New Avon rear

[FJReady]

I had a new Avon rear mounted (ya know, the free replacement one afetr the original picked up a screw). Anyway, its got only 800 or so miles on it and it loses air very slow, perhaps dropping from 40 to 20 psi over 3 days. I had the dealer look at it, couldn't find anything wrong- cleaned the bead area on rim, checked the valve stem and remounted it. Thought it was good for a few days, but noooo- it still leaks.

(Thank goodness for FJR shaft drive setup- I can now get a wheel off or on in about 4 minutes!)

Anybody have this isuue with Avons before? Just wondering how you might have fixed it.

Thanks

 

[FJRMGM]

Inflate tire to 45 psi for this - get a glass full of soapy water (couple drops dish soap) and a brush and brush the water all over the rim and tire - it will bubble up somewhere.

Good luck - you probably have a small piece of wire in it somewhere.

 

[FJRocket]

Did the dealer remove, clean and/or replace the valve in the stem? I know it's a simple thing and probably already checked, but those dang thing seem to be the bane of slow leaky tires.

I wouldn't think the tire itself would be the problem, epsecially if they reseated the beads.

Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

 

[Scab]

And make sure you pull the valve stem cap and fill the valve with the soapy water concoction.

 

[Warchild]

Anybody have this isuue with Avons before? Just wondering how you might have fixed it.

I am fairly confident it is not the tire.... it's most likely the mounting job, or valve stem.

 

[Rickster]

i mix soapy water in a spray bottle -- just squirt it around -- it'll bubble for ya.

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

The old tried-and-true method is to submerge the wheel and tire (or at least part of it at a time) in a tank of water and look for bubbles. Also, check the valve core -- is it tight? Some tire places put a black sticky sealer between the rim bead area and the tire bead just to make sure it doesn't lose air.

 

[leebunyard]

I haven't had any problems with leaks on the two sets of Avons I've had on my FJR but I did have a similar thing recently with a new Metzler rear tire on my GL1200--a slow leak that was losing about 1-2 pounds per day. I took my old faithful spray bottle of water with about a teaspoon of dish soap mixed in it and sprayed all over the tire. Could find no sign of the leak. Took the cap off the valve stem and sprayed it--no leakage. Then I gently moved the valve stem around while spraying the area--there was the tiny leakage. I actually stopped it by taking a pair of pliers and grasping the base of the valve stem gently and wiggling it around and back and forth. The leakage dimished each time I did and finally stopped altogether. The rear tire is normally run at 49 psi and I've ridden it over 500 miles since then over the past month and there is no further leakage. The spray bottle works well, have used it on cars, trucks and bikes for 25 years and have never failed to find a leak.

Lee in the Mountains of Northern California

 

[FJReady]

Update: Perserverance paid off. There was a little pin hole in the tread. very careful scrutiny in the water tub found a pinhole size leak. The dealer is going to contact Avon today for a disposition. Not sure how that will go- This tire was just replaced a few weeks ago for a puncture. This will be a good test of the Avon road hazard warantee. If it doesn't work out I won't hesitate to patch it from inside.

 

[GPRIDER]

Man, I'm tellin you, as much as I love the Avons they Magnets for anything that will puncture them. I think I went through 4 rears in about 16 months.

GP

 

[FJRocket]

Update: Perserverance paid off. There was a little pin hole in the tread. very careful scrutiny in the water tub found a pinhole size leak. The dealer is going to contact Avon today for a disposition. Not sure how that will go- This tire was just replaced a few weeks ago for a puncture. This will be a good test of the Avon road hazard warantee. If it doesn't work out I won't hesitate to patch it from inside.

Word has it that Avon doesn't bat an eye about road hazard replacements. Never been through that myself, but I sure have seen the kudos posted enough times to believe it.

Glad you were finally able to track down the hole!