The pros and cons of a heavy duty tube

I put a michelin heavy doody tube on the rear rim of the DRZ, and I've solved my flat tire problems. I would get a nail from my gravel alley about once a month, maybe it's luck I don't know.

But the weird thing is the pressure gague is very slow to record the air presure. It's weird.

Odd. Pressure is pressure, right? Ya figure the valve would be the same as all other tubes too.

toothy wrote:

I put a michelin heavy doody tube on the rear rim of the DRZ, and I've solved my flat tire problems. I would get a nail from my gravel alley about once a month, maybe it's luck I don't know.

But the weird thing is the pressure gague is very slow to record the air presure. It's weird.

+ 1 on heavy tubes. I don't like fixing flats at home or elsewhere. An added benefit to heavy duty is they are harder to pinch than standard tubes. I have them in my '06 KLR650 and '82 XL250R. I know I shouldn't say this, but no flats in 20+ years. Maybe the heavies use a different core in the stem, as my gauge works weird on them too. Just thought it was wearing out....Dan.

Just replaced 25 yr old rotted tires on my new to me xl350r. Front tube must have been changed at some time and it was basically a tube inside a tube. It was like a tire liner I guess you could say. The outside tube had the rim area striped out, about a 3" strip including of course the valve. Must have been the trick before H.D. tubes. Anyway, I replaced the tubes with HD tubes and slimed them for good measure.

toothy wrote:

I put a michelin heavy doody tube on the rear rim of the DRZ, and I've solved my flat tire problems. I would get a nail from my gravel alley about once a month, maybe it's luck I don't know.

But the weird thing is the pressure gague is very slow to record the air presure. It's weird.

Did you add any flat proofing like slime in the new tube? If you did that will make pressure checking hard at times.

You guys ever had any problems with the HD tubes? My dad had a problem with his 950 KTM with the HD tubes melting to the inside of the tire. We had to actually peel them out twice and both times they had the tread pattern of the tires burned/melted into them.

Had that happen to some bicycle tires I just change out last week. Thought I was going to rip the tubes as I was yanking them out. They weren't any HD tubes either.

*my guess is it wouldn't have mattered what tubes you had in there....don't know why that happened thou.

The best way to keep this from happening is using plenty of baby powder when you install your tubes. I am running an HD tube on the rear, it could be a tire unto itself if it had some tread. I think what happens is the tire lube that is often used, when it dries, causes a mechanical bond, like glue, and makes it near impossible to remove without tearing the tube. Just use judicious amounts of talcum powder when you do the change. I don't think it being an HD tube has anything to do with it.

That was my guess too, but have always and only used powder so wasn't sure.

*i never have baby powder on hand but do have monkey butt powder. bwahahaha...my ultra-HD is medicated.

I grew up using baby powder in all my tubes. My downhill friends even give me a hard time about it because I put it in all my bicycle tires too.

I don't know. Maybe my dad didn't put enough in.