EngineNoO9

alright... well I absolutely positively have to get new tires. I'm planning on doing it sat since it's first come first serve that morning in terms of service. otherwise I have to schedule an appointment 2 weeks in advance.... So! I have the option of taking the wheels off and paying like $20 per wheel or take the bike in and do like $38/$48 for the front and rear respectively... Now I have stands, I have tools, my concern is with how difficult it is to do the rear tire... I've never messed with the rear on any of my bikes. I tried to remove it on my old one and failed. front wheels is no biggie. But the alignment part of the rear worries me a lil... So how hard is it??


And since this is the first change of tires on this bike for me in addition to me being slightly busy and not needing something else to do like cursing at not being able to get wheels off... you think this time it's just worth it to pay the extra? Plus that means I can just ride it away on Sat and break the tires in right away and be set for our sunday ride....

Plus... I need some quick insight into some tires and about how many miles I'd get out of the wheel... Pilot powers and dunlop qualifiers... Now I clearly remember last time someone saying go with the qualifiers, I'll get better mileage out of them.... At the shop I was told just the opposite... so uh... what's the deal? Also tomorrow I'll see what others they have and make a choice from those... I'm not going for super cheap but if I can get something that lasts good and offers awesome performance for cheap then I'm there

Duster

First off, my pilots were the best tires ive ever had on a bike...

as for taking the rear tire off, ive never done it myself, ive watched it done quite a few times and it looks relatively straight forward, the only thing ive noticed that would create a problem would be re-setting chain tension. I wouldn't take my word for it I don't have enough experience in removal of rear tires. hopefully i will get some experience this summer though, track days....

rainmanEK

You just remove the Axle and slide it out, the you can remove the chain and take out the wheel. There is not need to realign the chain unless your messing with different gears!

Eric

ALLMOTOR18

i think he means aligning the rear wheel... they are markers on the frame that you line up... its not that hard, just double check the marking before you remove it and set it up exactly the same way when you put it back on...

AzntaggeR

yep there little hash marks engraved into the swing arm. you cna't miss it they're right next to where the axle goes through and is bolted into place. basically when you put the wheel back on just make sure they're lined up on both sides and then torque down

rainmanEK

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ALLMOTOR18 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i think he means aligning the rear wheel... they are markers on the frame that you line up... its not that hard, just double check the marking before you remove it and set it up exactly the same way when you put it back on... </TD></TR></TABLE>

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by AzntaggeR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yep there little hash marks engraved into the swing arm. you cna't miss it they're right next to where the axle goes through and is bolted into place. basically when you put the wheel back on just make sure they're lined up on both sides and then torque down </TD></TR></TABLE>


WTF are you guys talking about? Have you ever removed a rear wheel?

There is no reason to mess with the alignment, Just slide the axle out and leave to adjustaters where they are!


Eric

ALLMOTOR18

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rainmanEK &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


WTF are you guys talking about? Have you ever removed a rear wheel?

There is no reason to mess with the alignment, Just slide the axle out and leave to adjustaters where they are!


Eric </TD></TR></TABLE>

I have removed my wheels many times on both bikes that I have owned, '99 R6 and '03 R1...

I am not saying you have to adjust the adjustment bolt every time, but sometimes it does move and re-aligning is necessary.. Thats why I said to just check make note of it before removal so when you put it back on it will be correctly set again...

PotatoePAPA

The last (also the first) time I did it myself and the only complication I had was getting the disk back in between the pads...lol I ended up using a skateboard as a lever to lift the wheel/tire into place.

Anyone got any better tips?

Other than that, it was pie

Edit:
You've never even tightened your chain?

.Ash

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rainmanEK &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


WTF are you guys talking about? Have you ever removed a rear wheel?

There is no reason to mess with the alignment, Just slide the axle out and leave to adjustaters where they are!


Eric </TD></TR></TABLE>

Not every bike is like that; sometimes the adjusters have to be loosened. If you have to loosen the adjusters; the easiest way to keep them equal is with a pair of micrometers or whatever you call them.

ALLMOTOR18

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .Ash &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Not every bike is like that; sometimes the adjusters have to be loosened. If you have to loosen the adjusters; the easiest way to keep them equal is with a pair of micrometers or whatever you call them. </TD></TR></TABLE>

You are correct... On my bikes, if you dont loosen the adjuster than you will not be able to remove the chain...

