F800GS Tyres, tubed or tubeless ?

[stephen.stallebrass]

Apart from the two wheel nut sizes do you need any more ?

How do you break the bead ?

Some people say 3 levers is best but I've found 2 is fine but a bead buddy is a helpful tool to have.

Sometimes just standing on the tyre will break the bead but be careful you don't ruin your brake discs and or bobbins: front wheel beads are normally easy to break. But rear wheels or big front wheels I use the side stand to pop the bead. Put it on centre stand - its a good idea to lock the front brake and strap the centre stand to the front wheel to prevent it collapsing. Put the edge of the bead under the foot of the extended side stand and lean the bike over to pop the bead. Most tyres will break easily this way. Some that have thicker side walls like the Heidenau K60s can be a bastard to break. I've had my whole F800GS balanced precociously via the tip of the side stand on the bead and bouncing it up and down to break the bead... patience, technique and plenty of lube are the key ingredients.

 

[Micky]

I don't care what anyone says. I say that putting that into a tube is dangerous. It's like asking for a blowout. Jjh

????? Why ????

If the original puncture wasn't a blow out then why would using this stuff, or its equivalent, cause a blow out

I've used the stuff on several occasions over many years with 100% success

 

[JJH]

????? Why ????

If the original puncture wasn't a blow out then why would using this stuff, or its equivalent, cause a blow out

I've used the stuff on several occasions over many years with 100% success
Dark night wet puncture nail tube in tyre. Fill up with any of the products to cure puncture and get u home. Tubeless works perfectly. Tube also works until the tyre goes round and round and round another bit of damage on each rotation till the tube can't take any more and splits suddenly. Most of these products state on the tin that they are not suitable for tubes. What's different about the ones that do? I'd say better legal teams. Jjh

 

[slparry]

Reduced price at Demon Tweeks

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/motorcycle/accessories/motul-p3-tyre-repair-300ml

 

[JJH]

Reduced price? That type of stuff is avaible much cheaper than that. I still would not use it in a tube. Goes against all advice. Jjh

 

[stephen.stallebrass]

The only time I'd use slime is if I ran out of ooze for my retro ghosbusters fire station!

 

[Micky]

PTube also works until the tyre goes round and round and round another bit of damage on each rotation till the tube can't take any more and splits suddenly. Most of these products state on the tin that they are not suitable for tubes. What's different about the ones that do?

Still can't see your problem

The only time I'd use slime is if I ran out of ooze for my retro ghosbusters fire station!

The Motul P3 is specifically OK for use with inner tubes. It's not like Slime, you don't run your bike with it already in ....

If/when you get a puncture you merely remove the offending nail or screw or whatever, let any remaining air out, and re-inflate with the canister. Simples ... Repairs the puncture and re-inflates the tyre

No different really then to the stop and go repairs on tubeless tyres. No, it wouldn't do for a gashed slit kinda puncture but then neither would a plug

Fortunately punctures are pretty rare these days, but having ridden through North Africa, Russia west to east, Siberia, the Gobi Desert, Iran and Pakistan's Karakorum Highway, on bikes with inner tubes, I certainly wouldn't hesitate to do so again with tubed tyres ... there's nothing out there that can't be fixed

 

[stephen.stallebrass]

Stop 'n' Go for me with tubeless tyres and a proper repair kit for tubes... both slime & motul are temporary fixes, both leave a mess and both are one shot wonders. I've done plenty of solo overland riding in the wilderness and repaired punctures galore - the last on my own in Mongolia. If slime or motul is all you have then it's better than nothing but it wouldn't be my first choice: different stroke for different folks.

 

[Homer1968]

Micky silly question time, do you take spare tubes and tools on your trips or just a can of motul? Reason i ask is i take tools and tubes but the are quite heavy compared to a stop n go kit.

 

[Micky]

Micky silly question time, do you take spare tubes and tools on your trips or just a can of motul? Reason i ask is i take tools and tubes but the are quite heavy compared to a stop n go kit.

Hi there mi ol' love ....

On the continent I might take a spare rear tube with me, and the ability to take my wheels out myself. Most punctures are in the rear anyway, and not really a common occurrence. Of course they always happen when you least expect it, and could always have happened at a better time

I never let my tread depth get to below 2mm .....

A stop'n go kit no good on an 800 Steve, not with tubes!!!

With my knees'n back I ain't about to be dancing on rims to break the bead (done that in Mongolia) but I can always find a man who can

 

[stephen.stallebrass]

I also have a GTR1400 which is tubeless, hence the stop n go. When I'm on the F800GS I'll replace the punctured tube with the spare then repair the punctured tube at the end of the day in comfort of camp or wherever I may be.

 

[JJH]

Unfortunately my trips are commuting 60 mile round trip. Experience has thought me that with tubeless all you need is a plug kit and some way of inflating tyre. For tubes you need a lot more. Tools to remove wheels why can't they make the nut sizes the same? Tyre levers and inflation device. In my young days I fixed many a flat on my 125 without removing wheel. Tubes are a pain and the trouble they cause at puncture time far outweigh any perceived advantage. Why BMW went back to tubes on the f800 is beyond me. Yes I know the rims are cheaper to produce than what they used on the 100gs and r1200gs. I've had both. Jjh

 

[stephen.stallebrass]

Tubes are used because they can be deflated and tyres run at very lower pressures, which is great for proper off road use. They're a bit more of a hassle when you do get a puncture compared to tubeless but good technique, lube and patience can have you sorted within 2-30 mins. Nothing will repair a gash in a tubeless tyre side wall but whack in a good HD tube and you're sorted. Some tubeless tyres have much stronger tyre walls that allow you to run at lower pressures for off road use but go too low and brake the bead will let out all that air... better to stick a tube in for that.

 

[JJH]

For commuting? Anyway if you let air out you must have a way of putting it back. Jjh

 

[Jonnie Boy]

Jon, which tyre levers ?

Motion Pro

http://www.adventure-spec.com/default/tools-motion-pro-t6-combo-lever.html

 

[Hoggyf]

apologies for the thread jack but why do people say you can run lower pressure with tubes? My trials bike (Mont 4RT) is a tubeless back tyre and is run at around 3psi without a tube, in trials its the tube type rears that can't go that low.

Just curious, not starting a keyboard war

 

[JJH]

When it comes to tubes everyone has a opinion I hate them myself. I'm 18 years in my current job. Been late for work 4 times. 2 were because of punctures in tubes. JJH

 

[SuperTed]

Hearsay 2 pen'orth

A while back I had a conversation with a chap who had just come back from the Globebusters London to Beijing trip.
He told me that one of the daily checks was tyre pressures.
He said that the 1200GS's; tubeless; needed the pressures doing at least every other day, and some every day.
The 800GS's, on the other hand, with tubed tyres, only needed doing at most every five days, but would normally go at least a week.
Make of that what you will.
Personally even if I had tubeless tyres and the plug in the hole repair kit I would still be stuck. I broke both wrists a few years ago and don't have the grip strength to use the repair kit. (Hello, RAC?)
SuperTed