Got a Qlink XP200, Have a Problemo

[aj4499]

Hey Gentlemen, I'm now part of this club having just picked up a 2009 Qlink XP200. It had a flat tire when I bought it and it was the tube ripping around the valve stem.

Well, I had a new tube put in and took off for a test ride after getting the tire mounted and sure enough, flat tire within a minute. When I looked, the tube had completely ripped away from the valve.

The guy who did my tube for me said it happened because there isn't a rim lock and/or bead lock on the rim. I do see rim locks on other dirt bikes (they look like an extra valve stem if you don't look closely)

Now this has happened twice and destroyed two tubes, the advice was to install a rim or bead lock? or buy a new rim with one.

My question is, what the heck is going on? How do others ride this bike forever without rim locks and do just fine. It's clear my rim is spinning and not my tire and tube. Please help me get this qlink cruising again.

Thanks
Glenn

[JeremyC]

You may be running too low of tire pressure, but a rim lock will take care of that. Also, while the tire's off, make sure there are no jagged edges to those spoke nuts and make sure there's a rim strip on there to protect the tube. Those spoke nuts can have jagged edges right from the factory.

[aj4499]

Pressure was around 20 so that shouldn't have been it.

There was a rim strip there stock.

This is the stock rim and the stock tire and I have lost two tubes the same way, with the valve stem tearing away from the tube.

[Adjuster]

Does the tire look and feel like its mounting correctly on the rim? Loose oversized stretched tire for some reason?



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[2LZ]

I have an XP200 and no rim locks. Never had one do that. I did have a rubber band break and lost a tube that way.
I don't use rim rubber bands anymore. When I change a tire/tube, I run a band of Gorilla Tape around the rim.

This is an odd one. Hopefully they're not using some kind of weird lube to make it easier to get the tire on the rim and it's making it slip when you ride. I use baby powder to mount tires and change tubes.

[aj4499]

What do you mean by rubber bands?

All these people tell me to get a rim lock, which is crazy for such a low power bike.

Yea, this is very odd. People also say to not put on or tighten that nut that goes on the outside of the valve stem...odd, always did before without problems.

I'm getting a new tire, tube, rim strip, and rim lock just to be safe though...I'm really upset about this

And the tire is in really good shape on there now; it's the stocker with only 100 miles...shouldn't be oversized as it's the exact right size, not over-stretched either...who knows...

[2LZ]

Originally Posted by aj4499

What do you mean by rubber bands?

All these people tell me to get a rim lock, which is crazy for such a low power bike.

Yea, this is very odd. People also say to not put on or tighten that nut that goes on the outside of the valve stem...odd, always did before without problems.

I'm getting a new tire, tube, rim strip, and rim lock just to be safe though...I'm really upset about this

And the tire is in really good shape on there now; it's the stocker with only 100 miles...shouldn't be oversized as it's the exact right size, not over-stretched either...who knows...

The rim strip....rubber band....same thing. I'm with you. It's not like these are screaming MX bikes. I have yet to need any rim locks but who knows?
I usually just snug the stem nut. I've only ripped them out when they get real tilted....and that was on far more powerful bikes.

[Adjuster]

You should be all fixed up with the new tire, tube and rim lock. As previously mentioned duct tape over instead of rim band. May never know why this happened but almost has to be something not right with the tire. Verify rim size stamped on side of rim and verify size of new tire and verify new tube. Don't buy new tire or tube size based on old tire or what anyone is telling you. Verify the correct size of everything yourself.



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[aj4499]

Originally Posted by Adjuster

You should be all fixed up with the new tire, tube and rim lock. As previously mentioned duct tape over instead of rim band. May never know why this happened but almost has to be something not right with the tire. Verify rim size stamped on side of rim and verify size of new tire and verify new tube. Don't buy new tire or tube size based on old tire or what anyone is telling you. Verify the correct size of everything yourself.



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Sir, I studied the sizing of everything. The rim size is stamped on the outside of the stock rim, it says "1.85x18" on the rear. The stock tire shows it's a 4.10x18 and my new tube that ripped was for 4.00x18 so maybe that slight deviation was an issue....

I bought a tire and tube that are 100/100-18, which is compatible with 1.85x18 rim according to the several rim-tire application charts I studied.

The rim lock I got is also for a 1.85 rim. Hopefully throwing 80 bucks at this will make the problem go away.

I plan to use gorilla tape and the rim strip since I already bought it.

Looking forward to actually riding this qlink...

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by aj4499

What do you mean by rubber bands?

All these people tell me to get a rim lock, which is crazy for such a low power bike.

Yea, this is very odd. People also say to not put on or tighten that nut that goes on the outside of the valve stem...odd, always did before without problems.

I'm getting a new tire, tube, rim strip, and rim lock just to be safe though...I'm really upset about this

And the tire is in really good shape on there now; it's the stocker with only 100 miles...shouldn't be oversized as it's the exact right size, not over-stretched either...who knows...

We had one rider on here whose rim had oil on it from the factory. On the inside of the rim, and on the rim strip, on the tube, and on the inside of the tire. He had to wash all of it 2 -3 times to get it clean so that the tire wouldn't slip in the rim, taking the tube along with it....ARH

[aj4499]

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

We had one rider on here whose rim had oil on it from the factory. On the inside of the rim, and on the rim strip, on the tube, and on the inside of the tire. He had to wash all of it 2 -3 times to get it clean so that the tire wouldn't slip in the rim, taking the tube along with it....ARH

Was that with a Qlink XP200?

[dh]

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

We had one rider on here whose rim had oil on it from the factory. On the inside of the rim, and on the rim strip, on the tube, and on the inside of the tire. He had to wash all of it 2 -3 times to get it clean so that the tire wouldn't slip in the rim, taking the tube along with it....ARH

I was going to suggest Slime or Fix a flat from a previous owner? When Slime coats the inside of a tire it makes a slippery mess.

[Ariel Red Hunter]

Originally Posted by aj4499

Was that with a Qlink XP200?

No, it was a Hawk. But all of these makers spec the same rims, spokes and rim strips from the same supplier, unless your bike came with aluminum rims....ARH

[JerryHawk250]

Originally Posted by Ariel Red Hunter

We had one rider on here whose rim had oil on it from the factory. On the inside of the rim, and on the rim strip, on the tube, and on the inside of the tire. He had to wash all of it 2 -3 times to get it clean so that the tire wouldn't slip in the rim, taking the tube along with it....ARH

That would be I. The inside of the tire and bead was covered with some kind of oil. Can't remember if I used 409 or Simple Green for clean it. Basically my tire was slipping on the rim and ended up pinching the tube and ripping a small hole in it. I coated in inside the tire with baby powder so the tire doesn't grab the tube if it does slip.

[Megadan]

The Baby Powder/ talcum powder is a practice that should always be done with tube type tire setups. Most installers (should) do this, and I have always done this when changing tubes/tires. It helps reduce the friction on the tube between the rim strip as well as the carcass of the tire during installation and while riding to help protect the tube from the natural vibration and movement that occours during operation. The real trick is to not get it wet while installing the tire.