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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