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Can you replace Tubed tyres with Tubeless

  • Thread starter Thread starter Showtime
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Showtime

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Just got my GS450 Mag wheels back from the powder Coaters, the tyres I took off (Very old !) have tubes in, can I replace them with modern tubeless Bridgestone Battlax , or do I have to revert to a tubed option Avon or something..

any ideas, help appreciated
 
Tubeless tires are fine, just stick a tube inside.
 
Look for a marking on the rims that says "For use with tubeless tires". If it does have that then you don't even need the tubes. If not, then do as Nessism said and put a new tube inside the tubeless tire.
 
With mags you can actually run tubeless tires on them without tubes because the rim and bead lip on them is strong enough to hold the tire's bead seal. You just have to make sure the bead lip is smooth and relatively polished. Tubed mags simply predated the strong carcass tubeless motorcycle tire.
 
JamesWhut? said:
With mags you can actually run tubeless tires on them without tubes because the rim and bead lip on them is strong enough to hold the tire's bead seal. You just have to make sure the bead lip is smooth and relatively polished. Tubed mags simply predated the strong carcass tubeless motorcycle tire.
Click to expand...

Cheers James, didn't know that...rims are mint and powder coated so should be good to go...
 
I recently installed a pair of Pirelli Sport Demons with tubes. Very pleased with them.

Battlaxes were my first choice, was told they weren't designed for my '82.
 
Showtime said:
can I replace them with modern tubeless Bridgestone Battlax
Click to expand...

Your rims will not be wide enough to run radial tires. You need to use bias ply tires that are meant to work properly on the width of rim you have. The current preferred bias ply sporty tire choices are Avon AM26 Roadrider, Pirelli Sport Demon or Bridgestone BT-45. Any of these will provide excellent grip and work properly on your bike.


JamesWhut? said:
With mags you can actually run tubeless tires on them without tubes because the rim and bead lip on them is strong enough to hold the tire's bead seal.
Click to expand...

This is not correct. Tubeless rims have a different bead seat profile than tube rims. It has nothing to do with strength and everything to do with having the correct profile to hold the tire bead correctly in the event of a tire deflating. There are a reasonable number of people that run tubeless on rims not strictly designed for it and it generally works ok but that doesn't mean it is a great idea. Rims with the correct bead seat profile will be marked with the designation "MT", as in 17 x MT 3.5 or similar.


Mark
 
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JamesWhut? said:
With mags you can actually run tubeless tires on them without tubes because the rim and bead lip on them is strong enough to hold the tire's bead seal. You just have to make sure the bead lip is smooth and relatively polished. Tubed mags simply predated the strong carcass tubeless motorcycle tire.
Click to expand...

May not be entirely true. Many earlier "MAG" wheel rims intended for tubed tires have a different bead designed specifically for tubed tires. Tubed and tubeless tires seat differently on the rim. Personally I wouldn't trust mixing and matching on such a critical component.
 
Casting on the Mag wheels prior to about 1982 was a bit more porous (supposedly could leak air) until they tightened up the process in 82 and after
(there are a couple exceptions to this) that and the wheel bead was different in the earlier wheels recommending a tube in the tire. Even though I ran for years with tubeless tires on my bike without a single problem, I went back with tubes for the margin of safety. Your choice.
 
I parted a 1981 1000GL and the front wheel was tubeless but it didn't have the extra tubeless rim humps to hold the tire on the bead. My KZ750E is the same way. Those were the early days of tubeless though.
 
FWIW, I run tubeless on the stock rims. However, there is the very real possibility that the tire may come off the rim in case of rapid deflation due to the design of the retention lip. The beads are easier to mount and dismount on a tube-type rim when compared to a tubeless rim.
 
I've only run tubeless in mine with one or two exceptions, when tube-type was all that was available. In every case of deflation, there's not been the slightest cause for concern regarding handling or sudden deflation or tyres coming adrift, etc. Indeed, the most inconvenient puncture was on a tubed one because the tube wouldn't hold the repair goo properly and necessitated a rescue pickup.
I'll never have tubes again, if I can avoid them.
 
Have the inner side of the rims, "plastered" with liquid self-vulcanizing rubber; it's going to boost the airtightness of the combo.
 
I've run tires on my mag wheels (on both my bikes) without a tube for a few years now without a problem. They seat up no problem, and even after letting some air out for winter storage, go back to normal without popping off the bead or giving me any trouble. Just have to drill the valve stem holes in the rims out in order to accommodate the new tubeless valve stems.
 
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