Talk about having your cake and eating it too. That’s exactly the feeling what everyone with tubeless spoke wheels on their motorcycles have. And this very feature – a safety feature if you ask me, is all set to be democratized to a level we’ve never seen before.
Originally a preserve of big, burly and very expensive adventure bikes, this technology is now accessible to a a whole lot of people thanks to Royal Enfield, and the Himalayan 450 – the first affordable motorcycle to have one.
In the past, tubeless spoke wheels meant the likes of the BMW R 1250 GS, the Honda Africa Twin, the Triumph Scrambler 1200s and the Tiger 900s. You get the picture right? The cheapest motorcycle with spoke wheels you could buy in India was priced at about Rs. 10 lakh on-road. I’m talking about the Suzuki V-Strom 650.
Well that was until Royal Enfield came along, and decided to disrupt the market. It was truly a pleasant surprise when Royal Enfield showcased spoked tubeless wheels on the Himalayan 450, and then stunning one and all including yours truly when they launched it at a premium of just Rs. 11,000. Yes, 11,000.
Why, you can now buy a set of spoked tubeless wheels for your Himalayan 450 through Royal Enfield’s genuine accessory route by paying Rs. 12,424. And it’s just not the spoke tubeless wheels you get for that kind of money but also the hubs and the discs mounted onto them. Talk about value. Stonking value!
This brings us to the question. Was everyone and their uncle – read big bike makers – taking everyone for a ride by charging the moon for tubeless spoke wheels, which for most superbikes came as an expensive optional extra? Well, yes, and no.
No, because the companies that are said to have patents for tubeless spoke rim designs charge a hefty sum of money as royalty.
So, motorcycle makers had to pay royalty when they fitted their high end superbikes with spoke tubeless wheels, and this naturally led to the wheels becoming expensive.
Image courtesy A&JCycle
Picture this. Kineo, an Italian company that manufactures spoked tubeless wheels, and holds a patent for the same, charges about 1.2 lakh-1.4 lakh rupees for each wheel, and this is before duties. Special colours extra! That flange in the center looks oh-so-sexy. You get such wheels on the V-Stroms.
Akront, a Spanish tubeless spoke rim maker now acquired by the Morad group, charges similar money. And then, there are Chinese makers, chief of them JinFei, who make tubeless spoke rims. Borrani, an Italian company, sources tubeless spoke wheels from China, finishes them in Italy, and sells them at obscene mark-ups. In case of Akront and Borrani, the cross spokes end at the extended edges of the wheel. This is exactly the kind of stuff Royal Enfield now sells.
And yes, because if Royal Enfield can do this, why can’t the others? Or why won’t the others?
Royal Enfield has somehow managed to pull a rabbit out of its hat by paying off/buying out these designs from Akront (Morad) and JinFei for use on its motorcycles. Yes, motorcycles.
While the beginning was made with the Himalayan 450, the Goan 350 Bobber, which was unveiled just yesterday, also has tubeless spoke wheels.
This brings us to the most important part. Tubeless Spoke Wheels – The Next BIG Game Changer From Royal Enfield
We’re onto a pattern here. Royal Enfield introduces new technology on one motorcycle, and in a few years, it’s entire range features that technology if it’s well accepted by the market.
Some examples. The unit construction engine (UCE) that literally brought back Royal Enfield from the brink came on the Thunderbird first, nearly 15 or 16 years ago. Soon it made its way into every Royal Enfield there was. Then the J-Series engine happened on the Meteor, and you know where this is going.
Even features that Royal Enfield introduces have had a similar pattern.
Take for instance the Tripper navigation pod that was first introduced on the Meteor 350. Now, it’s available on literally every Royal Enfield.
Or for that matter the new instrument cluster that debuted on the Himalayan 450. The Guerrilla already has it, and so does the Bear 650. Why, the 750cc Interceptor and Continental GT, both of which have been spied recently, get the same console.
So, tubeless spoke wheels being made available on the Goan 350 – expected to be a reasonably priced motorcycle closer to the 2 lakh rupee mark than the 3 lakh rupee mark, only means that retro and adventure motorcycles from Royal Enfield will soon feature tubeless spoke wheel options. It’s not matter of if, but when!
