tire/wheel rim lock

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quawk

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Jan 1, 2024
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The wheels on my somewhat recently acquired Hi-Rider are in terrible shape. I suspect the bike was left to sit in a shed with no floor and over many years of sitting on bare ground the wheels sunk to a degree into the dirt. They will eventually be replaced but for now I'm replacing the rear tire, tube, rim strip so at least it will hold air, and at some point transfer it to the wheel with a new rim. Upon removal of the old tire, which by the way had to be the stiffest, most time hardened tire I've ever had to remove, (had to actually cut the tire off) I see that it has a tire/rim lock. Were these original to all commandos? These were something that I used to see used on the rear tires/wheels on motocross bikes, but have never seen them used on street bikes. Mines in sad shape, like the wheel, and I'll have to see if a replacement is available from some seller. Are they really needed, other than filling the hole in the wheel that was put there for their installation?
 
quawk said:
The wheels on my somewhat recently acquired Hi-Rider are in terrible shape. I suspect the bike was left to sit in a shed with no floor and over many years of sitting on bare ground the wheels sunk to a degree into the dirt. They will eventually be replaced but for now I'm replacing the rear tire, tube, rim strip so at least it will hold air, and at some point transfer it to the wheel with a new rim. Upon removal of the old tire, which by the way had to be the stiffest, most time hardened tire I've ever had to remove, (had to actually cut the tire off) I see that it has a tire/rim lock. Were these original to all commandos? These were something that I used to see used on the rear tires/wheels on motocross bikes, but have never seen them used on street bikes. Mines in sad shape, like the wheel, and I'll have to see if a replacement is available from some seller. Are they really needed, other than filling the hole in the wheel that was put there for their installation?
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I eliminated mine and filled the hole with a stainless bolt/nut with the head ground down. Worked for me.
 
Definitely put something in the hole (as the bishop said to the actress). I had a tube develop a leak at the hole even with a rim strip.
 

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Tape, just keep it sealed. Should be a rubber or vinyl tape wrapped around rim anyway to prevent contact between spoke nipples/ends and the inner tube
 
I always use rim locks. I know people struggle with the installation, but I've done them enough over the years that it isn't an issue. If the tire slips due to low air pressure you could rip off the valve stem (all that power at the rear wheel LOL), I believe this was the reason they were installed.
Years ago (late 60's), I had a friend who had a flat on a BMW (no rim locks) out in the country and tore off the valve stem. I was riding on the back. We stopped at a gas station and fortunately I was able to bodge the valve stem back into tube and we made it home.
Now that tires are better maybe it's not an issue, but they are easy to install, I don't carry a spare tube, but I do carry a tube repair kit and tire irons if I'm going on a trip.
 
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