Converting a Mten3 to tubeless operation.

[Jengajuice]

The tire my MTen3 came with was good for 700 miles until I wasn't paying attention and ran over a sharp rock on the sidewalk, likely from a nearby railroad crossing. Left a blister on the tire that wore through after about a week. Ordered a new tire from some random seller on Amazon and eagerly put it on when it arrived.  Didn't last even 100 miles before I started feeling a wobble, didn't make it the few miles home before it became unrideable.  I found the weave was delaminating on the inside.  Was boggled how the tire ended up in such bad shape so fast. Ordered my next tire from what I hoped would be a better source, and that turned out to be true. New tire looked similar on the outside, but just about everything else was different. The packaging was different, more professional. It came with spacers holding the rim of the tire wide. The tire was stiffer, and had a clear molding pattern on the inside (I recall the previous tire just looking rough inside). It was also a royal pain to get on the rim, unlike the previous comparatively floppy tire. More than enough clue bat thwacks to realize I had previously been scammed and sold a mold failure reject. Same price, no less.

Oh, and I got a few small leaks (3 total) in that bad tire from plant/weed spikes, where they hadn't caused leaks before on the first tire (stuck in the tire, plucked them out, no leak).

[Gasmantle]

Many thanks guys 

My tyre is the same as the one in @Unipilot69photo above, it is just rotten and flaking away inside - it is even down to the string webbing being exposed on the inside and this is after only 50 miles of riding.

I was prepared to convert it to tubeless at the dealers suggestion if he supplies the parts (I've already spent £40 on inner tubes and refuse to spend any more), he has now decided I should return the wheel to them for inspection and I've agreed to that.

I quite fancy a KS16x so I've suggested taking a full refund and using that as part payment on one from the same dealer but he seems reluctant. It seemed to me a sensible option - he sells a higher value wheel and I'm happy too 

[Unipilot69]

I love the mten3 but the tire size leaves little options for getting a decent tire. I ordered a different patterned tire as well from Amazon. It'll be here next week. The blown tire was factory installed. These are the same size as the ninebot mini. There are more options for the mini as it has open fenders. There is an option for knobby tires. They won't fit inside the mten3.

[Tawpie]

Yikes! I just ordered one of these, although mine will be tubeless. I'm a bit worried... these have been the tubed tires that are problematic, correct?

[.....]

27 minutes ago, Tawpie said:

Yikes! I just ordered one of these, although mine will be tubeless. I'm a bit worried... these have been the tubed tires that are problematic, correct?

I am pretty sure most all the issues are from the tubed version. I havent any problems from my tubeless, nor I expect there to be(aside from misplacing that short metal valve cap). Of course, if you get a poor tire, you could have issue. I imagine GW isnt being extrememly particular about the $10 tire they toss on it. Im hoping the most recent small mtens come with the pretty chrome rim bead too. THey do come with larger acm pedals and tubeless for sure.

Edited April 20, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[Gasmantle]

17 hours ago, Tawpie said:

Yikes! I just ordered one of these, although mine will be tubeless. I'm a bit worried... these have been the tubed tires that are problematic, correct?

The general consensus here seems to be that the tubeless variant is less problematic so it sounds like you should be ok. The courier is calling tomorrow to collect my wheel, the dealer is going to look into the problem and convert mine to tubeless so hopefully that will be the end of my troubles 

I'd be interested to know what you think of yours after you've had it a few days, could you please update us if yours has similar problems - (hopefully yours will be trouble free though)

[Tawpie]

6 hours ago, Gasmantle said:

I'd be interested to know what you think of yours after you've had it a few days

I'll do that... it's a 67V model though, so while it's new, it's also old. And I won't be able to try it out until mid May as it is intended for me to use while on vacation and it's being shipped to my destination. Vacation doesn't start until mid May. sigh, I'm anxious to give it a try!

[Gasmantle]

20 hours ago, Tawpie said:

I'll do that... it's a 67V model though, so while it's new, it's also old. And I won't be able to try it out until mid May as it is intended for me to use while on vacation and it's being shipped to my destination. Vacation doesn't start until mid May. sigh, I'm anxious to give it a try!

Mine has now been sent back to the dealer who has agreed to convert it to tubeless so I'm expecting to have it back and to have covered a few miles on it before you get yours, I'll let you know how it goes after its been converted.

