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Today I had a flat on the rear of my R75 at ~70 mph. That was exciting! Back end fishtailed until I was able to slow down (no brakes) and pull off the road. Dunno what caused it yet -- no obvious nails, etc. New tires and tubes with ~50 miles on them, installed by local BMW dealer.

Seeing as to how I'd rather not have that experience again (esp. with a front tire!), I've been thinking of options: 1) Slime or somesuch in tube, 2) Tubeless tires if it's possible to run them on wire spoked wheels, 3) cast wheels with tubeless tires, and 4) something else.

What to do? Thanx, guys.

A flat after 50 miles suggests a fitting problem so one option is to fit your own tires. It's not so difficult on wire wheels, harder on cast alloys.

BMW's early cast wheel (snowflakes) were not designed to be run tubeless because the rim profile doesn't have a hump that will retain the tire bead in the event of a puncture although many do run them without tubes. There are even companies that will seal a wire wheel for tubeless use but the same issues apply to the rim profile.

Sounds like the tube burst. Perhaps from being too small, or having been over inflated at fitting.
Pilot Activ rear?

I was told a long time ago to insist on natural rubber tubes - ONLY!
The reason being how the two react differently with a puncture, but that is not what you had.
Perhaps a faulty tube, near the stem, perhaps? A fold in the tube in installation?
Was it dynamically balanced after mounting?
Did the bike ride smooth for those 50 miles?

Yuck.

Well, I gather that my experience isn't typical. I hope this is true.

This month marks my 51st year of riding, and I can't remember having a flat before (I probably did decades ago, but uneventfully so I don't remember).

I'll pull the tire/tube/wheel apart myself and learn more.

Yes, the bike felt great before this event.

Stay tuned.

How about running tubeless tires?

Generally speaking, if you have good-quality tubes, and no foreign objects between the tube and the tire (other than some talcum powder), I think continuing to run tubes should be fine.

Tubeless on spokes? It has been done, I suppose. I haven't read much about it on this forum in a long time.

No need for an involved technical fix here; a properly-sized, correctly installed tube will be fine.

The real problem is that you can't assume that a roundel-festooned building contains anyone who knows what to do with your bike. The last BMW with tubed tires and wheels was built 31 years ago---probably ten years before the junior "tire tech" at your regional BMWNA "unit mover" was born. If you had a quick conversation with the lad, you'd probably find out that yours was only the (insert a single-digit number here) tube he ever put in---but, of course, you couldn't have that conversation because "our insurer requires that customers remain out of the mechanics' area for safety reasons---just have a seat and a cup of coffee in the waiting area, and our charming 'service writer' will let you know when your bike is 'done' ". Find a shop that can distinguish their butts from valve stem holes.

khittner1 wrote:No need for an involved technical fix here; a properly-sized, correctly installed tube will be fine.

The real problem is that you can't assume that a roundel-festooned building contains anyone who knows what to do with your bike. The last BMW with tubed tires and wheels was built 31 years ago---probably ten years before the junior "tire tech" at your regional BMWNA "unit mover" was born. If you had a quick conversation with the lad, you'd probably find out that yours was only the (insert a single-digit number here) tube he ever put in---but, of course, you couldn't have that conversation because "our insurer requires that customers remain out of the mechanics' area for safety reasons---just have a seat and a cup of coffee in the waiting area, and our charming 'service writer' will let you know when your bike is 'done' ". Find a shop that can distinguish their butts from valve stem holes.

BMW has been building bikes with tubes all this decade, and the last. Not sure there has ever been a time when what you said was true, but there may have been a few years in the 90's.

Abstruse1 wrote:. . .Seeing as to how I'd rather not have that experience again (esp. with a front tire!), I've been thinking of options: 1) Slime or somesuch in tube, 2) Tubeless tires if it's possible to run them on wire spoked wheels, 3) cast wheels with tubeless tires, and 4) something else.

You had a terrible experience and I can sure understand your need to never have that happen to you again. But I don't think you need creative solutions to 'fix' the problem. You don't know what caused your problem and that's a worry. However this forum has lots of airhead riders who have spoked wheels on their bikes (including me with one more than a few spoked wheeled airheads in their stables). And they haven't ever had a problem like the one you did. I suggest to you that a proper tire and proper tube, properly fitted to a good spoked wheel will serve you well from now on.

It would be interesting (more than interesting) to know what went wrong but that's unfortunately information that just isn't going to be available to you.

Ken

I Googled "natural rubber motorcycle inner tube" and came up with several hits.

I used to buy Metzler, exclusively.

Here is one on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Metzeler-Tube-4-6 ... zeler+tube

And here is a Michelin in 4.00 x 18: http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/61 ... C_ID=10010