Just replaced my rear tire. I used the cable tie method to remove the old tire, and to install the new tire. Works great!
In the past I used the typical 3 tire irons to work the tire off, one side at a time..and reverse to install..I got pretty good at this method but it still takes time patience and some sweat.
Using the cable ties to compress the tire beads together..I was able to remove the tire ALMOST without tools...I just needed to stick one tire iron in there at thelast moment to pop the bead off the last little bit.
On install of the new tire...same thing..I got it about 80% onto the rim without tools..then had to use just one tire iron..in three spots to pop the bead over the rim...
FAR LESS WORK than the conventional way!
You want to use wide ties, 24" long...sure costs a couple bucks...but worth it compared to the PIA of install...and you don't have to pay somebody to to the job...
Just search You Tube for videos of how to do this method...
Also I used my redneck bead breaker..(costs nothing but 1 ea piece of 2 x 4 wood)
also used my home brew balancing stand made out of 2 x 4.
Cookie
http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/bead-breaker/motorcycle-tire-bead-breaker.htm
Here is a link to the redneck tire bead breaker...
I don't use my car...I use a block of wood attached to my work bench as the main pilot point...
Nice work! I've only done a tire change once, I did the traditional tire iron method with the same 2x4 bead breaker. I did a simple static balance too, haven't noticed any balance issues up to 80+mph so far. Feels great to be able to do your own changes! I might have to try the zip tie method next time, though, to be honest, the tire irons weren't too hard for me, I probably got lucky though.
What tire did you take off/put on?
Drop off wheel at local MC shop, get it back with new rubber and balanced...priceless :thumb:
I've done it both ways with different sized tires before too. There was only one tire that I HAD to take to a shop - an 18" Rear dual sport tire w/ an inner tube. That thing was a huge pita.....
Did the front tire on my GS500 with zip ties - the tire felt like it just fell onto the wheel.
Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on September 22, 2015, 11:23:56 AM
Drop off wheel at local MC shop, get it back with new rubber and balanced...priceless :thumb:
Everyone has their mechanical limit:
Drop off bike at local MC shop, get it back with chain slack adjusted...expensive
Drop off bike at local MC shop, get it back with new oil and filter...expensive
Drop off bike at local MC shop, get it back with valves in spec...expensive
Do all your own maintenance and buy a really nice riding jacket with the money you've saved...priceless
I guess I have more money than desire to wrestle a tire off a rim at my age, 40 some odd years ago I did all my own tire changes, 47 years of riding and 28 bikes later, I really don't have the desire or need to do my own tire changes.
Priceless???
I think more like $85 and hour plus premium price for the tire.
hey if you're rich, and lazy...why not...
For those of us who a cheap by nature, enjoy doing and learning...and getting something done right, and when we want it...then it's DIY...
Cookie
Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on September 22, 2015, 11:23:56 AM
Drop off wheel at local MC shop, get it back with new rubber and balanced...priceless :thumb:
Hey, I'm Rich and lazy.....
But $85? I'd have a hard time paying that too. My local guy charges $35 for a change, balance, and disposal. I get most of my tires done at the shop, but have tried other ways just for the experience.
I haven't had a house payment in 17 years, I think I can afford to drop off a wheel and tire at the local dealer, pick it up later balanced, then go home and mount it on the bike. Keep the passion going if you really like working on bikes, when your my age and if you still enjoy doing it...more power to you. I still do all my own maintenance, always have, I just don't do tires anymore, they have machines that are really good at taking tires off and balancing them :thumb:
$85 an hour...(shop rate) ..Most guys around here, who work in small shops for themselves will change a tire for $25. 20 Minute job for a guy with a tire machine...
That's 10 beers!
To each his own....if I was freakin' rich...I wouldn't have to work on my bike...in fact I'd hire somebody to ride it for me.
just kidding...If I was rich, I'd have more bikes, more tools, bigger garage, ride more, fix 'em more...and take on bigger projects..and NEVER have anybody else touch my stuff!!!
Cookie
Quote from: Big Rich on September 22, 2015, 05:01:02 PM
Hey, I'm Rich and lazy.....
