Going tubeless on Himalayan?

[Afan]

Repairing tubed vs tubeless tires; just plugging instead of taking a wheel off (especially rear one), removing the tire, patching or replacing... it's huge difference, time consuming, tec.
But, is it worth switching tubed to tubeless tires on Himalayan? There must be some downsides? Is it safe?
And have to mention too about carrying (weight and space) plug patch kit vs. patch kit & spare inner tubes (2)...

Thanks for any help/comment/suggestion...

 

[Laserman]

IMHO, I think tubeless is overkill for a Himalayan. The main advantage of tubeless aside from being lighter, is one can run a proper TPS system built into the valve stem. If you wanted tubeless, you'd pretty much have to find a tubeless wheel hoop and get that laced onto a Himalayan hub. There are also aftermarket wheels (expensive), but I can't help with that. Myself, I would never trust a tire plug on a motorcycle tire aside from getting me somewhere where I can patch the tire. Tire still has to come off the wheel for that!

Tubes allow a tire to functionally last longer - it doesn't really matter how many times the tire itself has been punctured. This makes them ideal for bikes such as ours: those heavy steel-hooped wheels with spokes and tubes are incredibly durable and quite easily maintained and repaired over the long run.

I've had 2 punctures so far on my Himalayan. Both times, I just used 8oz of Slime on the tube and ran it until I replaced the tire. Then I replaced the tube, too. I carry a compact electric pump and check tire pressure every day or 2. I've done my share of patching and won't do it unless I absolutely had to. Slime has saved me for over 30 years on 2 wheels, and it always works just fine for me unless it's like 20F or colder!

 

[JSP]

Your question is one of those type of questions that opinions are going to range from person to person.
So here's my 2-cents

If you want tubeless on a Himalayan the safest option is to get rims that are designed i.e. have the safety lip in rim.
While you can technically convert the stock rims to use a tubeless tire by sealing up the spoke nipple holes and drilling out the valve stem hole to accept a tubeless valve stem - all equates to a lot of prep work to insure everything seals up. The safety lip is not present in the REH stock rims so the risk of the tire dismounting from the rim is higher. Some will argue that a tube blowing out is just as dangerous as it tends to happen all at once and fast compared to a tubeless. Theres pros and cons to both tubeless and tubed which I won't go into - in general I tend to let usage case drive my choices.

As far as your concerns with having to carry tubes and levers its really not that big of a deal. I would look at how your using the bike and where your ride etc.... In other words if you're riding close to home or in urban areas then a pierce type puncture could easily be fixed with a sealant like @Laserman recommended. If the puncture results in the tube splitting then the tube will have to be removed and patched/replace. If your traveling on your bike then you should carry the needed tools and replacement tubes. Buy a quality set of levers (MotionPro #08-0540) are nice and light. To pack your tubes remove the valve core - coat them in talcum powder and vacuum bag them.

I personally would't bother with converting the REH stock wheels to tubeless or changing the rims to a tubeless rim. I would only consider changing the REH stock rims to tubeless if I was looking for a weight savings and a bit more responsiveness from the bike in conjunction with the benefit of having tubeless tires. But if weight and more responsive feel was what I wanted I would have just bought a different bike. Those heavy as hell steel wheels on the REH helps give it some of its rolling mass stability - once it's moving it keeps on moving over things.

 

[Bulldogfour]

Fill the tyre with Goop and then it will quietly seal any punctures that you get from then on until you need to change the tyre (and tube). That's the theory and so far no-one has told me it failed them so I guess it does what it says. For greater confidence you can always drive a nail in and remove it and monitor the pressure

 

[Eatmore Mudd]

Per the American Tire Manufacturers Association a puncture repair is two parts, a plug to fill the hole and a patch to seal it up.

 

[Spoody]

Does Slime etc sealants actually work in a pinch. I've read where it just leaks out the spoke holes. Can it actually get me home ?

 

[Eatmore Mudd]

Does Slime etc sealants actually work in a pinch. I've read where it just leaks out the spoke holes. Can it actually get me home ?

