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Trying to ascertain if my tires are tubeless or have inner-tube.

2K views 19 replies 8 participants last post by  mikeS 
#1 · (Edited)
hi Folks, My first post here. I am considering buying a 2013 R1200R which has spoked wheels. I have looked at the valve stem where it protrudes through the alloy rim. The valve stem has a rubber seal under the locking nut. Hence, from this it appears that the tires might be tubeless. However, the rim has the spokes centrally placed around the rim, so the spokes would need to be sealed if the tire is tubeless. I know that sealing the spokes is possible, but is that what BMW has done on this bike?

The present owner of the bike told me he thought the tires had tubes, but he also told me that he has not actually seen the tubes, because when he got new tires, he simply took it to the dealer.

Any clarification would be appreciated - it is important to my decision.
Tire Wheel Plant Fuel tank Vehicle
Tire Wheel Plant Fuel tank Vehicle
 
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#4 ·
Mine too (in the past). Madness!
 
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#7 ·
@Chad66 - the default for these spoked wheels is obviously tubed, which is why you were invoiced for tubes.

The op is interested in whether his wheels may have been sealed, allowing for a no-tube fitment, hence why I asked about your and Steve’s valve stems. A comparison between yours and what he has seen on the bike he is interested in may be helpful.
 
#8 ·
@Chad66 - the default for these spoked wheels is obviously tubed, which is why you were invoiced for tubes.

The op is interested in whether his wheels may have been sealed, allowing for a no-tube fitment, hence why I asked about your and Steve’s valve stems. A comparison between yours and what he has seen on the bike he is interested in may be helpful.
I was invoiced for the tubes because they put them in my tires. I've seen the inside of my spoked wheels and there is a sealing tape over the spoke holes. in general if you've got spokes you'll need tubes. my older '83 R80RT doesn't have spokes but it does have tubes. I replace the tubes when I replace the tires. the damn things leak air and I have to check the pressure on both bikes any time I hop on them.
 
#9 ·
Notwithstanding that, Chad, there are aftermarket sealing kits for spoked wheels so that they can be used without tubes.
E.g,
 
#10 ·
Those are definitely the spoked rims that require tubes. I doubt someone sealed them up and wouldn't the prior owner know that? Weird about that tire stem though..

BMW do make tubeless spoked rims for the GS but the spokes go to the outside of the rim.

I have tubeless on one of my bicycles but it's kind of a hassle. Works a treat when you snag a thorn or something, but messy if it doesn't seal, or you have a bigger cut. And the goop dries out after a while here in our desert climate, so has to be refilled periodically..

On the other hand that kit sounds interesting because tubes can be a real problem when you do flat of course, tending to deflate faster.
 
#11 ·
Here are some pictures from sealing kits, the first two Outex brand.

Hood Light Automotive lighting Material property Automotive tire

Note cap compressing sealing washer, the upper of the two washers.
Rim Gas Machine Nickel Auto part

From a different kit.

Both kits have two nuts, a compression nut and a locking nut. I expect tube valve stems would have only a single nut.
 
#12 · (Edited)
When I first became unhealthily obsessed with the tubeless-tyres-with-added-tubes on my late R9T I looked extensively into the various options to deal with it. The OUTEX system seemed to be well-regarded by those who had installed it, but there were also a few DIY fixes that made sense. But whatever route one took, it was a fiddly and time-consuming process, and none of them ultimately appealed to me.
 
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#16 · (Edited)
To refresh my fading memory about this topic when I first became aware of it, I looked at the R9T Forum and found my post from December 2019, well into covid territory at that time:

Outex or not Outex? - that is the question.
Whether 'tis nobler on the road to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous punctures
Or by Outexing - fix it.
 
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