But $85? I'd have a hard time paying that too. My local guy charges $35 for a change, balance, and disposal. I get most of my tires done at the shop, but have tried other ways just for the experience.
Geeze...it think you guys could spoil a wet dream! :icon_twisted:
Listen....if you don't want to change a tire..don't... :nono:
Lot's of guys do change tires.... :thumb:
If you are one of them...I was simply pointing out that the cable tie method seems to work very easy for me. :whisper:
You might like to try it...Or not...or do it your favorite way...whatever! :dunno_black:
Sorry I even mentioned it!!!! >:(
I was also trying to point out that you don't need to pay $50 or $100 for a fancy bead breaker machine...you can just make one out of a single 2 x 4.. :woohoo:
You can also balance a GS wheel nicely and easily...on a stand made out of a 2 x 4 (so you don't have to buy a fancy cone a bearing gizmo for $100)... :icon_idea:
In the time it takes you to drive to the shop and back...my tire is changed and I'm out riding my bike... :woohoo:
When I get home, I've still got all my money in my pocket so I can go spend it on Booze, :cheers: gambling, and women.....or just waste it...
Cookie
Cookie, I know that zip ties are pretty cheap already. But some of the larger ones can be used again if you depress the little tongue that locks down the zip tie.
You probably already know that, but just wanted to share.
When the GS was my only bike i didn't mind paying to have the tires swapped.
But, the tires on my KLR are cheap, CHEAP!! As in $50 for the front and $60 for the back. At those prices the cost of mounting and balancing is way to high relative to the cost of the tires, so I bought some tools and learned how to do it on my own. And now it only costs me $110 for a new set of rubbers, instead of $160.
Yep....
But the ones I recently used were just not the same after the first use, and had a tendency to slip on the second use.
Sometimes you can find zip ties with a metal tongue in there instead of all plastic...these seem to hold up better to being released and then reused.
Cookie
Quote from: Big Rich on September 22, 2015, 06:44:30 PM
Cookie, I know that zip ties are pretty cheap already. But some of the larger ones can be used again if you depress the little tongue that locks down the zip tie.
You probably already know that, but just wanted to share.
My rear tar had issues seating the bead onto the rim.
Cool.
Buddha.
All I'm saying is...you will get to a point in your life where you will have enough money to overcome your desire to dic around with certain things you used to do either out of the love to DIY or lack of fundage, I have DIY'd for more decades then most here are old. I have been so broke I had to ride my motorcycle in the snow because I didn't have the money to fill the tank in my Dodge Van (No Cash, DIY or it ain't gunna happen) a divorce (money gone again, DIY on high), now with the arthritis in my hands...meh on many things I use to enjoy. As you age you will get to a point where you will pay to have certain things done that you wouldn't have paid for previously, trust me on this one, until then keep the passion going as long as you can :thumb:
Stevo
Well...that is true for you ...but not true for me.
I have plenty of money...I can easily afford to have somebody do all my bike maintenance. But I don't.
I enjoy working on stuff...it is like therapy....It is relaxing...it is a hobby...not a necessity, but by choice...
But I'm also cheap...you can have plenty money and still be cheap...like me. My friends say, when it comes to money "I'm as tight as a crab's ass"
I don't like some dumb ass working on my bike...I like to do it my way, on my schedule.
Bottom line...Plenty of people DIY... And there are plenty of repair shops for those who don't...It's a beautiful thing!
Food for thought....If you know how to do your own maintenance, you can still pay somebody to do it for you...it's your choice.
If you don't know how to do your own maintenance, you are always at the mercy of somebody else.
Cookie
Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on September 23, 2015, 08:41:14 AM
All I'm saying is...you will get to a point in your life where money will overcome your desire to dic around with certain things you used to do either out of the love to DIY or lack of fundage, I have DIY'd for more decades then most here are old. I have been so broke I had to ride in snow because I didn't have the money to fill my Dodge Van, a divorce, now with arthritis in my hands....meh , you will get to a point where you will pay to have certain things done, that you wouldn't have paid for previously, until then keep the passion going as long as you can :thumb:
Stevo
If you've gotten the "tar" completely onto the "whale"...and the bead won't seat well enough to take ay-er from the compressor...couple or remedies...
