Hey guys, I am pleased to report Woody's is still sealing rims here in Denver. I just got my wheels back- new rims, spokes, nipples- they look amazing. Problem is, Woody explained they are only sealing the 19" wheel, not the 21." Woody gave me a tour of the new shop. To seal the rear wheel they use a type of silicone that takes some 48 hours to set. They prefer not to seal the front rim as they had several failures in the past. They are currently working on an ironclad solution for the 21'' rim. Woody advises carrying a tube in case the sealing fails, though he says they have the rear wheel dialed in these days. Woody is semi-retired now and his Son Chris is stepping in. They are both terrific fellows and their product is fantastic. Patrick, if you get that sealant thing worked out I imagine you could make quite a bundle on the side sealing West Coast rims! I had 4 punctures over the last 50,000 miles- the rear tire EVERY time. I look forward to plugging instead of levering. Now watch, the next 4 punctures will surely be the FRONT- still tubed- tire! H.

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I'm glad this was mentioned! I had a wheel built by Woody, a really nice 2.15-21" for my R100 GS. It was sealed as mentioned previously. With a TKC-80, i had three blow-outs in as many days, all at 80MPH!! After the third, the sealant was completely de-laminated. i removed it and fitted a tube. I contacted Woody and was told that they have been having problems with the TKC's sealing onto the bead, i could never find a leak (soapy water) and all blow-outs were quite instant. Truth is, i'm really not sure what failed, the sealant or the tire.
If i was to seal a rim, i would use Sikoflex marine sealant. First buff the aluminum with a stainless wire wheel to give the sealant some tooth, apply sealant and let it cure. Sikoflex will stick to aluminum permanantly, so this is a one way trip! Remember that the space where the spokes go is required for removing the tire, so your sealant could easily become damaged if your not careful.

... was told that they have been having problems with the TKC's sealing onto the bead..


Thanks for reminder as I'm about to try this. I presume you were using a TL TKC front, not an old TT or Tube Type (easily missed when ordering as I just found out)? Not that I'm sure what the difference in bead surfaces might be but I imagine the carcass of a TL tyre is better made to deal with plugs: here a rear TL TKC is 30% more expensive than a TT in the same size which one hopes is reassuring.

i could never find a leak (soapy water) and all blow-outs were quite instant. Truth is, i'm really not sure what failed, the sealant or the tire.

Would the marginally bigger diametre of a 21" make more centrifugal force to help delaminate it if it was not cured/stuck on well? Though would not tyre pressure hold it in place [did i mention this earlier?]? Even if it delaminated all at once would enough air leak out via the nipples to cause and instant blow out as you say?

If i was to seal a rim, i would use Sikoflex marine sealant. First buff the aluminum with a stainless wire wheel to give the sealant some tooth, apply sealant and let it cure. Sikoflex will stick to aluminum permanantly, so this is a one way trip!

Found 'Sikaflex Sealant 291'. Looks like '3M 5200' but 30% cheaper.

Remember that the space where the spokes go is required for removing the tire, so your sealant could easily become damaged if your not careful.

I would put the rim tape back over the sealant and/or wrap on some duct tape.

Ch

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

I was seriously considering changing tubes to tubeless on my ‘16 Africa Twin. Watched a few vids and all looked good. Rang Lightfoot Engineering in Melbourne- tyre and rim guru (my description, not his) and asked his opinion as to whether it was a good idea. Answer - No! He said that he doesn’t recommend it and has seen various issues arising from the conversion. I think he now refuses to do them. He spoke also about the BMW rims with offset spokes and said some of those rims ( depending on the bike’s year model) were not without problems either. He suggested that putting in bicycle tube sealant in through the valve of a tube ( if using them) adds a slight safety inclusion, hopefully creating a slower leak rather than a fast leak as can happen when tubes blow. Be careful of thickish tubes- added heat generation. It’s tubes for me. If I had a BM with the modern rim, I’d probably use tubeless though.

Your tyre guru's reaction is not uncommon from someone in the tyre and wheel trade but not offering this service.
Or are you saying he did it, but stopped? And if yes, what technique did he use?
I can see if it was unreliable, he'd have to stop letting customers down if he could not find a better way.
DIY, and you are your own boss.

And yes, squeezing sealant into the tube is commonly done.
Bottles of Slime or similar come with a Schrader nozzle to make it easy. I do it to all my tubed bikes; for a few quid it's a no-brainer. But I now hear from others and have found myself Slime etc can soften and delaminate the sealant. Won't use it now. If it's leaking a bit it has not been done right. Try again until it does. Slime/etc is a short cut that may bite back on some sealants.



