Thoughts On Changing Tyres

I’m switching from spokes to alloys on my Enfield. Today I took the wheels to a tyre shop to transfer the tyres. The front wheel sports an aged Pirelli MT60 which has developed cracks on its sides. The tube was only reason why the poor tyre was still able to hold air.

The nice chap at the tyre shop noticed that there was quite a bit of tread on the tyre and asked me why I wanted to buy a new tyre. I pointed out to the cracks and he basically dismissed them saying that the cracks were normal and the tyre was just fine. He then proceeded to remove the tyre from the rim. It came off all warped. It was pretty clear that the tyre needed replacement.

But even the warped seams didn’t shake him. He assured me that he would be able to fit the tyre on the allow wheel without a problem. I told him not to bother. But surprisingly he was adamant. He applied soap solution to the edges and cleaned them to get an airtight fit on the alloy.

After fitting the tyre to the alloy he noticed air leaking from different places including the side wall. He sat there scratching his head quite dejected with himself and then said, “No problem Sir. We will use the old tube and all the air leakage will stop”.

I had to step in to stop the madness. I politely explained to him that one of the reasons for changing from spokes to alloys was that I didn’t want to have to remove the wheel in the event of a puncture. Introducing a tube on the tubeless tyre would defeat the purpose. He finally gave in.

It’s amazing how some people will use something as important as a tyre to its fullest and then try to flog is some more. I understand that the man’s intentions were good. But there is a limit to how much you can and should use a tyre. I’ve seen people use tyres till the nylon cross ply get exposed and start to wear off.

Not good.