About to change rear tire.

[sanityfree]

I have to take my rear tire off tomorrow night or wednesday morning for my mechanic to put the new rubber on. Now, someone told me that takeing the rear tire off is a simple matter of removing the axel, then working the wheel free of the chain and caliper. Reading old posts, i'm beginning to think maybe there's more to it than that. How easy is it to screw up reinstalling the wheel?

[GRU]

it's easy


take out the coter pin on the left bolt.....unscrew the bolt on the left side and push/hit the axel out.....it will come out of the right side.....then push the wheel toward the front so you can take off the chain from the sprocket....put on the new tire and then put the chain on the sprocket....lift the wheel and put back the axel.....make sure the markings on the swingarm are the same on each side and tighten the axel bolt...put in the coter pin and your done

[Cal Price]

If memory serves correctly only the Canadian bikes have a cotter pin, otherwise that's it and don't touch the brake lever when wheel is off!!!

[cernunos]

Sanity, if you have to beat on the axle to remove it, be careful you don't mess up the threads as you hit it. I usually put the nut on backwards and tap it with a brass hammer to remove it. Also, check to make sure you put the wheel spacers back in their respective positions. Luv the bike an'the forum.

C.......

[Kerry]

...then push the wheel toward the front so you can take off the chain from the sprocket....

Somewhere in here you will need to lift the rear brake arm so the caliper will clear the rotor, and then play with it some more so the tire will clear the caliper when you pull the wheel out from under the bike.  (If it just ... won't ... fit -- let some air out of the tire.)

If memory serves correctly only the Canadian bikes have a cotter pin

Both my '96 and my '99 had cotter pins -- on both the front and rear axles.  Maybe they are a feature exclusive to North American bikes?

Also, check to make sure you put the wheel spacers back in their respective positions.

It helps if you "store" everything in an organized way while the wheel is at the shop:


And you can never have too many diagrams around at reassembly time!