BMW have had problem wheels (cracking alloys) since I first started biking, but what are the actual problems with BMW outboard spoke rims?
Is it to do with the spokes or the TL seal?
I certainly feel that outboard spokes (750GS below) are in a more vulnerable position in rocky terrain, and heavy bikes ridden hard or carelessly at too low psi or on soft-wall tyres will damage rims for sure.
A hard-riding KTM big-twin mate ruined his stock wheels.

Matters are over-complicated by attempting to seal a 'sieve' when a perfectly good bowl is sat right alongside!
Cast wheel does the job perfectly.
People will now jump in, parroting the 'spokes are better off-road' myth. On a 110-kilo KDX200, absolutely.
But on a GS12 or AT or Pan Am at way more than double the weight...?
It's an unfortunate clash of looks/marketing (spokes = rufty-tufty off-road) vs safety (TL).
The whole 'adventure motorcycling' phenomenon in a nutshell ;-)
You can add cost too: OE TL spoked rims using flanges or outboard cost way more.

Talking of ATwins, I DIY sealed the rear of my 2018 for a long desert trip with no complaints. Sat for a year and a half, it still held air.
https://adventure-motorcycling.com/2...-for-tubeless/


A 21-er upfront has historically been trickier to DIY; I would sooner get it professionally sealed with Airtight (see link below)

As you will know, the 1100 AT now has TLs all-round because inner tubes are an anachronism.
When did regular cars last use inner tubes?

The great thing is, converting to TL is a choice.
For a regular riding around where you can call in a recovery if you can't fix your own flat, why bother.
The crux is to do it well (link above) or get it done professionally.
I bet someone in Ozzie is offering such services.

For a travel bike operating alone out in the sticks, autonomy is important.
The ability to fix a roadside flat and be rolling again in 10 minutes adds peace of mind in the face of the many other challenges on the road.

Pages and pages on this interesting topic here.

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

My experience with the Outex kit, installed on stock rims from a 2008 Suzuki DR650.
Installed late 2021 @ 38k miles on the odometer, with minor prep of the inner wheel/rim surface: smoothing the rough weld seam and cleaning with mineral spirits. Followed the instructions from the Outex kit. I run pressures in the mid-30s and don't adjust for offroad. Riding environment is southern Arizona USA, high-speed (for what it is) freeway burns and offroad day trips on fairly tame 2-track. Zero issues, zero leaks or punctures. Tires are Dunlop Trailmax Missions in stock sizes.
Mid-April of 2024, I departed for a RTW ride from Arizona, bike shod with new Trailmax Missions, pressures at 35 front/39 rear cold. About 90 lbs of travel gear between all of the bags and boxes. 200lbs of rider including gear. 6.5 gallon fuel tank. I have a TPMS installed (Sykik Rider from Amazon) with fresh batteries installed in the sensors. I made it to Islamabad in early July, having lost about 5 lbs of pressure in both tires...I didn't need to add air at all. Riding conditions were pretty much a bit of everything: Primarily tarmac at moderate speeds, with some gnarly offroad in the Balkans and pavement of varying qualities as I went through eastern Turkey, Kurdistan and Pakistan (especially the southern part).
At about 11k miles on these tires, there is still about 15% of usable tread left (eyeball estimate...we all know the last bit goes away faster than you'd like/expect.)
Summary: The Outex kit has treated my very well, particularly coupled with the Trailmax Mission tires.

I've found a great solution to the spoked tubeless wheels conundrum.
Buy a bike with OEM spoked TL ;-))

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Morocco Overland 4 (2025) • Trans Morocco Trail

Since unlike Chris I'm not going to buy a new motorbike, I can see an outex kit in my future for the Himalayan based on this endorsement (I missed the post before somehow)

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FreeBSD fan since before it was cool ...

At some point I am going to get my backside into gear and do the change on my Guzzi V85TT. The rims have the safety bead so they are good for the job.
I'm not going the Outex route - but a version of. I have the correct tape 3M Extreme Sealing Tape 4411N 75mm wide together with sealing tyre valves and some silicon rubber for true belts and braces. I have printed off some covers for the nipple on the end of my spokes on my 3D printer so that I will be able to adjust the spokes without disturbing the tape (the nipple spins under the cover).

The hold up is just finding time to do it - I seem to be busy the whole time at the moment. I look back at the hassle caused by my punctures in the tubes last year and I don't want the same again - I can seal a leak and insert plug in 20 minutes - less if I don't if stop for a cup of tea part way through.

I may do a video of the process to show that even a muppet can doo it. Or not as the case may be!

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You will have to do without pocket handkerchiefs, and a great many other things, before we reach our journey's end, Bilbo Baggins. You were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire, but home is now behind you. The world is ahead.

How did you get on..? Any advice before I dive in? Is there a video? Cheers