Which one gets fewer flats: (details inside)?

Question

A 250cc cruiser, driven on normal roads, just normal adult commuter driving. New tires, replaced at the recommended intervals. TUBELESS TIRES.

-or-

A 250cc cruiser, driven on normal roads, just normal adult commuter driving. New tires, replaced at the recommended intervals. TIRES WITH TUBES THAT HAVE GREEN SLIME INSIDE (the kind sold specifically for motorcycles).

Answer 1

your propensity to get flats doesn't really depend on if you have tubes or not, but more about what tire pressure you run, how much debris is in the road, and how lucky you are.

now as for fixing a flat, in my opinion tubeless is easier to deal with.  you just plug and pump.  for a tubed tire, you have to remove the wheel and tire, patch the tube, put the tube and tire back on the rim and then pump up.  much more difficult to do on the side of the road, and requires more tools.  usually dirtbikes with tubed tires are a narrow profile, which are easier to get on / off the rim than a cruiser which would have fatter rims/tires.

Answer 2

No tire goes flat unless it has a hole in it.

In the case of a hole in a tube-type tire, it's usually a disaster because when it goes flat, it goes flat NOW.  Tubeless tires lose air much more slowly unless the hole is some catastrophic nightmare of a hole.

In any case, checking your pressure EACH TIME YOU RIDE will ensure that you catch a leaking tire before it affects your bike's stability and handling. That won't be as necessary on a tube-type tire- when it gets a hole you'll find out real quick. I'd say a tube-type tire will lose all pressure from "immediately" to "a few minutes" whereas a tubeless tire could take weeks to leak down, depending upon the size of the hole.

Do not put Slime in a street-legal tire.  Even the makers of Slime say in big red letters that you don't use it for anything over 65mph. They say that rear tires "usually" are not affected by the vibration that high-speeds can have while Slime is in the tire, but they still don't want you putting in a road-going streetbike. For road-going vehicles, it is only recommended as a temporary repair, and once you find that you actually USED the Slime, you need to get the tire repaired "for real".

Answer 3

Regardless of what others say and what you need answered, tube tires are more dangerous, outdated, and an inferior choice - so why even consider them in the first place? Try thinking in terms of cars and consider how long it's been since your grandpa used tube type tires on his old De Soto station wagon.... ??? Could you even get a tube type tire for a car today? PREHISTORIC - so why reduce your odds and gamble even more on the road?  

Answer 4

In my opinion, tubeless tires have fewer flats because there is one fewer part to worry about.  You can pinch a tube way too easily.  

Just my twin Lincolns' worth.