Thoughts on my first Nomad Rear Tire Change out

[billmac]

Call me cheap or whatever, but I don't like scheduling, logistics, or paying dealers for regular routine maintenance. So I decided to take a stab at putting on my new rear tire myself. I have 8k miles on my 2007 Black Nomad.

In reading the tire posts, it seems everyone is happiest with the last tire they just bought. I wanted a tire that has a reputation for holding to the road and has been tested by many riders. I went with the Metzler 880. I also wanted to help my speedometer accuracy so I bumped the size up to the 180/70-16. I ordered the tire from RonAyers.com for the total price of $169 and had it in less than a week.

I also ordered some motorcycle tire irons or spoons from Ebay for about $25 with shipping. To solve the balancing issue, I ordered the balancing beads from Innovative Balancing.

I found on Gadget the instructions for removing the rear wheel. The instructions were great and made the tear down and replacement easy. I found several videos on youtube.com that were helpful for breaking the tire bead and removing/replacing the tire on the wheel.

Fortunately for me I guess, I have an old service station tire machine that seems to break the tire bead on everything I have tried. It handled the Nomad rim without a problem. I rested the rim on 2x4's to raise the rotor and allow the wheel to rest flat.

The hardest part of the job for me was removing the old Bridgestone tire from the wheel. I used lots of soapy water. I got the top of the tire off quickly with my tools, but the inside portion of the tire fought me.

This is where I screwed up and scratched the wheel with my tools. I was using some plastic pieces to protect the wheel that I made from an old laundry soap container jug. It seems my plastic protector was not inserted as far as my tool and I scratched the wheel. I was disappointed but admittedly, I do not spend any time cleaning the back wheel, so I doubt the scratches will bother me as time goes on.

The new tire went on without a hitch. I did have to take one side off again, as I realized I could not turn the tire once mounted and I needed to line up the valve stem marks. And yes I did get the tire mounted with the arrow in the direction of the rotation.

This was my first attempt to use the balancing beads. I learned gravity does not mean much to those beads. They have to be pushed into the valve stem. I used the hose and applicator offered by Innovative Balancing. I learned that I had to squeeze the bottle to get the beads to go in. It is the air in the bottle that pushes the beads into the valve stem. I used 2oz. of beads and then aired up the new tire. No effort was required to seat the bead or air the tire. The tire wanted to seat the rim on its own. I was glad that wasn't a problem.

Finally the tire/wheel went back on the bike without a hitch using the Gadget page instructions. Admittedly I haven't taken the bike out for a test ride yet. I had some Christmas shopping needing my attention. I plan to take a short ride to scuff off some new rubber today. Any surprises or concerns will be added to this post.

I plan to do my future tire changes. I plan to purchase the Harbor Freight motorcycle tire machine adapter as I think it will work on my old machine. If not I will purchase the Harbor Freight tire machine as wheel. I think the motorcycle adapter will solve the area of this project that gave me grief.

I wrote this post to hopefully help any KawaNow members that are contemplating doing their first tire change. I took two photos. One of the bike on the jack without the rear wheel and one of my tires and old antique tire machine. A tire machine is not necessary as several Youtube.com videos will show. My tire did not come off the wheel as simple as the youtube videos demonstrate. If anyone finds this task easy, please give me some tips.

Anyone wishing to ask me any questions or request the photos please shoot me a PM. (The pictures don't really reveal anything and would require resizing for this website).

Oh yeah, the total cost was about $220 but now I have the tools and beads for the front and rear tire next time. This is still less money than the retail cost of the tire alone. Plus no one told me when I have to bring the bike in or pick it up.

I hope this helps someone and I would appreciate your comments or advice.

[dkdixie]

Seems that most put the beads directly into the tire when one side is mounted. Saves a lot of time.

Otherwise, congrats on getting the job done on your own.

[nomad]

good job and thanks for the info!

[macmac]

Pretty good, but OUCH.... As to the beads I used a Coleman fuel funnel less it's screen, and stepped ot down twice with clear plastic tubing. Just poured the beads in, and they went.

The OUCH... If you didn't service the swing arm and drive shaft, that was a mistake. The book calls for that at 7,000 miles.

The swing arm bearings haven't any real meaning ful grease applied at the factory, which really ticks me off.

There are 3 spacers and the center spacer on my bike was rusty, and why? because there is no grease!

The must have used a whole tea spoon worth of grease to lube the spacers and the bearings, and that just ain't close to enough.

Then there are 2 sets of splines that need new grease at about this time, and that U Joint you have... Is it any good? A great deal of these U Joints only got grease on one plane of motion, and the other got NONE!

I had one of those bad joints already, so wanting to know when I did my last new rear tire you can bet that joint was looked over hard.

If you didn't you should consider this. You were 1/2 way there...

Also the 1600 has needel bearings in the top shocks mounts.. These need grease too.

[billmac]

Thanks for the info, macmac. I should have read the owners manual. I assume there are no grease fittings for all that service work and I will have to tear the back of the bike all apart to service the bike. I will read up on how to service the swing arm, driveshaft, and upper shock bearings. All I did was add some grease to the splines that insert into the wheel.

I will probably wait till I have more free time to begin that skipped maintenance.

Sure wish you lived nearby macmac, I would buy your beer for some of your guidance. :) Would you mind an email question from time to time?

