Do our bikes need tubes?

[Red_Hen]

Greetings & Happy Holidays,

Getting close to replacing tires on my R65LS project . . . generally, mag wheels don't need tubes - would this be true for our bikes? If no tubes, I'll purchase new valve stems with the new tires.

Thanks,

Ken

[donbmw]

The wheels on these bike were not made to be tube less. Have seen some run the with out tubes. I do run tube less tires but with tubes in them.

Don

[bruce_launceston]

Hi Ken
I have been told by a motorcycle tyre expert who checked my 1984 R65LS rim that these rims have the required shape for tubeless tyres.
I have allways run my tyres tubeless untill recently when I fitted a front tube because of a persistant very slow leak, possibly caused by porousity of the alloy rim?
This topic has been covered before at some length with differing schools of thought, I am speaking of my own experience with the '84 LS rims backed by the knowledge of a motorcyclist working in the tyre industry.

[Barry]

We all have our opinions on this one. I'm convinced to run tubless next time I run a tubless tire and I think it is at least as safe as running a tube with the added advantage of lower unsprung weight.

There has been a very good thread on boxerworks phorum recently. Look for "tube to tubless" in the General BMW discussion board.
http://www.boxerworks.com/message.php

[Bob_Roller]

I got a bit of a surprise when I had new Metzeler tires mounted on my '84 LS in October .

When I came back to pick up the wheels, I was told they saved me some money, by not installing tubes .

First off, I was told that the previously mounted tires, had no tubes installed .

I was told also, that the wheel, had the proper 'profile' for tubeless tires .

If you do install tubes in an LS rim, due to the shape of the rim, you barely get enough valve stem protruding through the rim .

This is, what I think, is a major reason that tubes are not installed in these wheels .

The standard 'snowflake' rims need tubes, regardless what kind of tire you use .

[Red_Hen]

My '82 R65LS has the white snowflake rims.  Sounds like going tubeless is the way to go on mine.  That also means I should buy new valve stems too.


Thanks much, as always,


Ken

[MrRiden]

Is there a part # for the vale stems required for tubeless installation?

[bruce_launceston]

Hi Ken, I think you will find that when people refer to 'snowflake' wheels they mean the basic R65 type, not the more simple 10 spoke LS type that should be on your 82 LS. On the early LS's they were painted white, by '84 they were silver.

Cheers Bruce

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Is there a part # for the vale stems required for tubeless installation?

If it were me, I would look for the highest-quality stem I could find, regardless of cost.

The valve stem issue was covered in a BMWON article a couple of years back.

[nhmaf]

Any airhead I've had which didn't have the K-bike inspired tubeless wheels - which first appeared on the mono-shock bikes for the 85/86 model year - I run with tubes.  This includes my 1982 R65LS with the LS-specific wheels (tubes installed).   Getting Metzler tubes, and NOT leaving the extra nut on the inside of the wheel rim (which I believe many folks incorrectly do) leaves enough valve stem sticking out the rim to work with air hoses quite readily, I find.

[Darwin_R65]

Installed riht angle adaptors onto my valve stems today, much easier at service stations to pump up the tyres.

[Barry]

I keep one of those right angle adaptors in the tool kit for when I need it.
I manage Ok at home without it and don't leave it on incase it affects wheel balance.