Rednas

http://www.bayarearidersforum....62961

this will help you, and has pictures too

rainmanEK

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ALLMOTOR18 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

You are correct... On my bikes, if you dont loosen the adjuster than you will not be able to remove the chain... </TD></TR></TABLE>

Once you remove the Axle you can slide the wheel forward to remove the chain!

I have a GSXR, R1, And ZX6R in my garage as we speak, All of these are the same!

Eric

backlash

Taking the rear off is cake, putting it back on is the harder part. It helps if you have something underneath the wheel to hold it up, instead of you holding the wheel with one hand and trying to slide the axle through with the other hand. I use two cases of drill bits underneath the wheel and it almost lines up the height perfect so I can slide the axle in. That rear brake can be a b*tch sometimes though. Practice makes perfect. Good luck.

AzntaggeR

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rainmanEK &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">


WTF are you guys talking about? Have you ever removed a rear wheel?

There is no reason to mess with the alignment, Just slide the axle out and leave to adjustaters where they are!


Eric </TD></TR></TABLE>

i know that. i never mess with the alignment adjust on mine either, but i have had the adjusters be off before prior to me taking off the wheel and not noticing it before. just something good to know if you're taking off and putting your wheel back on.

4-ageTOg63

Remove cotter pin on end of axle, use axle tool to undo axle bolt, take rear sprocket off and leave it with the chain (i do this just because just because it seems like it is easier to get the chain out), slide axle out, pull tire with rim out, take to the stealership.

marmaladedad

Just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents, since we both own Superhawks. This is how I do my wheels...

Rear wheel:

1. Loosen axle nut (on throttle-side) and place it aside. You can take the washer out too, but that will fall off when the axle comes out.

2. While sitting on the ground facing the bike, use a foot underneath the tire to take the tension/weight off the axle. Push the axle from the throttle side towards the clutch side. Then, pull the axle the rest of the way out.

3. Push the wheel forward to put some slack into the chain, and take the chain off the sprocket.

4. Let the wheel drop just a bit (your foot still underneath) so you can pull the rear caliper towards you and let the caliper hang over the swingarm.

5. Remove the sprocket and cush drive, as well as the wheel spacers, and place them somewhere not easily kicked or lost.


Front wheel:

1. Remove the brake calipers (two bolts per side). Letting them hang isn't the worst thing in the world, but I use jackstands to keep the brake lines slack.

2. Loosen the axle nut on the throttle side.

3. Loosen the pinch bolts (two on each fork).

4. Again, as with the rear wheel, use your foot underneath to take the tension off the axle. Use a thin screwdriver or an allen wrench, and slip it through the hole in the axle. Pull the axle out.

5. When removing the front wheel, take note of your spacers and which one goes to which side.

When it comes time to reinstall, I find that using a small amount of axle grease helps the process go smoothly, as well as any future removals. I also wear latex gloves, but if you like to get your hands dirty, that's up to you.

After you reinstall, be sure to check all the bolts and the slack in the drive chain. Make sure your adjusters are even (and check the rear wheel alignment). It's also a good opportunity to check your sprockets (at least, the rear one) for wear.

EngineNoO9

still looking for more insight whether to do the qualifiers or pilot powers... which will last longer since I know I won't outride either tire...

marmaladedad

Some of my riding buddies have switched to Dunlop Q's from their PPs and have been raving about the Q's. But, none of them have ridden the Q's long enough to have an idea of the mileage you could expect.

FWIW, a friend of mine rode his Pirelli Diablo for 8k miles, including three trackdays. Another has a set of Pilot Powers that have lasted about 3k miles and five trackdays. The Diablos were a bit gone, but the PP still look like they have plenty of meat left.

EngineNoO9

aight. Yeah I was curious cause the Qualifiers are a lil cheaper....

backlash

5 trackdays out of the PP's? My Powers have only been through 3 and the sides are TOAST, wear indicaters (rear) are flush with the rest of the tire, center is still good for commuting. What kind of bike was it?

3 trackdays and approx 3k miles.

marmaladedad

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by backlash &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">5 trackdays out of the PP's? My Powers have only been through 3 and the sides are TOAST, wear indicaters (rear) are flush with the rest of the tire, center is still good for commuting. What kind of bike was it?

3 trackdays and approx 3k miles.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I'll have to check with him again, but I'm pretty sure he said five. Ducati 996.