[.....]

36 minutes ago, Gasmantle said:

Mine has now been sent back to the dealer who has agreed to convert it to tubeless so I'm expecting to have it back and to have covered a few miles on it before you get yours, I'll let you know how it goes after its been converted.

HOORAY for reliable dealers. Sorry to hear it was such a pita, but I suspect youll forget all about it soon enough. Keep us updated how it goes. Also, who was your dealer? I have mine in the USA. If they take care of you properly, it would be good for locals out your way to know about it. Tawpie and I have the 'baby' version coming. I am fairly certain its of the 'older' stock variety. I also have a wierd tire otw in a slow boat. From what I gather, the new stock is tubeless, acm pedals as well. Its just that short interim of versions that tried to go tubeless and it may have been a mistake.

@TawpieI envy you being able to slowly ride the Florida coast next month! Wear lotsa sunscreen and remember that WATER makes a damn fine chaser. If you have to leave the mten in a car, remember to keep it out of direct sunlight. Babies don't like sunburn...

Mten riders association ftw!

 

Edited April 22, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[Gasmantle]

Well, fingers crossed it looks like my Mten maybe sorted now 

The seller has converted it to tubeless operation and I've done about 15 miles in the local park to test it out. It's held it's pressure without any loss, in the past it has always punctured after about 10 miles of use and I'm now past that so I think if I get another 15 - 20 miles out of it without trouble then it should be ok.

I did a bit of Googling an it appears quite a few people have had issues with tubed tyres puncturing at low mileage and often the tube shows signs of abrasion around the whole circumference as mine did. I'm not certain of the cause but it seems to me that the punctures occur internally and not as a result of sharp objects penetrating the tyre, everytime the punctures happened around the 10 mile mark and that is more than a coincidence.

Anyway I've enjoyed a couple of hours on it today, it really is a fun wheel if it working ok.

I must admit though after 60 miles of use now I'm still a bit nervous on it, I haven't had a fall but I do find it very twitchy. I'm a reasonably experienced rider with 3000 miles clocked up so I'm hoping I'll soon get my confidence on it.

My knees are aching a bit now so I'm just about to tackle a few pints of the dark stuff but many thanks to those who offered help and support  

 

[.....]

20 hours ago, Gasmantle said:

Well, fingers crossed it looks like my Mten maybe sorted now 

The seller has converted it to tubeless operation and I've done about 15 miles in the local park to test it out. It's held it's pressure without any loss, in the past it has always punctured after about 10 miles of use and I'm now past that so I think if I get another 15 - 20 miles out of it without trouble then it should be ok.

I did a bit of Googling an it appears quite a few people have had issues with tubed tyres puncturing at low mileage and often the tube shows signs of abrasion around the whole circumference as mine did. I'm not certain of the cause but it seems to me that the punctures occur internally and not as a result of sharp objects penetrating the tyre, everytime the punctures happened around the 10 mile mark and that is more than a coincidence.

Anyway I've enjoyed a couple of hours on it today, it really is a fun wheel if it working ok.

I must admit though after 60 miles of use now I'm still a bit nervous on it, I haven't had a fall but I do find it very twitchy. I'm a reasonably experienced rider with 3000 miles clocked up so I'm hoping I'll soon get my confidence on it.

My knees are aching a bit now so I'm just about to tackle a few pints of the dark stuff but many thanks to those who offered help and support  

 

Thats great news! Yeah, Id about bet money that the tube fiasco is simply an overload/overweight for the design. If it happens to so many people and so quickly, what else coud it be? Unless theres a problem in the rim casting and they didnt notice for hundreds of rims, but surely people would have seen it after so many flats!

