Scooterotica

I'm sure this should not happen. I've got a tubeless rim, stamped Sterling bought about 2 years ago, just lost all the air almost instantly. Checked the trye no visible puncture and the valve looks fine, push in by the looks of it. I filled it back up with tyreweld with no worries. Bit of a nervous ride home though!!! It happened just as I was pulling out of a T junction on to a main road and literally went down within a second, luckily I was where I was as I managed to save it due to the speed I was travelling. I know there's been a lot on about tubeless rims lately but has anyone else experienced this.
It is possible it could've just been a puncture but shouldn't it take longer to deflate on a tubeless rim??

Been checking on Sterling rims and apparently they don't have a safety bead, is it possible the tyre could have moved causing it to deflate.

Sterling normally have bolt in valves. They don't have the inner bead as you say so in the event of a puncture (or other sudden air loss) the tyre could move sideways into the well. That's what I'd suspect to have happened with complete air loss but once the tyre goes into the well it's almost impossible to reflate without an air compressor.
I'd remove it and get it in the bath and bung some air in it with a pump and look to see if there's a slow puncture or a leak from a bad seal agaist the outer rim. I certainly wouldn't use it without checking further. Was it front or rear? Less chance of a bad seal at the rear because of the extra psi of air. I believe it's a good idea to put around 40 psi in tubeless when the tyre is fitted to get the best seal then back off the air to the desired level, ie, 18 - 20 front, 28 - 32 rear.

Check all the welds and look for any splits in the rim very closely.

no worries folks ,editing done......

corrado wrote: but once the tyre goes into the well it's almost impossible to reflate without an air compressor.

I have seen larger tubeless tire fitted by filling the tire, on the rim, with lighter fluid(butane gas), then lighting it. Bang! up goes the tire onto the rim. Well funny to watch.
Sounds like sterling rims are to be avoided.

like this...
http://www.hotironvideos.com/video/1045 ... -A-Lighter

thats how the marines do it in the field..

we used to use a similair method for kart tyres..not totally recomended

Don't think I want to take the chance again, guess thats one for the scrap heap. How long till the Sip rims are done? Can' come soon enough

I got some Sterling tubeless after someone posted on here about a shop selling them very cheaply. They don't have the safety bead but I'd put them on with the slime inside. I've had Scootrs ones in the past and they were also OK. I still think any type of tubeless is better than having a blow out with a tube although as we've seen by this thread problems can be encountered with tubeless.

I just fitted a set of SIP tubeless to my Vespa and the quality is outstanding, my local scooter shop also said that there were zero problems fitting them and taking them off (i asked them beforehand to see if it would be difficult). I will certainly putting these on my lambrettas when they come out.