Varg Red Tube

[Butch]

someone posted Bryan's vid

on our site

https://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=560735

Can normal folks get Red Tube? Is that a porn site?

 

[blbills]

Do you want mine? First thing I'm going to do is pull them out of my bike before I even ride it.

 

[pap]

First thing I did.

 

[Butch]

Do you want mine? First thing I'm going to do is pull them out of my bike before I even ride it.

ah, you be in Utah, prolly not worth the shipping. Unless... dont tell anyone but I used to ship all sorts of stuff from my work for free. I retired nine years ago, so i guess its ok. Thanks.

Actually, I'll ask the guy on BARF if he want to pay shipping and handling...

They be like anti heavy duty, eh?

 

[Butch]

ah, you be in Utah, prolly not worth the shipping. Unless... dont tell anyone but I used to ship all sorts of stuff from my work for free. I retired nine years ago, so i guess its ok. Thanks.

Actually, I'll ask the guy on BARF if he want to pay shipping and handling...

They be like anti heavy duty, eh?

guy on BARF (a BARFer) wants them. He’ll pay shipping. is the rear 18 or 19?

 

[blbills]

guy on BARF (a BARFer) wants them. He’ll pay shipping. is the rear 18 or 19?

I don't have my Varg yet. It's currently in a shipping container on it's way across the Atlantic. Remind me in a month or so when it arrives.

 

[Foss]

I have had two stark red tubes fail at the valve stem. Just a small enough hole to not hold pressure. At that point, I will stick to traditional tubes; not worth the energy. I am sure stark future would replace them at no cost, but the downtime and inconvenience is not worth it in my opinion. If you are hitting the track and sticking your landings the last thing you want to blow out the tube and bend the rim. These tubes might be nice for casual riding on the trails. But that being said my first front red tube valve stem failed on a normal size rock. And yes wheel locks are always checked and seeded to the bead; no angle in the stem.

My kids use them as a floatation device for the pool. Problem solved.

 

[AL_V]

My kids use them as a floatation device for the pool. Problem solved.

I hope your kids can swim or touch the bottom!
(Risky bidness relying on those flimsy tubes to hold air).

 

[Foss]

I hope your kids can swim or touch the bottom!
(Risky bidness relying on those flimsy tubes to hold air).

Haha they can

 

[TCMB371]

They are available for purchase on Stark's website.

SMX1-FW-IT-21T - Power Tube 21"
SMX1-RW-IT-19T - Power Tube 19"
SMX1-RW-IT-18T - Power Tube 18"

Electric Motocross Bike | Stark Future

The fastest electric motocross bike in the world is Powerful, Silent and Light. The Stark VARG proves that electric technology is superior to gas.

starkfuture.com

 

[Theo]

I have had two stark red tubes fail at the valve stem. Just a small enough hole to not hold pressure. At that point, I will stick to traditional tubes; not worth the energy. I am sure stark future would replace them at no cost, but the downtime and inconvenience is not worth it in my opinion. If you are hitting the track and sticking your landings the last thing you want to blow out the tube and bend the rim. These tubes might be nice for casual riding on the trails. But that being said my first front red tube valve stem failed on a normal size rock. And yes wheel locks are always checked and seeded to the bead; no angle in the stem.

My kids use them as a floatation device for the pool. Problem solved.

Yesterday, when I was unloading the bike from the trailer after a trackday, I noticed that the valve stem of the front tyre was very crooked, like 45° from the radial direction that it is supposed to be pointing at, and that the tyre had very little pressure. I was able to inflate it and it held air for some minutes, so that I was able to unload the bike and put it on the stand.
The rim lock was tight and the pressure had been set pretty high the day before, so I think that first the tyre deflated because of a tube failure and then it started sliding on the rim while I was braking, bending the stem. Years ago I tried a friend's bike on a track in similar conditions, a little muddy, and I didn't realize the front tyre was flat, so I guess I didn't realize it this time either.
Today I have removed the tube from the tyre and if I inflate it, it will hold air for some time without any hissing sound. I didn't look for the leak carefully but I just poured some water at the bottom of the valve core and it doesn't seem like air is leaking there.
The rim dosen't look bent but if I feel its side with my finger there are a couple of spots which feel slightly bulging.
Even after having re-inflated the tyre, after it deflated again I was able to break the beads just with my fingers.
I haven't managed to remove the valve core because if I turn it, the whole valve spins in the red stem.
I will replace that tube with a conventional one.