And it’s not just Royal Enfield. Every major motorcycle brand in India that has retro-modern motorcycles running spoked wheels will want to shift to tubeless spoke wheels as this will become a de-facto standard across the industry.
Just like how alloy wheels went from being an option on some motorcycles to standard equipment on most motorcycles. Jawa, Yezdi, BSA, Hero MotoCorp and even KTM, are all expected to make the switch sooner than later.
Now, let’s talk advantages of spoke tubeless wheels
One, it will allow Royal Enfield to retain the retro charm of its motorcycles. The Classic 350 with alloy wheels doesn’t doesn’t cut it, no? Or for that matter the Interceptor 650 with alloys, or even the GT 650 with alloys. Spoked wheels are period correct, especially on motorcycles designed to look a certain way – a retro modern way.
Two, it will make Royal Enfield motorcycles a lot more convenient to operate. Literally every puncture shop – save for the rare exception – don’t want to deal with the hassle of fixing punctures on spoke rimmed wheels running tube-type tyres. It’s because it’s too much work, sometimes taking the better part of an hour.
The motorcycle needs to be jacked up, the chain loosened, the rear disc caliper removed, and finally the tube has to be wrested off the tyre to patch the puncture, and the whole process has to be repeated in reverse. On a motorcycle with a tubeless tyre, it’s simply a matter of locating the puncture, using a mushroom seal on it, filling air and riding on.
Three, spoked wheels are generally tougher than alloy wheels. They take impacts better – perfect for less than perfect roads that we have here in India.
Four, it will make Royal Enfield motorcycles – especially the ones running spoked wheels with tube-type tyres a LOT safer. Here’s what can happen if you happen to have a puncture at high speed on a motorcycle running a tube-type tyre. Watch this.
Yes, you could die, literally! Something like this has happened to me about 17 years ago. I was about 20, carefree on a Kinetic Honda. The rear tyre blew out at about 60 Kmph and the scooter started careening wildly, with me holding on for dear life. I somehow managed to stay on two wheels. Nope, we didn’t have GoPros back then. And there was a big dumper a few meters behind me who yelled a few expletives as he passed by.
This is how risky a high speed tyre blow out can be on a motorcycle, and tubeless spoke wheels will prevent this from happening. Tubeless tyres, by the virtue of their construction, allow air to escape out at a much slower rate, and this means you have a certain amount of time to control the motorcycle, and bring it to a safe stop.
Of course, if the entire tyre bursts due to excessive heat/poor maintenance, all bets are off. But for everyone else, tubeless tyres are far safer than tube-type tyres, especially when the tyre picks up a puncture at high speed.
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Oh, and I have tubeless rims on my Interceptor Scrambler 650 custom. Putting money where the mouth is. I bought them from Dismotech, at a princely Rs. 45,000. Small price to pay though for peace of mind. Alloys look ugly on a bike like the Interceptor, more so on a Scramblerized one that I ride. What do you say?
A closing note about affordable motorcycles with tubeless spoke rims in India
Royal Enfield isn’t the first motorcycle maker to bring this tech on relatively affordable, mass marker motorcycles. Chinese bike maker Zontes was the first mover, with the 350 ADV model. Not many know this motorcycle, which remains quite obscure but at an ex-showroom price of 3.25 lakh, it’s one of the most affordable motorcycles equipped with tubeless spoke rims in India.
Then there’s the newly launched Brixton Crossfire XC scrambler that was launched just days ago. Another Chinese motorcycle that gets tubeless spoke wheels but is priced at about Rs. 5 lakh. All in all, the tubeless spoke revolution is here in India, and is set to stay. It will make motorcycles safer, more convenient and even tougher in many ways. A big win!
But if you don’t have the spoke tubeless option for your motorcycle that runs spoked rims, what’s your alternate?
One pre-requisite – your motorcycle will need to have rims that can accept tubeless tyres in the first place.
With this requirement fulfilled, there are not one, but two alternates . One, you could buy the Japanese Outex kit, and get it professionally installed. Just search for Outex, and you’ll find a lot of options on Youtube. Here’s a helpful video.
Two, you could buy a tubeless conversion kit from aftermarket vendors such as Way2Speed, and get them installed professionally. These kits use marine sealant (with extremely strong adhesive properties) to seal rims, and effective make them ready to accept tubeless tyres.
For both these options, installation is the key. We recommend professional installation for best results.
