cast wheel designers = the suck

[indigoid]

why the hell can't the rear wheel's valve point sideways, like the front one does?

The overwhelming majority of fuel places' air hose fittings here simply won't fit in the tight space available at the valve on the rear wheel. My tyre inflation gadget attached to my workshop compressor at home fits, but that's only helpful when I'm at home.

[BigEasy]

Can't remember where I have seen it (on the net somewhere) but there is a right angle fitting that you can use to r&r the rear valve stem.

[ShinySideUp]

I installed a 45-degree metal stem on rear wheel, and once you stick
an air chuck on an accessible metal stem, that's solidly fastened into a
metal rim, I vouch you'll not want to soon go back to the rubber wiggly
inaccessible kind that leaks air as it's moving around right next to a very hot
brake disk on a hot summer day in the middle of.... well, you get the idea.
Metal stems rock. And don't crack with age and there's no rubber to separate
from the brass stem.

For example, here's one on ebay:

http://tinyurl.com/6qo89u

[motoracer8]

Late model Ducatis use right angle metal valve stems.

Ken G.

[deilenberger]

For example, here's one on ebay:

http://tinyurl.com/6qo89u

Bill, would you happen to know if this is the right size for the hole in the R12R rim?

TIA!

[ShinySideUp]

Don, to the best of my memory, they do fit. I believe there's commonly two valve stem sizes (large and small) and .45" is the smaller. I MAY have had to ream out the rim hole a bit, but, since I suffer from CRS syndrome, I'm not sure. If I did, it wasn't very much.

In a different forum, I found that another choice was used by Jim Von Baden:

http://www.motorcycleanchor.com/

These look very nice, and cost more... in line with what you'd expect for a BMW farkle!

[Radar in oz]

You can also buy (probably from most auto shops) right-angle extensions that simply screw onto the existing valve stem. I've been able to use service station hose fittings in most cases on the original stem as it will flex a bit in its rubber mount on the rim, but it isn't particularly easy. So I also keep one of the screw-on extender thingies with me just in case I need it somewhere one day.
Cheers
Radar

[snag]

I vouch you'll not want to soon go back to the rubber wiggly
inaccessible kind that leaks air as it's moving around right next to a very hot
brake disk on a hot summer day in the middle of.... well, you get the idea.
Metal stems rock. And don't crack with age and there's no rubber to separate
from the brass stem.

Bill,

Am I understanding you right that your bike came with a rubber stem? My rear stem is metal.

Doug

[ShinySideUp]

Bill,

Am I understanding you right that your bike came with a rubber stem? My rear stem is metal.

Doug

Indeed it did. 2007, first purchased in Oregon.

[deilenberger]

Don, to the best of my memory, they do fit. I believe there's commonly two valve stem sizes (large and small) and .45" is the smaller. I MAY have had to ream out the rim hole a bit, but, since I suffer from CRS syndrome, I'm not sure. If I did, it wasn't very much.

Guess we'll find out.. I ordered 4 (at $6/w/shipping for 4 how could I not?)

I'm getting close to new rear tire time, so will find out then.

[ErikM]

Here's another company that sells the good ones.. a bit less $$ and they list TWO sizes anyone know what size the R uses/? http://www.pjsparts.com/catalog/index.p ... c711db0957

Personally I'd be a bit leary of using some of the cheapies I've seen posted

[ShinySideUp]

Personally I'd be a bit leary of using some of the cheapies I've seen posted

In general, I evaluate and usually end up staying away from cheap. But the 45 deg ones I found on ebay are chromed steel with nice fat washers and solid enough nuts to fasten them securely into the rim. I DO know that when I shove the air chuck onto it, it doesn't move at all and feels very solid.

The "good ones" seem OK, but, other than being aluminum (lighter, less corrosion) and anodized in pretty colors (bling factor), don't appear to offer much more in the realms of safety and durability. Can't imagine they are 6 times better, as the price would lead us to believe.

So "cheap" may sometimes be OK, if the item in question is not complex. More will, in due time, undoubtedly be revealed by Don, who's an engineer.

My bottom line is that metal stems be WAY safer, in my view, than rubber stems. And I can't imagine their failing catastrophically. But then I didn't imagine my front wheel and fork could come off my $700 bicycle!

[ErikM]

You're probabley right that the inexpensive ones will be fine. Personally I prefer the design of the more expensive unit, I've seen the same ones as stock on Ducati, and I think the lower profile is a better design. In any case the two sizes are 11.3mm and 8.3mm the .45 is equal to the 11.3mm (larger size) which is what I'm told (but not 100% sure) is the correct size for the R12R, R12RT, and K12GT rear wheel. I'm going to buy a pair of the expensive ones, is anyone interested in splitting the pair with me since I'll only need the one?

[indigoid]

moot for me now, the R was destroyed on wednesday in a crash. thanks to a healthy dose of luck and ATGATT (bmw rallye 2 pro jacket/trousers, bmw gs gloves, bmw allround boots, shoei xr1000 lid) i escaped with only a fracture in one pinky finger, no other injuries. hand/forearm will be in a fibreglass cast/bandage arrangement for 3 weeks, after which they'll also remove the k-wire in my finger.

crash was not entirely my fault. was doing no more than 40km/h and had right of way when a car entered a roundabout (traffic circle in some places) ahead of me. i suspect that if i hadn't got into the bad habit of 2-finger braking i'd have been able to stop clear of the car.

it was insured, of course. i think i'll just pay out the finance and ponder for a while. still have my dakar and my SO's honda cb400f.

[ErikM]

Ouch.. Glad you're basically OK.. Guess you really won't need any valve stems!

[snag]

Indigoid,

Sorry to hear about the accident. It is just another painful reminder of the vulnerability of being a motorcycle rider today. Glad to hear you are ok. The bike is replaceable, we are, unfortunately, less so. I've been on and off of bikes for the last 40 years and there is still the odd day that I ride like I did when I was in my teens, but I find that a lot of people these days just do not know how to drive a car, share the road. And a roundabout, it might as well be astrophysics for some people. I hope that your pondering is about getting back in the saddle as soon as you can.

Doug