Going dark

My R3T rear tire has gone flat overnight. I rode 350 miles yesterday and noticed that sometimes when I went to stop, I could feel the rear shimmy a little. I also noticed it in some of the sweepers I rode. I did check the pressure 3 times during the day. No drop there. I found the tire at 5 lbs this morning when I was headed out.
4400 miles and there you go.

I've ordered the 205/60R16 General Altimax HP. Several of my riding friends have this exact tire on their Valkyries. I was going to get the GoodYear Assurance Triple Tread. But $30 less, and a rounder profile make me want to try the Altimax.

I just need to find somewhere to get it mounted/balanced.

Didnt I see somewhere on here that somebody did it themselves with little more than a breaker bar? Im not sure but ill search if I find it ill link it. I would be interested as well since the tire on the r3t will wear eventually.

mutt

It wasn't until I bought my RIII that I owned a tire machine. I have always busted and mounted my own tires on every bike I've owned. I have done everyone of them with a set of tire spoons and a couple of long screwdrivers. It's a hard task without the tools, but not an impossible one, it just takes patients and care. I'm even doing my own on the Rock and heck I'm crippled. Which is why I bought the tire machine from Harbor Freight, yeah it's Chinese, and it's cheaply made, but it does function for it's intended purpose. But since I can't get the leverage on the tire like I used too, I had to do something and taking it to the dealer is out of the question. The last tire a dealer mounted for, not only was he unable to balance the tire although mounting and balancing were in the price. He rolled the lip on the bead and the tire would not seal to the rim. I took it back to him 4 times and he still could not seal the tire. I had to spray the tire down with soapy water and mark it with a grease pencil to show him where the bead was leaking, then and only then did he bust the tire back down and fix the leak. Shortly and I do mean very shortly later, I went to the darkside and never looked back. BTW the dealer was Triumph of Chattanooga in Chattanooga, TN one of the better Triumph dealers, and they have since gone out of business. BTW, I'm not a mechanic, I'm a drafter and part time metal polisher, but I had to show this mechanic how and where my tire was leaking. Anyway it is possible to mount your own tires with little more than big screwdrivers, I've done it for years.

CAD,
How do you balance the tire. Just mount between v-stands on a bar? or can you use the dyna beads?

mutt

crazyman said:

...I've ordered the 205/60R16 General Altimax HP. Several of my riding friends have this exact tire on their Valkyries. I was going to get the GoodYear Assurance Triple Tread. But $30 less, and a rounder profile make me want to try the Altimax...I just need to find somewhere to get it mounted/balanced.

Click to expand...

Taking a wheel and tire off is not a hassles with a cheap Craftman or Harbor Fright bike jack. Besides, you can put new brakes on while you're there...if need be.

Harbour Fight sold a unit to me. It's an all around tire changer but there's a big issue with getting the tire off of a Rocket III wheel, I can't speak to the RT3, but there is no "well" to work with. You'll end up cutting it off; unless you have the finest pro equipment. A dremel and a cutt off wheel worked for me.

Let's say you spend $85 on a good, far more than necessary, floor lift for a motorcycle (either Craftsman or Harbous Fright). Add to that the Harbor Fright tire changer for $85. Plus your labor. This could bring an average Heart of Dixie charge fee to mount the tire without guarantees down to $35. What have you gained less a sense of accomplishment

Kmutt said:

CAD,
How do you balance the tire. Just mount between v-stands on a bar? or can you use the dyna beads?

mutt

Click to expand...

As a matter of fact: With the axles lubed quite well and the break pads receded you can get a quick grasp on the heavy section.

I'm now running DynaBeads in both Darkside Cooper and a Dunlop Elite 3. The reviews on the Elite 3 suck. I'm hoping the beads take the tendency to cupping, out of the diminished longevity.

In the rear it's mostly a matter of getting it jacked high enough. I want particularly high which will become apparent momentarily. You must release a caliper and it has to be the right side at the very least. Dismount the left side for much greater ease of removal. Tying up the weight of the calipers is a best practice. I use a roll around floor jack to lower it and to lift it back up into place That's maybe another $25. On the fronts: Take out the two each chrome caliper attachment bolt after tying the weight of the calipers up with twine. You don't want stress on the line from hanging weight. The HH EBC brakes I just put on are top notch. Flipmeisters sells them, and at few dollar saving over going elsewhere. Inserting a set of pads, after insuring the rotors aren't scoured and trenched, is so simple a caveman can do it...right, Sidecar! Use the same roll-around floor jack to lift the front into place as well.

I failed to mention, you need to drop the right side muffs to work it right. Loosen them at the Cat Box and release them from the trailing arm mount, then lower 'em down on a terry cloth.

You get a small spark plug socket and stick it, the back side, into the left hand front axle recessed head and see if it don't work perfect. A pipe wrench on a less than stellar chromed socket should get a grip on it and it'll be done. Just remember how much strain it took to get it off, then reverse the process Righty tighty lefty lousie.