Tubeless for under $10.00

Bare with me if you surf other sites, I am posting this everywhere because I think it is very useful info. My bike is a supermoto, and I don't know what the drawbacks of going tubeless with an off-road bike are, but if you hate tubes, here's a real cheap way to go tubeless.

I finally got around to making my rear rim tubeless. I will do the front one next, but I am waiting until the next time I need to change the front tire.

Here's what you need: A tubeless type valve stem, a large cylinder of clear silicone (get at any hardware store), a calk gun to apply the silicone with, and duct tape. AND A RIM THAT IS DESINGED TO ACCEPT A TUBELESS TIRE BEAD!!!! PLEASE READ THIS WHOLE THREAD, THERE IS GREAT INFORMATION HERE, AND MANY DON'T BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SAFE. TAKE THIS INFORMATION AS AN FYI, I HAVE DONE IT, IT MIGHT NOT WORK AS WELL FOR OTHERS!

Clean the inside of the rim off very well, and let it dry. Then apply a big blob of the silicone over each spoke nipple. Let the silicone sit for a few minutes and form a "skin", but not totally dry. Then, take the duct tape (this part is much easier with two people - one to hold and secure the tape, the other to turn the rim) and tightly wrap it around the siliconed spokes. Do about 3 or 4 full wraps with the duct tape, and let it sit and cure overnight. Oh, you'll obviously have to cut a whole in the duct tape at the base of the new valve stem. Also, but some silicone around the base of the valve stem. I suggest filling the tire with air right after applying the duct tape, I think the extra pressure helps push the silicone into all the right places.

It sounds cheap and I was skeptical at first myself, but I figured what do you have to lose? My first test was filling the tire with 60 psi of pressure and letting it sit. No leaks. My next was a quick run around the neighborhood. No leaks. I've done 450 miles on the bike since Friday, and it hasn't lost a tenth of a PSI of pressure.

Good luck!

All I've got to say is that you have HUGE brass ones to have even tried this!

Once you take some hard knocks on those rims so the spokes have a chance to shift around... be careful.

And you want to try this why? :eek1

I think you should try it Chris, then report back after some high speed fire road testing...................or not.

Where to begin?... Lets start with liability.

We'll need to save this, so that when a few more idiots try it, and get hurt or killed, they (or their families) will know who to sue.

You may want to go ATGATT2X from now on backdrifter... be prepared for the inevitable I always say.

You really think you're the first to try this? Who or what prompted you to do this?
People have been trying this for years, and the only ones to work it out in production have been wheel companies like American Wire Wheel who run a thick wide bead of proprietary sealant around the entire inner channel of the rim, and... they do it on 16" and 18" wheels crusierbike wheels only.

I also have traditional (non BMW) spoked wheels that use tubes, a friend that works at a chemical Co that makes sealants for everything, put a very high tech and expensive sealant in the rim and has worked fine to date, but when he told me that the thikness of the film was about 1-2 mm and that no one knows how long it can last. I have not used it in my wheels, I´m afraid of failure from the thin film.
You have to ask if the rim bed is made for tubless tires.

OK, one at a time. I wanted to try this for a few reasons. Like I said, my bike is a supermoto, dealing with 5" wide rims with tubes sucks. Also, being a street moto, it's not often that it takes big abuse to the rims/tires. I have a buddy that used to race with spoked rims, so that's where I got the idea. It will work just as well as the $250 kit sold for the same purpose. As for sueing, like anything else, take it with a grain of salt. Try at your own risk. Personally, I say it is totally safe, now that I have done it and seen it first hand. Even if it does leak, it will be a slow manageable leak. Anyway, take it for what it's worth, I'll never go back to tubes for this bike.

Its great stuff like this that keeps those of us in the medical business employed. I say go for it !

If you're comfortable with it BD... that's great. I just don't want some n00b to read your post and think it's as easy as blobing on some silicone... especially some n00b with a 18/21 DS bike.

A whole bunch of people over the years have gotten hurt doing this... so be careful.

Creep

Yeah silicon can really sting if you get it in your eyes.

I dont mean to be a downer or anything but if that was safe why wouldent one or all of the manufacturers be doing it?

be still my beating heart... logic shows his face.

ummm...whats wrong with tubes?

hows this...just take your rim down to the local lineX dealer and have him spray all the OD of the rim and nipples with it. yea that'll work too oser

Don't laugh mate, there's a couple of companies out there that will seal spoked rims professionally, and bed liner is exactly what it looks like

guess I spoke to soon.

And another potential money maker slips thru Dag's fingers.

:lip already sold the lineX unit POS anyway...
still whats so wrong wit tubes?

Yer askin' me? Ask the guy with the bigass tube of silicone.

An hour or two beside the trail w/ spoons as oposed to 10 minutes w/ a plug gun. That's whats the matter.