You should be good to go man! Yeah, its a different beast altogether. Once you tame it tho, you will be capable of keeping under you without effort or thought. Just remember, its design for slow speed meandering and uber responsive ride. What it does, it does really well. Mine has yet to fail me. I love mine so much, I have two of them. Both same models, one is white, one black. If yuo arent really heavy and dont plan on jumping it, dont be scared to let some air out of the tire. I run mine around 20psi nowadays at 130lbs. Of course, if you dont absorb curb drops or are a heavy person, air it up a bit more.  Be sure to check the ride mode, as the modes on the mten are OBVIOUSLY different. I use one of those round bubble levels on top the mten to calibrate. You shouldnt need do it often at all, prolly just once. I really prefer 'hard' mode, as I tend to whip 180's and lean like a bafoon. Fwiw, my mten is what trains me for slow/no speed. Its repsonsive enough it saves your ass when your doing pendulums or backwards or just plain stupidity. The mten prepares you to handle your bigger wheel like a pro! Keep me updated, and i truly am glad you FINALLY got to ride until you got tired. Fwiw, the shell is damn tough. Run from it and save yourself when it asks you to dance. Scratches are not a big deal...

Edited May 6, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[Unipilot69]

3 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Run from it and save yourself when it asks you to dance. Scratches are not a big deal...

I hit a hole in my driveway and the mten3 pitched me off, my phone fell out of my pocket, the mten3 ran it over and shot up and hit me in the nuts before I could step away. I'm glad the RS doesn't do the Gotway dance. I've only dropped it once on the street. Ran across clear ice and it went down quicker than a blink of an eye.

[.....]

27 minutes ago, Unipilot69 said:

I hit a hole in my driveway and the mten3 pitched me off, my phone fell out of my pocket, the mten3 ran it over and shot up and hit me in the nuts before I could step away. I'm glad the RS doesn't do the Gotway dance. I've only dropped it once on the street. Ran across clear ice and it went down quicker than a blink of an eye.

oh crap. I bet yours is a newer version and they're getting smarter. Or... it knows cell phones are evil and was trying to protect the planet from BOTH of you!

Edited May 6, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[stephen]

11 hours ago, Gasmantle said:

must admit though after 60 miles of use now I'm still a bit nervous on it, I haven't had a fall but I do find it very twitchy. I'm a reasonably experienced rider with 3000 miles clocked up so I'm hoping I'll soon get my confidence on it.

Let some air out it makes a huge difference from it been twitchy 

[Gasmantle]

4 hours ago, stephen said:

Let some air out it makes a huge difference from it been twitchy 

Thanks, I did consider that but wondered if a tubeless tyre needs very high pressure to seal properly.  I think the best thing for now is to leave it as it is until I've clocked up about 50 miles or so then I can be reasonably confident the modification has been a success.

[Gasmantle]

8 hours ago, ShanesPlanet said:

Thats great news! Yeah, Id about bet money that the tube fiasco is simply an overload/overweight for the design. If it happens to so many people and so quickly, what else coud it be? Unless theres a problem in the rim casting and they didnt notice for hundreds of rims, but surely people would have seen it after so many flats!

I'm no expert but my guess is somehow the tyre and tube start rubbing against each other and eventually that wears the tube so thin that it punctures. In my case every punctured tube had a powdery residue coming away from it with no apparent damage through the tyre.

I guess these 10" tyres are usually used on multiple wheeled vehicles where the weight loading is less and there is less sudden changes of speed / direction / braking etc. I'd have thought a lot of sudden changes of speed / braking will cause the tyre and tube to rub against each other

[RagingGrandpa]

Timely. My MTen3 tube went down this week, also with no visible external damage, riding potholed pavement at 30psi...

My OEM tube was labeled 9x2.5

Found this helpful:

  https://forum.electricunicycle.org/topic/8696-gotway-mten3-tube-replacement/page/6/?tab=comments#comment-162040

On 11/15/2017 at 10:52 PM, houseofjob said:

Seems best to look for 10" x 2.125" or 10" x 2.5" "Self Balancing Hoverboard Inner Tubes".

Try:

10" x 2.125" [1] [2] [3] [4]

10" x 2.5" [1]

(Or, go tubeless)

Edited May 9, 2021 by RagingGrandpa

[.....]

On 5/6/2021 at 8:24 AM, Gasmantle said:

Thanks, I did consider that but wondered if a tubeless tyre needs very high pressure to seal properly.  I think the best thing for now is to leave it as it is until I've clocked up about 50 miles or so then I can be reasonably confident the modification has been a success.

Only during initial inflation at times. Once its seated and holding air, done is done. Of course if you go too low, you could unseat the bead/dent a rim. Good news is that even if the bead comes unseated, you don't typically lose the tire. Just re-inflate. Its not tubed, so no worry of tearing one, IF you get too low and it spins on rim.

