Tubes & Mousse
Keep on Rolling with 24MX Tyre Tubes and Tyre Mousse
Inner tubes and tyre mousse are essential dirt bike components. Find the best 24MX product to meet your motorcycling needs and discover which is the right one for you.
Tyre tube
An inner tube is an inflatable rubber ring that sits inside the tyre, which is then fitted to the wheel. A motocross tyre casing is tough. On their own however, the sidewalls can’t withstand the weight of the bike and rider or terrain changes. It is here that the inner tube comes into play. Via an external valve, air gets pumped into the tube. The tube then expands and supports the tyre casing, helping to soak up the bumps. Tyre tubes have one major drawback. If they get punctured, it’s game over. This problem may not be such a big deal on a motocross course. However, a puncture is a big deal for off-roaders and enduro riders, where debris is a prime concern. To minimise the risk of a puncture, 24MX offers a range of heavy-duty tyre tubes. These have a wall thickness of up to 4mm. These extra-thick tubes perform well off-road. Yet, if you want to further guarantee a puncture-free ride, you need to step things up a notch with tyre mousse.
Tyre Mousse
French tyre giant, Michelin, was responsible for inventing this innovative product in 1984. Its purpose was for enduro racing and rally-raid events such as the Paris-Dakar Rally. In events like these covering vast distances of the wilderness, it’s up to the rider to fix a flat tyre with whatever tools they can carry. Unfortunately, downtime can cost a race. Worse still, a puncture can throw the rider off the bike, causing injury. The tyre mousse looks like a solid foam ring. It consists of tiny nitrogen-filled foam cells. Before fitting inside the tyre, similar to an inner tube, the tyre mousse and the inside of the tyre get a thorough coating of special grease. You will often find this supplied with the mousse.
Once the wheel is on the rim, it’s time to inflate the tyre to seat the bead. As the mousse has no air to leak, if the tyre punctures, it will not deflate. The tyre and mousse can also run at low pressure, which allows the tread to spread wider and offer more grip. As the cells in the mousse are nitrogen-filled, as the tyre warms, the cells expand to fill the tyre. Under moderate enduro riding, a tyre mousse may last 20+ hours. However, riding style has a significant impact on longevity. Motocross racers competing in warmer climates will get less wear, as the hotter the mousse becomes, the more elasticity it will lose.
Tyre tube versus tyre mousse
A heavy-duty tyre tube will stay inflated in most cases. Even so, if you hit a sharp object at speed, there’s potential for a puncture. Some professional racers claim that a tubed tyre offers a lot more feel than a tyre mousse. On the flip side, the tyre mousse will not deflate even if it takes many direct hits. For long-distance enduro and rally-raid riders, the potential to continue riding is worth the reduced tyre feedback. The choice is the rider’s to make. So, whether you opt for a tyre tube or a mousse, 24MX has a comprehensive range at the keenest prices.