KTM wheel and tubeless tire solutions

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by jalencar

About sealing wheels.

ME and a friend just had our rear wheels sealed in California, we are from texas, so shipping and all.. that..

The wheels came back looking great.

Mine came off at about 90 on the highway. in a split second no warning at all, I got it stopped thanks God... call my friend to tell him about it his came apart a week after.. Becarefull who you use to seal your rims..... that can be dangerous.


John,,...

hi john,,,this is the stuff i've been forewarning about,,,,please clue us in on who performed this service and how much...do you have pictures???before and after????..did they give you a warranty or refund????...did they seal rims that had the safety bead on them or not???? what bikes were they on????holler and thank you,,woody

adventure riders et al....these incidents trouble me...here's why...along with some pros and cons

1- i see so many wheels sealed that do not have tubeless tire rims with the safety bead on them....this reduces the extra little safety factor of the tires popping off the bead that safety beaded rims enjoy....HOWEVER... the risk involved is the same as running a tire with a tube...your tire will essentially deflate and eventually do all the same stuff...

2- what concerns me is the variables known and unknown that may cause failure:
a..the preparation and quality control of the folks sealing your wheels,,
b...improper surface preparation,,,,
c...people using tire warmers(like supermotard racers),,,,,,
d...riders using high pressure car washers to clean their wheels(at
...2000+ psi that could contribute to loosening the seal),,,
e...moisture buildup and heat/freezing/thawing cycles could start
...the delamination process,,,
f...centrifugal force at higher speeds will want to fling the sealing
...compounds,,,
g..will the anti seize compound needed to keep ss spokes and
...ss nipples from seizing contribute to softening the sealer??,,,,
h..what about chewing up the sealer when someone gouges the
...sealant with a tire iron???
i..what if someone tightens their spokes and doesn't reseal the wheel????
j..the litiguous nature of the american experience,,,and the ability of
certain legal types to get around every disclaimer..no matter what

and that's just off the top of my head,,,PLEASE help me add to this list!!!


3-so knowing what i know,,,i have decided to only seal rims....
... designed with safety beads
...using proven technology
...for folks going normal highway speeds (in usa,circa 75mph +9mph),,,
...no more supermotard racers with tire warmers...
...to folks that are realistic about their expectatations and needs

4-the PROs of going tubeless on rims designed for tubeless tires are:
a..mostly running cooler tire temperatures,enhanced tire life,,,
b..a more gradual loss of air due to small punctures,,,
c..easy to plug a nail or thorn externally (so you can get to the next place to properly repair your tire with a T-patch,,,BE ADVISED...external plugs and tire sealants are TEMPORARY fixes !!!)

5-the CONs of going tubeless on sealed wire wheels are:
a..that at very low tire pressures you could pop off the bead,,,
b..that riders think they are invincible and forget that there is a sealant bonded to their rim that is trying to fling off at high speeds,,,,
c..that major hits and slashes/gashes to sidewalls will create a blowout that is similar to tubed tires,,,,
d...that you will have to carry beefy spare tubes to possibly repair just in case,,,,
e..that it is slightly tougher to R&R your tire because of the safety bead,,,and if you own a late model KTM Adventure you could die trying to R&R that rear tire (because of the ultra high safety bead)

so in conclusion...CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!.....

i have NOT quit riding or racing motorcycles because they still come with tubed tires...OR with tubeless tires
i weigh the merits of any deviation from the OEM product...
i weigh the parameters that come along with these modifications/upgrades ...
i find technicians/companiesthat can deliver a good product/service at a fair price in a timely manner AND that will back up their work,,,,
i give someone who has done the above the benefit of the doubt if things go awry ...to rectify the mistakes,,,,,
i also do not give someone who is incompetent another chance at touching my stuff

PLEASE feel free to chime in on this subject...and you legal types out there ...what do i need to do to cover my ass for providing this service ???

holler and thanks,,,woody

[BajaBastard]

I've owned 3 sets of rims from Woody's and they are top quality. I've also sent him rims that I have "dorked up" over the years and he and his team have always rovided me great service.

[thebarber]

are these any good?
http://www.alpina-uk.com/
i can get them for around £1000 via the ktm forum in uk