I've never had any luck with it.
Fortunately ( or unfortunately ) I've got enough practice fixing punctured inner tubes that it only takes me 15 to 30 minutes.

 

[Jerk]

I slimed all my rental Himalayans when they were new and had constant problems with the slime drying up in the valve stems and causing leaks. Lots of flat tires. I don't do that any longer.

I really wanted to go tubeless with my Tenere 700. Looked into it very closely, but decided against it. New wheels with the safety lips were nearly $2,000. Then from everything I read, the tape sealing was pretty iffy. Works for some people, for others it doesn't. Then you have to worry about your next tire change and the fear of messing up the tape with tire irons, etc. Way too many things to worry about and go wrong, IMHO.

 

[Laserman]

Does Slime etc sealants actually work in a pinch. I've read where it just leaks out the spoke holes. Can it actually get me home ?

Mine leaked out of some of the spoke holes for the first couple days, then it stopped. Ideally, the Slime should already be in the tube when it gets punctured, but it doesn't have to be. It's just that then, you'd theoretically be carrying a bottle of Slime to use in an emergency. Myself, I get around that by having a new bottle at home and work. Currently, my front tire is not Slime'd, but my rear tire is.

I've never had any luck with it.
Fortunately ( or unfortunately ) I've got enough practice fixing punctured inner tubes that it only takes me 15 to 30 minutes.

Wow that's quick on a motorcycle! Having grown up where goathead thorns were everywhere 6 months out of the year, I'm a pro at patching but I am sick of doing it! And honestly I'm nowhere near that fast prying off a motorcycle tire, especially not on a cold day like when I recently replaced my front tire. I need 15-30 minutes just to smoke and cuss lol

I've had tubes live with Slime through dozens of punctures and all I've had to do was occasionally add air and keep em rolling. Dunno how many minutes that's saved me! I know Slime aint for everybody, it has it quirks, and just about every bad thing people have to say when reviewing Slime is something I have seen and experienced at one time or another. Once one figures out how it works tho, it's phenomenal at protecting against small punctures (<1/8")

I slimed all my rental Himalayans when they were new and had constant problems with the slime drying up in the valve stems and causing leaks. Lots of flat tires. I don't do that any longer.

That's a common problem, and usually the #1 reason people don't use that stuff. Once a tire has been Slime'd, one must make sure to fill the tire with the stem between 8 o'clock and 4 position. People often fill their tires with the stem between 5 and 7 o'clock because of press-on air nozzles and that is a no-no for the very reason you described - Slime will try to come out the valve core and may gum it all the heck up, requiring the valve core to be removed and the stem cleaned. If one doesn't know that warm water will clean it up like new, it could be a real pain in the butt! Also, I only use air nozzles that lock onto the stem, so filling the tire with stem at a higher position is easier.

Slime on rental bikes sounds like it causes a sort of wack-a-mole

 

[Eatmore Mudd]

 

[nmroadrunner]

^^ I sense a story behind that pic...

 

[Roy Gavin]

I've never had any luck with it.
Fortunately ( or unfortunately ) I've got enough practice fixing punctured inner tubes that it only takes me 15 to 30 minutes.

Back when RE Bullets were winning Gold in the ISDT British team members had to be able to repair a puncture and be on their way in five minutes.
But that was when you could change tires with the 5 inch levers in the tool kit!
Doubt if you could do it with todays super tough HD tires, some are a real pig to remove and refit and need real HD equipment.

 

[Eatmore Mudd]

^^ I sense a story behind that pic...

Handling was.... a tiny bit different. Instead of ignoring it or dismissing it as change in road surface, I stopped to check it out. Fixed it before it went flat and went on my way. Being aware made it a non eventful event so it didn't make the chart that day.

