De-flateing Airhawk

[PIGGLET]

My Airhawk slowly deflates when riding and after about 3 hours is flat
Anybody had similar probs or know of a cure. It seems to be the valve as I've checked the bladder in the bath. Should there be a cap over the inflation valve?

 

[Les Wassall]

 

[(RIP) Bin Ridin]

Does it go down on you ?

 

[PIGGLET]

 

[PIGGLET]

Does it go down on you ?

I wish

 

[wildernessrob]

Pigglet, it will be interesting to see if their warrenty is as comprehensive as their retail price. Did it come from the US or BIKE BYTZ?

 

[PIGGLET]

Not sure where it came from as it was with the bike when i bought it. It does seem to be a problem with the inflater valve though. There is an O ring on the end of the valve which made me wonder if there is supposed to be a cap on it

 

[Dennis the Menace]

Air hawk

Hi Pigglet

Had this problem last year on air hawk belonging to wife spoke to people in USA whilst under warranty (although purchased from UK). If the seat only deflates in cold weather i.e. the colder the weather the faster deflation, its because the valve body is brass and the valve seat is neoprene. They did some tests and confirmed my suspicions that it was disimalar contraction rates. If your seat is still under warranty they will replace it with same. Me I just put a tiny cable tie where the filler cap inserts into the tube, problem solved no more deflations. If you go down this route make sure the loop /knuckle/joint I dont really know the terminology of the lumpy bit on the cable tie but have it facing outwards of the cushion so it wont abrade on any thing.

Dennis

 

[sparkplug]

Never had this problem and it sounds like Dennis may be on to something. Airhawk do supply a puncture repair kit and I'm sure this could be bought separately if needed.

And to answer your other question - no, there isn't a cap that goes over the end!

 

[PIGGLET]

TA

Tahnks for the info guys. It was cold on saturday but i blew it back up after an hour or so and it went back down. I would imagine that all the parts would have been at the same temperature by then
Going to try and blag a new one
I'll let you know how i get on

 

[sparkplug]

Silly question Pigglet - have you tried blowing it right up and then sticking it in a bucket of water to see if/where the air is coming out from?

 

[Bigtwin]

My Airhawk slowly deflates when riding and after about 3 hours is flat
Anybody had similar probs or know of a cure. It seems to be the valve as I've checked the bladder in the bath. Should there be a cap over the inflation valve?

Is it a standard car valve? If so, take the middle out and put a new one in - probably just the seal ring had it.

 

[Dennis the Menace]

Air hawk

Hi Pigglet

Blow your seat up, stick it in freezer for a couple of hours, cold water in bath then squeeze/roll the seat look for air bubbles leaking between the valve where it is inserted into the neoprene neck/tube. My guess thats were you will find it leaking from.
Air Hawk where discussing making a plastic valve insert which would not be suseptable to disimalar contraction rate as brass valve insert, but would be an expensive design/tooling cost.
It would appear our roughty toughty American cousins don't have this problem, maybe its not as cold in America as UK? Get a new one under warranty probably still has brass insert, they are or should be aware of the problem.
My wife was always complaining that the seat was cold. I had a pair of wrap round heated grips which I placed inside the seat cover and connected up to electric jacket.One mile and half later she was screaming down the autocom and standing on the footrests (one burnt arse).

Regards

Dennis

 

[White Knight]

Problems keeping it up

My Airhawk slowly deflates when riding and after about 3 hours is flat
Anybody had similar probs or know of a cure. It seems to be the valve as I've checked the bladder in the bath. Should there be a cap over the inflation valve?

I don't have much problem keeping mine up perhaps you could try Viagra

 

[PIGGLET]

Cheers Dennis i'll give that a go.

 

[PIGGLET]

I don't have much problem keeping mine up perhaps you could try Viagra

I'm only a nipper, should be a few years before i have to go down that route
Maybe you've got a bigger puff

 

[PIGGLET]

Sorted

Sussed out the problem. The air was leaking at the joint where the plastic valve body is pushed into the rubber hose.
Warmed it up with a heat gun, pulled out the valve, smothered it in vulcanising solution from a puncture repair kit and pushed it back in.
Hey presto, problem solved.
Folding it over witha cable tie also stopped it as Dennis sugested