tubeless tire & dropcenter rims

Any body have the shop dope on not putting tubeless tires on dropcenter rims ? I was told by a HD wrench from the 80s that it was taboo but he didn't know why .

wire spoked?

You mean like the sporty aluminum rims? Been putting tubeless on them for years
DD

Yes like aluminum or steel spoked sporty or superglide rims. Is there a diferance in "tube or tubeless" tires and "tubeless" tires other than the advertising.

Tubeless tires have an extra inner layer designed to keep air in. Tube type tires do not. Any tubeless tire can be run with a tube. It is generally considered that with a tube the speed rating goes down one level. This is caused by increased heat with a tube inside a tire. All spoke wheels on vintage bikes need tubes. It is harder and harder to get tube type tires and not worth it for manufacturers to make them. ALL tires, even tubeless, lose a certain amount of air over time. Cold temperatures cause even more loss. Innertubes are porous! Tires are porous. Check your tires regularly. And the mechanic you talked to was likely confusing the rim bead change in the '70s with tubeless tires. H-D went to a specific rim that for some time only Goodyear made tires for. It turns out that it really did not matter and any tire properly inflated worked just fine. Be aware though that many modern tires are radial and most vintage bikes are designed for Bias-ply tires. Radials can cause handling problems on bikes not designed for them. And most radials run at much higher pressures than old style Bias tires. Know what you have and deal with it accordingly.
Robbie

Thanks Rubone the bead on these 70s rims is different.
Dick the aluminum sportster wheel you had on show at the super swap is the shinest I have ever seen. That 80" flathead chopper attached to it ain't bad either.

Thanks, Man. took second place in "techno custom"? class. All I know for sure is I got a plaque and a $50.00 check
DD

I have seen guys put a layer of silicone over the droped center covering all the spoke heads so they can run tubeless tires. I personally have never tried it.

I work for a car dealer that sells nitrogen in tires. It is not a cure all but it does definalely help. We put some in motorcycles also. The nitrogen molecule is larger and does not leak out nearly as quickly. Also doesn't fluctuate pressure with temprature as much. Also much dryer inside the tire. Doesn't rust the rim. We sell it for $19.95
F

Some modern bikes, like BMW GS spoke wheel models, have rims with the spokes attaching outside of the tire bead area allowing use of tubeless tires.
As far as silicone goes, no way I'd trust my life to a smear on the inside of the rim. I don't like it in any application, and I'm a home builder by trade!
Tires are a place I never scrimp or cut corners (no pun intended). They are the only thing holding you on the road, and the only way your brakes work. What's your life worth!
Robbie

I work for a car dealer that sells nitrogen in tires. It is not a cure all but it does definalely help. We put some in motorcycles also. The nitrogen molecule is larger and does not leak out nearly as quickly. Also doesn't fluctuate pressure with temprature as much. Also much dryer inside the tire. Doesn't rust the rim. We sell it for $19.95
F

F!
I use a special proprietary mixture of about 78% nitrogen, and about 21% oxygen, and the rest mostly argon, processed through a miracle known as a line-dryer.

....Cotten