Tube Or Tubeless?

Strictly from a safety standpoint, with no other attributes
considered, which is safest...riding on tubeless tires or tires with a
tube? I'm talking about a street bike where cruising speed would
normally be about 50 mph.

-FR

 

Tubeless, every time.

 

Well, whatever motorcycle you decide to buy will either have wire
spoke rims that
will have tube type tires mounted to it, or it will have a cast
aluminum rim with
a tubeless tire.

A motorcycle tubeless rim is usually a cast aluminum rim (rarely, a
magnesium rim, or even more rarely, a carbon fiber rim) and it is
identified by the letters MT (motorcycle tubeless) in raised letters
on the rim.

It has two bead retaining ridges inside the rim to keep a flat tire
from curling up into the center of the wheel.

And some tires are stiff enough to resist curling under, while other
tires are just glorified rubber balloons...

If the tire has a stiff sidewall and carcass, you can even ride for a
few miles on a completely deflated tire before it finally yields to
curling under.

The beads of tubeless tire that has somehow become deflated will
remain in place for at least long enough for you to pull over to the
roadside safely.

A rim designed for tube type tires will not have the two bead
reataining ridges, and the tire will curl into the center of the rim.

One time I got a puncture and my tube type tire deflated *on the
freeway, in front of a big truck, at 65mph*.

Fortunately, I was riding on a Dunlop K181 tire, which had a *very
stiff carcass*.

I was able to safely get off the freeway and ride half a mile to get
to a side street where I could leave the motorcycle while I went to
buy a new tube.

The tire curled into the center of the wheel and I had a hard time
prying it off the rim.

A mechanic in a dealership will not fit tube type tires on a wheel
designed for tubeless tires because of product liability
considerations.

He would have to install a tube, which might rub against the internal
ribbing visible
inside some tires.

Other tires don't have such ribs, they are smooth inside.

Also, the mechanic would have to pull the rubber valve stem out of the
wheel so the inner tube valve stem would fit through the hole, which
is *too big* for the smaller diameter stem.

He would have to add some *washers* to the valve stem.

Don't ask how I know that...

 

*Sigh*

No. It's not an either/or thing at all.

It might have spoke rims and tubeless tyres with no tubes.

Or it might have spoke wheels with tubeless tyres that contain a tube,
because there's a tendency now to make older type fitments in tubeless
format only - my 400 Four (spoked wheels, of course) wears tubeless
tyres with tubes in 'em. Contrary to what you think, this is perfectly
OK (at least on my isde of the pond, and I can't see the US market
tyres being any different)

Or, if it's a bit older, it might have cast alloy wheels with either
tube type tyres fitted or tubeless tyres containing a tube because the
alloy wheels were not intended for tubeless use.

 

Show me a 2009 or 2010 motorcycle (other than a BMW GS) that is so-
equipped from the factory.

*You* (or a previous owner) did that, you couldn't get tubeless tires
for motorcycles back in 1975.

My GS1100's wheels wouldn't hold air, even though they were rated as
"motorcycle tubeless."

But that's a 1982 model.

Let's try to avoid confusing "Fuzzy Rider" with all your exceptions to
my statements, m'kay?

 

Yep - my SR500 is a good example.

 

OK, who said "from the factory" until now? First, yes, BMW do them.
Secondly, there are kits for numerous spoked wheel models (Ducati,
Aprilia and Guzzi. for starters).

So you're on wrong number one.

*Sigh* Yes, that's why I said: "there's a tendency now to make older
type fitments in tubeless
format only - because they'll fit tubed or tubeless type rims, and all
you have to do is shove a tube in them." It's very common today to
find this.

So you're on wrong number 2.

Yes, and I also said: "if it's a bit older"

So that's wrong number three! Wow! Three out of three.

Let's face it, once again you gave misleading advice and you're
spitting because it's been flagged up.

 

Kept properly inflated, the tubless would be my preference.
If you puncture a tubed tire, it will usually go down pretty
rapidly. A small puncture in a tubless setup usually goes
down more slowly and, sometimes, not at all until the object
is extracted. It also seems the tubless runs cooler and is
more easily balanced.

Lugnut

 

Hush! You'll have Krusty yammering at you!

 

Why? You're the one who's tossing her rattle out of the pram.

 

Wow. Wrong *again* )

 

why? <checks sinker, sets hook depth, applies fresh worm> I wont be
needing the bobber.

 

The namelesss child rapist Krusty had nothing intelligent or useful to
say...so I clipped it all and ferverantly pray he was emasculated at
birth.

Not a bit of what he said was pertinant.

 

100% correct. BTDT and I'll continue to carry on that way...putting
tubes in tubeless tires and NOT having issues or tubed tires on mag
wheels and NOT having issues. Oh and both of you klutzs forgot the
S40. 8^) wears tubless tyres with tubes from the factory.

 

Hey fucktard....get with the real world you stupid fucking nazi. There
is and are you worhtless pig of a bitch.

I wont bother telling you...you can just wallow in your stupidity and
ignorance. Your parents probally wish they'd drowned you at birth.

 

Uh actually dumb **** you would be the rattle throwing asshat. He's
just soiled himself and is fussy for it.

 

and no you revert to stating the obvious. 8^) Oh and there are far
more examples out there than the BMW dead red hearring you tossed out.

 

Naughty little fisherman.

Simple safety. Puncture a tubeless tyre and it will go down slowly.
Sometimes, actually, it won't go down at all until you pull out the
nail. DAMHIKJIK,OK?

A tubed tyre deflates *fast*. Especially if a spoke has just broken in
your back wheel and ripped a three-inch rent in it. Again, DAMHIK....

In terms of grip, wear, etc etc, nothing to choose, really, except
that obviously the choice is wider with t/less. But then, as we both
agree, you can shove t/less tyres on a tubed rim and put a tube in
them anyway, so wtf?

 

Also way easier to plug a tubeless than it is to pull
and fix a punctured tube. Only problem which comes
to mind is maybe an unrepairable sidewall puncture
on a tubeless.

 

Oh yes, absolutely.

Troo, but that's so rare. Anything severe enough to damage the
sidewall will probably have trashed the tyre in so doing.