[chainsaw]

Good Job Bill. Now you'll know how to do mine. Includes a case of your favorite beer. ha

[billmac]

Originally Posted by "CHAINSAW"

Good Job Bill. Now you'll know how to do mine. Includes a case of your favorite beer. ha

Let me get the harbour freight motorcycle adapter and we will do it. But I am putting you in charge of not scratching the wheel and swingarm bushing maintenance. Deal?

[macmac]

Billmac... Just call me Mac.. i could be BillMac too... When I came on line most places had 'mac' taken.. i attend primitve camps where maybe 30 or 40 guys are all Bill, and they is a Billy Mac, a Wild Bill, and me who all hang out with each other.. So Camp made up these names.. I guess McKay was too hard to say i dunno..

Sure e-mail away, but I come here too.. In google you can search Mac_Muz (muzzeloaders) Macmac, and Mac-mac, and it's just me.. Old long hair country boy.

Here
http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll275/Mac_Muz/Nomad/
I have 3 pics on line of the swing arm down.

If you can get the rear wheel out this is easy and just more time.. Everything is straight forward except one small detail.

That detail is there is a pin holding the drive shaft at the engine side, which is easy to miss, since the pin is under 3/16" The drive shaft holds it and it holds the drive shaft.

To pull the drive shaft off you need to press the pin down, and slip the shaft by the pin.

The problem comes when the pin popps out of the hole it is in when it is no longer contained.

On the other side of the pin is a circlip of flat steel, a sort of spring. Thar's no tellin' if the pin will stay in place or shoot out, or even pop out and fall. It can fall inside the case which it the worst thing, next to loosing it.

Knowing that it is easy to trap it with a rags, and stuff the housing with another rag before you pull the shaft..

If you look at my pics you will see the swing arm was worked with off the bike set ting on a farm bucket as a bench. That way i didn't have to cut the keepers for the brake line.

I just cleaned it in place, and cleaned the spacers and bearings where it sits as the photos shows.

That pin is stuck to duct tape so guys like you could see what it is on a 1600 Nomad.

BEFORE you do this work again, you should contact me and ask about side to side slop. That should be checked, and perhaps dealt with too.

Any real engineer knows a swing arm should be set up with taper bearings and have a means to set 'preload'. Nomads do not. But there is more than one way to skin cats..

Oh yeah my pm box is open, my e-mail shows in my profile. In e-mail is is a good idea to mention Nomads and a user name from here, so i don't think it is junk mail.

[billmac]

Thanks Mac. Good to know info on that shaft pin. I will be giving you a shout.

[spirello]

I do all of the work on my bike but i dont think I would change my own tires. I take the wheels off and down to the dealer i go. It only cost about 40 buck for both mounted and balanced. I change them on all my dirtbikes but I just dont want ot scratch the wheels on my street bike.

[mac]

I'd never heard of balancing beads. Is this commonly used? How well do you think they work?

Thanks,

[ells]

Originally Posted by Master Mac

I'd never heard of balancing beads. Is this commonly used? How well do you think they work?

Thanks,

Oh boy, now you've done it? If you can find the threads, there have been previous "discussions" on the subject.

[Kawhead]

Originally Posted by macmac

Pretty good, but OUCH.... As to the beads I used a Coleman fuel funnel less it's screen, and stepped ot down twice with clear plastic tubing. Just poured the beads in, and they went.

The OUCH... If you didn't service the swing arm and drive shaft, that was a mistake. The book calls for that at 7,000 miles.

The swing arm bearings haven't any real meaning ful grease applied at the factory, which really ticks me off.

There are 3 spacers and the center spacer on my bike was rusty, and why? because there is no grease!

The must have used a whole tea spoon worth of grease to lube the spacers and the bearings, and that just ain't close to enough.

Then there are 2 sets of splines that need new grease at about this time, and that U Joint you have... Is it any good? A great deal of these U Joints only got grease on one plane of motion, and the other got NONE!

I had one of those bad joints already, so wanting to know when I did my last new rear tire you can bet that joint was looked over hard.

If you didn't you should consider this. You were 1/2 way there...

Also the 1600 has needed bearings in the top shocks mounts.. These need grease too.

I lubed my swing arm during my time off. This is a thing everybody needs to do. Like macmac said it was nasty, rusty, and they put just a dab of grease on the bearings. I added a zeric fitting and cleaned everything up. I didn't cut a groove in the spacer but I did drill a hole in it to allow grease to fill the cavity.

[billmac]

Originally Posted by Master Mac

I'd never heard of balancing beads. Is this commonly used? How well do you think they work?

Thanks,

I have only tried them once on the rear tire. Seems to work fine. I plan to use them again.

http://www.innovativebalancing.com/motorcycle.htm

[macmac]

Dyna Beads are fairly new, and as i replace any tires on anything, they will all be ballanced this way in the future. I am completely sold.

No fuss no muss, just add the reccommend amount which is 2 ounces per Nomad tire, and go... No more dynamic ballancing, no more static ballancing.. Just add them and go.

I bought mine in person at White Horse Press in Conway, NH, but you can call these folks and order them. Unless these made their latest catalog, you need to call..

NH has no sales tax and I doubt anyone can beat their prices.