Do Spoked Motorcycle Wheels Need Tubes?

Are you going for a long ride? Then probably you already heard the word “tube” in the motorcycle tire. But now the question is, do spoked motorcycle wheels need tubes?

Yes, the spoked motorcycle wheels need tubes. Even if you have a tubeless tire, you still need tubes for your spoked motorcycle. 

But why so? It’s because even tubeless tires don’t come with a perfect seal around the rim; the spokes aren’t leaked proof and will leak in harsh conditions.  

So, what is good for you, tube or tubeless tires? And why do you still need tube tires and spoked wheels?

Difference Between Spoke and Alloy Wheel:

You couldn’t see the spoke wheel in cars anymore but you can surely see the spoke wheel in the motorbike.

Spoke wheels come with thin metal wires originating from the rim and meet at the center of the wheel. Generally, these spokes are made from metal. 

On the other hand, alloy wheels are the most adaptive wheels nowadays. It’s because alloy wheels come with a simple design or fewer thicker spokes.

These spokes aren’t only stylish but also help transfer the force from the rim towards the center of the tire while riding. 

Since most spokes are made from magnesium ion complex, you’ll get alloy wheels cheaper than the spoke wheels. 

Which One is Better:

Although there’s no comparison between the two, still we’ll compare them according t their weight. 

Comparing the weight of two depends on the motorcycle weight and their applications.  Magnesium complex forged motorcycle tires are surely going to be lighter and perfect for racing motorcycles.

But commonly, alloy tires are made from the aluminum complex, which makes them a bit heavier than the spoked wheels. In any comparison, the weight of the tires is not significant and doesn’t matter a lot.

What matters is the durability and rigidity of the motorcycle tires that you need to focus on. 

Tube VS Tubeless Tire:

Manufacturers make tubeless tires to be airtight. While in tube tires, you’ll get an additional component to hold high pressurized air called the inner tube.

Tube Tires	Tubeless Tires
Cause wobbling when punctured and deflated too quickly.	Don’t cause wobbling when punctured and don’t deflate quickly.
It’s hard to replace the tube at the time of puncture.	It’s easy to remove the sharp object and allows you to fill the puncture instantly.

Tube Tire:

Tube tires must be nostalgic for us; they were the first tires people saw in cars and motorcycles. Generally, you would see tube tires with the spoked styles in the motorcycles.

The quality of tires depends on the manufacturers and the way they’re manufacturing. For example, the tube tires required two components: an outer layer and an inner layer called a tube.

The outer layer of tires needs to be tough enough to endure the kilometres of riding without any problem. 

On the other hand, the tube’s inner component needs to be soft and flexible enough to store the pressurized air in them. By using the two components in a single tire sometimes makes the manufacturing of tires complex. 

Also, the quality of one component can indeed impact the overall quality of the tire. And that’s why people sometimes choose the wrong tires for their motorcycle. 

Spoked tires in the motorcycle are still nostalgic for many of us, and we still miss the spoked wheels in the cars as well. One of the significant problems with spoked motorcycle tires is that it’s hard for them to be air leaked resistant. 

Thanks to the hole punched in the rim for spokes, making the spoked tube tires susceptible for a leak. And that’s why manufacturers are now moving on one-piece wheels because of the air isolation of the tires.

Tubeless Tire:

Many people consider tubeless tires as revolutionary ways that would shift the motorcycle’s future.

Tubeless tires are way ahead of tube tires because of their lighter weight. Also, the tubeless tires run cooler than the tube tires and handle puncture well.

For instance, the tube tires will deflate instantly when taking the sharp object at the speed of 80MPH. 

On the other hand, the tubeless tires don’t deflate instantly; instead, they deflate slowly, causing leaking of gas at a slower pace, and it won’t collapse the tire.

From the safety point of view, we always recommend choosing tubeless tires since they won’t wobble your motorcycle and give you some time to act at the time of tire puncture.

Although there are some exceptions in which the tubeless tires don’t work precisely what they’re made for. 

But in most situations, they work fine and don’t let your motorbike wobble and deflate instantly.

Another best thing about tubeless tires is the ease of removal of puncture. Meaning in case of a puncture, you can easily remove the nail or any sharp object from your tire with the help of a plug kit.

While on the other hand, with tube tires, you have to remove the tires from the motorcycle, remove the sharp object, fill the hole, or exchange it with the spare one.

Some people don’t hate these processes; still, it would be better to choose tubeless tires under challenging situations.

Can You Put Tube in Tubeless Tire:

Yes, you can put the tube in tubeless tires, but it’s not easy and also not advisable. 

If you still want to put the tubeless tires in the motorcycle, it’s advisable to pick the motorbike designed for tubeless tires. You can also exchange tube tires with tubeless tires, but it’ll be a complex and expensive procedure.

If you still want to put the tube in a tubeless tire, we would recommend treating the setup as a one-speed rating and one load rating.  

Putting the tube in the tubeless tire isn’t impossible, but that is not easy as it sounds. Also, when doing this, you need gum or some adhesive to make the tire airtight. 

We don’t recommend doing this, as putting a tube in the tubeless tire would cause loss of motorcycle balance. So, in short, it’s unsafe to give it a try. 

What are the Benefits of Having Spoked Wheels:

In the 1960s, the majority of motorcycles came with spoked wheels. But after ten years, alloy wheels entered the market.

Nowadays, you can hardly see any car with spoked wheels. But it’ll be correct to say that the market of spoked motorcycle wheels is still not over.

Modern motorcycles like Honda CB1100 and some other dual sports and adventure motorbikes still come with spoked wheels. But why? What is the need that manufacturers of these motorcycles don’t want to adapt alloy wheels?

One of the biggest reasons manufacturers of these motorbikes don’t shift to alloy wheels is durability.

Yes, the durability that spoked wheels offer.

Spoked motorcycles are much more flex than alloy wheels, making them highly adjustable in harsh terrain. And that’s the reason why most of the motorcycles still come with spoked wheels. 

While on the other hand, alloy wheels are brittle as compared to spoked wheels. The alloy wheels are also not as durable as the spoked wheels and aren’t preferred for harsh terrain.

Another reason why many manufacturers still preferred spoked wheels is because of the easy repairing feature of spoked wheels. 

You can replace some parts if you ever break some spokes in the wheel. On the other hand, because of the brittle nature of alloy wheels, you can’t replace the faulty part with new parts. 

Even sometimes you have to buy a new motorcycle tire. Overall, spoke wheels are perfect if you don’t want expensive replacements and want to ride in harsh terrain.

Another reason why many manufacturers still don’t move to alloy wheels is because of the style aspect and feel they want to give you. 

Big brands like BMW Rnine T scrambler still come with spoked wheels. It’s not because they want you to ride motorcycles in harsh terrain. 

It’s because they want to give you the classic feeling when riding the motorcycles. 

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Our Verdict:

Do spoked motorcycle wheels need tubes? Yes, the spoked motorcycle wheels need tubes. So even if you have a tubeless tire, you still need tubes for your spoked motorcycle. 

Although alloy wheels are cheaper than spoked wheels, but when it’s about durability, spoked wheels are much better than alloy wheels.

When choosing the tube or tubeless tires, we always recommend you select a tubeless tire. It’s because tubeless tires don’t deflate instantly, unlike tube tires. 

Also, when it’s about balance, we always recommend choosing tubeless tires as well. Unlike tube tires, tubeless tires don’t deflate instantly and don’t wobble your motorcycle.