V7/V7 II Special/Racer Inner Tubes

[rob-mg]

Does anyone know what the stock inner tubes are for the Pirelli Sport Demon 18" and 17" tires for these bikes? Presumably they're Pirellis, but which tubes/specs? In the U.S., it looks like Pirelli makes a perfect match for the 18" tire, and a close match for the 17", but I don't know what tubes are included in the stock bike.

This information is not available in the Owner's Manual nor in the Service Station Manual.

Also, what's your view on running heavy duty (thick) tubes on these bikes, at speeds not more than about 60 mph/100 kph, and usually quite a bit less (a heat issue) as puncture protection?

Thanks

[pyoungbl]

I don't think that thicker tubes will make the tires less likely to be punctured and leak air.  Anything that cuts through the actual tire won't be stopped by a mere tube.   The thicker tube will also be a bit harder to get on the rim.....not impossible, just less flexible.

[clubman]

My '09 V7C came from the factory with Metzler tires and Pirelli tubes. Go figure, I think they just grab whatever is in the warehouse. Since then I have used Sport Demon tires and Michelin Airstop tubes, (Michelin #17MI rear and 18MFR front) with no problems. These tubes are expensive and heavy duty. They will easily last through 2 or 3 tires and still look like new. The other way to go is cheap Taiwanese tubes, which usually hold up OK. I WOULD replace those tubes at every tire change. Other's here will of course have exactly opposite opinions. Any quality tube/tire combo will keep you safe and that's what is important. P.S. Also agree that super duty tubes do not offer extra puncture resistance.

[Bisbonian]

I don't have much to add other than to suggest you make sure what sort of rubber your chosen tubes are made of.
Last summer a few of us took a trip down into Mexico. One of the guys picked up a bolt at a gas station which punctured his tube. We patched the tube in the parking lot and thought we did a good job but when we got everything back together the tire went flat.

We took the wheel over to the llantera across the street where the tire guy found the patch had not held. We figured we just did it wrong and let him do a professional job.

The next morning we went on our way but at our first rest stop found the offending tire was low again. We rode to the closest llantera, 80 miles distant, in 10 miles spurts. We'd pump up the tire, take off, and then stop when the tire began to look low again. We got to another llantera and found the previous patch had not held. At this llantera we patched the tube a few times but the patch let go almost immediately as the glue would not stick to the rubber of the tube.

We ended up getting a ride 30 miles up the road to a shop who could vulcanize the patch using heat. This ended up being the fix to it all and the patch held after that.

A bit of research led to finding there were a couple of different types of rubber used in tubes. I can't remember the specifics now but one type allowed for easy roadside patches and one type didn't. Obviously we had the type that didn't.

[Rough Edge racing]

 Natural rubber tubes aren't supposed to tear when punctured like a synthetic tube...So in theory a nail puncture leaks more slowly....I also found natural rubber tubes leak a bit and require regular air pressure checks

[Dean Rose]

Pirelli/Metzeler same pocket.

Dean

[Penderic]

You can never be too careful.

 

[rob-mg]

Thanks for these replies. Very helpful.