Hmmm, never thought of that. On day 1 I had 1 rear tire ball go flat all day...

I use a lot of lube on the tire balls so they can move around a little without wearing too bad.

Most of the experts will tell that over lubricating isn't necessarily better.

I've been told by both Michelin and Metzler reps that the proper amount of lube is usually applied with a stiffer brush (foam paint brush works best) to the inside of the tire only, not to the insert.

No globs of lube should be present just a nice medium coating to the inside of the tire.

When preping a used insert care should be taken to remove any excess lube with a rag. Leaving a thin, light coating is OK. In fact a new insert should have no more then just a light coating as well.

I'm not sure about what Tire Balls recommends but if their not specifically asking for liberal amounts of lube I most likely wouldn't automatically use more.

One of the problems that I've seen with using to much lube is there is no friction between the insert/tireball and you can actually have troubles mounting the tire properly or at least efficeintly (time wise at least.)

Usually what happens is the tire bead and insert/tire balls becomes too slippery and the tire can be pushed off the other side of the rim or the tire balls will stack up on each other and interfer with getting the bead to fall into the drop center of the rim.

With Tire Balls the balls need lubrication as they rub up against each other. I lube the tire carcass fairly generously, then lube each ball as I install them. Installation is a non-issue as long as you don't use gallons of lube when installing the tire. Never had a problem with the tire balls stacking up either.

I think the Tire Balls are a great system. No weird handling effects and good insurance about no flat tires.

I believe Tire Balls are a good system other then their weak point with rocks. They definetly look easier to mount for the novice.

If I had to make a choice the Tire Balls would be the one for me for 90% of the riding conditions I see.

Inserts are better but become very expensive over time as they only last so long. By the way I personally use heavyduty and utlra heavy duty tubes as needed.

As far as Greece is concerned and the rocky conditions we keep hearing about I would consider using inserts or at least have a spare tube and compressed air available at each check.

tire balls
 

My thoughts on tire balls,I am a 50 year old vet. enduro rider, sick of changing flats in the woods for the last 35 years. Bike, Gas Gas 300/06.Adv. ride 70 miles.
#1 Weight savings 5 lbs. I currently have been using Michelin heavy duity inner tubes, front and rear. This is a high quality tube that strikes a nice ballance between good strength and excessive unsprung wheel weight. Rear tire balls are 1.25 lbs lighter than the tube, front saves .5 lbs. My moose front fender pack, with spare inner tube, tire irons, co2 cartages and back up patch kit weigh in at 3.5 lbs. if you run extra heavy tubes you will save more weight.
#2 I live in north west nj ,alot of rocks and big hills. Rear traction improvement was dramatic. The frontend bites much more aggressively. The bike handles much better than stock.
#3 Thrity five years of woods riding my hands and forearms are shot. I dont get arm pump, but the hands always seem to go numb, some days worse than others. To my surprise the dampening effect of the balls work much better than any bar devise or rubber mounting system I have tried.
#4 Finally no more hopping up on a fallen tree to change a pinch flat, only to realize when you get home to clean your bike, that you just bent the elbo of your new expansion chamber.
THE END RESULT: With increased traction,handling and dampening effects of the balls, Iam able to carry more speed, be less fatigued and have greater control through out my ride.This is a great product! I should have purchased sooner.
FRONT KIT #1105 36 Balls 8 lbs.
REAR #1102 25 Balls 8 lbs.
This is a soft set up.

They are great, just don't use them at the ISDE...

Lesson learned. Should've listened to Fredette and Berkner.

What's wrong with (Bib) Mousses?

They seem pretty good to me, especially Michelin. I get much more life out of them than manufacturers suggest, they cannot puncture at all, seem to find traction ok even in a wet Welsh forest (think Seattle) and are easy to fit. They are pretty much standard issue for all the top European riders. Why aren't they popular in the US?

My issues with Bib Mousses:

-wear. I can go through a couple in a season. Tire Balls last longer.
-traction. Unless you run a 120 bib in a 140 tire, then traction is reasonable. Tire Balls can be ran at a lower pressure giving GREAT traction.

Things I like about the mousse:
-absolutely puncture proof
-rim protection. No more dings in the rim.

How about that new tubeless system that's basically a high pressure rim lock that goes all the way round the rim? The 18 inch version should be on the market now. I would think it would last as long as the bike.

My buddy tested them out for the local dealership - they're great until you rip a knob off or puncture the tire carcass. We're not sold on them for trail riding. Maybe motocross...