Edited May 7, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[Gasmantle]

For the benefit of other Mten owners who may be experiencing problems with tubed tyres and want to convert to tubeless operation this video shows how to do it without needing to remove the tyre.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noVjjplRpeY

In the video the owner suffered a puncture after only 10km of riding and the inner tube had similar abrasion marks to mine.

[RagingGrandpa]

On 5/7/2021 at 7:40 PM, Gasmantle said:

this video shows how to do it

But why use the larger valve stem and drill?

Howbout use the "Xiaomi valve stem" like Gotway does originally; no drill...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AM-JKLWksMjCAI3j5Z-MLfeQNzETToXbquuG0PllMYL5WbYCp2z3mlfUJHvseCobfQBDdoPB5WF4c4sQ5xi6df2PnDwwUAwe9zikaS_HnwqKDvK1UxAUs2wfFGFHP-SmWjJjtwjqWltZ1VZ1uDoSA4udNux4nw=w1000-h487-no?authuser=0

Edited December 10, 2021 by RagingGrandpa

[Gasmantle]

34 minutes ago, RagingGrandpa said:

But why use the larger valve stem and drill?

Howbout use the "Xiaomi valve stem" like Gotway does originally; no drill...

I'm not sure but it may be that availability in some areas could be a problem?

My wheel has now been converted by the dealer but when I considered doing it myself I couldn't find the smaller size without importing one (admittedly I didn't look very hard though).

From the conversations seen in the forum and a few videos I've seen on youtube it seems common to drill tor a larger valve.

[.....]

59 minutes ago, RagingGrandpa said:

But why use the larger valve stem and drill?

Howbout use the "Xiaomi valve stem" like Gotway does originally; no drill...

I also wondered this as well. I also cringed at watching HOW that video suggests it. Results are results however. Maybe where the hole is, lends it to HAVING to be the way its done in the vid. Not a fan of clearance issues personally. I found those valves(shorter) on ebay and ali-express. I'd bet my wheel retailer could find me one (or 10) as well.

What size of valve is your repair from the shop @Gasmantle. SO far so good? I'd have to look closely to see if the tube and tubeless rims are drilled in different spots or not. Maybe they are and THIS is the big problem of simply pulling a smaller valve thru. Youtube is a great resource, and its a TERRIBLE resource as well.

Edited May 9, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[Unipilot69]

1 hour ago, ShanesPlanet said:

I also wondered this as well. I also cringed at watching HOW that video suggests it. Results are results however. Maybe where the hole is, lends it to HAVING to be the way its done in the vid. Not a fan of clearance issues personally. I found those valves(shorter) on ebay and ali-express. I'd bet my wheel retailer could find me one (or 10) as well.

What size of valve is your repair from the shop @Gasmantle. SO far so good? I'd have to look closely to see if the tube and tubeless rims are drilled in different spots or not. Maybe they are and THIS is the big problem of simply pulling a smaller valve thru. Youtube is a great resource, and its a TERRIBLE resource as well.

I doubt the rims are different. I got my valve stems from 4Motion. They have Ninebot Mini parts. I think the street tires that come on the Ninebot Minis are the same ones Gotway uses on the mten3. I didn't drill my rim. The micro valve stem I got from 4Motion pulled through very easily. Probably the same stem used on Xiaomi scooters.

[.....]

This is the inside look at the tubeless valve stem(schrader). I didnt cut it out to take a pic, as I dont happen to have any spares. I ALMOST bought a few, but valve stems last so damn long. Oddly, I could feel that it isnt a circular recess or a proper bevel in the intial cut. It seems like theres a small channel and THEN the hole. I guess its sealing on the stem rather then the larger shoulder at rim. Absolutely NO tire sealer crap in either of mine from factory... thank goodness!

Edited May 10, 2021 by ShanesPlanet

[Unipilot69]

The valve stem looks identical to the one I got from 4Motion. I didn't use sealant in the tire I just installed and it's been holding pressure without have to constantly refill it. The original tire wouldn't hold air without sealant. If I have to use sealant I use Flatout brand. It doesn't dry out like slime. It's also cheaper. I usually do not use sealant.