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Tube or Tubeless

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They could have offered both styles and let the customer pick.
To be honest, I wish they would have the tubeless spoke wheels.
I dig the spoke rims but not with inner tubes.
 
Calboy said:
They could have offered both styles and let the customer pick.
To be honest, I wish they would have the tubeless spoke wheels.
I dig the spoke rims but not with inner tubes.
Click to expand...
Agreed, but if HD can offer tubeless spoked wheels, BMW could have easily offered them up. They already have the design and tooling.

I considered the Kineo wheels for my Indian FTR but it in the end I couldn’t justify the price and instead I ended up getting a huge discount on a set of RSD Tracker Wheels.
 
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Of course they do. The gs series have the tubeless spoke rims. The Yama Sup Tenere had them too. I had to tune them once a year or so but it wasn't a big deal. I have been involved in music my whole life so I can tell a flat note from a sharp one!
 
I'm getting the BMW cast wheels like the ones available on the 2022 models. I like them because they don't alter the look of the bike too much. I can live with that, knowing that I can at least fix a flat by myself in the middle of nowhere.
 
Since they were going for a classic look, spoked wheels make sense. Heck, a few years ago on bikes with cast wheels Harley offered spokes as an upgrade. In the modern era spoke wheels cost more than cast wheels. If you want cast ones, wait until the 2022's are out and I bet someone with stock cast wheels will want to trade for spokes because some people like spoke wheels better.
 
I too didn't realize the first edition had tube tires until after purchase - bummer, my bad. Tubeless tires are the gold standard these days.
 
Like you Calboy, I failed to pick up the tyres were tubed when I first looked at the R18.( My previous spoked Gs’s were tubeless) But I thought I had Bmw assist recovery for two years so would give it a try…..last week I had a rear puncture miles from any where, called Bmw assist and was still waiting for them to recovery me some 7hrs later! I then joined the AA and was back home within the hour. What is that all about?
I have raised a formal complaint against Bmw assist but to date haven’t heard anything from them.
Disappointed to say the least and it doesn’t give me confidence to use Bmw assist ever again.
Bunch of clowns….
 
The rear tire of my R 18 Classic had the misfortune to encounter a screw during the first 300 kilometres.
Luckily there was no rapid deflating and so it was when I wanted to leave the next day that I realized the thing.
Bmw assistance were effective in bringing the r18 on a tow truck to the nearest BMW motorrad dealership, see attached photo!
There the tire was repaired from the inside and the inner tube was replaced.
Cost of the operation: 45 euros.
I hope never to encounter nails or screws again because I don't want to fill the inner tube with whatever molasses!
 

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bryl56 said:
The rear tire of my R 18 Classic had the misfortune to encounter a screw during the first 300 kilometres.
Luckily there was no rapid deflating and so it was when I wanted to leave the next day that I realized the thing.
Bmw assistance were effective in bringing the r18 on a tow truck to the nearest BMW motorrad dealership, see attached photo!
There the tire was repaired from the inside and the inner tube was replaced.
Cost of the operation: 45 euros.
I hope never to encounter nails or screws again because I don't want to fill the inner tube with whatever molasses!
Click to expand...
Hope or Molasses,I would be more concerned the way they tied your bike on the flatbed.I have personally seen the frame damaged by pulling pressure on the bolt.It literally pulled out the center bolt where the bar attaches to the frame.The bike was a rental and the dealer had to order a new frame.
 
bryl56 said:
The rear tire of my R 18 Classic had the misfortune to encounter a screw during the first 300 kilometres.
Luckily there was no rapid deflating and so it was when I wanted to leave the next day that I realized the thing.
Bmw assistance were effective in bringing the r18 on a tow truck to the nearest BMW motorrad dealership, see attached photo!
There the tire was repaired from the inside and the inner tube was replaced.
Cost of the operation: 45 euros.
I hope never to encounter nails or screws again because I don't want to fill the inner tube with whatever molasses!
Click to expand...
Shocking! I presume you live in a first-world country? Where BMW Assist provided a tow service that ties a motorcycle down on its side-stand? Are either of them aware of the invention of the Motorcycle Wheel Chock, I wonder? Should we send some over from Africa?
 
estoma said:
Shocking! I presume you live in a first-world country? Where BMW Assist provided a tow service that ties a motorcycle down on its side-stand? Are either of them aware of the invention of the Motorcycle Wheel Chock, I wonder? Should we send some over from Africa?
Click to expand...
Absolutely!
 
Moxie said:
I too didn't realize the first edition had tube tires until after purchase - bummer, my bad. Tubeless tires are the gold standard these days.
Click to expand...
Outex(R) is the answer. R18C provided a link to Woody's Wheel Works in an earlier post. I get mine from Woody's since they cannot be had from Ronin (in Japan) any longer - that proprietor passed on I believe.

Outex can probably be deemed 'standard fitment' on potentially all period-correct Ducati's still running around on spoked wheels, quite a number of them doing track days as well - which bears particularly good testament given how hot motorcycle wheels get on track days. I often hear that Outex is OK for lighter rides like Ducati's but not on heavier rigs like H-Ds. I've got a set fitted on my 2015 Chief Vintage since 2016 already, absolutely no issue, and hope to fit same on my R18 and FLH before year-end. It is a lot of work, mind, but well worth it - cleaning, cleaning and then some more cleaning. I will post photos when I get around to it.

You cannot have wheels on the R18, laced like they are on a GS1250 or sold by aftermarket Keneo(R). It would be like wearing a t-shirt with your tux. Or a gilded bow-tie with shorts in the case of the Keneo hoops.
 
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