 

[Bal Ra]

IMHO, I think tubeless is overkill for a Himalayan. The main advantage of tubeless aside from being lighter, is one can run a proper TPS system built into the valve stem. If you wanted tubeless, you'd pretty much have to find a tubeless wheel hoop and get that laced onto a Himalayan hub. There are also aftermarket wheels (expensive), but I can't help with that. Myself, I would never trust a tire plug on a motorcycle tire aside from getting me somewhere where I can patch the tire. Tire still has to come off the wheel for that!

Tubes allow a tire to functionally last longer - it doesn't really matter how many times the tire itself has been punctured. This makes them ideal for bikes such as ours: those heavy steel-hooped wheels with spokes and tubes are incredibly durable and quite easily maintained and repaired over the long run.

I've had 2 punctures so far on my Himalayan. Both times, I just used 8oz of Slime on the tube and ran it until I replaced the tire. Then I replaced the tube, too. I carry a compact electric pump and check tire pressure every day or 2. I've done my share of patching and won't do it unless I absolutely had to. Slime has saved me for over 30 years on 2 wheels, and it always works just fine for me unless it's like 20F or colder!

I owned a Kawasaki versys 300x and made it tubeliss with the goop method and never had any issues even used a plug. My new to me 2021 Himalayan only had 615 miles and the ceat tires are new so I bought small slime bottle and have the a dyna air compressor, so glad to hear your experience with using the slime and running it with that fix.

 

[Andyb]

Another way to repair is to use foam from an aerosol. Holts make the stuff in UK. Once you get the puncture you simply screw the delivery line from the aerosol onto the tyre valve and push the button. The tyre is blown up and filled with foam.
Downside of this, and gloop, is that innertubes will probably not be repairable.

The other thing about patching innertubes is to remember to have a pump. Sounds stupid, but it is easy to carry tyre irons, patches…..and forget the pump!

AndyB
……must go and buy another aerosol, don’t have one on the Himmy

 

[Bal Ra]

Another way to repair is to use foam from an aerosol. Holts make the stuff in UK. Once you get the puncture you simply screw the delivery line from the aerosol onto the tyre valve and push the button. The tyre is blown up and filled with foam.
Downside of this, and gloop, is that innertubes will probably not be repairable.

The other thing about patching innertubes is to remember to have a pump. Sounds stupid, but it is easy to carry tyre irons, patches…..and forget the pump!

AndyB
……must go and buy another aerosol, don’t have one on the Himmy

Please post a pic of that aerosol foam can so I can see if can source it here in the states. If it is that insulation foam won't is harden to a rock like state? I used slime in a TW200 and it worked on a flat with old worn tire used on the farm.

 

[Andy131]

The stuff in the UK is called Holts Tyreweld
Holts Tyreweld
Going to Halfords (motor factors) at the weekend to buy some.

 

[Laserman]

Holts Tyreweld looks like a fancy version of "Fix-A-Flat", a product I wouldn't wish on someone I dislike, even. Wouldn't use it on a car, let alone a bike. The Tyreweld looks like better quality, but it says "drive up to 100 miles". That's an emergency solution that basically requires you to carry a can, and good luck getting tire pressure right with it. Still, if it can get you home reliably, that's a win.

I Slime'd my front tire almost 2 weeks ago because I started losing 2psi/day even with a tight valve core. Doesn't leak air anymore and I haven't even seen a spoke bleed yet. Both my tires are Slime'd now, and the ride is admittedly slightly rougher, what with 8oz of unsprung extra weight on each wheel. I've traveled thousands of miles on Slime'd tubes tho and ugly roads don't scare me because of it!

 

[Andyb]

Yes, it is Holts Tyreweld I was thinking of - I have used it a couple of times and you can increase the tyre pressure with air but the innertube may not be repairable later by a patch.
I checked on the Holts web site and they say it is OK for use on motorbikes while the Fix-a-Flat website says not for use on motorbikes…….

 

[Laserman]

I've just never heard of anyone having luck with canned air that contained sealant on tubes _or_ tires out here. Maybe I'm sheltered, I dunno. I've worked as a tire-buster in California, Iowa, and Alaska, and sure never heard anything good about that kinda stuff before this thread. Color me intrigued with a splash of skeptical haha