Slow leak...driving me nuts.

[ken farr]

Hello all:

  I have had my current rear tire for @ 3,000 mi. and have had a slow leak ever since.  I have changed the valve core, valve stem and using water I cannot find the leak.

  Nothing in the tread area, no sign of a leak along the circumference, but it is leaking, now @ 5+ lbs. a day.

  I am thinking of trying a new tire, however I am open to suggestions......

 Tubless tire-wheel on 06 B1100.

kjf

[oldbike54]

Ken , have you tried checking the rim with the water test ?

  Dusty

[ken farr]

Yep.
Can't see any bubbles......and I wait a while.

( maybe not long enough...... :BEER:)

I will probably take the tire off on Sat., inspect the rim very carefully, and if I can't find anything, I'll try a new tire.

I was hoping against all common sense that someone had a secret silver bullet fix.

kjf

[Vagrant]

I suspect you nicked the bead when installing. fill it with slime carry a compressor and ride it.

[fotoguzzi]

  slime 

[pressureangle]

use dishsoap and water in a spray bottle. Fill the tire to max recommended pressure and spray everything. If you don't find it that way, dismount the rim and remove the wheel bearings, check in the bearing bore. I saw a Suzuki wheel once that had a crack in it between a spoke and the hub that leaked out through the bearings. It had been crashed a few times, so it seems unlikely yours would be that way but soap don't lie.

[amamet]

Reminds me of an old slow leak I had years ago.  Had a hyperdermic needle broken off in the tire. Talk about slow leak. Ask me how I found it...better yet ask the mechanic who found it as he ran his hand along the inside of the tire.  Ah, old New York city

[lucian]

Nothing  a tube wont fix. Is it a tubeless spoke rim?

[Wayne Orwig]

Are you using winter air?

[Robert]

I had a Michelin car tire (set of 4 actually) that leaked at the bead due to a not smooth mold seam (radial orientation).

Tire shop painted a little glue on that area when seating.  Fixed it.

Then, when I would have a flat fixed, I would say they needed to put some glue on the bead.  Nope, you're wrong, etc.

Till it bubbled soap at the rim and they would unmount and add glue.

Got Toyos next.

[ken farr]

Are you using winter air?

 :bow

The Silver Bullet fix I was hoping for.

kjf

[Moto Fugazzi]

I just used NAPA bead sealer on my front wheel that leaked. Thread here: http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=73466.0
Monkey Grip also makes a can of it as well for under $10.
Ken

[tris]

Worst case - is the rim cracked?

A mate of mine had a car tyre that kept going flat and eventually found by X-ray a crack propagating between the wheel nut holes

[Doppelgaenger]

[blackcat]

Reminds me of an old slow leak I had years ago.  Had a hyperdermic needle broken off in the tire. Talk about slow leak. Ask me how I found it...better yet ask the mechanic who found it as he ran his hand along the inside of the tire.  Ah, old New York city

Riding on the Lower East Side?

[normzone]

This pirate walks into a bar with a big ship's wheel down his pants.

The bartender says "Excuse me, but do you know you have a ship's wheel down the front of your pants?"

And the pirate says...

[ken farr]

...found the leak.

Dunk tank didn't show anything.

Spray bottle/soapy water showed 3 spots on one side of the bead wasn't sealed.

Bought some bead sealer from the local mom-pop auto parts store...and all is good.

Life is good again, birds are chirping and flowers are blooming.

kjf

[normzone]

"Aarrr...it's driving me nuts."

[Jim Rich]

Are you sure you weren't nuts before all this tire stuff got started?

[EvanM]

Change out the valves. Mine leaked 15lbs/week, and after changing to a valve that has 2 o-rings, instead of the single one the stockers use, I'm only losing about 5lbs/month.