Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

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Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

Postby endobobdds » Tue May 11, 2010 10:06 pm

Attended the BMWSporttouring's Spring Blue Ridge Rendezvous and had a another great long weekend in southwestern North Carolina.

Thanks to BMWBMW tech days and special help from Jim Bates and Dave Holt my K1200RS had new tires, 30K service and was performing better than when it was new!

I left early Wednesday and took slab for the first 400 miles and than took some great back roads and part of the Blueridge Parkway for the next 200 miles west of Boone, NC (including the well known "snake") until I reached a friends home for the night NW of Ashville. Meet up with the BMWST folks on Thursday and rode Deal's Gap, the Cherohala Skyway, Wayah Road, and route 28, and some of the other wonderful roads near Dillsboro were the BRR hotel location was this year. Thursday and Friday I was on the top of my game!

Saturday 4 of us took off for Roan Mountain, TN. After some of best high speed 2 hours of switch back mountain riding that I have ever done, I was leading the group down the mountain into some long gentle sweepers (likely about 60 miles/hr) when I heard and felt a load bang that I assumed was a rock popping off my front tire. Within 10 - 15 seconds the front wheel started to shake! I was able to reduce speed quickly but soon had difficulty in steering! I was lucky! No sharp turns, traffic, or mountain drop offs just a wide sweeper with room to pull off and stop the bike!

Front tire completely out of air. Bike on center stand, tire inspection showed no signs of cuts, punctures, etc. Got the compressor out and the tire held air with no sign of tire damage! However, I noticed if I moved the valve stem air escaped! Not sure how, but the valve stem had split at the rim. With a couple of stops to put more air into the tire, the GPS got us back to civilization in about 15 miles where I was able to purchase a valve stem and find a tire shop that said they could repair the tire. They were able to use a couple of tire irons and move the tire over far enough to remove the old value stem and put in the new one without taking the wheel off the bike. The whole operation took less than 10 minutes! After a quick lunch we were back on our way up to Roan Mountain. :D

I will always carry an extra valve stem!
Bob Smyth
'18 GSA, Triple Black
'04 K1200RS (Blue/White)
'02 K1200RS (Black - retired :cry: )
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Re: Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

Postby BKling » Tue May 11, 2010 10:25 pm

Very fortunate on several counts. Spares can come in handy.
Bryant


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Re: Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

Postby JimVonBaden » Tue May 11, 2010 10:39 pm

Bob,

Didn't we change your valve stems? Or am I thinking someone else? I have changed about 5 sets of tires recently, so I might be mistaken.

Anyhow, I suggest aluminum valve stems. They pretty much never go bad, and never leak!

Glad it worked out for you!

Jim :brow
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Re: Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

Postby endobobdds » Wed May 12, 2010 12:25 am

JimVonBaden wrote:Bob,

Didn't we change your valve stems? Or am I thinking someone else? I have changed about 5 sets of tires recently, so I might be mistaken.

Anyhow, I suggest aluminum valve stems. They pretty much never go bad, and never leak!

Glad it worked out for you!

Jim :brow


Jim,

I know we changed one of them, however, I'm nut sure if we changed both. Don't the metal valve stems still have rubber gaskets that can go bad or leak?
Bob Smyth
'18 GSA, Triple Black
'04 K1200RS (Blue/White)
'02 K1200RS (Black - retired :cry: )
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Re: Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

Postby JimVonBaden » Wed May 12, 2010 8:22 am

endobobdds wrote:
JimVonBaden wrote:Bob,

Didn't we change your valve stems? Or am I thinking someone else? I have changed about 5 sets of tires recently, so I might be mistaken.

Anyhow, I suggest aluminum valve stems. They pretty much never go bad, and never leak!

Glad it worked out for you!

Jim :brow


Jim,

I know we changed one of them, however, I'm nut sure if we changed both. Don't the metal valve stems still have rubber gaskets that can go bad or leak?


You know what, you might be right. We may have only chaged one of them.

Anyhow, the metal valve stems do have a rubber sealing surface. However, the rubber is not exposed to UV or Ozone and road grime and so won't break down at anywhere near the rate of a regular rubber valve stem. Years and many thousands of miles.


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Re: Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

Postby Unity » Wed May 12, 2010 10:14 pm

The same thing happened on my RT's front the one time our son was here and riding with me. We were headed for a 211-first and Fort Valley Rd-second ride, stopped at the gathering point for Crest Hill Rd cleanups, when we heard this sudden pop and squeal. Likewise found it only after manipulating the valve stem. I wrapped electrical tape all over the thing, then applying the Cycle Pump about every 10 miles got us home.

Anybody have recommendations on where to get angled aluminum stems? The kind you can check and fill from the side? Any particular brand? I want to switch both bikes at their next tire changes.

--John
(If you have rubber valve stems, change them with every tire change. No arguing, just do it.)
2002 R1150RT, Silver
Silver, the "cool and aloof" color.
(Road & Track Vol. 56, No.2, p. 19)

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Re: Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

Postby JimVonBaden » Thu May 13, 2010 8:30 am

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Re: Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

Postby Chiba » Thu May 13, 2010 10:03 am

I have a set of those angled valve stems on my bike, they work great. Never had a problem with them since installing them.

--chiba
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Re: Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

Postby Unity » Thu May 13, 2010 10:33 am

JimVonBaden wrote:http://www.bikebandit.com/k-l-aluminum-tire-valve-stem?WT.mc_id=1484958&CAWELAID=467113878

Image

Jim :brow

Thanks, Jim. They come in 8mm and 10mm, and it says Ducatis and Triumphs use 8mm. I guess that means I want 10mm, huh?

--John
2002 R1150RT, Silver
Silver, the "cool and aloof" color.
(Road & Track Vol. 56, No.2, p. 19)

1971 Triumph Bonneville, Gold
Gold, the "paying the restorer" color.
(Trust me.)
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Re: Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

Postby JimVonBaden » Thu May 13, 2010 11:04 am

Unity wrote:
JimVonBaden wrote:http://www.bikebandit.com/k-l-aluminum-tire-valve-stem?WT.mc_id=1484958&CAWELAID=467113878

Image

Jim :brow

Thanks, Jim. They come in 8mm and 10mm, and it says Ducatis and Triumphs use 8mm. I guess that means I want 10mm, huh?

--John


Correct.

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Re: Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

Postby endobobdds » Fri May 14, 2010 5:14 pm



Never realized that there are so many different type of valve stems!

Thanks for the information Jim. I think I'll order a couple for the next tire change. :D
Bob Smyth
'18 GSA, Triple Black
'04 K1200RS (Blue/White)
'02 K1200RS (Black - retired :cry: )
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Re: Valve Stems - Yes this is a Ride Story!

Postby Unity » Fri May 14, 2010 8:15 pm

I got an email today saying that mine have shipped. :D

--John
2002 R1150RT, Silver
Silver, the "cool and aloof" color.
(Road & Track Vol. 56, No.2, p. 19)

1971 Triumph Bonneville, Gold
Gold, the "paying the restorer" color.
(Trust me.)
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