averting death, one plug kit at a time

[Jarrett]

Just finished a 8 hour rear wheel/tire change.  Went with the 150 bt-45 on a 4.5.  I've never cussed so much in my life.  Torque rod was a nightmare to bend and align.  Anyway, my rear brake isn't doing too well either.  I don't use it much, but it would be great if it worked well just in case.  New tires are so scary slick.  I am going to fix the brake prob this weekend and I'll post my findings.  I'm thinking it just needs some adjusting.  150 on a 4.5 looks good on the GS.  Makes it look normal.

[indywar360]

8 hrs... dang... what took you so long?  Sorry to hear that, but congrats on finishing. 

Was that doing the rubber too? What torque rod? All I did was remove axle bolt and pry wheel loose from behind caliper.

[Jarrett]

rear brake torque arm.  The one that connects to the top of the caliper housing.  My wheel was a bit wide and was rubbing the torque arm.  i had to heat it with a torch, beat the living hell out of it, dip it in water, test fit, heat it up again, beat some more.  That was the longest part of the entire ordeal.  I also spent a couple of hours stripping and painting my rim.  I tried to mount the tire.  Didn't work out.  Ended up strapping the rim and tire to the back of the GS and riding to a shop close by.  That was interesting.  A cop pulled up beside me and started to scratch his head.  He was probably debating the legality of carrying oversized cargo on the back of a bike.  I figured if a person can ride on the back, a tire and rim should be fine.  Neither one will survive if they fall off the back in rush hour traffic.

I'm still getting use to the new tire.  It did make a difference in handling.  I haven't hit any twisites yet cause it's still slick, but I've got a good feeling about this wheel tire combo.  The bike looks different to me.  I'm still not use to seeing the bigger wheel and tire.  Bike looks more balanced.  I am still trying to find some time to work on that rear brake prob.  I've been working like a mad man past couple of days.

[indywar360]

You crazy mang.  nice job. 

[morbidelli17]

I rode a GS with a plugged rear from Los Angeles to Laguna Seca and back once. No problems. These bikes are so light that they just don't stress the tires very much, unless you're a complete fat-ass (not that there's anything wrong with that.) On the other hand, I got the nail shortly after I left for the races, so if I'd had a day to replace it, I probably would.

I run old-school Michelin Pilot Races on mine. I'm replacing the rear with about 8,000 miles on it, and it's still nowhere near the wear bars. I run 28 psi front and rear, as per the Michelin tire techs at Willow Springs, and they're great. And the guy I buy them from was shocked at the wear I'm getting, but as he says, little bike, no horsepower, they'll last a decent amount of time.

I get the set for $130, shipped, from Dave at motorace.com. I think he bought Michelin's old stock when the new tires came out. Nice guy, good tires (no problems dragging knee on canyon roads, see thread on Thanksgiving ride) and great deal.