 

[AL_V]

Yesterday, when I was unloading the bike from the trailer after a trackday, I noticed that the valve stem of the front tyre was very crooked, like 45° from the radial direction that it is supposed to be pointing at, and that the tyre had very little pressure. I was able to inflate it and it held air for some minutes, so that I was able to unload the bike and put it on the stand.
The rim lock was tight and the pressure had been set pretty high the day before, so I think that first the tyre deflated because of a tube failure and then it started sliding on the rim while I was braking, bending the stem. Years ago I tried a friend's bike on a track in similar conditions, a little muddy, and I didn't realize the front tyre was flat, so I guess I didn't realize it this time either.
Today I have removed the tube from the tyre and if I inflate it, it will hold air for some time without any hissing sound. I didn't look for the leak carefully but I just poured some water at the bottom of the valve core and it doesn't seem like air is leaking there.
The rim dosen't look bent but if I feel its side with my finger there are a couple of spots which feel slightly bulging.
Even after having re-inflated the tyre, after it deflated again I was able to break the beads just with my fingers.
I haven't managed to remove the valve core because if I turn it, the whole valve spins in the red stem.
I will replace that tube with a conventional one.

Do yourself a favor and replace the back one as well.

 

[Cocopop]

Swapped out for Michellin ultra heavyduty.the standard might be ok on soft tracks but hitting roots and rocks where I am the red won’t last long.

 

[mbw479]

I had 2 pinholes in the front tube and 1 in the rear after the first ride. If I hadn't put tyre sealant in the tubes before the first ride it would have been a quick ride.

 

[Theo]

I had 2 pinholes in the front tube and 1 in the rear after the first ride. If I hadn't put tyre sealant in the tubes before the first ride it would have been a quick ride.

So have you been able to remove the core of the valve stem to pour the sealant? On my front tube the core just spun with the valve inside the red stem.

I have to say that the red tube has an advantage: it's easier to install. When I removed it I didn't have a replacement tube available yet and it was Sunday, so I just decided to put it back for training; quite some time had elapsed since my last tyre change. Well, it slipped into the tyre pretty easy and, being thinner, it made it easier to do the rest.
Today I've installed a conventional tube and it's been way harder.

 

[Big Boom Moto]

I've also had the valve stems get angled and leak out slowly without any obvious leaks in the actual tube. Does anyone know a tube that's as light as the stock Stark red tube but at least has a lock nut to keep things in place? Heavy duty tubes are a pain in the ass to jam into these wheels.

 

[Theo]

I've also had the valve stems get angled and leak out slowly without any obvious leaks in the actual tube. Does anyone know a tube that's as light as the stock Stark red tube but at least has a lock nut to keep things in place? Heavy duty tubes are a pain in the ass to jam into these wheels.

In some interview the CEO A. Wass said that there are actually more generations of those Power Tubes. Referring to my previous post, my bike now has 59 hours including 2 or 3 hours of enduro with some rocks and the rear Power Tube hasn't gone flat yet.
I am considering bringing a set with me at the track so that I can quickly replace the tube if I get a flat.
Also, there is consensus about the fact that the first batches often failed pretty quickly, but I don't know about more recent tubes.

 

[Chaconne]

I've also had the valve stems get angled and leak out slowly without any obvious leaks in the actual tube. Does anyone know a tube that's as light as the stock Stark red tube but at least has a lock nut to keep things in place? Heavy duty tubes are a pain in the ass to jam into these wheels.

I don't think a lock nut will help that much as there will likely be failure somewhere else and about the only thing the nut will do will keep the stem in place with either a torn or detached tube. I used IRC heavy duty tubes and didn't find them that difficult. I would still call it a pain it the ass but the jam in was nothing compared to on trail failures for me at least.

For me the weight at the wheel was just not worth it. I guess a lot depends on the type of riding. I can see how the stock tubes might be good on a soft MX track or some other type of riding. For hard enduro banging off rock, roots, at lower pressures, I just found the stock tubes too unreliable. And I am thinking that any tube with lightweight design will be a trade off.

 

[AL_V]

Heavy duty tubes are a pain in the ass to jam into these wheels.

How are “these wheels” any different than any other bike?

 

[Chaconne]

How are “these wheels” any different than any other bike?

I think he meant the stock tires. The sidewalls of the Pirellis narrow slightly more than other tires (say Dunlops or IRCs) and makes heavy duty tube insertion a bit more difficult. It wasn't a game changer for me and the heavy duty IRCs I used have been reliable and great at low pressures.