Changing tire

[cactusjack]

I couldn't believe it. My new tire arrived today. I ordered it Saturday and Monday was a national holiday (for some folks). I thought I'd be lucky to see it this week. You can't beat that kind of service! Looks like baby gets her new shoe this weekend! My Dynabeads and the tire irons I ordered should arrive tomorrow.

One thing I noticed is the tire has no dot to line up with the valve stem. Anybody know how Avon marks the spot?

[phenrichs]

Where did you get the beads? I have not ordered mine yet.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by OP

Where did you get the beads? I have not ordered mine yet.

I ordered them from Innovative Balancing, I believe they make them.

http://www.innovativebalancing.com

Even though I only needed 2oz for the rear, I ordered 2 2oz packages. It cost the same for shipping and I have some for when I replace the front tire.

[billmac]

I scratched my wheel when my tire tool slipped. I found the hardest part of the job was taking the old tire off the rim. The tire is pretty stout. Just take it slow, CJ.

[cactusjack]

After my new tire arrived, I went to the Avon Tyre website to see if they had any technical information about where to line the tire up with the valve stem. I couldn't find anything, so I emailed their technical support dept. I received an email back stating that Avon does not provide a reference mark because they have tried to make a tire that is evenly balanced and should require little, if any external balancing. If there is a problem, they recommend I rotate the tire 180 degrees on the rim. (Gee, that's convenient). The letter also went on to say that they have recently started providing a reference mark on their tires, so the newest ones should have them. (a slight contradiction from the previous statement).

Anyway, I am using 2oz of Dynabeads, so I'm not going to worry about it too much, unless I detect an out-of-balance condition after the new tire is on the bike.

[taranis]

Sounds like the place I'll be ordering mine from very soon. Thanks!

[cactusjack]

I replaced my rear tire today. Thanks to the helpful suggestions here it was pretty easy. I now have a Cobra 180 on the rear with 2 oz of Dynabeads in it. It rained last night and was quite humid and warm today, I'd have rather been riding, but my rear tire was too smooth to be safe.

One more thing.. I finally was able to try out Idaho's jack adapter. It made the bike easier to lift and much more stable. I highly recommend it to anyone who does their own maintenance.

[schoeney]

CJ....you get the crappiest weather! You need to move up here....no rain the last week! Of course it was below freezing before noon.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by schoeney

CJ....you get the crappiest weather! You need to move up here....no rain the last week! Of course it was below freezing before noon.

It's been an unusually wet winter here. (who'd have thought, with global warming? ) More rain predicted for Monday. I'm going for a ride in the morning and wear a little hide off that new Cobra. I think I'll ride over to Superior (45 miles) for a nice breakfast.

[phenrichs]

You could always deglaze the new tire in your garage with a little brake/throttle work.................. Burnout!!!!! Oh yeah, that's what you are supposed to do with the old tire before you take it off not the new one. Ha Ha.
Glad to hear everthing went smooth. Did you install the beads while mounting or through the valve stem after it was on the rim?

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by OP

You could always deglaze the new tire in your garage with a little brake/throttle work.................. Burnout!!!!! Oh yeah, that's what you are supposed to do with the old tire before you take it off not the new one. Ha Ha.
Glad to hear everthing went smooth. Did you install the beads while mounting or through the valve stem after it was on the rim?

I made myself a Dynabead installation tool out of 12" of clear vinyl tubing and a turkey baster and put them in through the valve stem. I was afraid I'd lose some if I just dumped them in the tire during installation. So I mounted the tire, inflated it to set the bead (pop, pop) and then installed the beads.

[redeye]

I took my bike to "VALDEZ'S" garage yesterday to replace both tires, service the swing arm & perform much needed & delayed maintenance.

We were successful with removing the rear tire & swing arm in about 2 hours.

From reading other's posts, I wasn't surprised to find the swing arm bushings & drive line void of any grease. There was even some rust on the bushings. We solved this problem by applying a generous amount of moly grease to the bushings & roller bearings. Reinstalling the swing arm & drive line took only about a 1/2 hour.

All though it was a involved job, with gadget's instructions, the work went pretty quickly.

Next weekend we will mount & balance the tires, flush the radiator & replace the hydraulic fluids.

Valdez is a great instructor & a generous host.

After working on my bike all afternoon he & his wife, Patty served up a gourmet supper. A good time was had by all, especially me......

[dogdoc]

Does Valdez have a mobile garage service?? LOLOLOL