tire 1, me 0

[Iahawk]

my Helix front tire developed a slow leak around the bead late last summer. It will go from full to flat in 5-7 days. I can air it up and ride same day with no problems but it still makes me a bit nervous, that's why I have put very few miles on it, lately.

Rather than give my local motorcycle shop another $125 USD for this I thought I'd give it a go. I pulled the front wheel, removed the valve stem core, broke the bead by squeezing with C clamps...and then proceeded to clean the tire and the wheel where the bead is. I even sanded inside the rim where there appeared to be some corrosion. Got it all cleaned up, aired it back up....sprayed with soapy water....and still had bubbles...sigh.....less bubbles than before, but still bubbles.

So I'll take the wheel in to my shop, pay their hefty fee and hope they can work some additional magic to seal up the tire.  At least I tried.

[randyo]

I had to use bead seal when I went darkside on my V-Strom

[Stig / Major Tom]

Any chance your modern tires bead is not compatible with the wheel of your older scooter?

Just a guess...
Stig

[Iahawk]

Any chance your modern tires bead is not compatible with the wheel of your older scooter?

I don't think that's an issue..lots of modern tires on old rims in the biking world. It did hold air for 2 years. Dirt and crud gets in the bead area, rims can corrode a bit...I'd hoped a good cleaning / sanding would cure the problem...but it didn't.

[Ruffus]

hawk, same old story here sometimes.

This inner bead has to be sanded, primed and painted yo be airtight.
Drove me nuts lately several times.
Do it now in a big lathe (alu rims) and steel rims are to be renewed when hefty corroded.
Or the whole nine yards with filler, sanding and psinting.
Then use amounts of liquid kitchensoap to mount.