blowing out the cobwebs...

[hubcapsc]

What with the cold and one thing and another, I haven't ridden in several weeks. Gotta
ride 'em to keep 'em running good...

I decided to ride to Church and then go for a ride after...

Fired up in one button press 

Front tire was almost flat 

So I just drove to Church... afterwards I filled the tire up to 42 (with my new 100ft
flexilla air hose) and sprayed water from a squirt bottle all over the tire, and in the
valve stem, but I couldn't find a reason for the low air pressure. We'll see in
a few days...

I headed out for some roads I used to ride when I first got the Valkyrie...

2007...



62,000 miles later...



And it sure does run GOOD.

-Mike

[MarkT]

Didja replace the OEM valve stem with good, all metal ones yet?  The OEM ones all crack and leak, doesn't take long either.  Most of my air loss issues have been due to those stems until I replaced them.  Jake Wilson sells them among others.

[Bighead]

Exactly what I was gonna say. I had one crack and it only leaked while the tire was rotating.

[Patrick]

Along similar lines, grab hold of the valve stem and give it a good wiggle.  They should be changed at least every 5 years, just my opinion of course.

[hubcapsc]

Yep, I have had good metal stems ever since 2007, though back then I used
these much more awkward 45 degree ones from Summit...

Come to think of it, though, I sprayed water in my valve stem and looked
for bubbles, but not around it. I have the nut-on-the-inside kind, I never heard
of one getting loose, but I guess it is possible. My tires were right on my
last ride, so there's some reason it went down below 20 lbs since then.
And it has rideon in it.



-Mike "I wonder if I could get my bike that shiny now?  "

[Big Al of Tennessee]

Remove tire, sit it in a small swimming pool. You will find that leak.

[Jess from VA]

Dish soap in warm water makes better/bigger bubbles, and a lot easier to find.

Run it to 55 psi if you have to, let it out when done.  Also easier with the tire off the ground.

My tires were down too (cold)... not below 20.

Got in 70 miles myself.  Woohoo

[hubcapsc]

Dish soap in warm water makes better/bigger bubbles, and a lot easier to find.

My water was from from a bottle that had been outside, was partly frozen.

I checked the pressure a bit ago, still good. If it goes down again, I'll put 10 lbs
extra in it and use dish soapy water, good idea. Taking the wheel off to change
the tire is as often as I want to take the wheel off,  I'll hate to resort to the
swimming pool idea...

-Mike

[hubcapsc]

I used the soapy water today.

The leak is the valve stem... I'll have to pinch the tire off the bead and tighten it.

I tried just spinning it, hoping that it would tighten some and the bubbles would quit,
no such luck.

Generally, with rubber grommets, there's such a thing as too tight, deforming the
grommet out of shape.

... and there's not tight enough 

-Mike

[old2soon]

If they have been on since 07 might be time to install new ones. You compress a flexible material to get it to seal. I don't believe any valve stem is meant to go forever. RIDE SAFE.

[hubcapsc]

If they have been on since 07 might be time to install new ones. You compress a flexible material to get it to seal. I don't believe any valve stem is meant to go forever. RIDE SAFE.

This is the third set of metal stems I've put on my bike. 1997 I put the 45 degree ones on. A tire
or two later I put the much more handy 90s on. One or two tires ago I put on new ones, I got them at
Hot Glues a couple of years ago and figured I might as well use them. That was probably a
case of "I should have left well enough alone" 

-Mike

[Jess from VA]

http://motorcycleanchor.com/tire_valves/index.htm

[hubcapsc]

http://motorcycleanchor.com/tire_valves/index.htm

The Suzuki shop in Seneca changed my first couple of tires. I told them I wanted metal
stems, they wanted to put those on, but the little holder frob got in the way. That was when
I gave them the 45 degree patchboy ones...

-Mike

[Jess from VA]

Cut them off (to aim the stems to the high side), you're never going back to needing the OE plastic elbow.  I did.

http://www.motorcycleanchor.com/tire_valves/honda_gl_series_valve_seat.jpg

Course they still tighten in the inside - locktite.

[Art708]

 I had no tire leaks and got in a 200 mile ride today on the lowcountry backroads.

[hubcapsc]

I had no tire leaks and got in a 200 mile ride today on the lowcountry backroads.

Have you ridden to Bennett's Point? Or down the Salkehatchie River road?

Miley and Auldbrass Plantation are out on the river road, and not much else... you have to pay
attention to stay on the River road through Yemassee, but it is worth riding the whole
thing. Miley flashes by real quick so don't blink your eyes...

All you can see of Auldbrass is the weirdo fence out on the road.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auldbrass_Plantation

There's some awesome places to stop and smell the smells on the road to Bennett's Point, and
if you go all the way to the little town at the end on Friday afternoon a bunch of guys will
be talking and laughing  and drinking beers at the dock next to some shrimp boats...

-Mike

[hubcapsc]

I pinched the tire today with my 8 inch C clamp and two maple boards that I keep in the saddlebag.

Seems like a brutal thing to do to a tire, but I tightened the valve stem and the leak seems gone 

-Mike

[rainman]

What with the cold and one thing and another, I haven't ridden in several weeks...

heck I have not been able to get the gal out of driveway since thanksgiving do snow or sub O weather and now they are saying freezing rain for Monday turning to snow and the same for wed. and thur. up around 60 Thursday but rain all day   

[art]

Remove tire, sit it in a small swimming pool. You will find that leak.

Yah .Sit in a small swimming pool with the tire on your lap in the winter and freeze you a-- off.HAHA