First remove the valve...so when you put in the air, it goes in fast...also comes out fast because you may have to over pressure the tar momentarily....
Spray the tire bead with soapy water of similar, to help create a seal. And help it slide into place.
Take a ratchet strap, and run it around the entire outer tread of the tire, and start to ratchet it down tight...this compresses the circumference of the tire, and spreads the beads outwards, making the initial seal.
Throw in your fast, high pressure air and it should seal and start inflating...keep going and you'll see and hear the bead of the tire "pop" into place. Let the air out, put the valve back in and inflate to correct pressure..
Cookie
Quote from: The Buddha on September 23, 2015, 08:20:33 AM
My rear tar had issues seating the bead onto the rim.
Cool.
Buddha.
Reply back to this thread when your 60, if you still like changing tires, I was wrong :dunno_black:
Replying back...I'm 61................
LOL!!!!1
Cookie
Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on September 23, 2015, 11:59:33 AM
Reply back to this thread when your 60, if you still like changing tires, I was wrong :dunno_black:
Pix, or it didn't happen! :police:
Man, you guys are old ;) I hope I'm still around and still riding when I'm 60!!
I think we can all agree that doing what it takes to stay relaxed, happy, and rolling on two wheels is a good thing.
Amen...Cookie isn't an AARP Member until he posts his mug with a GS in the photo and he has to look like a fossil :cheers:
I was surprised when I made it past 21 !!! :woohoo:
40 seemed impossible... :nono:
You know the old saying..."If I knew I was going to last this long...I would have taken better care of myself!!" :dunno_black:
My dad is still going strong at 96...!!!! (Mom is 91) :2guns:
I guess I'll be riding my Suzuki on top of all of your graves!!! :angel:
Cookie
Quote from: EdChen on September 23, 2015, 01:33:23 PM
Man, you guys are old ;) I hope I'm still around and still riding when I'm 60!!
I think we can all agree that doing what it takes to stay relaxed, happy, and rolling on two wheels is a good thing.
HAHAHA
I was already laughing at how buddha was responded too, then "I'm 61!!" :icon_lol: :icon_lol: :icon_lol:
Not putting you down Steve. I payed to have a timing belt put in my civic not that long ago instead of doing it myself (something I'm easily capable of). It just wasn't worth my hassle with the price on labor I found. (of course they did f something up with my clutch. It has chattered when cold ever since they touched it!)
I paid to have the timing belt water pump combo and 2 stub axles done in my Civic back a few years ago, got my car back in 3 hours...I tipped the mechanic for the quick turn around, don't feel bad about that one either!
"Man, you guys are old ;) I hope I'm still around and still riding when I'm 60!!"
LOL Started riding when I was 52 and I've ridden about 300k miles since I turned 60. Rode last August a couple times after my 82nd birthday and hung up my helmet. My 61 year old son just took my 02 GS500 to the Pittsburgh area when he moved last week to use as a commuter, still has his Concours and GS1100E. I followed that GS1100E on my first trip to the Smoky Mtns back in 01 the summer I turned 69.
Your not old until you feel old. I felt like a kid at 70 but I feel old now. :-(
I just started riding, something I have always wanted to do but never thought I had the time. That was just a lame excuse, if you can sit in traffic for an hour in a car, you can do it just as well on a bike, and at least you get a chance to look around you. After a bit of a health scare this spring, I went out and bought a bike and am learning to ride. A friend of mine who has owned motorcycles all his life said you will never see a motorcycle parked at a psychologists office. LOL
I am 48, youngish, I feel young, but with the first big health threat behind me, you start to look at things a bit differently. I too hope to be repeating the record, and riding well into my 70's.
M
Oh, and about tire changes...I took my front tire in to a guy, who chatted with me and we had a coffee as he was doing it, I think he charged $35 to put the new one on.
If I were considering changing tires on a constant basis, I would get one of those contraptions he has, it was all manual, took the tire off, and put another back on, in about 5 minutes, he did it all with his hands really, the equipment was just holding it.
M
Well if you really ride a lot...you WILL be changing tires regularly...
