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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> ReTired my bike yesterday /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1276916269 Message started by Sandy Koocanusa on 06/18/10 at 19:57:49 |
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Title: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by Sandy Koocanusa on 06/18/10 at 19:57:49 I wore the Kenda Challenger right down to where I could almost see the air inside. I was disappointed when I checked my little black book to find that I only got about 4000 miles out of it. The Metzler I had on the front was getting a little dry rotted too, so I ordered a set of Dunlop 404's from Motorcyclesuperstore.com. I paid $142 for the set, and they shipped it free. The tires arrived in three days, which isn't too shabby with free shipping to Montana. Now, to the point... When we shod Kay's bike last time, I paid sixty bucks to have the tires mounted and balanced. Being the cheapskate I am, I decided to buy some tire irons and do it myself thenceforth. This may have been poor judgement on my part. The back tire was a real bear, and I scratched the crap out of my wheel before the job was done. I Finally had to enlist the aid of a friend to wrestle the new one on. Those of you who have seen my bike will realize that a scratched up wheel won't detract much from the aesthetic value of the machine as a whole. Nonetheless, it is discouraging to scuff your bike. I guess the protective coating of oil and bugs wasn't thick enough. I'll do it again next time, with lessons learned this time guiding me, but a word of caution, if I may... While I am usually a very vocal proponent of doing it yourself because this bike is so easy to work (and learn) on, I don't think I would recommend that someone learn to change tires on these wheels. It takes lots of finesse and patience, plenty of strength, and the right tools to get that stiff old rubber on and off that shiny wheel. One slip, let alone forty-eleven slips, can mess up a spendy wheel in a hurry. If you go ahead and try it yourself, good on ya' for having the guts... At least make sure you have a new tube on hand, just in case you pinch the old one with a tire iron and have to dismount half the tire and replace it after disregarding your friend's advice and trying to reuse the rusty, cruddy old thing that came out of the tire you are replacing. ::) Foaming bead lube around the spokes after inflation is not a good sign, as it turns out. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by verslagen1 on 06/18/10 at 20:05:48 been meaning to get one of these... http://nomartirechanger.com/repo/product/BarHeroPlus.jpg?1205180521 Keep an old rear on hand, should make a great tire work station. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/19/10 at 00:47:51 607364657A7771737827160 wrote:
Keep an old rear on hand, Uhhh, Im 55,, So, I always have an old rear on hand. I did both tires, alone. It was a circus. I had one tire iron pushed down & stuffed under the vise while I rassled w/ the other 2. I realized I moved the entire operationa a bit & looked to see if the tire iron was about to pop free, when it did & it spun out & stabbed me atween the eyes. I didnt stop & whine, wiped the blood off & kept at it. Hurt my shoulders so bad I spent about 2 weeks recovering. I hope I am better at it next time, cuz it IS time & Im headin for the darkside. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by Oldfeller on 06/19/10 at 01:17:32 I still do it, but I allow that changing a rear tire is beyond the experience level of many on this list as they never owned a bicycle, a long list of motorcycles, etc. Wouldn't know a tire spoon if they found one sticking out of their ear, in other words. And I no longer suggest that anyone do anything with tire irons or rear tires because they WILL hurty themselves .... Bleeding a little bit when changing a rear tire is almost a required activity, IMHO. And yep, I've been whacked in the head with a "sponngg" suddenly flying spoon before -- it hurts like crap. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by Routy on 06/19/10 at 05:07:34 There's been times when I felt bad about ruining a bead or scuffing a wheel, but I had new fronts put on my Motorhome at Loren Young not long ago, and after watching them stupid kids beat on.... and gouge my rims w/ a sledge hammer, (they called it a tire hammer) and had to replace one new tire because they tore up the bead so bad, and then ended up putting the weights on the heavy side of the wheel, I now think I'm a pro at no matter how bad a job I do ...on no matter what I do ! :-/ |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by Charon on 06/19/10 at 08:15:18 I changed the rear tire on my S40 last spring. Next time, if I have a choice, I'll pay the $30 or so to have the dealership do it. In fact, I found removing and replacing the wheel to be enough nuisance that I might just let the dealer do the whole job. Before anyone asks, this is about the twentieth bike I have owned, and it is far from the first tire I have replaced. So it is not as if it was my first time ever. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by bill67 on 06/19/10 at 09:22:29 I've have a new 66 route tire for the rear to put on and I've change a lot of tires but you guys have scared me off,At 71 I guess I best have it done. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/19/10 at 09:41:36 Bill, if you dont have someone around to bail you out, yea, youd prolly be ahead to haul it & pay someone. I got a H/FTire Changing stand & Im hoping I can do it w/ that. Gotta dig a hole & pour some cement. Its not going in the shop. Ill let you guys know how it goes. Probably gonna be a while |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by TommyRocket on 06/19/10 at 13:29:26 If you plan on buying a tire changer, I highly recommend the No-Mar tire changer. Their mount/dismount bar is pictured above. I bought one a few years ago and it has easily paid for itself. Or if you buy one like the Harbor Freight unit, the No-Mar M/D bar is a must. Makes life much easier. I have a friend who got his front teeth smashed out while changing a tire with screw drivers. It's a must to have the proper tools and to be careful. