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Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



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  #61  
Old 3 Jan 2016
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I'd like to hear Tim's thoughts too on how his 690 felt when fully loaded riding paved roads with the Bib in.

From what I've heard from Bib Mousse users, Bib's are roughly equivalent to 12 to 14 PSI. That is pretty low ...but perfect off road if bike not too heavy. But on paved road? You may feel "squirm" or movement on a loaded bike, dunno, never ran them myself. Perhaps there are now Bibs offered to HIGHER equivalent pressures? Anyone know?

I think the trick is to keep speeds down on highway, keep bike as light as possible. Like under 60 mph and under 450 lbs. Off road it's unlikely you'd be carrying very high speed traveling ... so should be OK there.

You could also try "Tire Balls", where pressure is adjustable over a short range.
Tire Balls — Frequently Asked Questions

Friends that have run Dakar both in Africa and S. America had No budget teams. They managed to get two or even three days out of ONE BIB. Sponsored teams change the Bib everyday. But in S. America there are fewer very high speed road sections like they had in Africa, shorter distances, lower speeds going from 1000cc bikes down to 450's. Big difference.

So keep the temps down, Bib's should last ... Problem is .. at 14 PSI on a 500 lbs. bike, the weight will generate heat at speed or on rough going, high speed tracks. I would go for it but still carry a tube, just in case.

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  #62  
Old 3 Jan 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ta-rider View Post
Yes i was talking about serios offroad like streets in India with big holes and sharp edges etc were the tire gets bend. So far a plug never made this very long. First I replaced them again and again but the final solution was allways a tube...
I get what you're saying!
Baja has many sharp edge holes, embedded rocks and such.
This is one of 3 wheel dents I got from hidden, embedded rocks hit at around 70 mph. Not good.

But tire plug (string plug) held OK and so did bead. Like it never happened, rode another 1500 miles with dented rim.

It could be your technique is not perfect on plug installation. Plug must fit in TIGHT ... with lots of rubber cement used. Some plugs are not good, but I never had a String Plug come out .... I had one leak one time, but not come out. The little mushroom type plugs (Like in the Tire Plug kit) can sometimes come out if they don't fit puncture hole well.
So I think it depends on a few things here ... and why I carry TWO plug kits when riding tubeless tire bikes.
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  #63  
Old 3 Jan 2016
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lowrider1263 View Post
Tim when you finished your trip on the Michelin Bib mousses last year what's your thoughts on them, Did you feel the bike moved around with and without luggage, was the bike stable in corners on the road or did it move a little.
I have two KTM 690Rs, a 2013 in Spain with mousses, and a 2014 in the UK on normal tubes. BIB mousses are supposed to be quite hard and I can't feel any difference between the two bikes, either with or without luggage.

The quote below is from the AdventureBikeRider thread I posted earlier...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike54
If you run desert mousses the feeling is pretty much the same as tubes. Bear in mind that the "equivalent psi" of a mousse that the manufacturers list is pretty much a guess and obviously changes due to weight of bike, rider, speed, heat, terrain etc, it's just a guide.

If you run mousses and the bike feel squirrelly on the road it's because either the mousse wasn't installed properly, or you're running a mousse and tyre combination that doesn't work.

If anyone is interested I can list what tyres I know for sure "work" with what mousses (because I've used them myself). Michelin says only use their mousses with their tyres, well they would, wouldnt they? Fact is they work in a number of tyres, but for a combined road and offroad trip, it's important that the mousse is tight in the tyre, if it's slack or loose it'll heat up and break down much faster.

By way of example, last year I did 8,000 miles on one set of mousses at a variety of speeds, in hot temperatures and on various terrain including road miles at speed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Talons View Post
I can see their benefits on short trips to Morocco but I have never hear of anyone using these on long distance travels.
The Morocco trip was 7,800 km and the mousses are still in, 1,000 km later. Hardly a short trip but I can see the problem getting new tyres and mousses if you were riding to the 'stans and back.

One technique is to take a small section of an old mousse with you, then cut the worn mousse and insert the small segment to tighten everything up again. A bit like the way you pack out old cush drive rubbers with an old inner tube.
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  #64  
Old 3 Jan 2016
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I've got a spare set of wheels I try running them on the xt just to see how the bike reacts road and off road, I've never used them so it will be interesting, I do all my tyre fitting in my shed replacing inner tubes doesn't bother me I'm thinking on the weight side.
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  #65  
Old 3 Jan 2016
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I can really see the reasons for having these, and if there is a problem then it's more than likely it would be the back mouse, inner tubes are alway available across the stans if needed, then there's Iain he will be on his Tenere he will be using inner tubes
My second part of the journey is across America the TAT these seem readerly available there, cheaper than in the uk.

If no one has done it on mouses then I can report back later in year to let you know how it went or how it didn't.lol
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  #66  
Old 3 Jul 2016
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Gs rdc

Quote:
Originally Posted by *Touring Ted* View Post
My two pence worth...
Another tip... If you're a GS rider, DO NOT run RDC pressure sensors. They are the flimsiest things in the world. They snap off just by looking at them and make tyre changing even more difficult. There is a special way to change tyres with them on a machine so you don't destroy them. Someone with no experience of them will probably tear them off on a tyre machine..

I've lost count of the amount of bikes that end up at our place on recovery trucks after the poor owner snapped off the aluminium valve stem with very little force. You can't repair them and you need to re-valve the wheel. Try that on the side of the motorway...

All so you can see your tyre pressures on your dash board....
G'day all - I'd be interested to know now people are changing their tyres which are fitted with the RDC or TPMS.

What tips are out there to remove the and replace the tyre safely without damage to the RDC?

I'm on the verge of deciding if I should remove the RDC totally and re-valve the rim in preparation for an outback ride.

I also see the HU Meeting will be in Jindabyne NSW later in 2016 - great stuff, hope to meet people there.

Cheers
Dave
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