Front tire has a leak......no idea where

[RyanSterling]

So I have been working STOOPID hours lately and then had to fly up to SF for a meeting on Friday. So anyways the last time I rode the bike was a 3:30 am on Wednesday coming home from work. My commute is pretty short and as tired as I was the bike felt weird. Sluggish to turn in etc etc. So when I get home I check the tire pressure in the front and sure enough the pressure is down to the low 20's. Filled it back up and parked the bike.

Anyways, I went out last night to check it again and sure enough its already lost 5 lbs. Put the front tire on a roller and got some soapy water and started to inspect the tire. For the life of me I couldn't find a single thing wrong with it. Valve stem seems fine, no nails or cuts or anything. And I was really looking, even brought a shop light over to really have a good look. I also checked around the wheel to see if it was leaking at the bead and nope.

I check my pressures at least once a week so this is definitely a new development.

So I guess my two questions are A. this ever happened to any of you and if so what else can I check? and B. Has anyone fitted the Pirelli Diablo Rosso II's yet and if so how do you like em?

Thanks!

 

[Mansack]

Gotta be a pin hole man... check the sidewalls too? Try using Windex window cleaner to find the hole (I've had better luck with that than soapy water). Pump a few more PSI of air in that tire too to find it more easily. But if you can't find it, take it in to someone and have them take the tire off and check the inside - could be something you can't see from the outside.
Good luck.

 

[ssky0078]

It happened on my car rims once, I had hit a really bad pot hole and there was a slight bend on the rim that somehow just the right way to let a little air out.

The guys at the tire shop were able to bang it back out and it was fine after that. The guys said that it was really weird for that to happen and they thought I ran over soemthing worse but that's the fun thing about different metals, elements and physics that everything has a weak spot.

 

[Fazed]

Did you check the valve with soapy water???

 

[Landin]

Just put the tire in a big bucket filled with water. where the bubbles come´s from, there is the hole.

 

[Camo]

I would have said the valve? I had a slow leaking valve in the stock front

 

[RyanSterling]

Did you check the valve with soapy water???

I did, the only thing I haven't done is remove the wheel and dunk it. Mostly just because I don't really have any good way to do it with my current stands. Been planning on fitting new tires anyways. Looks like I might have just found my excuse.

 

[highoctane]

Not that this is the problem, but I remember a guy that was so obsessed with his tire pressure he checked it every day 2 or three times and insisted he had a leak but indeed was himself just letting that small amount out to check.
I had a good laugh when he found out that's what it was

 

[RyanSterling]

Not that this is the problem, but I remember a guy that was so obsessed with his tire pressure he checked it every day 2 or three times and insisted he had a leak but indeed was himself just letting that small amount out to check.
I had a good laugh when he found out that's what it was

Ha, I actually wondered that for a moment myself yesterday.

 

[DJK1505]

I had a leak I could not find for the life of me once. I dunked it, soaped it, tried everyting 100 times, finally I removed the valve stem cap held it under water for a few minutes and finallly got an air bubble out. Then started just playing with the valve stem and if I pushed on the top just right it would bubble like crazy. I just removed the valve stem, cleaned it out a tad and put it back in. Pissed me off I didnt think to remove the cap and hold it all under water for a longer period.

Anyways, sounds like a perfect reason to get some new rubber!!!!!

DJ

 

[Camo]

I had the BT016's and they were great, very grippy on full lean, good feel and absolutely confidence inspiring. On the road they were awesome and good on the track.

I only got around 4600km's out of them though.

Now I'm on the new S20's see here - bridgestone s20's.
Phenomenal tire! A massive step up from the BT's, warm up is super quick and I was on full lean after 30km's during the scrub in run the day before a track day... Superb on track, like glue!
Highly recommend them.

I had planned on getting on the Perrelli's but these things are just awesome.

 

[Landin]

I did, the only thing I haven't done is remove the wheel and dunk it. Mostly just because I don't really have any good way to do it with my current stands. Been planning on fitting new tires anyways. Looks like I might have just found my excuse.

Dont need to take it of. Find a big bucket that the wheel will fit in to when its mounted, just turn the wheel inside bucket when mounted.

 

[ssky0078]

I had the BT016's and they were great, very grippy on full lean, good feel and absolutely confidence inspiring. On the road they were awesome and good on the track.

I only got around 4600km's out of them though.

Now I'm on the new S20's see here - bridgestone s20's.
Phenomenal tire! A massive step up from the BT's, warm up is super quick and I was on full lean after 30km's during the scrub in run the day before a track day... Superb on track, like glue!
Highly recommend them.

I had planned on getting on the Perrelli's but these things are just awesome.

I had some S20's on my Fz6 and thought they were seriously confidence inspiring. On my first long group ride that was quite spirited I didn't have but less than a half a finger for a chicken strip as a new rider.

I'm on PR2's now and don't like them. Good tire, just not for me.

 

[AndyDehnRules]

My car had the same problem, but it was just some oxidation on the rim where the tire met the rim. I tried snooping it and couldn't find anything so I took it in to my buddies auto shop. They couldn't find a leak in it (they took a good long while to try too), but they ended up removing the tire, doing a little sanding around the rim, and re-mounted it and the leak went away. If you have the ability I would try that, otherwise I agree that it's a great excuse to get some new rubber!

 

[Shock]

Back in the early 90s I worked in a tire shop and dunking the tire in a tub always worked best

 

[bren]

Back in the early 90s I worked in a tire shop and dunking the tire in a tub always worked best

same here- in 1999 i worked for a company called tyrepower in Sydney.

we had a bath tub set up to check tyres. used to come in handy fitting very low profile tyres to big rims. sometimes had problems with the tyre going on properly..