nklr dot 3 v. dot 4, googling and a bit of what i knew...

[klr650a17l]

My KLR has tires designed for tubeless use (Conti TKC80), and tubes-- of course. I had them installed in a shop. What if I ever get a flat on a trail in the middle of nowhere? I.e., are tubeless tires harder to get off and on the rim with the usual hand tools I can bring on trips? Carsten 03 KLR 650 Sandy, Utah

[Mike Torst]

> -----Original Message----- > From: klr650a17l [mailto:carsmidt@...] > Subject: [DSN_klr650] Tubeless Tire Flat Repair > > My KLR has tires designed for tubeless use (Conti TKC80), and tubes-- > of course. I had them installed in a shop. > > What if I ever get a flat on a trail in the middle of nowhere? I.e., > are tubeless tires harder to get off and on the rim with the usual > hand tools I can bring on trips?

Reply ---------------------------------- Yes - One solution is to get a long tire spoon and 2 short ones - The leverage of the one long spoon will go a long way toward getting the process of tube repair/replacement on its way. Also, buy some milk in a plastic container. After you use it, rinse the container out and cut 3" x 3" (+-) sections of the material out of the to-be-discarded container to make rim protectors for the spoons. Breaking the bead is a big first step. I have a center stand, so using the center stand to support the KLR and then extending the side stand over the carcass of the tire and putting the side-stand foot on the tire near the rim will break the bead lose from my rim. SO many posts on others have posted ideas for tire-changing. I expect that several listers will provide very creative alternatives for you to consider. Mike Torst Las Vegas

> > Carsten > 03 KLR 650 > Sandy, Utah >

[Doug Pippin]

Carsten Yes the tubeless tires are harder to get off the rims and usually require a good bead breaker. You can sometimes get the bead broken by riding on the flat tire for a while although this doesn't always work. It will also heat up the tire making it easier to get the tire off the wheel. I recently had a flat rear tire with a tubeless tire and rode that thing foe several miles and the bead was still on the rim. Took the wheel off and a tire shop was able to break the bead and install a new tube i had with me. Doug ---------- At 08:15 PM 3/25/04, you wrote:

> Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 00:03:16 -0000 > From: "klr650a17l" >Subject: Tubeless Tire Flat Repair > >My KLR has tires designed for tubeless use (Conti TKC80), and tubes-- >of course. I had them installed in a shop. > >What if I ever get a flat on a trail in the middle of nowhere? I.e., >are tubeless tires harder to get off and on the rim with the usual >hand tools I can bring on trips? > >Carsten >03 KLR 650 >Sandy, Utah

---------- Doug Pippin 828-684-8488 dpippin5@... ---------- [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[bigfatgreenbike]

msaint@... wrote:

>I honestly don't know the specifics to your questions, but can tell you that >I've been using Valvoline Synvisc synthetic DOT 3 / 4 brake fluid right from >the start, and it's been good. I don't know how the one fluid can be DOT 3 >*and* 4, but that's what the bottle says... >

DOT 3 and DOT 4 are both glycol-ether based liquids. DOT 4 has "borate ester" in it to help limit water absorption. So if your brake system is DOT-4, you could theoretically use either one. If it's DOT-3, you're supposed to use DOT 3. If it says DOT 3 or 4, you could use either one. The dot 4 will have a higher "wet" boiling point at first, but then it will fall off until it's not really better than DOT 3. DOT3 and DOT4 are glycol-ether based, but DOT 5 is silicone based. This isn't hygroscopic like 3 or 4 , but it will allow any water that does get in the system to collect at a low point. This will more rapidly attack the inside of your brakes at that point, as opposed to 3 or 4 which absorbs the water uniformly, turns brown, and very slowly rots the inside of your entire braking system. This makes the DOT 5 a good option for an antique car which is hardly ever driven, stored indoors in the dry, and for which the cost of the expensive DOT 5 and the replacement of every seal and hose is not such a consideration. And DOT 5 is slightly compressible, giving a mushy pedal even when fresh and properly bled. Where it gets confusing is DOT 5.1. This is a glycol-ether liquid, compatible with DOT 3 and 4. NOT mixable with DOT 5. -- Devon Brooklyn, NY A15-Z '01 KLR650 '81 SR500 cafe racer "The truth's not too popular these days....." Arnold Schwarzenneger, in The Running Man