Motorcycle Mojo – September 2019

56 MOTORCYCLE MOJO SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

MOJO GARAGE

tech by Costa Mouzouris

Tube-type to Tubeless

lthough I really like the

look of spoked wheels,

there are many reasons

I prefer tubeless wheels.

Unless spoked wheels are

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be tubeless, they normally

require tubes to be inserted inside the

tires. This is obviously because air

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the spoke nipples pass.

A

With a bit of expertise and luck, you can convert

your tube-type rims to tubeless

DIFFICULTY LEVEL:

Tubeless spoked wheels, which

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compound is applied to centrally

mounted spoke nipples to provide an

adequate seal.

My 1980 Kawasaki KZ550 is

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aluminum wheels. While most cast

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unfortunately are not compatible with

tubeless tires. The main difference

between my KZ550’s wheels and

tubeless cast wheels is the way in

which they are machined. The hole for

the tubeless valve stem does not have

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This image of a tubeless rim shows the inner lip that prevents the tire from slipping

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This tube-type wheel doesn’t have an inner lip and therefore would allow the tire

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After machining down some of the aluminum casting with a spot-facing drill bit,

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