Motorcycle tires don't last long...8000 mi. or so for the rear...fronts go a bit more....Soft, performance tires with hard riding last even less...
I think I'm thru 9 tires in 5 years....on the GS...then I did a bunch on my scooter, and Honda....
You can change tires easily, even without that thingy that guy had...couple of 2 x 4's one tire iron....and a package of zip ties.....
That was sort of the whole gist of my original post....
Cookie
Quote from: GSamIInsane on September 25, 2015, 06:28:39 AM
Oh, and about tire changes...I took my front tire in to a guy, who chatted with me and we had a coffee as he was doing it, I think he charged $35 to put the new one on.
If I were considering changing tires on a constant basis, I would get one of those contraptions he has, it was all manual, took the tire off, and put another back on, in about 5 minutes, he did it all with his hands really, the equipment was just holding it.
M
Cookie....wheres that photo of you looking like the Crypt Keeper?
EDIT: Here ya go, Stevo summer of 15', if your 61, I am a Junior Partner @59 :dunno_black:
(http://home.comcast.net/~stykers/Stevo15s.jpg)
OK dude...I'm working on it...don't have many pictures of myself...and none on the GS500...
:thumb:
Cookie
Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on September 25, 2015, 01:55:34 PM
Cookie....wheres that photo of you looking like the Crypt Keeper?
EDIT: Here ya go, Stevo summer of 15', if your 61, I am a Junior Partner @59 :dunno_black:
(http://home.comcast.net/~stykers/Stevo15s.jpg)
I"ve done this and it was fairly easy. A friend with an air compressor helped reseat the beads.
I hope you guys occasionally at least painted the rim and put in a decent valve when you change tyres.;-)
http://www.gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=68529.0
Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on September 22, 2015, 11:23:56 AM
Drop off wheel at local MC shop, get it back with new rubber and balanced...priceless :thumb:
$ 15.00 mount & balance tire at whittier Kawasaki while u wait = priceless just less money to buy my girlfriend any panties = priceless :thumb:
That's a heck of a good deal :bowdown:....Not many (or any) shops I know of would do it that cheap, or while you wait....he's loosing money on that...but maybe he gets customers in the door that way, and can sell you more lucrative services because of that...so he's either a god business man...or Santa Claus..
How far do I have to drive to get to "Whittier Kawasaki" from NJ??? :dunno_black:
PS...anybody who brings a wheel and tire over to my garage...I'll put the tire on for $10!!! (I have no overhead, and I don't need money!) :cheers:
Cookie
Quote from: rg500gamma on September 29, 2015, 10:41:27 PM
Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on September 22, 2015, 11:23:56 AM
Drop off wheel at local MC shop, get it back with new rubber and balanced...priceless :thumb:
$ 15.00 mount & balance tire at whittier Kawasaki while u wait = priceless just less money to buy my girlfriend any panties = priceless :thumb:
I have always changed my own tires, and always pretty much cussed my way through it. Now at (also) 61, I have a mechanic buddy that's better at it than me, and he does all my heavy lifting for me. In fact, he does some of my light lifting too.
Last night I spent 30 minutes putting a center stand on a Bandit 1200, and finally got tired of trying to get the second spring attached and gave up. It'll wait until next time my mechanic buddy comes over. (he said he has a tool for that)
If you're up for doing the work, more power to you. If not, pull the wheels and take them to Cycle Gear or some other shop.
Or look around locally and find someone that does them in their garage. That's my best suggestion.
Me with my two boys
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y-vNo_PIYDY/VdSqFt2wHzI/AAAAAAAB3fY/RVBQksJURes/w383-h681-no/20150818_155443.jpg)
Quote from: twocool on September 30, 2015, 03:46:00 AM
That's a heck of a good deal :bowdown:....Not many (or any) shops I know of would do it that cheap, or while you wait....he's loosing money on that...but maybe he gets customers in the door that way, and can sell you more lucrative services because of that...so he's either a god business man...or Santa Claus..
