The Scoot; Changing your own tires?

Larry Gude

Larry Gude

Strung Out
Good idea or no?

I consider myself a decent half assed shade tree mechanic and my dirt bike tires absent a proper stand, ie, brute force.

However, is this something I want to be doing when I am trusting my life on the street bikes?
 
itsbob

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Larry Gude said:
Good idea or no?

I consider myself a decent half assed shade tree mechanic and my dirt bike tires absent a proper stand, ie, brute force.

However, is this something I want to be doing when I am trusting my life on the street bikes?
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With the right tools EASY to do.

You can save around $300 per set of tires every time you change rubber out. Granted it's not as bad as it used to be when bike tires wore out every 4K miles, but when the dealers want $300 for the tire, and $50 in labor PER tire, for something you can buy online for $110 and do yourself?

The other option is to buy your tires online and find a local non-dealer that will mount and balance them for you.

Harbor Freight sells an inexpensive motorcylce tire changer (like $50 bucks), then go to No-Mar and buy your hand tools (scratch proof, and EASY to use), and tire balancer.

No-Mar probably sells the BEST set up but it's $$$$, it's all manual but you can break the bead, de-mount, and mount the new tire in less than a minute or two with just a little bit of practice. Or get the hook up on a local club that owns the gear and then just schedule a time to bring your tires in and do them yourself.

I changed front and back last spring for about $200- $250 (Pilot Road 2s) and a couple of hours of my time (waiting for, and helping everyone else change their tires).

SWMOTOtires.com is where I buy from, USUALLY get free shipping if you buy both front and back..
 
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GWguy

GWguy

*
I don't feel like doing the tire/rim part, so I just strip the wheel off and turn it over to the m/c shop to do. Saves labor hours in the shop and gives me a chance to thoroughly clean the bike with parts removed.
 
itsbob

itsbob

I bowl overhand
GWguy said:
I don't feel like doing the tire/rim part, so I just strip the wheel off and turn it over to the m/c shop to do. Saves labor hours in the shop and gives me a chance to thoroughly clean the bike with parts removed.
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I used to do that..

Take the new tire and wheel to Annapolis Motor Sports.. come back after doing the mall thing and dinner.. $25 bucks a tire, DONE!!

But they've moved to the Eastern Shore so now I just wait for the BMWBMW club to have a tire day..

AND if you ever get to the Eastern Shore and can stop in (I think they are still called AMS) do it.. GREAT people and will beat anyones prices on helmets, accessories, and (found out after my second or third change) tires.. They were within $20 - 30 (per tire) of SWMOTO prices, but were delivered to their store.
 
GWguy

GWguy

*
itsbob said:
I used to do that..

Take the new tire and wheel to Annapolis Motor Sports.. come back after doing the mall thing and dinner.. $25 bucks a tire, DONE!!

But they've moved to the Eastern Shore so now I just wait for the BMWBMW club to have a tire day..

AND if you ever get to the Eastern Shore and can stop in (I think they are still called AMS) do it.. GREAT people and will beat anyones prices on helmets, accessories, and (found out after my second or third change) tires.. They were within $20 - 30 (per tire) of SWMOTO prices, but were delivered to their store.
Click to expand...

I use Motovation. Used to use the shop in the San Souci plaza that's no longer there, but they kinda had an attitude....
 
itsbob

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Larry Gude said:
GT or LT?

:popcorn:
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All I've seen is the GTL.. and it makes my bike look SMAAAAALL..

I haven't seen, in person, the GT yet.. but would definitely say the LT is out for sure.. BUT being the 6 is a new motor, I'd wait a few years for them to work out the bugs (if there are any)..

I was in Morton's two Friday's ago and they had 4 K1600GTL on the floor, all the same color. I had to talk myself out of taking one for ride a number of times.. they are BEAUTIFUL bikes, and just look like they would be very smooth, but FAST!

They had one that was fully loaded.. All the suspension auto adjustments, Tire Pressure Monitoring, Traction Control, ABS, upgraded adaptive lighting, HID driving lights, Stereo and intercom system, etc.. etc.. Think it was about 29k..
 
Larry Gude

Larry Gude

Strung Out
itsbob said:
All I've seen is the GTL.. and it makes my bike look SMAAAAALL..

I haven't seen, in person, the GT yet.. but would definitely say the LT is out for sure.. BUT being the 6 is a new motor, I'd wait a few years for them to work out the bugs (if there are any)..

I was in Morton's two Friday's ago and they had 4 K1600GTL on the floor, all the same color. I had to talk myself out of taking one for ride a number of times.. they are BEAUTIFUL bikes, and just look like they would be very smooth, but FAST!

They had one that was fully loaded.. All the suspension auto adjustments, Tire Pressure Monitoring, Traction Control, ABS, upgraded adaptive lighting, HID driving lights, Stereo and intercom system, etc.. etc.. Think it was about 29k..
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I test road that '01 LTC I was asking you about and it was, frankly, no fun. It felt like the front end was a barrel. I had to WATCH it at low speed. It was so smooth I'd call it too smooth. It was what I am guessing an electric bike would be. Way too refined a machine for me. We couldn't wait to get back on the Strat. I will say this though, we hit some mild twisties and the thing came to life, just wanted to dive into each turn. I appreciate it but, not my cup of tea.

Guy in the parking lot was picking up his 1600 GT and told me he'd traded an older LTC and he was a little guy. he complained of the same thing; the top heavy-ness and said to not even bother testing Bob's GT or GTL if I was remotely interested in the LTC because it would be the end of the search. He says it is THAT good. Way better balance, stunning power, the whole deal.

In any event, maybe try one next year but, for now, I think it may be add ons for the Strat; radio, heated grips, cruise. Maybe a RoadGlide but, I dunno. HD's just seem so small.

The Strat, I'm eating up rear's, 3,000 miles and they're done.
 
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itsbob

itsbob

I bowl overhand
Larry Gude said:
I test road that '01 LTC I was asking you about and it was, frankly, no fun. It felt like the front end was a barrel. I had to WATCH it at low speed. It was so smooth I'd call it too smooth. It was what I am guessing an electric bike would be. Way too refined a machine for me. We couldn't wait to get back on the Strat. I will say this though, we hit some mild twisties and the thing came to life, just wanted to dive into each turn. I appreciate it but, not my cup of tea.

Guy in the parking lot was picking up his 1600 GT and told me he'd traded an older LTC and he was a little guy. he complained of the same thing; the top heavy-ness and said to not even bother testing Bob's GT or GTL if I was remotely interested in the LTC because it would be the end of the search. He says it is THAT good. Way better balance, stunning power, the whole deal.

In any event, maybe try one next year but, for now, I think it may be add ons for the Strat; radio, heated grips, cruise. Maybe a RoadGlide but, I dunno. HD's just seem so small.

The Strat, I'm eating up rear's, 3,000 miles and they're done.
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Check out dual and tri compound tires.. and you may be running waaay low air.. Dunlops I was getting <>4k.. Pilot Road 2 I'm getting ALMOST 12K..

I always thought the LT was just that, a lounger. The RT, even being a twin boxer was the sportier of the two bikes even with significantly less HP than the LT (at one time), but both can LEEEEEEAN into the twisties.

And skip the grips.. Get Gerbings. Jacket liner and gloves. You will NEVER be chilled again. EASY install, and two zone controls, one for the jacket, and one for the gloves.
 
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