Daft question!! inner tubes or not?

[Greenbraes]

Right...please don't laugh...I am heading off to work in the morning (oil rig) for 2 weeks and want to order up some tyres for the 1979 GS1000EN....the tyres that are on the bike are 1992 so need changing but both say they are tubeless....I had this idea in my head the bike needed inner tubes....what is the case...can I go ahead and order up tubeless tyres for me getting home??



cheers

RB

[spyug]

The rims should be marked as suitable for tubless tires. If they are currently shod in tubless and hold air I would say they are so rated. No need to run tubes and with tubless tires it can be dangerous anyway ( friction between the tire and tube builds up heat which can result in blowouts) so just forget them.

Have a safe trip to the rig.

Cheers,
Spyug

[Greenbraes]

thanks for the quick reply 'spyug'..off to buy some sports demons then feel totally depressed for the next 2 weeks...lol

RB

[1980GS1000E]

Tubes are fine for tube-type rims. It says so on the sidewall. A lot of peeps run tubeless on the early mag wheels (NOT tubeless certified) with no leakage, myself included. Tubes are a PITA.

[7981GS]

If it is safe for tubeless, it will say so on the rim...



Otherwise, use a tube.

Eric

[Baatfam]

If it is safe for tubeless, it will say so on the rim...

Otherwise, use a tube.

Eric

Or not...

Plenty of us don't run a tube when the wheel doesn't say it's safe for tubeless...
Way easier to plug a tire on the side of the road, than to patch a tube...

You should modify the valve stem hole, though...

[mike_of_bbg]

Understand that, just because the tire says tubeless on the side, does not mean you won't find tubes in them when you take the tires off. Those same tires installed on spoke rims would definitely require tubes! As noted, if you're going from tubed -> tubeless you may need to drill out the hole for the tubeless valve stem. I bought steel ones but my installer had to grind the front one down a bit to fit it in the narrow rim.

But, like others have said, I've been running tubeless front and rear for a while now with no apparent ill effects, despite the fact that the bike was originally equipped with tubes. My front rim does say "tubeless tire applicable", though the rear does not. Dunno. Interestingly enough, when I got the bike the rear was installed tubeless, but there was a tube in the front tire...

[suzukizone]

Tubes are fine for tube-type rims. It says so on the sidewall. A lot of peeps run tubeless on the early mag wheels (NOT tubeless certified) with no leakage, myself included. Tubes are a PITA.

For what it's worth on this. I just put new tires on my '81 GS850G. In past I've had the work done by shop. This time I did the job myself, by hand, the old fashioned way.

The TUBELESS rear rim is quite different from the NON-TUBELESS front rim in this way. Rear rim has a raised lip along the inner edge of the area the bead lays on. I gather this is to lock the bead of the tire securely onto the rim.

Front rim does not have this ridge. Once the air was out, I was able to easily push the front tire's bead loose by hand whereas the rear was locked on so securely that even following the 2x4 fulcrum/lever method that I saw in an instructional by Mr. catbed, I was unable to break the bead & had to have it done at a local shop so I could proceed with the job.

Now I guess the tire would come "off the bead" just as easy with or without the tube in event of a puncture. But, I had always wondered why the front rim was not spec'd for tubeless tires. There had been speculation here in the past that these rims were somehow porous and would loose air. I believe the difference in the rim design is the reason why they are spec'd for tubes. Why did Suzuki do this???? Apparently in later bikes both front & rear became tubeless type.

So just sayin' what I found. Wish I had taken a pic of this but the rear tire was mounted before I noticed the difference on the front rim

A question here. The replacement front tube I used was of the solid molded-in rubber stem type. The old tube was of the "bolted-up" metal stem variety. Does this matter? I'd have preferred the metal type but didn't look when I bought the tube. Any wisdom on this?????
Thanks,

DH

[tatu]

If the manufacturer specifies tubed type on the rim then put a tube. If not then don't.
Any puncture, tube or tubeless is a pain.

[Rover]

You can cut the tire off if the bead won't cooperate,save a trip.

[tatu]

A question here. The replacement front tube I used was of the solid molded-in rubber stem type. The old tube was of the "bolted-up" metal stem variety. Does this matter? I'd have preferred the metal type but didn't look when I bought the tube. Any wisdom on this?????
Thanks,

DH

For what its worth, all my bikes have the threaded vlv stem, however I do not screw the nut down but leave it at the top screwed up against the vlv cap, the reason for this is that should the tyre creep you can spot it right away by the vlv moving from the perpendicular and gives you warning to do summat about it before it rips out and dumps you with a catastrophic deflate. Screwing that nut down does nowt and can hide a naff tyre fitting. I take glance at that every time I get on the bike.
Also I fit a new tube with a new tyre everytime and never bother repairing a tube just replace it.

[sedelen]

I have a '79 GS1000EN also.
I run Avon Roadrider (tubeless) tires front and rear. But I also use tubes,
as I have stock rims, that are not for tubeless tires, and it shows the tubes in the fiche. Just sayin.
Item 16 for front wheel.

http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=95446&category=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1978&fveh=2146

Item 32 for rear wheel.

http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=95461&category=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1978&fveh=2146

[hampshirehog]

Also I fit a new tube with a new tyre everytime and never bother repairing a tube just replace it.

Same here - plus I chop the valve off to make sure the tube gets dumped.

[sedelen]

I always replace the tube when replacing a tire.
I once had a blow-out at 70 mph with a passenger on the back on my '72 Honda CB450 I used to own.
That was the only time in my life where I sincerely thought I was going to die .

[suzukizone]

For what its worth, all my bikes have the threaded vlv stem, however I do not screw the nut down but leave it at the top screwed up against the vlv cap, the reason for this is that should the tyre creep you can spot it right away by the vlv moving from the perpendicular and gives you warning to do summat about it before it rips out and dumps you with a catastrophic deflate. Screwing that nut down does nowt and can hide a naff tyre fitting. I take glance at that every time I get on the bike.
Also I fit a new tube with a new tyre everytime and never bother repairing a tube just replace it.

Right, & thanks for all the replies. I AM replacing the tube, as I have always done. My question was regarding the TYPE of valve stem. Is it OK to use the molded-in rubber stem type in place of the metal stem type that was on there?

Thanks again for your help.

DH

My