Tube Types

[koolaid_kid]

Exactly. There is no more risk AFA leaving the rim is concerned. What a tube will get for you is an opportunity to pull the wheel every time you have a flat to remove and patch the tube. With a tubeless tire you just plug, inflate and go.

[5azzmonkey]

Worked for me. Tubes are nothing but a PITA. Requires a bit of work to make the valve stems seal correctly, though.

Why are the valve stems an issue, don't they just screw on and seal with an o-ring?


So now you all have me thinking to just get a plug kit and a spare stem or two for my emergency kit.

-Dave

[koolaid_kid]

You need to ream out a flat spot wide enough for the rubber bits on the valve stem to seal properly. On my 83, the rear was fine, but the front was curved at the sides, preventing a proper seal. bwringer used a reaming tool, but you could probably get it done with a Dremel if you have the skills. Once that was done, perfection. And no more hassling with those damm tubes.

[koolaid_kid]

After that, you will need a plug kit and a small air compressor, plus a 12V connection to the battery. The Slime compressor looks like a nice unit. I carry a cheap Harbor Freight unit.

[5azzmonkey]

You need to ream out a flat spot wide enough for the rubber bits on the valve stem to seal properly. On my 83, the rear was fine, but the front was curved at the sides, preventing a proper seal. bwringer used a reaming tool, but you could probably get it done with a Dremel if you have the skills. Once that was done, perfection. And no more hassling with those damm tubes.

Would doing so prevent me from reverting back to tubes?

-Dave

[Duncan]

No. All you would be doing is making a nice clean seat for the tubeless valve - nothing substantial. You quite possibly wouldn't have to do anything. To revert back to a tube you'd just cut off the tubeless valve, stick the tube inside the 'tubeless' tyre and its valve back through the hole.

[salty_monk]

On very similar bikes (gs1000E versuse gs1000G) I got at least 4k miles extra out of the rear Avon on the G which was setup tubeless....

Run cooler tubeless so I don't think it's coincidence. Out of the two the G did more freeway work and was ridden 2 up or fully loaded etc so if anything should have got less miles..

[sedelen]

Sorry, I have never heard of any different types of tubes (haven't had to buy any for YEARS), but I do believe that your 1100 needs TUBELESS tires.

.

The '82 GS1100E came stock with tubes.

http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=96007&category=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1982&fveh=2156

http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fiche_section_detail.asp?section=96020&category=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1982&fveh=2156

[Big T]

Would doing so prevent me from reverting back to tubes?

-Dave

Yes

Ignore those anti tube guys - I've used them for the entire 34 years I've had my wire wheel 78 1000 and never (never) had a problem.Some people just can't mount tires correctly

The natural rubber tubes do delflate slowly, had a nail on Wolf Creek Rd and that saved my ass big time

[7981GS]

Yes

Ignore those anti tube guys - I've used them for the entire 34 years I've had my wire wheel 78 1000 and never (never) had a problem.Some people just can't mount tires correctly

The natural rubber tubes do delflate slowly, had a nail on Wolf Creek Rd and that saved my ass big time

Good point!

Eric

[themess]

Butyl versus natural rubber:

"Natural rubber" is a polymer of isoprene. Rubber tree sap has a lot of it. So do milk weeds, and lots of other plants. It is far stretchier than butyl rubber, and a small puncture is less likely to become a big tear. But it holds air very poorly.

Butyl rubber is a polymer of butylene. When made properly, it holds air about 100 times better than natural rubber. Almost all tubes are made of butyl rubber.

Tubelss tires have a thin layer (or two) of butyl rubber (actually cholobutyl or bromobutyl, for the technical folks) on the inside surface. Since it is bonded to the tire body, the chance of it tearing is essentially zero.

If you use a natural rubber tube, you should probably add air at least once per day.

I've never installed a tube in a motorcycle tire, but I've done it countless times on bicycles. I find it very useful to use powedered talc and lots of care to be sure that the tube isn't pinched in any way.

[koolaid_kid]

Yes

Ignore those anti tube guys - I've used them for the entire 34 years I've had my wire wheel 78 1000 and never (never) had a problem.Some people just can't mount tires correctly

The natural rubber tubes do delflate slowly, had a nail on Wolf Creek Rd and that saved my ass big time

You don't have a choice, he does.

[1980GS1000E]

I have been running no tubes for 3 years now and from my understanding, a simple puncture will leak very slowly in a tubeless tire as long as the offending object (nail) stays in place. This is safer than a tube which will most likely tear and release the air more quickly. I don't see any advantage to running a tube unless the rim won't hold air.

[Big T]

You don't have a choice, he does.

A cast wheel does not equate to tubeless -of it isn't stamped tubeless, why tempt fate?

[koolaid_kid]

A cast wheel does not equate to tubeless -of it isn't stamped tubeless, why tempt fate?

I agree it does not equate to tubeless. A spoke wheel does equate to tubes. I'm just saying.
Not sure about the tempting fate part, though. Many of us run/ran tubeless on those rims, myself included. I never felt that I was tempting fate, I was making it much easier to fix a flat. Dealer's choice.