Running tubeless on the R65LS rims

[DanMay]

I have found a lot of discusiion and debate about running the snowflake rims without tubes, but I understand that the R65LS rims are better designed thatn the snowflake rims to be used without tubes.  Has anyone had any experience specifically with the R65LS rims running tubeless ?  if so, what valve stems were used ?  Any other rim modifications necessary ?

[nhmaf]

There are some here that do run the LS wheels tubeless - I personally do not.   In my personal opinion, the wheels do have a bead retaining bump on the rim, but it still isn't quite the same as that on other wheels that I know are safe for tubeless.   But some people are going sans-tubes and haven't reported an issue - you need to make your own decision(s) in that regard.   If you do go tubeless, the internal, narrow, deep "well" in the center of the wheel does make valve stem selection a bit more picky - someone who has done it should chime in soon with the valve stem they used..  We've discussed this not so long ago, but I haven't found the thread on it yet - you can try searching the forum, just be sure to set the timeline for a year (default is only a week)...

[Lucky_Lou]

I run my 79 (non LS) without tubes but I all ways check the pressures before riding and lose on average 2 psi a week, I am leisure rider not a commuter so its no big deal to me.......
Lou

[Julio A.]

I'm running tubeless on the front and tubed at the rear, the shop where I bought my tires ran out of tubeless pairs in the correct size.

They deflate uniformly though. So I guess its ok. But personally, I like to run tires with tubes though, BMW designed the snowflakes to have a safety which prevents the rubber from slipping on the rim during rapid deflation, this safety was meant for tubes tires, but also allowed the use for tubeless.

[DanMay]

Thanks for all the feed back.

[tvrla]

I've also been running my LS tubeless. I made my valve stem from a valve yanked from an old tube. Soldered on a washer to the back end, made a rubber seal and it's worked just fine for a year or two now. But NAPA, I found out recently, does carry the correct stem for around five bucks. I couldn't find one when I needed one, so made it up myself.

The controversy is rather silly - the opponents say a tire run tubeless, if it blows out, could come off the rim. Well, I'll tell you what - if your tube tire on a tube rim has a blow out, it's probably going to wobble all over the place and possibly come off the rim. Doesn't matter if it's running a tube or not.

So that's really not an issue. See what I mean? The same thing can happen whether it's being run with or without a tube. And if it is an issue for you, get a wheel that has the bead lock ridge.

Secondly, tubeless don't tend to have blow-outs or rapid air loss when punctured, while it's not uncommon for a tube to split or deflate rapidly from a puncture. So you're actually safer running tubeless if you can, even if it isn't a designated tubeless rim.

[georgesgiralt]

Hello !
The problem with the LS wheels is that the rim profile is NOT compatible with tubeless tires. So there is a risk that the tire loose it's air because the fitting of the tire on the rim is not perfectly sealed as it should be on a tubeless rim.
As you'll never know if and when this could happen, it is safest to put a tube in the tire and live with it.
But YMMV and it's your life you're risking... If I had LS wheels on my R65, I would use tube on the tires even if they where labelled "tubeless". And you can call me chicken ;-)

[Barry]

Got to say I mostly agree with wirespokes.  

A tubed tire is just as likely to come off the rim as a tubeless one. When this debates comes up I'm always reminded of the fact that our tires don't come off the rim all that easily and in fact compared to spoked rims they are a real pain to break the bead. There is a reason for that. Regardless of the exact rim profile, if you go back to the late seventies introduction of our bikes BMW described snowflakes (and presumably also LS wheels) as "safety Rims" so they may not be as good as a proper tubeless rims but they were designed to be better at keeping the tire on the rim than earlier wheels. Something to think about next time you are struggling to break the bead.

There is one advantage sometimes quoted for tubes and that is in the event of a very severe impact bending the rim a tube might just keep the air in where a tubeless would instantly deflate. I have to accept that a tubed wheel could even be safer than a proper tubeless wheel in that particular circumstance. Trouble with this observation is if taken to it's logical conclusion all tubeless wheels would be fitted with tubes and they are not.  

Life is such a lottery.

[georgesgiralt]

The problem is not that the tire may get out of the rim, it is that a bump can cause the tire to open on the bead sufficiently to loose it's air. I had this happen in Scotland in the Highlands on a very small and unpaved road. I rode the Honda with it's tubeless rim and radial tires and lost all air in a pothole filled with rain on the front wheel.
As we were not in a deserted road, I was able to get a couple of CO² bottles from a tubeless repair kit and inflate again the wheel to get back home.
The wheel and the tire did not show any marking or marring...
So I would go the safe route ....
But again, it's your bike, your life and your decision...  

[Lucky_Lou]

In my recent spill on the "K" the front wheel impacted with the kerb hard enough to bend it on the axle but it did not deflate the tubeless  tyre and I was able to "carefully" ride it home as long as I kept the speed below 25 mph as the vibration/wobble was too much to go any faster.
Lou  

[tvrla]

Lou - isn't the K made to run tubeless?

You know, no matter how you look at it, life just isn't safe. And in this case running tubeless on tube type rims, there's always an upside and a downside to whichever way you look at it. I just tend to feel I'm no worse off riding tubeless than with a tube. Then again, I'm pretty lucky and get away with a lot. For example, I got a flat front tire twice in one day three years ago on the 77RS - spoke wheels, tubes, of course. I noticed it first when steering was sluggish on the freeway at 60mph and pulled over at the exit right there. Pulled into the gas station by the exit and fixed it. Four hundred miles later the patch came loose on a busy section of freeway into Los Angeles at rush hour doing 70mph. The front end began bouncing and at first I thought it was the rough pavement. But when I looked at the car beside me, his wheels weren't bouncing. Pulled off at the next exit and checked it out - sure enough - flat again. Best I can figure, the pressure was so low the valve stem was cocked in the hole and caused the out-of-roundness and the bouncing.

[DanMay]

Thanks again for all the feedback.  Aside from making my own valve stems from old tubes, are there any purpose built tubeless stems that would lend themsleves to the LS rims ?

[Luca]

But NAPA, I found out recently, does carry the correct stem for around five bucks. I couldn't find one when I needed one, so made it up myself.