83 GS1100E tire sizes?

[Steve]

After reading most of the posts on tube or tubeless I'm leaning toward the tubeless route. While picking up a part at the local Kawasaki dealer for the ZX11 the parts manager told me that the rim is too porous to hold air and that I would have to use tire sealant. Didn't sound quite right to me, what do you think?

Not sure what a tire sealant is going to do to keep air from going through the rim.

What some have done with modest success is to apply a couple coats of epoxy to the rim before mounting the tire.

.

[Airstream]

The epoxy sounds reasonable.
While searching other posts another member (BlackAndBlue) suggested these valve stems,

http://www.bikebandit.com/drag-specialties-metal-valve-stem

Will I have to drill the valve stem hole to fit these?

Thanks

[Suzuki_Don]

Why Don? Tubes are safe to use in tubeless tires.

Did I open a can of worms?????

SORRY

[koolaid_kid]

Did I open a can of worms?????

SORRY

YES! You bastich!
Airstream, if you want to install tubeless tires tubelessly (is that a word?) you need to mill a flat spot on the inside of the rim. A mill tool is different from a drill in that it makes a nice flat area for the valve stem to seat on.
bwringer and I experimented with a couple of different stems and the ones you pointed at seem to work well.
AFA the wider sealing area, that debate will never be resolved. We converts like the change, the purists condemn it.

[Nessism]

Lots of guys around here have converted their rims to go tubeless. In most cases there is no leaking due to porosity, but there is a slim risk.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

It is my thinking that the use of tubes in tires is dependent on the rim and not necessarily the tire. If your wheel does not say "TUBELESS TIRE APPLICABLE" or similar, then you should run inner tubes on the rims regardless of whether or not the tires are tubeless. I know that many here have successfully run tubeless tires on wheels that are not marked for tubeless use. They do so at their own risk.

On my bike, the rear wheel is marked "Tubeless Tire Applicable" and I run a tubeless tire without a tube.

My front wheel is not labeled for tubeless use. It could be because of the porosity of the wheel or the lack of a special "tubeless bead" around the wheel. So even though I use a tubeless tire, I use an inner tube with it. Be sure to keep the proper air pressure in the tubes so that it does not run hot.

I used to fit an inner tube in the rear tire too, but stopped a couple of tires ago. But I have never had any trouble running tubes in tubeless tires in the 5 years that I have owned my vintage machine.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[koolaid_kid]

As you can see, Airstream, there are some very educated (in the ways of GS) folk on here with their own opinions on whether to go tubeless or stay tubed. I can say that if you choose to remain tubed any tubeless tire will handle it, no problems.