What is a valve cap?

[cqueen]

Like one of these...

https://www.halfords.com/opd_product_details.asp?id=19023&type=0&cat=30

Whenever I see these things advertised it never actually says what its for...
A cap for what valve exactly? and why do I need one?!

[Method]

They go over the valve that sticks out from the inside of you wheel where you inflate your tyre from. They screw onto there in replacement of the naffy plastic standard ones and look "bling" etc... i had one on my saracen push bike, and it didnt fit properly and actualy made my tyre deflate because it held the valve internals down
Their point is to cover the top of the valve, to stop dust or stones becoming stuck in the top and forcing the plate inside the valve down, causing the tyre to deflate.
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[cqueen]

I'm not really into 'bling' I think I'll give them a miss!
Thanks for the info

[G]

For your tyre valve. (The bit you put air in ).

The centrifugal force of the wheel can cause the valve to let some air out. The cap prevents this.

There is no need to have shiny valve caps unless you are a magpie.

[Method]

hehe, well i mean they can be used to just tart it up a little bit, just make your bike a little neater, its the small things that count!
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CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado
My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

[Bendy]

The tarty anodised ones will usually corrode and weld themselves to your valve.

Good old black plastic is the way to go.

[G]

[Method]

hehe, well it definately didnt do my push bike any good, i know that much
____________________
CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado
My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

[cc123]

Bet Zxr400er has some of them on his bike
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[Method]

[Annabella]

Heh, I got upset when my last CBR was stolen because not only had I lost a bike, with a shiiiiny number plate, but she had [tart mode] Honda valve caps [/tart mode]

I have obviously seen the light and am perfectly content with my plain alloy ones that were on my bike when I bought it.



Now if only I could find somewhere that stocks Honda ones...
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[dotti]

I have ones similar to the silver ones on my GN250. A funny story regarding these....

My football coach bought a pile of these and used them to explain tactics + he used a standard black plastic one to represent the ball.
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[froggy128]

i used to have the blue light ones

[binge]

[Bendy]

Frankly, I'm insulted!


That blue anodised valve cap that Ste's bound to spend a day searching for a picture of was IRONIC kthnx.

[loply]

My rear wheel came with a tarty anodised cap and I had to have the valve removed and replaced at a garage to get it off.
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[Jrod]

Yup I do have them. The ones I have fit a spanner so you can undo them that way plus I use this anti locking agent stuff that came free with my anodised bolts.

[mchaggis]

[Dom_]

Won't adding metal valve caps out balance the wheel??

At 160mph on a decent bike, 1 gram is a shit load to be spinning round??

[Jrod]

[BikerBen]

Well to stop cold welding you can apply Ti-Prep to the valve threads or any other thread before you put anything tarty on. You can get it from tastynuts.com

Thats what I have done
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[Scotsman37]

I prefere to use the valve caps that visually indicates what your tyre pressire is like at the moment and it's good because it saves having to check it every so often. The upside of not using the shony anodised ones are the little brats with push bikes don't like the visual pressure checking types because they are not anodised !

[Dave-O]

[Jrod]

You can get the pressure ones here

[Dave-O]

Cheers, I didnt even know anything like that existed. Being a lazy git who doesnt check the pressure that often, it could just be the ideal thing.
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