tires

[newventure]

Well I need to get new tires for the venture before riding season really gets into full swing, anyhow as a former auto tech with lots of tools, I'm considering borrowing a bike jack and attempting to at least remove the wheels myself and taking them to the dealer to get changed and balanced or another option is to take the wheels to a friend of mine and have him change them, it would be cheaper but he doesn't have a balancer he just puts the weights back in the same location, which I'm not to keen on. My main concern is I'm not real confident on removing the wheels and doing this, I'm afraid of doing something wrong, and with only having two wheels under you it's quite intimidating. No problems with the cars, just not real familiar with the bike issue. I've done other maint. but not something of this magnatude. I was going to just take the bike to my friends place but he has had some problems in the past and I hate to admit it, but I'm not to confident in his mechanical abilities compared to myself. I guess what I'm trying to say is he doesn't pay to much attention to what he is doing. So any advise would be helpful. Other's that have done this job, how did it go? Thanks...

[Seaking]

Personally, the extra coins spent getting someone 'experienced' at changing MC tires is worth the peace of mind afterwards..

 

Nothing like roaring down the highway at 80 mph... wondering if you torqued it on tight enough or not.. Know what I mean?

[YamaDuck]

I definitely would not take it to your friend. How can you put a new tire on and put the weights in the same place as the old tire???? In my opinion he doesn't know what he's doing. The guy that changes my tires balances them with a straight bar. He hangs the tire and lets the heavy side rotate to the bottom and puts a weight on the other side. I guess you develop a nack for how much weight to put. Anyway he does this a few time until the tire does not rotate and the tire is balanced. He has done 3 sets for me and I have never had any problem. I know some people do it themselves but since like you I only have two wheels under me I would rather pay someone who knows what they are doing. I'll save money on oil changes.

[Guest scarylarry]

My problem did the dealer do it right?

Mine here has kids mostly working there, I seen them pop a front wheel off and put it back on with a impact and never check it with a torque wrench....

Only advantage I like over this dealer is he does have a large, I mean large glass so you can watch your bike with 2 bar stools in front of it...

I'm ordering a carbon one jack so I can do my own, and besides and the tech sec. here is awesome...

[1BigDog]

If your an auto tech then your already mechanically inclined, right? Go pick yourself up a service manual or download one and have at it. The tech section here has info on greasing your splines and rear wheel hub as well. If your queasy about it find a well respected shop (not your friends place) and let them do it. As for myself, I would really love to just take mine to a shop and let them do it, but nobody will treat my bike better than me.....