Unpuncturable tires?

**indu** · #1 23 Jan 2003

Forgive me if this has been an issue on this forum earlier, but I have to ask:

A Norwegian participating in this year's Paris-Dakar on his KTM 660 was asked this on a net-chat:

"The cars in the rally are bringing their own spare tyres. What do you guys on bikes do if you have a puncture?"

To which he replied:

"We cannot have punctures. We have a rubber inlay in the tyres which makes a puncture virtually impossible."

What have I missed here? So they have this super anti-puncture solution that is so easy they even can change tyres every night between the stages as well?? Can someone please enlighten me?

Take care out there!
Indu

[This message has been edited by indu (edited 22 January 2003).]

**Grant Johnson** · #2 23 Jan 2003

It's called a mousse, and is essentially a hunk of foam that takes the place of air. A bit of a sod to install, but can't go flat.

HOWEVER it is useless for us, as it is absolutely NOT for road use, and tends to fail at high speed. Top recommended speed is 130kph. Many Dakar competitors have had failures of the mousse.

Someday maybe, but not yet.

------------------
Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
------------------------

One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

**indu** · #3 23 Jan 2003

Thanks, Grant.
Yes, I've heard a bit or two about this mousse. But I have a feeling this is not what he was talking about. He said "rubber inlay" - and they DO high speeds in the PD. His KTM 660 did some 150-160 km/t at the best parts of the route. Some of his competitors, riding the new KTM 950 (Fabrizio Meoni, among others), were doing some 20-30 km/t above that. Is this something other than mousse? Mousse is often a messy thing. These guys changed their tyres every night. Would this be practical when using messy mousse?

Best regards
Indu

**RichLees** · #4 24 Jan 2003

bib mousses are solid rather than foaming messes. they can go faster, but they do overheat and disintegrate. John Deacon reckoned he hit 192kmh once, but the mousse went to dust. they break down with slower use too. I was told 1000km max so not much use on a long trip!

I met a couple of Italians in Algeria: 7 years and no punctures! they run Michelin Deserts at 3-3.5 bar (45-55psi) front and rear. while this initially sounded extreme to me, I bent my front wheel and they didn't! I'll try it next trip.

for good protection, try heavy duty tubes which protect against pinches and rocks with slime for thorns, but check you have what it takes to repair butyl tubes: we had real trouble with patches coming off butyl heavy duty tubes.

**usl** · #5 24 Jan 2003

Hi ;

As being someone who is afraid of punctures like hell ( just like everyone else ) made intensive search for preventing it.

Conclusion which i have reached.
- Use Michelin Desert or Metzeler MCE Karoo
- Use heavy duty tubes as they are %150 thicker then normal. Standart is 1 mm. and the heavy type is 2,5 mm.
- Slime is something which i couldnt accept using it. But would love to admit that i am wrong under undeniable evidence and start using it ..

**Geoff van de Merwe** · #6 24 Jan 2003

Another option is to 'double up' on your tube.
Split your old, punctured tube and place it over the new one, thus doubling the thickness.

**RichLees** · #7 24 Jan 2003

Geoff - we chose to do this recently and it was exactly the right thing to do! Neil's Tenere was having punctures and the tyre was, frankly, falling apart - there were 5 splits in the side wall and tread! when the valve ripped out of the penultimate tube, we cut the tube as you suggest in order to protect the final tube from the damaged tyre. when we took a look in Djanet, the tyre splits had chewed through the protective inner tube, but left the air-filled tube intact. without this bodge, Neil would have almost certainly been stranded unless we'd all got naked and packed his tyre with our clothes ;-)

as for Slime, I'm not 100% sold on it. I don't use it myself: I use heavy tubes and stay away from trees!

**indu** · #8 24 Jan 2003

Thank you all for good advices. I had to ask the PD guy what - exactly - he filled his tyre with. And, as RichLees correctly writes, it is solid mousse. Splitting the old tube to reinforce the new one sounds like a good idea. I'll have to try it.

Take care, folks.

Best regards
Indu

**POB/London** · #9 29 Jan 2003

Hi guys!

I believe Bridgestone now do an H-D tube that's a massive 4mm in thickness!

I have had good experience with slime on moutain bike tyres, where the pressures are higher and thorn holes are *relatively* bigger (a smaller loss of air has larger effect). I think I will use it on my trip.

The MCE Karoo isn't a particularly tough tyre - my pair cut to shreds on 6000km of shale and gravel (with some asphalt

). The Mich Desert is much tougher.

Beware of overheating when doubling-up with tubes - it may double the internal friction!

**Frank on AT** · #10 29 Jan 2003

Living in Bolivia and riding a Afrika Twin I would like to add my experience here.

In Bolivia I can only get the Pirellis, which do not last that long (around 8.000km like the Michelins (around 14.000).
I had now after 53.000 km riding on this continent (30' on Pirellis, 23' on Michelins)over 20-times a flat back tyre - always with the Pirellis, never with a Michelin.

Last trip to Brasil, guess what I bought...

Take care

Frank

**aukeboss** · #11 17 Feb 2003

Now that's interesting Richlees:
I have been using heavy duty tibes and having trouble patching them. I used the ordinary tip-top patches and glue.
What is your solution to the problem?

Auke