Do I need to fit a new valve when I change my tyre?

While it isn’t strictly necessary to replace your valves when changing your motorcycle or scooter tyres, we highly recommend you do.

There are two types of valves. The common ones are the rubber type which are cheap and very much disposable. There are also metal valves which are more expensive and last a lot longer.

If you run metal valves, you don’t need to replace these in between tyre changes – you should just check them visually and ask your tyre fitter to check them too. A metal tyre valve, like a 90-degree valve – should last a good decade.

However rubber valves cost pennies and not changing them is a false economy. The rubber housing can perish causing air leaks and the possibility of a rapid deflation – although this is unlikely. More common with older valves is the fact the internal mechanism corrodes and air can leak from the valve. So it makes sense to replace them every time you change your tyres, it’s safer and in terms of maintaining accurate pressures, it’s better too.