Tires- Tubeless or not? '91-'95(ish) R100R Rims/Wheels/Tires

Hey gang-

I've done a bit of looking around, and I'm curious about something on my '93 R100R in relation to the wheels, specifically. And, before you go on, please understand that the 1993 R100R has an 18" front wheel, and *not* a 19" like earlier years.

Basically, I'm looking to convert my R100R in to a R100GS_lite by changing out the metzeler tires for some Shinko 705 series (street 80/20 dirt) tires as well as few other things- but right now, the focus is on wheels (rims) and tires.

Now, here's the dilemma- Shinkos are "tube type only" and well... you guessed it- I've got the pretty spoked Italian laced rims that provide for tubeless tires. After reading some reviews on these specific tires, I've spotted a few folks who have identified the bikes that they've put them on as R100GSs, however- they failed to post the year of the GS... so I'm not sure if they have the same REAR rim that I do, or not.

I've gone as far as looking up the rear part number for the GS model and it is identical to mine, so I'm assuming that I *can* put the tire on- *IF AND ONLY IF* the response that I saw from a R100GS rider about these tires was within my year range.

So, my question is this:
Does anybody know if I....

....Can I put the "Tube type only" tires on these rims if I use an inner tube?

....Can it be done without the inner tube?

Ultimately, I just want to know as to whether or not I can put a "TUBE TYPE ONLY" tire on my tubeless rims or not. (I'm totally fine with having to put in a tube if I have to.)

For your info, if you need it, the stock tire sizes are:
100/90 18 (Front)
140/80 17 (Rear)

Also, I'm in no real hurry as the street skins I've got on are good for another couple hundred miles- but I just wanted to inquire before I make the purchase.

Outside of that, any other advice on this project is welcome, and I'll post a list of things that I've put together for my articular conversion once I get a little further along in the project. Obviously, the R100GS has larger (longer) shocks than the R100R and the rear shock is slightly different (can't think of how at this exact moment) than mine as well.



Thanks everyone!
Happy riding.

i look forward to responses on this as well; The 705 looks like a decent tire and would consider mounting them on my '91 GS...

The R100GS rims should be run tubeless because their rim shape. However, a friend of mine ran his for years with tubes without any problems.

Awesome!

lostboy said:

The R100GS rims should be run tubeless because their rim shape. However, a friend of mine ran his for years with tubes without any problems.

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Thanks!

Do you happen to know what year model your friend's GS was, by chance?

All R100GS rims are tubeless: '88 through the end of production.

I have run tube-type tires without a tube on those rims, and I've run them with a tube. I'd go with the tube if I were you, at least on the front.

AntonLargiader said:

I'd go with the tube if I were you, at least on the front.

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Thanks for the insight. I was probably going to go the use-a-tube route anyway, as it never hurts to be a little more safe on an already not-very safe device anyway. ;-)