warmer, nothing drastic. It is a little more hassel to mount with a tube. The overall wt. of the wheel assembly will increase the wt. of the tube. Also, if you out on a ride & have a flat, you will need to completely disassemble & patch the tube before going any farther. With tubeless, you can install a plug & carefully make it home, or to a shop for proper repairs. Also I've heard that some of the older rims, not marked "TUBELESS" were porus & would seep air thru the rim, but I've seen a bunch mounted on these rims & as of yet, I've not seen this happen myself. Where exactly did you find bubbles? I had a new "80" GS 1000 G, tubeless rear rim that had a crack in the casting, right in the valve stem hole, barely visible, but air would get out & it would make bubbles. Covered under warranty, no problem