Thanks Simon and mickmini - practical experience always better than theory.

I did get an answer back from Falken Tyres as per the comments below in blue:

Thank you for your online web enquiry and purchase of Falken Tyres.
To answer your question below, the inner liner design and appearance of some tubeless tyres will differ.
Yes, a tube in a tubeless tyre could fail from abrasion and excessive heat.
However, the tyre dealer seems to be offering an alternative due to the condition of the rim flanges.
I would suggest getting the rims checked for serviceability to ensure they are within limits to ensure the tyre bead does not unseat on the rim flanges causing sudden loss of air.
Please contact the wheel/rim manufacturer for their recommendation.

Following their reply, I rang them to discuss the pros and cons of tubes. The bloke I spoke to was happy enough to run tubeless given BMC stated they were ok and I wasn't playing boy racer and highly unlikely to have issues. On the heat issue, we agreed that with the 10" wheels, they'd be rotating heaps of revs per minute at 95kph and heat build up could be likely with tubes in them. He didn't know what the inside texture of the tyres was but did say they were still made in Japan.

I'm getting them fitted up tomorrow a without tubes.

Thanks everyone for your advice.

Rocky

A completely reasonable decision based on 52 years of running tubeless radials on a variety of wheels under a variety of Minis - without a single one falling off the rim...

Cheers, Ian

When was the last time you ran on early 3.5" wheels Ian? (if ever)...

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"Show me the Mini!"

Aaaah back in the land before time Back then, being penniless students, we moved from 5.20 cross plies to 145 radial retreads... 4 wheel drifts through the Kiama curves were required to make up for time lost as you slogged up the hills in second gear..

The old 850 still managed a couple of 4000 mile round trips during the uni breaks. 65 mph all day (on the flat:) for days on end.. We envied the guys that could afford Deluxes... and a girlfriend owned a real rocketship... a Datto 1200 coupe. Times change

At least I kept it out of the trees

Cheers, Ian

Geez you blokes have moved on from the powerhouse 850's and I'm just getting into one . At least I'm running radials!

I reckon my 850 will go faster though cos there's bugger all rubber on the road to act as friction to slow it down. Shiny new stainless hubcaps will help too I reckon.

"being penniless students, we moved from 5.20 cross plies to 145 radial retreads"

...and no doubt cross plies were fitted with tubes...no one trusted the new fangled tubeless tyres...and as for the inside of cases chaffing the tube, so what? The tyres will probably wear out long before you need to "change tubes"...tyres in say the 1950s to early 60s were a lot rougher inside than those of today...

[Edit: Goodyear G8s (tubeless, but often tubed if the case had been punctured and repaired) were a nice handling, progressive break away tyre for those who couldn't afford radials...the Irish loved em!! Ha!]

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"Show me the Mini!"

The BMC Australia engineering drawings below confirm the factory specification of tubeless crossply and radial ply tyres for the Mini through the round-nose and Clubman era.

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ex-NSW Police 1970 MK II Cooper S
VMCI #43