2nd Flat Tire 🛞 in 30 Days

Paul Marx said:
Just wait until you have a valve rip out on a new made in Asia tube.
Guess how I know. Luckily, the rear.
Paul
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You've been fortunate. I have experienced two rapid loss of rear pressure events in the last 10 years.

A British 50's bike, the Avon Speedmaster rolled partially off the rim at 30mph and for a few seconds I thought I was off.

And my 2017 Africa Twin, all OEM rear end. At something which may have been more than 70mph on lane 2 of an Irish motorway. I managed to resist the urge to immediately shut the throttle which would likely have resulted in an off and slowly reduced speed to zero over several hundred yards with the back of the bike snaking and weaving and brought the bike to a standstill on the hard shoulder.

The van driver who stopped, after me, said "wow, that was spectacular to watch".

"Not from where I was" I replied.

Stuart
 
Yesterday I got a New Heavy Duty Tube and New Rubber Band. The technician and I looked at the old tube and we did see a small cut on the side of the tube. Nothing sharp in the tire. He paid close attention to the rim locks. After he had everything together he inflated the tube before tightening down the rim locks to avoid pinching the tube. I’ve had the bike for 47 years. I don’t remember ever getting a flat tire on my LAVERDA
 
No heavy duty tube will stop a 3" nail...

As stated before, these are for extreme conditions, ie, low pressures and heavy abuse from (off) road surfaces. The thick wall will offer a slightly larger safety margin against pinching, but not against direct punctures. The valve is no stronger than a "normal" one, have not yet heard of kevlar-reinforced valves. :rolleyes: There are bicycle tyres available that have a kevlar/aramide reinforcement, good for thorns and such, but not much more unfortunately. The only puncture-proof tyres are those fitted with a mousse, again, an off-road only solution.

If tyre pressures are kept at proper levels, even a moderately-sized pothole shouldn't be able to damage either tyre or rim if fitted with normal tube (but, as we're all elderly and slow, we manage to avoid those easily anyway). Maybe if running up a kerb at 90°/50+kmh is within your daily routine, a heavy duty tube might be what you need.

Most tyre punctures are suffered at the rear of the vehicle, the front often kicks up the offending debris and the rear tyre catches it in the most inopportune moment, usually sending it straight into the (often only a week old) tyre. Pretty rare to find a nail standing bolt upright in the middle of the road waiting for you to roll over it.

piet
 
sfcpiet said:
Tried that with my 350 Bultaco Sherpa, quickly tore them all off as well as the valve, beer o'clock came early. ;) Went back to those nasty rim locks.

I've found that Vee-Rubber tubes from Thailand(?) hold their pressure well. Lightweight and very pliable, easy to fit with no issues after at least 90-100 tyres fitted with them. They also seem to be very uniform around their entire circumferance, tyres fitted with them require very low quantities of balancing weights.

piet
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Thank you for the suggestion Piet.
I rarely use an old tube twice on the front (emergency only) but regularly on the rear but only if not patched.
I was told British police motorcycles were allowed patched inner tubes on the rear but only a single patch & never a patched tube on the front.
Don't think they use tubed tyres anymore though.

Never use heavy duty/off road tubes on my road bikes.
Bad experience and I took more knowledgable advise.
If the valve rips out, in my experience, that is because the tyre has moved on the rim or the tube was badly fitted.
Yes it will rip out more readily if its a rubbish tube.

As an aside, I regularly change rim tapes and add talcum powder to the inside of the tyre. Sparingly.
I do carry spare tubes on longer journeys and tyre changing kit with hand pump.
Only ever needed to use them on the road once so far and that was in the wilds of Oz many years ago.
Gave up using tyre clamps many years ago when it became unnecessary with more modern tyres and better condition rims and an understanding of what is required.

Tyre clamps fitted to my Bultacos and to my old Brit iron. But no more.

I also do my own fitting and balancing except the first and latest time on my Laverda and only then as I was in a very cold place with very old tyres fitted to very nicely painted rims, and then the 'professionals' failed to align the valve 'dot' with the valve, 'Grumpy face'.
When working in a motorcycle shop Saturday was tyre fitting day, we used a dynamic balancing machine.
Balancing by hand, I was regularly within tolerance when the tyre was then tested the machine.
 
In Spain this week with mate on Honda 550/4. He had a rear tyre and tube fitted professionally before leaving UK. We came out to bikes last Saturday to find his rear flat. It turned out the ‘professionals’ had nipped the tube which was just waiting to cause a problem. Tried to get a replacement spare, but the 4 shops we visited only had 2.5mm thick heavy duty tubes.
Sean
 
piranha-bro2 said:
But how does a heavy duty tube prevent that? If a tube is of decent quality that should never be an issue. i also use Vee Rubber tubes (as per Piet's experience, they seem fine).
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If the tube is of decent quality, no problem.
But hard to find nowadays and rubber ages badly.
I'll stick with my enduro tubes.
Paul
 
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