Front end opinions please.

[Melch]

Looking for a few opinions please. Allow me to explain. I have a R100GS (91). After reading the thread about front discs, I've been thinking (which usually means pain in the wallet department).

My newish cast disc is slightly warped (felt through the lever). I have a Harrison Billet 6 pot calliper jobbie and wish to carry on using this 'cos it works well and cost an arm and a leg.

Also I cannot for the life of me get the front tyre to seal on the rim (despite cleaning rim/bead sealer etc) so end up putting a tube in (not ideal).

I am hopefully going on a big trip in a couple of years involving a fair bit of wobbling about off road (at least that's the plan) so want/need to get bike in tippetty top condition.

Now...do I get a stainless disc (EBC or summat), a new rim and get wheel relaced by Hagons.

Do I get a different complete wheel from something else with all the problematic fitting that that will entail.

Or...do I go the whole hog and replace the front end with something more modern, spend a small fortune and a big ball ache.

Also, I don't give a rats arse about whether the bike is standard/original in an anally retentive purist kind of way.

Decisions, decisions! What say those more knowledgable than I?

 

[Rob Farmer]

To Be honest the standard front end is fine on the Paralevers. Some of the guys swear by the Millicahamp cocktail to get the damping right.

I think you'll be very lucky to buy a new rim so probably best to find another good front wheel but this wont be cheap. Probably around £250 for a decent one. I've just paid £150 for a ropey one that now needs respoking and cleaning up. so the extra to save messing about is well worth paying.

The Devon rim company specialise in BMW cross spoked wheels http://www.devonrimcompany.com/bmw.htm they do however have a reputation for being very slow.

 

[Melch]

To Be honest the standard front end is fine on the Paralevers. Some of the guys swear by the Millicahamp cocktail to get the damping right.

I think you'll be very lucky to buy a new rim so probably best to find another good front wheel but this wont be cheap. Probably around £250 for a decent one. I've just paid £150 for a ropey one that now needs respoking and cleaning up. so the extra to save messing about is well worth paying.

The Devon rim company specialise in BMW cross spoked wheels http://www.devonrimcompany.com/bmw.htm they do however have a reputation for being very slow.

I'm a bit hesitant to buy another (secondhand) front wheel as you just don't know whether it'll be any better until you try it, which could be an expensive mistake.
I'll have a chat with Devon Rim Company. Thanks for the response.

 

[Timolgra]

Use an extra heavy duty tube £15, job done

 

[Rob Farmer]

Rims are still listed new http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=0484&mospid=51690&btnr=36_1539&hg=36&fg=05

 

[Melch]

Use an extra heavy duty tube £15, job done

Ordinarily, yes absolutely, BUT... let me explain.

A few years ago I invested in a bead breaker and balancer etc because of getting so pissed off with getting messed about by the retarded monkeys that work in tyre places locally.

After struggling and battling for a few years with circular bits of rubber, I've admitted defeat and have found a decent tyre place locally. I came to the grim realisation that the said retarded monkeys are indeed more skilled than I (not an easy admission I can tell you!).

The culmination was when I gave up trying to seal the tyre on the rim and bought a tube to put in. Surprise, surprise I punctured the tube whilst fitting. I took wheel to decent fitters and we counted no less than ten (I shit thee not!) holes in the tube.

It was at this point that I thought 'bollox to this, know your limits, give it up man!'.

So, if when I am in the middle of bleeding nowheresville and I get a puncture on a tubeless rim that has a tube in it, I have a strange forboding that it won't end well. Hence the preference to get it sorted.

 

[Timolgra]

Ordinarily, yes absolutely, BUT... let me explain.

A few years ago I invested in a bead breaker and balancer etc because of getting so pissed off with getting messed about by the retarded monkeys that work in tyre places locally.

After struggling and battling for a few years with circular bits of rubber, I've admitted defeat and have found a decent tyre place locally. I came to the grim realisation that the said retarded monkeys are indeed more skilled than I (not an easy admission I can tell you!).

The culmination was when I gave up trying to seal the tyre on the rim and bought a tube to put in. Surprise, surprise I punctured the tube whilst fitting. I took wheel to decent fitters and we counted no less than ten (I shit thee not!) holes in the tube.

It was at this point that I thought 'bollox to this, know your limits, give it up man!'.

So, if when I am in the middle of bleeding nowheresville and I get a puncture on a tubeless rim that has a tube in it, I have a strange forboding that it won't end well. Hence the preference to get it sorted.

Great answer
I had an r100gspd that for no apparent reason deflated, pumped it up and it was fine

If you are going to far flung places, you're unable to guarantee the puncture you get on a tubeless tyre is fixable, so it is worth learning to replace a tube,....... perhaps in your case take about 400 patches as well

I couldn't have fixed this one with any amount of tyre pluggers or rats tails

 

[Melch]

A support truck full up with rubber patches!

