When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I check my tires nine out of 10 times before I ride. Today, I almost didn't because I had just ridden a couple days ago.
At the last minute, I decided not to be lazy and checked them, and my front tire was REAL low, almost flat. I was in such a hurry I hadn't even noticed it. Turns out I have a leak at the valve stem and it was going down fast.
My front wheel is spoked. My back wheel is a thunderstar. I'm going to go with a Thunderstar on the front with a tubeless tire. Glad I caught it.
Man, it pays to take your time and always check tire pressure before riding!
Good advice for sure. If it was the valve stem that was leaking though, why change wheels? Tubeless tires still have valve stems that can leak.
True. That's not really why I'm changing. I'd been planning to go to a non-spoke rim and tubeless tire in the front for a while now, ever since I switched out the rear to Thunderstar and tubeless Michelin. I wanted them to match and figured might as well do it now.
Good advice for sure. If it was the valve stem that was leaking though, why change wheels? Tubeless tires still have valve stems that can leak.
Tubeless valves don't leak where tube type valves usually do. Usually tube valves leak because of a crack or cut where the valve attaches to the tube. Many times, this is because the tire was low on air and rotated slightly during hard braking or acceleration. This can shift the tube some and stress where the valve goes in. That can't happen on a tubeless tire. The valve is mounted in the rim and is independent of the tire.
Last edited by Campy Roadie; Jul 29, 2013 at 11:13 AM.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.