Am I being Dumb? - SORTED Now with Pilot Sporty Mini Review

[herulach]

I'll start by saying I have no idea about motorbike tyres, plenty of stuff about mtb tyres.

Anyway, can I put tubeless tyres on a rim designed for tubes? On an mtb this would work, but motorbikes may well be different.

Tyres are Michelin Pilot Sportys on a YBR 125.
____________________
YBR 125>FZS600

[neil.]

Fit them with tubes if used with a tube type wheel, that's the way it's meant to be done.
____________________
CBT February 2008 | A2 June 2008 | Yamaha YBR125 (written off) | Honda CBF125 (current)

[Kickstart]

Hi

Assume you mean with tubes inside the tubeless tyres? If so it can be done although you should use different tubes; heavy duty ones that are more resistant to the rough finish on the inside of tubeless tyres.

All the best

Keith
____________________
Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[doggone]

I think tubeless tyres officially should not be used with tubes in as they behave in ways which can cause the tube to fail.
Not sure if that would equate to MOT fail, can't imagine them wanting to check.
I remember someone I know getting into trouble for having tubes in when riding in Germany - done as a puncture fix.

Edit: what Kickstart said while I was typing..

[neil.]

I thought (and read somewhere) that the Pilot Sportys are a bit of an exception - designed to be used on either tubed or tubeless wheels with/without a tube respectively.
____________________
CBT February 2008 | A2 June 2008 | Yamaha YBR125 (written off) | Honda CBF125 (current)

[kt]

Your rims will probably be stamped "Tubless tyre Applicable" if they are suitable for tubless only.

[neil.]

The YBR wheels are definitely for tubed tyres only. Lots of people have used Pilot Sporty's on them (with tubes) and there are many very favourable reports about them (just Google 'YBR Pilot Sporty' etc). Might try them myself but I'm also quite happy with the City Demons.
____________________
CBT February 2008 | A2 June 2008 | Yamaha YBR125 (written off) | Honda CBF125 (current)

[herulach]

[binge]

I've always ran tubeless tyres with tubes on my Road Legal Supermoto Mini-bike.
I'm not running 1 piece alloy Mag wheels, So I can run tubeless. But before, when I was using spoked wheels, I ran tubes all the time. Never had an issue.

[G]

There are two separate points here - air leakage through the rim and through the tyre.
Tyres for tubes may not work well for various reasons, including that they can leak air through the rubber it's self.
The rim must also be airtight, which tubeless rims are. Rims for tubes aren't generally as the holes for the spokes cause relatively massive holes. You can get a couple of kits which use a smaller bicycle style innertube to seal the main one; if your bike has 18" or bigger rims you could probably get a set of these, though they're quite expensive in the UK - they also act as A 360 degree rim lock, which is excellent for riding rough terrain (I mean up a mountain side, not the pot holed backroad!)
I've also heard of people just thoroughly covering the spokes in silicon with gaffa tape on top and that working.

Personally, I wouldn't bother unless I wanted to run really low pressures (below 10psi).

[herulach]

[Ingah]

I'm sure i remember reading that fitting a tube to tubeless tyres was strongly not recommended due to excessive heat build up.

Regarding the other way around, tubeless tyres are designed to seal tightly/properly, whilst tubed tyres aren't - so if you're trying to get away without a tube this would suggest it might not seal as well/properly. Tubeless tyres also are coated with a "thin airseal liner" that is "designed to grip around anything that punctures so that blowouts are avoided and deflation is slowed" (quoting Haynes Motorcycle Basics Techbook). Obviously this would imply that this is not present in tubed tyres.
____________________
-- Ingah

[G]

For dirt tyre types (including road ones), the bead definitely isn't an issue. Expect it's similar for road ones, but can't be sure.

[kt]

Op, take great care before you make a decission as there may well be insurance and warranty problems associated with your choice of tyre, just be careful and do your homework first.

[Robby]

Why not just fit tubed tyres?

If the bike was designed for tubed tyres, it doesn't need tubeless ones. You can buy pretty good tyres that take tubes, and they're cheap too.

If you fit tubeless tyres with tubes it may work, but you'll spend all of your time overrreacting to every bump and wiggle, thinking that the tube has split and all pressure has suddenly gone.

[herulach]

[Pete.]

I recall seeing stamped on a tubeless tyre something like 'Use a tube on tube-type rims'. Might have been a sporty actually coz it wasn't all that long ago.
____________________
a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[herulach]

[neil.]

Told ya. Please let us know how you get on with them.
____________________
CBT February 2008 | A2 June 2008 | Yamaha YBR125 (written off) | Honda CBF125 (current)

[herulach]

[herulach]

Right, after 40/50 mile pootling around in the semi wet conditions, I went on a nice long commute home (about 50 miles for an 8 mile journey) and I have to say I'm amazed.

I imagine it's partly due to no longer being attached to undamped pogo sticks but the bike feels so different with these on. Handling is much livelier, and it feels like it wants you to fling it round corners rather than having to be wrestled round like the old ones.

Grip is much better as well, old nylon rear used to lock up as soon as you'd look at the brake pedal, this keeps spinning even slammed on with the clutch pulled in.
____________________
YBR 125>FZS600

[Digitalize]

I'm surprised they make Pilot Sportys for the thin tyres on a YBR! Standard equipment on them is something cheap and rubbish i think, friend just got a new one.

Pilot Sporty's are standard on Rieju RS2/Nkds and the YZF-R125, and i have to be honest, they are excellent tyres, my rear lasted nearly 9000km, and i just put a new one on for £60

Grip levels are excellent, only had them slip once at super low speeds on a slippy mini roundabout. Quick tap of the rear brake and it was fine.

I just don't feel confident enough to get knee down, but that might just be me, or my bike, it is quite tall.
____________________
1998 CB600F Hornet

[herulach]

[Digitalize]