Starting to look for next set to replace OEM's when they're done. I'm looking for your advice/preferences and reason's on whether you prefer tube or tubeless. Ya, I know it's probably kinda like talking about oil. Also, for longer off road trips what do you carry (if anything) for tire/flat repair? :

 

I've really enjoyed my Tubliss setup. It's much easier to repair a standard hole-in-the-tire kind of puncture. If that inner liner ever flats out, though, it will not be too fun to repair on the trail. I THINK it has less heat build-up when on the highway, as there is no surface to rub against one another as in a tube setup. But, if that inner liner were to lose it's air pressure, it could be a hairy ride until you slow down enough. The rim locks would hopefully hold the tire in place well enough that the tire wouldn't bunch up and flop around too bad.

Since my bike is mostly trails, the Tubliss makes sense.

 

B58, the Tubliss won't flop around anymore than any tubed tire that goes flat due to that super aggressive rim lock that's part of the system. And as far as a failure on the trail being much harder to repair, the Tubliss system is relatively easy to remove. It's the installation that IMO requires more care and time, and you won't be putzing with that on the trail. If the inner liner goes, you just yank out the Tubliss and put in a tube. Now, you do have to pull the tire off the rim to get the Tubliss system out properly, but that's easy once you have the first bead off no matter what setup you run. I think the biggest problem is where you put the Tubliss shell after removal...LOL! But it folds in half without much drama, and then you ziptie it to a convenient place.

After 3 years of absolute stellar service with my Tubliss setup front and rear, I'm sold on it. And it was great when in Colorado I discovered a big nail stuck in the tire, the tire was still holding air perfectly because of the sealant in the tire. You can't do that with a tube. I was able to plug the hole from the outside, and then I ran the tire until it was fully worn out.

Some have voiced concerns over running this setup on pavement. Heat and big, fast punctures are what make tires occasionally unsafe. Without a tube in the tire and using the Tubliss, it can't run any hotter than a tubed tire...unless you're trying to run an incredibly low psi at full highway speeds. And if you do that you're an idiot regardless of the tire setup you're running. No...you're not an idiot, B58. That was a rhetorical statement...LOL!

 

I was just on their website and it says "off road only" but they don't say why. I sent them an email to inquire and will pass on their reply. Overall sounds like it's worth the dough. Get's great reviews too.

 

Lawyers...

 

Yup! I talked to them. My understanding is basically it's a liability issue because of non-DOT stamp. They are developing a new product that they hope to have approved in about a year. Excellent response from them BTW! It's great to see companies like this developing terrific products. IMO. Guess I'll know more after I get a set.

 

Exactly. Can you imagine the DOT hoops that the guy would have to jump through to get some kind of "certification" legal protection for highway use. He's a small operation, and there's no way he can pursue that. You have to look at the Tubliss system and others with some degree of tire knowledge and common sense.

I think we all know about the most dangerous time of operation involving a tire problem is a quick, unexpected flat at speed. For dirt bike wheels...not road tubeless...the rim lock is the only thing holding the tire to the rim, and it does so only in a limited fashion to keep the tire somewhat centered on the rim. I think the most dangerous setup out there is the way many/most of these DS bikes come delivered...tubed tire with no rim lock. This setup can even allow a flat tire to come completely off the rim and wad up in a dangerous manner in part of the bike. Never happened to me, but I've seen pics of it and have even seen it during an enduro race where the guy had a rim lock...trying to finish or get to the gas stop to fix it. Bottom line is that the rim lock offers a degree of warning by holding the tire in some semblance of where it's supposed to be during a flat.

The Tubliss setup has the rim lock...a very aggressive rim lock at that. It also has a 100+ psi clamping inner liner that holds the tire bead to the rim with unbelievable force. If you get a huge puncture in the tire, the bead will still stay on the wheel. In off road conditions, many have gotten a flat on their Tubliss setup and didn't even know it until later because the tire was so securely clamped to the rim. I think you'll feel a flat on the pavement a little quicker because it's a smoother surface. Still, a punctured tire with the Tubliss setup is a safer condition than just about anything else out there short of a bib mousse...a whole other system that is heavy and very difficult to install/remove.

The worst case scenario with the Tubliss setup would be the inner liner failing by losing pressure. If it does, you have a condition just like your tube going flat on a conventional tubed tire setup. The Tubliss liner has an excellent attached rim lock, so you have nothing anymore dangerous than the best tubed tire setup on a dirt wheel with a rim lock.

Now, as far as highway use, heat and fast tire pressure loss are the dangers there. We've covered the flat tire scenario already. Heat in a situation for a bike like ours comes from higher speed use with lower pressure, and more so in a pavement application than in dirt. Tubed tire setups have generally always produced more heat than tubeless setups of all kinds when pressures are properly set for highway use. The tire and tube just tend to produce friction with each other in a natural way. It's not always enough heat to cause a problem, but it's there. Tubeless tires produce less of this kind of heat. The Neutech Tubliss follows the same principle of heat generation or lack thereof by its design.

I have the Millville outdoor MX replay on the TV right now while I've been typing this. During that time they played two lawyer commercials fishing for claims from people with a type of medical device and one for motorcycle injuries in an accident. You couldn't get me to go into the business of supplying performance equipment for some kinds of activities out there if you had a gun pointed to my head. There are just too many lawyers and clients who are total douches out there.

 

I'm convinced there are fewer heat problems with the Tubliss setup on the highway. In fact, the obvious rubbing I observed between the carcass and Ultra-Heavy-Duty inner tube on one of my bikes was one reason I wanted to try the Tubliss. I can't see going back to tubes, I like the Tubliss performance so well.

And, TNC is correct, might as well just take a normal tube with me in case I can't just plug a hole when on the trail. That would be easier than pulling out the inner liner and patching the Tubliss bead-holding tube, then trying to get it all back in without the benefit of the tool they provide to facilitate initial installation.

 

Gotta love those "ambulance chaser" lawyers.

 

You bring up a good point on the fix-on-the-trail scenario. I think the only time you'd ever have to remove the Tubliss setup would be when the inner liner failed. Now, if the tire had such a slice or cut that the sealant or a plug wouldn't handle, you might even have trouble with a tube. That said, I also bring a small square of semi-hard but malleable plastic to use as a boot in the absolute worst case scenario. On the extra tube to carry, I do the 21" deal. I've seen people do it, and I tried it at home just to make sure it worked for me. You just have to be careful how you position it in the tire for the rear.