Do I need the rim locks?

Actually the rimlocks can be an aid against pinching the tube. If you plan where they are during your tire install, you can have one right in that sweet spot where the tube normally gets pinched and it pretty much isolates the tube from possible pinching. As to the soap/water combo, that's what I've used for near 30 yrs and never had a problem, then someone on the goldwing forums said to never use it on Honda aluminum wheels because it corrodes the aluminum and you'll get flat tires (tubeless of course). I'd changed these goldwing tires 2 or 3 times in the past using soap and water and never had a leak, but had just put new tires on like a week before I read this :S so called bull on the idea. Flat tire next time I went to ride the bike, wheel corroded. If just that guy hadn't said anything :laugh: So soap/water not recommended on aluminum. On steel, never had a problem. Might as well just get tire lube. No-mar the guys that make those nice tire change machines sell tire lube. I got some and haven't had the pleasure of using it yet, but expect it works just fine.

I run without, & fill hole w/a 6x12 countersunk screw nutted on outside.a fresh rim strip & go. makes mounting AND balancing easier. If you don't like the Idea of soap & water, baby powder is an old mxer's standby. It reduces tube chaffing and aids install. luck G

If you have a wrecker's yard close by, go and search through their wheel racks for wheels with little push-in plugs in the rim lock holes. There are various mags made that were drilled for rim locks but the factory never installed the locks for whatever reason. Instead, they inserted these nifty little rubber plugs in the hole(s).

I got the tire on using just dish soap. And I put the rim locks in. My rim strip had holes for the locks from a prior change so it wasn't too difficult. But I am going to buy a tire changer, I was so achy afterwards I took two Ibuprofen and later on some Tylenol. :laugh:

Congrats! You did the right thing. It makes you think twice about doing burnouts and wearing the tire out prematurely doesn't it? :laugh:

Anybody have a pic of what a rim lock looks like? :blush: I'm running tubes and would like to see what your talking about.

Thanks

Here's a pic herk posted on kz650.info.com on what the rim lock/rim stopper looks like on his 1981 kz650CSR:
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Here's another that looks very much like the original and a site to buy them cheap (it's the 15th picture on the website).



RIMLOCK

park your bike in the garage or chain your dog to it if youre worried about your wheels being stolen!oh,those rim locks!:laugh:

Thanks rstnick and 650ed! Now i'm really confused..:blush:
Where the heck does that go?:huh: I just looked at my wheels and didn't see anything like that.

Thanks

all you will see is what looks like head of bolt with a nut on it sticking through rim the rest is inside of tire when its installed

cnyl,
If your rear wheel has rimlocks you will see 2 threaded stems with a nuts on them located 180 degrees apart on the rim. The pic below shows 1 rimlock and the valve stem so you can see the difference. The second rimlock is not in the picture, it's 180 degrees away from the one shown.