The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
General Category => Totally Off-Topic Discussions, Rants, Tire & Oil Threads, Etc. => Topic started by: Kookaburra on June 10, 2018, 10:30:19 PM
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I think this is a tyre rant, if not it is close to one. From my aging and stiffening perspective, the worst aspect of the snow flake wheels on the R65 is having to find, fit and unfit the right angled valve extension to check and pump up the tubed tyres at the service station. The clear advice seems to be to not leave the extensions on the valve during travel so I have this on and then off again sweaty struggle every time I take the bike out.
Does any one have an alternative solution to this minor but time consuming irritation?
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I use tyre valve extenders intended originally for use on dual wheels on trucks.
The link below is not the ones I have, merely to give you the idea of what to look for. I'd suggest you go to your nearest truck tyre place and buy one there, not only will it be cheaper than Fleabay, you can also get longer ones.
The one I carry is 12" long which is kinder on my 60 year old bones when putting air in. They are also easier to fit than those blasted 90 degree adaptors because there is more to hang onto.
Last comment, I carry these for putting air in on the road. At home I use a bicycle pump with a Schrader adaptor - the one I have has a pressure gauge built in - it proved wildly optimistic but I have "calibrated it with pieces of tape for 30/32/34/36/38 psi. Quick, easy and you are not buggering around at servos with all your riding clobber on.
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Forgot the blasted link didn't I!
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/4x-Tyre-Valve-Extension-Motorcycle-Tire-Stem-Extender-10-7-Steel-w-Clamp/142643375342?hash=item2136352cee:g:bhgAAOSw~B1aS7dX
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Brain fade is setting in, one more thing I forgot to mention.
The best bicycle pump is not necessarily the best pump for pumping up motorcycle tyres (and occasionally car tyres too). You see a "proper" bicycle pump needs to allow a slightly built, possibly female, rider to pump their 23C racing tyres up to 125psi. Some of them are even designed to pump up shocks and forks and given that those can have pressures up to 300psi the bore of the pump is minuscule to allow the previously mentioned slightly built, possibly female rider to reach those pressures. (I have a foot pump for pumping up Fournales shock absorbers and using it to pump up a motorcycle tyre is an exercise in extreme frustration - 700 strokes to get to 36psi).
No, what you want is a cheap Chinese made foot pump with around a 40mm bore - that will pump up a motorcycle tyre easily, for example going from 28 to 36psi on a 4.00*18 takes exactly 10 strokes. Try and buy one that is set up for Schrader valves and has a Presta adaptor, not the other way around.
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I'm not sure where that advice is found - I've run a 90 degree extender on my rear tire for thousands of miles. I have tri-y tubeless rims, of course, but I haven't had any trouble, even up to vehicle max speed.
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My bike came with one of those angled extenders in the tool kit. I only carry it in case I come across an inflator that wont fit as at home my car type foot pump works fine.
Some years ago I had a rough stab at what what the bending force on the valve stem would be at high speed if the adaptor was left on.
http://www.bmwr65.org/YaBB2.612/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1394735933/30#30
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I plan on running tubeless on my R100, if I ever get around to it, and ordered 45 degree valve stems to install.
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I again followed the sage advice of my recent barrel benefactor Tony Smith-
What you want is a cheap Chinese made foot pump with around a 40mm bore - that will pump up a motorcycle tyre easily, for example going from 28 to 36psi on a 4.00*18 takes exactly 10 strokes. Buy one that is set up for Schrader valves and has a Presta adaptor.
Having googled Schrader and Presta I purchased said device with a pressure gauge and it has transformed the riding life of we historic vehicles. Now able to get pumped up in the comfort of my own shed and reserve the pesky angle extension for checks on the road. I still need to calibrate the pressure gauge with an accurate reference gauge.
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I just cheat and use the compressor. I have no problems with the 86 mono.
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I just cheat and use the compressor. I have no problems with the 86 mono.
Yep, XT350, KLE500, R1150GSA & G650GS absolutely no problem usign a standard tyre chuck. But the three bikes fitted with snowflakes - not so much.
I did have a tyre chuck that I bent specifically so it would chuck a valve in a snowflake, but I haven't seen it for a while since the rubber part failed and I didn't immediately fix it.
Besides, using a hand pump is quiet, I doubt the neighbours would appreciate the noise of my compressor at 5:30am.
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All I can say is I have had my 1982R65 since new. Have always used a standard air chuck.
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All I can say is I have had my 1982R65 since new. Have always used a standard air chuck.
Photo of it, preferably chucked on a valve - or it isn't real.
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I bought an 90 degree thing from Motobins and I keep it in the tool kit, just take it out when I need to add air.
Does anyone know why they chose to put the hole for the valve stem so close to structure parts of the wheel? What an unbelievable pain in the ass. Without an extender you can be screwed if you need to air up somewhere and can't find anything to fit.
Also, does anybody use/know of an accurate digital gauge the will fit?
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Attached are pics of the air chuck I use at home. Couldn’t find the other style I have but when I get to work Monday will take pics of it.
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If you have twin discs on the front, it complicates tire servicing .
I bought a tire gauge from Harbor Freight, it has about 10 inches of hose with a 45 degree chuck at the end works good .
Also checked it for accuracy against calibrated tire gauges at work, reads 2 pounds low .
https://www.harborfreight.com/tire-gauge-with-flex-hose-92955.html
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Thank you Donbmw for posting your tyre chuck that works. All I can say is that you are blessed. I have a similar tyre chuck and whilst I might (on the basis of trying a few minutes ago) be able to put air in the back wheels of the R65 and R65/80, it has no hope whatsoever of chucking the valve on the rear wheel of the R100 because the disc is in the way, nor will it chuck the front wheel of the R65/80 because it has two discs. It might fit the front wheel of the R65 (single disc) but it would be a grim struggle. Similarlay it might be useable on the rear, drum braked wheels on the R65 and R65/80, but again in my view it was a grim struggle and the shank would require more bending that the gentle "tweak" I gave it whilst seeing if it would work.
I have attached a few more photos.
Another tyre chuck that dos not work on Snowflakes - there simply is not room.
A very basic chuck that fits perfectly once I gave it a gentle "touch-up" on the sides to give some more clearance to the snowflake "spokes".
My "reference" tyre gauge, I use this to calibrate the much cheaper tyre gauges we carry with us on the bikes and in the car. I've no idea as to its actual accuracy, but spending 5 minutes calibrating other gauges to it at least gives consistency, and let's face it, tyre pressure is largely an individual preference thing.
Then there is my bike pump, which is a cheap bicycle pump and all but useless for its intended purpose as its bore is too large to allow you to easily develop the high pressures that a 23C bicycle tyre needs. It was a lucky purchase as its natural "mode" is for Schrader valves, the Presta adaptor is under the locking lever.
Lastly, a very poor pump to carry on the bike in spite of its small size. This small Fuji pump can pump shocks up to 300psi effortlessly, but you would die of old age before you pumped a 4.00*18 tyre up to 34psi, it just doesn't have the capacity. Irritatingly the standard gauge is too insensitive to allow for pumping up forks, the gauge doesn't get out of bed until 30psi, which is about 15psi more than you will ever put in a motorcycle fork. Fortunately I bought a few of these on special and I have one pulled to pieces in order to install a 0~15psi gauge on it.