I'm getting ready to replace my tires on a 08 Deluxe and was wondering when and if you should relace the inner tube.

 

My dealer recommends a new tube with each tire change. I think I could do it every other time. When cars ran tube type tires, the tubes would stay in for a long, long time.

Jake

 

Harley recommeds you change the tube and the rim strip and time the tire is "serviced". Tubes are cheap, change it.

 

change em, cheap insurance. replace the rim-strips also

 

+4, it's short money in the whole process. Replace the tubes and the rim bands.

 

OK - question about this.

Tubes are not wear items. They serve one purpose and that is to hold air. If the tube is still in good condition (no cracking, stress fatigue, etc.) why change it?

One could argue that the "rubber gets old", that's true, but so does the same rubber sitting in a box on the dealer shelf. A dealer would recommend you change your grips every 5000 miles if they thought people would buy them.

I'm not a tire expert - hell, I'm only just now buying my first tire for my Harley, but after years of riding off-road bikes, I have never had a tube go bad unless it had a hole in it.

That being said, is there any reason to not just clean and inspect the tube?
As for the band, as long as there are no tears or protruding spokes, why change it? Once again, I'm only relying on my off-road experience, but we usually replace the strip with duct tape - the only reason its there is to protect the tube from the back of the spokes?

I don't mean to sound ignorant, but "if it aint' broke, why fix it"?

 

When cars had tubes, they were thick and heavy duty. So were bike tire tubes as well. Old dirt bike tubes would last forever, if you didn't pinch it. Dirt bike tires and tubes were never subjected to the heat and stresses of a street tire under 36 to 44 lbs of pressure and the weight of your Harley. Current day tubes are not heavy duty, in fact they're pretty thin. It's short money, except when the stealer rapes you.

 

I re use mine if they are in good condition. Replace if not. I go thru a rear tire each year.

 

Age has to be a factor also.
I go through at least 1 rear a Yr. front every other.

My Indy has re-used the rear twice now, so its in the 3rd tire. front only re-used once..
He checks them out, installs a new rim strip and new tube if needed.

I probably ask for a new rear tube anyway this next change as it now 2 1/2 yrs old.

As stated above some car and truck tubes I've owned in the past was 5-6-7 yr old before I replace them with new tires..

 

Dealer replace mine for previous owner 3 times with ever tire change including band for front. Interesting they did not replace valve stem on rear tubeless tire. Does the metal bolted stem have some type of o-ring?