Mousses?

Losttheplot

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So i'm starting to warm to the idea of using mousses instead of tubes for off road riding, and looking around mousses seem to vary in price quite significantly, cheapest i've seen are £130 for a pair.

What is the average life span of mousse? i know road work destroys them, but what can you expect if you stick to tracks and trails/ enduro courses?

Mousse changers- do you really need to spend the thick end of £300 on one to make life easy, or is there a cost effective alternative?

Nathan
 
Nathan

Mousses aren't cheap but they are worth it for the peace of mind; the no need to haul spare tubes and tyre irons; and for the ability to take the line you want to ride without having to worry about snakebites.

I have always used Michelin - usually M14 and M15.

qejy8aga_zpse119ef81.jpg


Your mechanic, PDiddy, uses 'Desert' mousses (M02 and M16) - I tried these once (in Spain) but found them too hard, but Mr Diddy likes them.

bandit has tried some, hem, 'ball' mousses but without great success.

I find that mousses will last me a week in Spain plus whatever other riding I do that year. High road speeds do kill mousses - ask darkhorse!

If you look after your mousses and change before completely shagged, you'll find that there is a ready market for old ones - the motocrossers love them!
 
mousses

when new they seem to be made of wood , they last well for a season of enduro and a bit of laning. the rear seems to soften first. buy michelin they are dearer but work well. just mind what tyre and profile you put them in ,drop a size to firm them up. some tyres seem to be marked the same but are a different size in real size. no you can just change them with levers with out to much effort. the front wheel is always harder to change as not much well in the wheel, just keep them well lubed up .......as with all thing no one likes a dry one it makes for a bumpy ride
 
Greg Masters said:
- the motocrossers love them!
Click to expand...

I was talking to my local motocross suspension man when I picked up my forks after servicing,
He recons only the top end moto x guys use them and they are more hassle due to needing lubing etc,left me in a dielema as I was considering fitting some for the reasons you have stated.
I really hate faffing if I get a puncture but reason you can buy a lot of tubes for the money aargh !
Not convinced yet too much conflicting info
 
mikeyboy said:
I was talking to my local motocross suspension man when I picked up my forks after servicing,
He recons only the top end moto x guys use them and they are more hassle due to needing lubing etc,left me in a dielema as I was considering fitting some for the reasons you have stated.
I really hate faffing if I get a puncture but reason you can buy a lot of tubes for the money aargh !
Not convinced yet too much conflicting info
Click to expand...

I think the road miles I do to get to the lanes would kill mousses so currently run HD tubes. The other option is Tubliss which doesn't prevent punctures, but should make them easier to repair without having to get a tube out.
 
I have always used Michelin mousses (M14 and M15) with Michelin S12xc tyres which I've found to be a great combination for laning & enduro tracks.

My local lane circuit does involves some road work, but as long as the mousses (as mentioned) have regular lube maintenance ;) then all should be well.

I've got into the habit of changing tyres & mousses @ the same time each year....so far, so good.
 
I ran mousses in the 640 for rallies. Not having to carry puncture repair stuff, and being able to ride through rocks with impunity were the plus points, cost and bent rims the minus! (Standard 640 rims were made of cheese :D)
Never bothered on the 250, HD tubes and a minimum of 15 psi with not one single flat in my 8 years of ownership.
Mousse fitting can be done without a changer, at least three good quality levers, a couple of "bead buddies" (to keep the bead down in the well opposite to where you are levering, I have done it with vise grips before now) and lashings of lube. Give yourself plenty of time for the first one, and be methodical, and it will soon be as easy as tubes.
They do soften with age/use though, my last one had got to the point where it felt like I had about 6psi in it, and isn't recommended!
Mark
 
I have been using mousses for years. Ride almost every weekend on green lanes. I only get them lubed when a tyre change is needed. Would never be without them. Do not fit them myself. I get Martin at Torque Racing near Royston to fit and change them.
 
As mousses are not legal for rd use i always cut an old valve out of a tube and fit to rim so that it looks as tho there's a tube fitted and not a mousse.
 
Dansin said:
I think the road miles I do to get to the lanes would kill mousses so currently run HD tubes. The other option is Tubliss which doesn't prevent punctures, but should make them easier to repair without having to get a tube out.
Click to expand...

I'm using Tubliss. Most impressed so far. No pinch flats. Yes, you can get a puncture but you can run the tyre flat anyway as the small inner tube will still be ok (some people run the rear with 0psi anyway). 6psi front and 2-4psi rear gives great traction. No shelf life like mousses, no lubing required. Any puncture can also be repaired with dogturds in a few minutes. Lots of info on the KTM forum.
 
I like the idea of the Tubliss system, it looks almost too good to be true...........

If I got a puncture with a Tubliss fitted could I then repair it with a 'stop'n'go' type repair? I presume you can?

Andres
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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