LCGB Forums

advised to repost on this section

Changing to tubeless after a sudden tyre deflation and a subsequent fall (TV175)

I need 1 or possibly 2 tubeless wheel rims

I have sourced 2 on E Bay in good condition they are pressed steel one piece no make on them

They have Schwalbe weatherman's tyres on them and are in good nick all round

These extra 2 are spares in preparation for going touring in Italy for 4 weeks

Or can I use other tubeless rims and mix them on the scooter e.g. aluminium

I will stick with the Weatherman tyres as I have these on my SX200 and they are good
Baroda26

The issue you have if you use SIP tubeless is that the dome head nuts will bottom out on the studs before tightening a steel rim...

You need to carry spare 'open' nuts too...

baroda26 wrote:..... They have Schwalbe weatherman's tyres on them and are in good nick all round.......I will stick with the Weatherman tyres as I have these on my SX200 and they are good
Baroda26

When first launched a few years ago, Weathermans were excellent and became the tyre of choice for many riders. However, after a series of blisteres and delaminated tyres were reported, most people wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. Possibly fine if you just potter about at low speeds but I would not advise using them for your Italian trip

Split rims can be fine providing you take precautions. Always use a new tube, don't use Michelin Airstops, use Mypol tubes with the correct offset valve (valve needs to be offset from centreline for Lambrettas). Make sure there are no sharp rusty bits on the inside of the rim. Select tyres with a high load rating and decent speed rating, this will give you a far stronger tyre that should withstand sharp stone/flint type puntures and would hold shape for a bit longer in the event of a sudden deceleration. Don't let the tread get too low before changing them as as the tread wears, they will be more susceptible to punctures. Put tyre slime in the tubes and maintain the rear to 32 PSI and the front to 28 but be prepared to increase the rear if you feel it getting hot. Check tyre pressures regularly and try to avoid riding too close to the side of the road as that's where all the nails/screws that fall out of builders trucks seem to end up.

Colin