Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Norton bulletin board Tire Talc In 75 Mk3 Tires?

On a ride on my 75 Mk3 a few days ago, I was about two miles from home when my rear tire went completely flat in less than a minute. Pushing that heavy bike with a flat tire was no fun. I pushed it to an area where I could safely park it until I could recover it. I ordered a new BikeMaster tube to replace the damaged tube. Due to a lot of other projects, I decided to take the wheel to a local motorcycle shop to replace the tube, once I removed it. I called and talked to them and mentioned that I wanted to make sure they put tire talc in the tire. They had never heard of tire talc. I have always used tire talk in all tires with tubes, including motorcycles, cars and trucks. It seems to be a very good lubricant for the contact between the tube and inside of the tire. I've been doing this for decades and I know it used to be standard practice back in the day. Does anyone else still use tire talc or am I in the minority?

they never heard of talc because they have no experience with tubes in general.

i have used talc in changing my motorcycle tubes since before i could walk.

the old ways are the best, until you fit cast wheels.

I've always used talc on bicycle and motorcycle tires. It does make the installation a little easier. I'm not sure if it does much after that if it gets wet as is often the case with motorcycle wheels when using soapy water for the tire install.

I dust the tube with Johnson’s baby powder which was given to me in gift sets when No. 1 Son was born. He’ll be 33 in May.

if you use too much, moisture and pressure compress the talc to a cake.

just a dusting is all that is necessarry

I recommend unscented, for several reasons.

https://www.amazon.com/Rema-Tire-Ta...hy=9012391&hvtargid=pla-570079689025

+1 for talc when changing tubes/tires.
I much prefer it to soapy water as the latter gives rust in the inside of the rim a head start.
As stated--you don't need much --just smear it around the tube and inside of the tire with your hand.
Certainly helps the tire pop out to its rightful position when you fully inflate it.
Humorous aside----- When I was about 16 my motorcycle mentor told me about using talc and recommended that I get some.
So I went to the local chemists shop in UK (drugstore in US) and asked for some talc. The assistant asked me what scent I wanted ---I got a very funny look when I said that it didn't matter!

At one time, Johnson’s baby powder contained asbestos, so they say.

The mineral talc is closely related to asbestos. Virtually all talc contains very small amounts of asbestos. Baby powder now doesn't contain any real talc and most use corn starch or arrowroot powder as a substitute. If you want to use real talc for tires and tubes, buy only tire talc. Tire talk is still 100% real talc.

theres a road in san benito county in california that goes over a range of mountains to get to the sea. poorly maintained, one track in lots of it, none of it paved, seldom graded, never encouraged.

i took it once from new idria trying to get west and discovered why. about twenty miles in, i came around a turn and the road turned white. snow white road cut into a snow white mountainside leading up into the snow white distance.

the road was graded into a formatin of pure asbestos. pounded to powder on the road. i finally had to turn around when th eroad was cut by a creek that was too deep to cross, even though i was driving a one-tone four wheel drive flatbed.

turns out the county refuses to maintain the road for more than fire control because they dont want anybody on it. when they grade it the crews wear gas masks.

no camera then, else id post images.

i think this is where it leaves town

I was amused to see that 'asbestine' was listed as ingredient in white paint circa 1915,
posted elsewhere here.

Now paint is fairly stable, but as it weathers and turns chalky white....
These days, they do use chalk. ?

We diverge from talc though.
I've never used it on tubes.
But have seen traces in a few tubes I changed.

Still diverging from talc, but paint is made white today with the addition of titanium dioxide.

And we don’t mind the exposure to radioactive thorium involved in getting titanium into extra-white paint.

I don’t, anyway.

thorium is a natural element in igneous rock and in sedimentary deposits derived from igneous rock.

every time you drive through a granite road cut you get irradiated by thoorium. lots of beaches too. the thorium in granite has enough nuclear energy to yield 50 times as much energy as the rocks weight in coal

way harder to get out tho

Yeah you only need matches and some paper and sticks to get the energy out of coal.

Yes, soap is the last thing anyone should consider when changing out or installing tires and tubes

Years ago, someone on this forum, I forget who, recommended WD40, and I have been using that ever since. It lubricates and dries after the job and it really makes it a super easy task in my experience, and I have installed quite a few tubes and tires over the past few years using WD40. The other superior go-to is a product called P-80 Emulsion that was recommended by John Healy and I was fortunate to be able to get a bottle of it from him when he initially informed the forum about it a few years ago.