[22] Trouble! Two bikes get flat tires at the same time, and the Cub and Aprio are rushed to the hospital. It's 100% my fault... | Fun Aprio 22 - Motopeek - Latest Motorcycle News, Reviews & Updates

Aprio has had mysterious air leaks in the past

In fact, I once had a problem with my JOG Aprio where the rear tire would suddenly leak air when starting from a stop sign. I refilled it with air using a compressor and it never leaked again, so I wondered if the rubber in the air valve had deteriorated. The tire was starting to wear out, so I had new tires and air valves ready to be replaced when the time came…

On the other hand, turnips…

An Aprio and a Cub are being transported by truck. Both have flat tires.

My Aprio had a flat tire, so I went out on my Super Cub instead, but the rear tire went flat a few kilometers from home. Even after filling it up with air at a gas station, it was flat again in just a few seconds. I only occasionally went on forest roads, so the distance I was traveling wasn’t increasing much, and it was just a backup bike for when my Aprio broke down, so I was shocked that it had a flat tire too.

Finding the cause of the problem

This time, we asked Takita Motors, a shop located in Akiruno City, Tokyo, to repair the flat tire. They specialize in Class 1 and Class 2 mopeds.

I visited Takita Motors with the two flat tires on my bike.

First, we started by repairing the Super Cub.

After removing the rear wheel and removing the bead, we discovered that the tube at the air valve had become lumpy.

“Were you riding with insufficient air pressure?” asked Takita, the company’s representative.

It seems that the cause was that the tire pressure had been lowered to ride on a forest road, and then the tire was ridden on a paved road with the pressure unchanged.

We had only ridden the tire with the low pressure for maybe 10km, and it was surprising that something like this had happened to a Super Cub with a stock engine, which is not particularly powerful.

Remove the axle shaft and remove the rear wheel.

Let the air out of the tire and drop the bead.

The tube had been pulled and had become like a lump.

There was a crack in the tube, but no air was leaking from it… However, when I pumped air into it, the area swelled up.

Put the tube in the water to find the puncture.

The tire will remain the same, and only the tube will be replaced with a new one.

Once the wheel is installed on the vehicle, the air pressure should be set to the correct 2.0 kg/cm.

Conclusion: After riding on forest roads, immediately return the tire to the correct pressure.

When I removed the tube from the tire, I found a spot where the rubber had worn thin.

However, there was no hole there, and the actual leak was from the base of the valve.

I replaced the tube with a new one and reassembled the tire, and the Super Cub’s puncture repair was complete.

Air leaks from around the bead of the Aprio

To find the source of the air leak on the JOG Aprio, I sprayed soap on the wheel that I had removed from the vehicle. Bubbles started appearing all around the bead. I decided to remove the tire from the wheel first. Looking closely at the removed tire, I found a deep crack around the bead.

It appears that the rubber in the tire has hardened over time, causing it to lose adhesion to the wheel, resulting in air leaking out.

After replacing the tire with a new air valve and tire that I had prepared in advance, the puncture repair on the JOG Aprio was complete. I also sprayed soapy water on the wheel to make sure there were no air leaks.