This is my first dual sport motorcycle I recently purchased and I never had a motorcycle with spoke rims, I never had a dirt bike either. I've been trying to research about using more of a street oriented tire and have came to a conclusion to try these Shinko 705 tires.
I've searched for a couple of weeks about changing my stock tires to these 705s but I don't understand how people are able to use a tubeless Shinko 705 tire on the stock 2018 KLX 250 18" and 21" tube type rims.

The Shinko site says that these tires are tubeless. I've read a bunch of people recommending this tire for older KLX 250's or other dual sport bikes.

I couldn't find info on the stock 2018 rims to see if they are tubeless compatible or definitive info about using tubes in tubeless tires on tube type rims, which is 50/50 on opinions of safety.

Are older KLX 250's rims different from 2018 rims or other dual sport bikes?
Is the shop going to prep my rim to use this tire and/or up sell some sort of tubeless kit to go along with it?
Is it assumed that I have prepped the rim myself to use this type of tire doing the silicone and 3M tape thing?
Or do they just use tubes inside of tubeless tires? Is this safe to do?
Or is everyone just buying tubeless ready rims from some underground shop that I'm not aware about?

Please, show me the way dual sport way!

 

you can still put a tube in them, i've been running shinko 705 for 5 years now with no issues

 

Only difference between tube and tubeless tires is that the tubeless tire has an impermeable membrane inside the carcass to hold the air in. Only thing most tire companies recommends is to realize putting a tube in the tire will affect the high speed continuous running rating, to consider it dropped one level. That will have no effect on a KLX250, it isn't gonna hit and maintain a speed high enough to be of any risk. So, ride on without concern...

 

Thank you for the help!! Ok, great! So, with the tubeless tire, I can still use tubes. Will I need rim locks? The original stock rim has a rubber grommet plugging a hole in the rim, where I'm guessing a rim lock would go on to. Is it worth the hassle to install the tires yourself, or just pay a shop to install them for convenience?

 

If your going to run on mostly roads, forget the rim locks. You can do it yourself, you'll need all the tools, it's a hassle but doable, I do mine all the time.

 

Agreed, only do the rim locks if running 15 psi or less riding off road.

 

Ok cool! I guess I'll try the installation myself then. Thank you all for the input! Now, that I got that out of the way, time to select a jack stand. They should have a parts picker for motorcycle upgrades like they do for computers like pcpart****ker.

 

Check Harbor Freight , click, for one of the inexpensive step stands or I've used one of the swing arm lifts too. The step stand is great for doing wheel off work, the swing arm stand better for oil changes or just do it on the side stand. If you have the space, the Harbor Freight platform lift is fantastic for $299 if you find the coupon in a magazine. Plus their torque wrenches at $9.99 with coupon are a very good buy. Car Craft found them to be accurate as the best. Just make sure to back it down to lowest setting when not in use.