WHAT IS IT?
The Nuetech TUbliss (pronounced Tubeless) tire
system is a winner of an idea.
WHAT'S IT COST?
$99.99 (with inner liner and install plate)--(714)
412-3270.
WHAT'S IT DO?
You may remember Nuetech’s unusual bent
handlebar end pieces. The MXA wrecking crew
wasn’t totally enamored with Nuetech’s
A.P.E. bar ends, but we absolutely love their
latest creation—the TUbliss tire system.
Tubeless motocross tires
have been around for 20 years (on works
bikes), but they have never seen the cash
register side of a motorcycle shop. Why?
Making a tubeless motocross tire was too
complicated. It required a special rim
(to keep the air lock tight), a rubber
sealing bladder (to eliminate leakage around
the spoke nipples) and messy sealant (to
keep sidewall flex from burping air pressure).
The problem areas were so numerous that most
companies shelved the idea of tubeless motocross
tires—except for Nuetech!
WHAT STANDS OUT?
Here's a list of things that stand out with
Nuetech’s TUbliss tire system.
(1) Problem areas. Jeff Douglas solved the
problems that stymied Dunlop by applying
innovative thinking. Instead of using a special
rim, rubber bladder and tacky sealant, the
TUbliss tire system makes any existing rim
and tire combination tubeless without all
the extra foof.
(2) The concept. In the simplest
terms, instead of trying to seal the rim
to keep air in the tire, Nuetech sealed the
gap between the two tire beads with a special
rubber inner liner (which is a fancy way
of saying bicycle tire). You read that right!
By putting a one-off bicycle tire in the
center of the rim and inflating it, the gap
at the bottom of the tire is sealed, making
the tire an airtight chamber (sans a tube).
It turns the outer tire into the
motocross equivalent of a bicycle’s
tubular sew-up tire.
(3) Pluses. This is a
great idea for three reasons: first, without
a tube inside the tire, the Nuetech-equipped
wheel is 1-1/2 pounds lighter than a stock
wheel. Saving a pound and a half of rotating,
unsprung weight is awesome, phenomenal
and unbelievable. Second, even if you get
a sidewall tear, you can ride the Nuetech
TUbliss tire flat. We raced a full moto
on a flat tire. Although the bike didn’t
handle very well, we finished the moto
with the tire on the rim. Third, without
the weight and friction of the tube rubbing
against the tire carcass, tire temperatures
were greatly reduced (which means that
tire pressure doesn’t increase
as much during the course of a moto).
(4) Minuses. There aren’t any downsides
on the track. Every test rider commented
on how responsive the suspension and engine
were with 1-1/2 pounds removed from the
rear wheel. When you add the performance
advantages to the lighter weight, run-flat
capabilities and heat reduction, you have
a product that should be on every race
bike in America.
WHAT'S THE SQUAWK?
There is a learning curve to mounting the
TUbliss tire system, but it is easily mastered.
Over a three-month period, we ran three
sets of TUbliss tires and never had a problem.
