tire installation

[taters]

i am putting new z6s on my 2004 1150rt on tuesday. last tire change cost me $422.00 i would like to do it myself nextime. a friend of mine said ,he just takes the tires off and brings them to a honda dealer and they charge him $18 a tire to mount and balance them.is there a video or something which will show me exactly step by step how to take the tires off and what tools i will need? i need explicit instructions as i am mentally handicapped as you who have read any of my posts know. i can't hang a picture. thanks

[Bob Palin]

Do you mean to take the tyres off or the wheels off? (Why would you take the tyres off then take them to a Honda dealer?)

[taters]

take the wheels off take them to a dealer he takes off the tires puts on the new ones and balances them . then i take the wheels with the new tires and put them back on the bike.

[Bob Palin]

I don't know of a video but I'm pretty sure the owner's manual tells you how, I can't do it right now but I can write up something tonight if nobody else does. It's really easy, I do it in the Cycle Gear parking lot when I'm on the road, but you should have torque wrenches to do it right (probably 2, big and small)

[taters]

thanks ,what size wrenches? also i don't even know what a torque wrench is?lol seriously

[Jerry_75_Guy]

I'd like to throw in a quick plug for Mitch's tire changer and bar:

if you want to get serious about changing your own tires (or 'tyres' ), you really should look into this. It's not a huge deal to change them just using basic tire irons, but with the changer and bar Mitch makes, the process goes 'like butter'! Much less wrestling and expletives DAMHIK

 

Harbor Freight also has a changer, but I think Mitch's is a better design.

 

Do a search and take a peek, you'll be glad you did.

[Bob Palin]

thanks ,what size wrenches? also i don't even know what a torque wrench is?lol seriously

Take it to the dealer this time then get thee to a tech daze!

[Mainuh]

I think Killer has the right idea for your situation. Take them to the dealer this time and then try to find a "Tech Daze" close enough to ride to and see it done for yourself, then you can decide if you want to spend the money (probably $200-$300 by the time you get all the little gadgets you'll need) and want to bother trying to do it yourself. If you can't find a Tech Daze close enough here, try a local club... there's usually a few do it yourselfers to be found there too. It's always good to build your base of knowledgable friends!

[farmerp]

I have done a search for Mitch's tire changer and bar with no luck. Can anyone help? Thanks

[Merlinpedaler]

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/prestondrake/mojoweb.htm

[Bart Anderson]

It's a big leap from removing the wheels so you can take them to the dealer for tire installation to actually doing the tire mounting yourself. I'm pretty sure you can remove the wheels yourself with the tools found in the tool kit, and I think general instructions are included in the owner's manual. Yes, a torque wrench would be nice, but just don't be a gorilla with small fasteners and you'll be fine. And, go ahead and be a gorilla with those 17mm lug nuts...you're not going hurt anything with the factory tool kit...the tools just aren't beefy enough.

 

Around here, it's $50 per tire for mounting if you ride the bike in, and they want you to make an appointment. Or, you can just show up with your wheels in hand and they'll mount (and balance) the tires for $25 each. That's $50 saved for not a lot of work. I R&R'd a lot of wheels before I knew what a torque wrench was. Go for it!

[KMG_365]

thanks ,what size wrenches? also i don't even know what a torque wrench is?lol seriously

If there is no Sears store near you then you could probably find something over the internet. Sears sells two very simple beam-type torque wrenches this one for large torque values (i.e. the rear lug nuts) and this one for smaller torque values (i.e. the front pinch bolts and caliper bolts, etc.).

 

A torque wrench is used to accurately measure force. You want to apply enough force to a bolt to be sure it stays put without applying so much force as to stress or strip the threads. Some wrenches function with a settable "click" that can be felt in the handle when the proper pre-set torque value is reached. These must be stored properly (guage backed all the way out to zero) and calibrated regularly to remain accurate. Others use a beam attached to the head that travels parallel to the shaft. The beam stays straight while the shaft deflects as more force is applied to the bolt head. The end of the beam hovers over a scale attached to the shaft and as it bends it shows how much force (torque) you are applying to the bolt.

 

You can get the Sears set for <$50.00 and throw in a few sockets, hex keys and "Torx" keys (for the star kind of allen bolts on the brake calipers--not to be confused with torque) and you're all set. You can do it all with the tool kit supplied, but it'll make your life easier having the right tools for the job--besides, the savings for you pulling your own wheels one time pays for the investment. The first time could take you an hour or so per wheel if you're really as inexperienced as you say, but the next time you do it it'll get easier until you can do both in under an hour.

 

Be careful and follow the steps in the user's manual. Double check everything and take pride in the sense of accomplishment and a job well done!