How far do I have to drive to get to "Whittier Kawasaki" from NJ??? :dunno_black:
PS...anybody who brings a wheel and tire over to my garage...I'll put the tire on for $10!!! (I have no overhead, and I don't need money!) :cheers:
Cookie
le barr underwood in la Habra , del amo motorsports in Redondo beach , berts motorcycles in Azusa , many shops over here price wars , so its cheap to even get a valve adjustment $ 50.00 with shim exchange ....... the more motorcycle shops around in the los angeles area , brings the labor price way down , however you have to get in just when they open first come first serve , show -up at 10:00 at whittier Kawasaki , Duncan donuts across the street , sip on some coffee , and minutes later tire is mounted & balanced , and the owner Tom is in his 70s , way cool dude :thumb:
Quote from: rg500gamma on September 29, 2015, 10:41:27 PM
Quote from: Suzuki Stevo on September 22, 2015, 11:23:56 AM
Drop off wheel at local MC shop, get it back with new rubber and balanced...priceless :thumb:
$ 15.00 mount & balance tire at whittier Kawasaki while u wait = priceless just less money to buy my girlfriend any panties = priceless :thumb:
Most of the smaller, and some big motorcycle shops around here have gone out of business. About when the economic crunch hit a couple years back. Many large dealerships gone too...
Many years a go I worked at a bicycle shop... one of the largest volume dealers in the east. The owner became a millionaire in that business. Many other shops opened and undercut our prices. The owner would not stoop to price wars. All of those competitors went out of business....but that shop still is there. The owner has long since retired, a rich man...now one of his relatives runs the place...
Being in business is rough, and competitive.
I wouldn't take my pride a joy motorcycle to a shop who is trying to undercut prices, in a price war with other shops. What do they pay the mechanic? peanuts? What type of quality mechanics can they attract, and how good of a job can a mechanic do, if he is under constant pressure to do the job fast and on the cheap?
I probably could get to LA and back for under $1000...plus $15 for the tire job,,,hmmm
I'd still rather do it myself...having the job done MY way...priceless!
Cookie
Quote from: twocool on September 23, 2015, 12:22:12 PM
Replying back...I'm 61................
LOL!!!!1
Cookie
Whaaaaaa I thought cookie was a young chick ??? man you're ruining this dream. Dont tell me you're a dude too ???
Then WTF sorta name is cookie for a dude ???? Like Sandy and Tracy and Kelly. Man I've been stumped more than once by those.
Cool.
Buddha.
Reality sucks, don't it?
From your name...I figure you're about 8oo lbs...rolls of fat coming out all over the place....big bald head, with a weird skinny mustache..maybe 120 years old...shiny skin, sort of a gold color...and you just sit there with your legs crossed all the time...maybe 6 arms too...
am I right? :cookoo:
Cookie
Quote from: The Buddha on October 01, 2015, 04:47:57 AM
Quote from: twocool on September 23, 2015, 12:22:12 PM
Replying back...I'm 61................
LOL!!!!1
Cookie
Whaaaaaa I thought cookie was a young chick ??? man you're ruining this dream. Dont tell me you're a dude too ???
Then WTF sorta name is cookie for a dude ???? Like Sandy and Tracy and Kelly. Man I've been stumped more than once by those.
Cool.
Buddha.
Buddha,
I think your best bet for the fantasy thing is "show biz"....
But....Young chick, motorcycle rider, with a good job, house, artistic talent, articulate, and looks like Elizabeth Montgomery..but has trouble getting a decent date???
I'm convinced she is an FBI "plant"..trying to catch you guys in a "sting" operation....Kiddy porn ? :dunno_black:
Cookie
Quote from: The Buddha on October 01, 2015, 04:47:57 AM
Whaaaaaa I thought cookie was a young chick ??? man you're ruining this dream. Dont tell me you're a dude too ???
Then WTF sorta name is cookie for a dude ???? Like Sandy and Tracy and Kelly. Man I've been stumped more than once by those.
Cool.
Buddha.
[/quote]
What's in a name?
Buddha...
On another forum...There was a guy who somehow assumed that the name "cookie" had to be a female...
He was a British guy named Geoff....(that's "Jeff" to us red blooded Americans)
I replied to him that with his being British, and named Geoff, that I assumed he was G-A-Y....
