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.
@Chad66, @SteveJH - do your valve stems have rubber seals as indicated by the OP? Tubes are clearly the default for this model, but potentially a sealing kit has been used on the one Jim is considering.
@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.
@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.
Part Number: FR355C. OUTEX CLEAR TUBELESS KIT. "Features of the OUTEX clear tubeless kits". Or search the right title on YouTube → OUTEX Tubeless Kit. Ryan Stephen. This driving image is from the Tsukuba Circuit, and the tire incorporates an OUTEX tubeless kit.
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.
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.
Thanks @SteveJH. So a washer with rubber seal under it, with two nuts, would be a good indication of the rims being sealed to facilitate running no tubes. 👍
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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