The other option (which is the plan) is to go with a mate who is far more competent than I. Although I know the bugger will let me sweat and fight the damn thing for a couple of hours, before pushing me out the way in disgust and doing it himself.

 

[Melch]

Great answer
I had an r100gspd that for no apparent reason deflated, pumped it up and it was fine

If you are going to far flung places, you're unable to guarantee the puncture you get on a tubeless tyre is fixable, so it is worth learning to replace a tube,....... perhaps in your case take about 400 patches as well

I couldn't have fixed this one with any amount of tyre pluggers or rats tails

That looks like you'd tried to have a crap on the tyre to seal it up. Christ even I know that wouldn't work. Still, desperate times I guess!

 

[Redboots]

Also I cannot for the life of me get the front tyre to seal on the rim (despite cleaning rim/bead sealer etc) so end up putting a tube in (not ideal).

Do you mean you cant get it to seal while fitting/re-fitting a tyre or that it leaks after its seated/inflated?

John

 

[Timolgra]

That looks like you'd tried to have a crap on the tyre to seal it up. Christ even I know that wouldn't work. Still, desperate times I guess!

Ha ha yes!

I fitted a tube, put a heavy patch on the inside of the tyre wall AND tried to fit a Rat's Tail to try and stop the split from getting worse. In the end and much later, the patch on the inside wore through the inner tube

I also learnt you cannot buy a 19" tube in many countries so it had to last.

 

[Melch]

Do you mean you cant get it to seal while fitting/re-fitting a tyre or that it leaks after its seated/inflated?

John

No, I can get it seated ok (although thats a bloody ordeal if the tyre isn't new). I have a compressor, but not a bigun so it doesn't have that much oomph.

The tyre goes down overnight. Fitting a new one works for a while but eventually it starts doing the same.

 

[Timolgra]

Your tubeless repair kit won't get you out of this situation either

Anyway, I think I've made my point

 

[Melch]

Your tubeless repair kit won't get you out of this situation either

Anyway, I think I've made my point

Ok point taken. (However I'm also starting to think you really ought to try being a little more careful!)

 

[Redboots]

The tyre goes down overnight. Fitting a new one works for a while but eventually it starts doing the same.

Mine did that, but it took a week.

I fitted these WINKELVENTIL and used bench mounted buffing wheel with brown soap and to clean inside the rim then finished off with a rub round with P1200 finishing paper.
They now stays good and hard and not been a problem since... 3 years and counting

I did a big (20k kms) trip with only 2 punctures and there were plenty of no-road/shit road places. You tend not to hoon around on that sort of trip and baring the odd bit of wire and a long thorn, had no probs. Took HD tubes as backup though


John

 

[Melch]

Mine did that, but it took a week.

I fitted these WINKELVENTIL and used bench mounted buffing wheel with brown soap and to clean inside the rim then finished off with a rub round with P1200 finishing paper.
They now stays good and hard and not been a problem since... 3 years and counting

I did a big (20k kms) trip with only 2 punctures and there were plenty of no-road/shit road places. You tend not to hoon around on that sort of trip and baring the odd bit of wire and a long thorn, had no probs. Took HD tubes as backup though


John

Sounds like a plan. I do clean the inside of the rim every tyre change but it sounds like I need to make a more thorough job of it. They are pretty pitted and marked. I'll give that a go next tyre change (I can get em off easily!). Thanks for your help.

 

[MickDB1]

I also once spent a few hours re setting a new tyre on the rim did it about 3 times in 3 weeks as it kept gowin down gettin me pissed orf

THEN I CHECKED THE VALVE AND VALVEHOLE "O" RING SEAL

Job done
HTHY and remind me

 

[dr nosh]

Might be worth getting any old 18 or 19" wheel (Jap for example from a breakers), with a tyre and practice, practice, practice taking the tyre off. and putting the tyre back on - without nipping the tube. I know easier said than done.


As was said in a previous post, even with a tubeless tyre, if you are travelling in remote parts, a tube should be carried in case you cannot sucessfully do a tubeless repair.

I haven't tried these yet, but these 2 tools might be useful to you:

e bay

To protect the rim from the lever - 200707999998 (Think that Machine Mart also have these)

To help pull the tube valve through the rim valve hole - 190629413518

You could probably make these depending how handy you are.

 

[Timolgra]

I haven't tried these yet, but these 2 tools might be useful to you:

e bay

To protect the rim from the lever - 200707999998 (Think that Machine Mart also have these)

To help pull the tube valve through the rim valve hole - 190629413518

You could probably make these depending how handy you are.

Rim protectors (snigger) can be improvised from an old plastic bottle, the valve pullers are excellent but don't last long before the wire frays and snaps

 

[Melch]

To protect the rim from the lever - 200707999998 (Think that Machine Mart also have these)

Yep, got a pair of these. Do they do anything that will protect the tube from a buffoon with a tyre lever?