Last season, right after I had new wheels put on, the day I picked it up, on the way home I hear a noise, I get on the highway, and as I get off my exit, I can barely turn. My valve stem core is worked out and the valve cap is missing. Fix it, wierd, but no big deal. Thank god I got off the highway when I did. Then tonight, the wife and I are on the bike for the first time this year, on the highway doing 75,a nd I hear a noise again, this is almost a year later BTW, and sure enough, a few miles later the bike's handling funny, I pull over, and again, no valve cap and a loose core. A guy pulls over to help and says " those are automotive valve stems, motorcycle ones have a nut etc. etc., those vibrate too much. Did my wrench, who has screwed up a lot of my stuff, and was fired from a dealership, put on the wrong valve stems.????

 

What model bike, what wheels?

There are two types of stems, metal bolt on that uses a nut and rubber pull through. Ive never seen a core work loose that was installed properly.

 

05 FLHT, Stock wagon wheel mags, but had them powdercoated a gloss black with a Dunlop Wide White wall. It's a rubber pull through. He must have been talking about Metal bolt on. I never paid attention to valve stems really? Do you think improper installation. The guy has screwed up other stuff of mine in the past. A new wrench will be gotten, no doubt.

 

Great save both times, I am so glad for you. Good work.
Personally, I don't trust the wrenches at my local ( and I am including more than one shop ) stealership. I have learned to check their work BEFORE I leave the yard. Go visit someone else. All my MC tires have metal stems, tube and tubeless.
Do not let any wrench endanger you twice.

 

Sounds like hes just pulling them through and airing up, Not tightening the core.

 

Look at other bikes' valve stem, how do them compare to yours? I go to the stealership to buy parts. I look at the new and pre-owned inventory to see how things are routed and fastened. A visual dictionary, if you will. My bikes ( XLC, FXR ) have and require metal valve stems with associated HW. A HD service manual is a great cheap purchase.

 

Dresser wheels have been using pull through rubber stems for a couple decades now! Since 1987!

 

I posted on here back in November that I blew the schrader valve out of my rear tire while on my way home from Mississippi. I had never heard of this and asked on here if anyone else had. Most of the responses suspected the tire had been tampered with or the schrader valve was loose.

I completely replaced the valve stem and it lasted about a thousand miles. Just yesterday I got a second flat on the same tire. After getting towed to the dealer we checked the valve stem and found it all chewed up. I couldnt tell if it happened before the flat or after. We didn't find a nail or anything in the tire.

I bought the valve stem at a motorcycle shop so I'm assuming it was made for a motorcycle, are they really vehicle specific?

The mechanic said the valve stem I had in place was just a little longer than the ones they use but it wasn't too long. He also assured me I mounted the tire properly and that it was alligned.

My apologies to the OP for jacking his thread but I think we may have had similar problems.

Any idea what went wrong Doc?

 

i never depend on the plastic valve stem caps. the metal ones with a gasket in the inside is the safest way to go. plastic does not seal near as well as the metal ones. imagine this scenario. you're doing 80 mph, the valve core center piece is going to be thrown away from its seat via centrifugal force. that's one of the reasons i trust only the metal caps with the rubber gasket inside. any valve stem failure and you will not lose tire pressure, unless it's from the outside of the rubber part of the valve stem itself. cheap insurance.

 

Sounds like the core came loose. Probably wasn't tightened properly. I've never seen or heard of special valve stems for motorcycles. There are different sizes and AFAIK the cores are interchangeable in all of them.