Ask The Editors: Bead Buggin
Not like that from the factory.
We’ve seen this type of damage before and it’s caused when the bar of the tire mounting machine skips across the rubber rather than simply stretches it around the rim. Not that it matters to you at this point, but applying baby powder to the edge of the bead during mounting tends to eliminate this risk.
In any event, you can be quite sure this was not the condition of the tire out of the box. It might be worth showing the tire to a manager at said dealership and expressing your dissatisfaction. Even if they aren’t willing to accept the blame, getting it on the record is a good idea in the event that the employee responsible continues to damage tires accordingly.
As for your bead, as remarkable as it sounds, it may still seat and hold air even in its present condition. Before anything else, you may wish to experiment. We’ve had beats in even worse condition surprise us in the past. If it will not seat properly, you do have several options including applying a bead of silicone sealant around the rim’s mounting lip before inflating the tire.
If that doesn’t work, we’ve had success using dedicated tire sealant like the ATV Formula from Ride-On, which simply coats and seals the entire interior of the carcass.
If that still isn’t enough (though we’re quite sure the above methods will get you back in business) you could always run an inner-tube to make sure you get maximum life out of your new tire.
Going back to that dealership, however, is questionable.