He didn't deny it! :o
Cookie
Quote from: The Buddha on October 01, 2015, 04:47:57 AM
Quote from: twocool on September 23, 2015, 12:22:12 PM
Replying back...I'm 61................
LOL!!!!1
Cookie
Whaaaaaa I thought cookie was a young chick ??? man you're ruining this dream. Dont tell me you're a dude too ???
Then WTF sorta name is cookie for a dude ???? Like Sandy and Tracy and Kelly. Man I've been stumped more than once by those.
Cool.
Buddha.
You're thinking of the chinese buddha. The Injun Buddha (The original) is like 350 tons. But all rock hard muscle. LOL.
He's not rolling fat - The chinese buddha is some caricature of this guy and somehow gained weight.
http://srsddn.hubpages.com/hub/Statues-of-Buddha-in-India
Some of these statues date back to about the time right after buddha lived. So it is likely pretty accurate to appearance.
Cool.
Buddha.
Quote from: twocool on October 01, 2015, 02:29:04 AM
Most of the smaller, and some big motorcycle shops around here have gone out of business. About when the economic crunch hit a couple years back. Many large dealerships gone too...
Many years a go I worked at a bicycle shop... one of the largest volume dealers in the east. The owner became a millionaire in that business. Many other shops opened and undercut our prices. The owner would not stoop to price wars. All of those competitors went out of business....but that shop still is there. The owner has long since retired, a rich man...now one of his relatives runs the place...
Being in business is rough, and competitive.
I wouldn't take my pride a joy motorcycle to a shop who is trying to undercut prices, in a price war with other shops. What do they pay the mechanic? peanuts? What type of quality mechanics can they attract, and how good of a job can a mechanic do, if he is under constant pressure to do the job fast and on the cheap?
I probably could get to LA and back for under $1000...plus $15 for the tire job,,,hmmm
I'd still rather do it myself...having the job done MY way...priceless!
Cookie
Whittier Kawasaki been in business for decades , well your wrong again , it must be tough being wrong all the time ...............
http://www.wfuncenter.com/custompage.asp?pg=tire_installation
Uhhh...$15 ...IF ...you buy the tire from them! That's a big difference....Many places around here will install for FREE if you buy the tire from them..
They charge $30 to mount YOUR tire...(that's the going rate nationwide)
They also charge extra to balance....
Then look at some of their service charges for "first service" ..(valve adjustment extra)
So..this dealership is charging the fair, and going rate...nothing special, not outrageous either...especially for CA.
Oh...Gamma....lighten up, dude....maybe switch to decaf?
Cookie
I get a better deal , been going there since I was 14 , and I can bring in any tire bought elsewhere for still $ 15.00 mount & balanced , Stan the man will come in just to rebuild my crankshafts for my Suzuki RG 500 gamma & my Yamaha RZ 500 , whittier Kawasaki has a sign on the wall " our prices are subject to change on the customers attitude " ......... message to " toocool " you just have to remember when you make statements , not everybody is treated the same way on $$$ for everthing needed in todays world ........ :woohoo:
You are "special" !! :thumb:
Cookie
Quote from: rg500gamma on October 01, 2015, 09:48:05 PM
I get a better deal , been going there since I was 14 , and I can bring in any tire bought elsewhere for still $ 15.00 mount & balanced , Stan the man will come in just to rebuild my crankshafts for my Suzuki RG 500 gamma & my Yamaha RZ 500 , whittier Kawasaki has a sign on the wall " our prices are subject to change on the customers attitude " ......... message to " toocool " you just have to remember when you make statements , not everybody is treated the same way on $$$ for everthing needed in todays world ........ :woohoo:
hey " two cool " you are A " cool-dude " :thumb: whittier Kawasaki are really cool people , Tom is in his 70s always have fun talking to him about the widowmaker H-2 750 cc two-stroke motorcycle , learned how to ride on H-1 500 cc two-stroke ( older friend had one ) . have a great weekend " two cool " kind regards Andrew
Ladies, ladies, ladies...Your both pretty.
:angel:
Quote from: Slack on October 03, 2015, 10:37:32 AM
Ladies, ladies, ladies...Your both pretty.
:angel:
Your ???
Cool.
Buddha.