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by Sandy Koocanusa on 06/19/10 at 15:06:16 I'm sure if there were a recording of the event, and someone handy with a computer could analyze and separate the sounds, there were probably some SPRONG noises and maybe even a few CLANGS as the wheel would pop loose from the tire, which I was holding in place with my teeth and one ear. However, those noises were masked by a high pitched screaming noise that sounded like @#$%($%@!!, every time such an event occured. Did I mention that I was trying to do this on the kitchen floor in our shop/house? I hope Kay doesn't notice the new gouges in the oak dining room table. :o |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by drums1 on 06/19/10 at 17:17:39 2 summers ago, I had a flat on the rear. I been working on cars over the last 23 years, and 3 gazillion tires of all shapes and sizes later, I found it not too difficult using 2 screwdrivers and one official-type tire spoon. Kinda awkward without some type of holding device, but do-able. The hardest part for me was getting the back tire off the dam bike, with no lift. I was balancing the center frame on a pile of 2x4's, and I piled lots of heavy things found in the garage on both sides, in case of an errant tipover. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/20/10 at 05:57:21 Would someone explain the way the No-Mar Bar is used? Im not gettin it. The 2 prongs on one end? The 1 on the other w/ 1/2 of the button knocked off? I dont get it. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by verslagen1 on 06/20/10 at 08:34:52 watch the video... http://nomartirechanger.com/videos/5 |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by justin_o_guy2 on 06/20/10 at 10:50:50 Well, Dang! Almost looks fun, & in no way even almost looked like the way it went in my shop floor, where I tied 2X4s together on one end & stuck a 4X4 block on the tire to break the bead & then commenced rasslin for a couple hours to R7R the rubber. I hope the HF El Cheapo tire change stand works just 1/2 as well. The W has aluminum rims, & I dont think the HF tire bar will work w/o messin it Up.. Maybe w/ some work it will, but most likely it needs ditched. I gotta look & see how much that No-Mar hookup is. At 30+ a pop, doesnt take too many tire changes to pay for a tool. OOOPS, Shazzam, 6 Hunnert BUX? Or "just" 110 for the bar?? Id need some riding buddies to go in on a deal like that. No-mar Mount/Demount Bar with non marring contact points. Comes with spray lube bottle and 1 pint of tire lube paste, three extra demount tips, and a handle. Lifetime warranty on tips. I can appreciate the warranty on the tips, 4 sure. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by Digger on 07/06/10 at 19:50:19 I have a sure-fire way to make changing the rear tire on the Savage a lot easier: Change a few GL1800 rear tires. I have, and will continue to do so (using just tire irons, BTW). In comparison, changing the rear tire on my Savage (see signature) is a non-event. 8-) Practice and technique is everything. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/07/10 at 03:57:12 Yea, like boxing. Its that painful learning curve folks are talkin about. Blasted tire iron hit me in the forehead, end on & cut me,, It was so stupid I had to laugh. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by babyhog on 07/07/10 at 09:33:27 554A4C4B5651605060584A460D3F0 wrote:
Do you ever NOT get hurt working on something? I hope your wife has a good life insurance policy on you.... |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by justin_o_guy2 on 07/07/10 at 09:45:08 Generally, I equate working with at least some amount of blood loss,,Tho, so far, Im scrape free on the W. But all Ive done is carbs & now working on shimming the valves. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by T Mack 1 - FSO on 07/07/10 at 10:07:02 When I got the 404 for the rear, I looked at the side wall and thought, boy these motorcycle tires aren't anything like my bicycle tires. Stiff side walls ... hard to put on. Then I asked the guy behind the counter how much do they charge to mount the tire. His response, $24.95 mounted & balanced . I looked at my fingers and thought how nicely they had healed from my mini-bike tire change experience (12 inch rims are not fun) and had visions similar to Justin's tire change. Then I thought of a unbalanced wheel going down the highway , vibrating me like a paint can shaker.... and scheduled the mounting the next day..... took the rear wheel in, 10 minutes later had it back in my hands, all nicely inflated. And they got rid of the old tire for me. If you have the money, sometimes it is just better to spend it. Keeps some other people employed. |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by weracerc on 07/07/10 at 11:39:59 well shucks - i am a fat lazy cheap bastardo - but i did manage to get the front wheel off my bike and to the local MC shop $20 later and about 40 minutes of my time and it was re-stalled torqued and ready to ride......do it myself phuft you gotta be kidding......i'll take the $20/40min route everytime......and as for the back tire......if/when that day comes F.L.C.B. will ride to the local MC shop set in the AC showroom and pay $45 and ride away smiling with no busted knuckles. Kenda Challenger 6 ply tire, IRC HD tube & rim strip $55, $25, $5 ebay all mounted at MC shop $20 no busted knuckles and very little sweat - priceless for everything else there is Master Card |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by Digger on 07/08/10 at 20:26:45 455A5C5B4641704070485A561D2F0 wrote:
BTDT! I couldn't believe I'd made such a boneheaded move! :-[ |
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Title: Re: ReTired my bike yesterday Post by Digger on 07/08/10 at 20:37:03 0B72123E3C346E5F0 wrote:
Gotta go with you on that one. I think I'd prefer changing the rear tire on my GL1800 to the 12" one I had to change on my son's Suzuki DS80 years ago. It was like dying and going to Hell...pure misery! |
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