[Wild-Bill]

My rim's a mess, lol. Covered in dirt and grime....

All that dirt and grime will affect the wheel balance. I'm not saying you should polish it up but clean parts is happy parts.

You are a riot Bro!
You're just the kind of guy, rebuilders rescue bikes from. When you you gonna put it up for sale?
Bill

Give the dude a break! You've never heard that everyone's gotta start somewhere?!

[Syndacate]

You are a riot Bro!
You're just the kind of guy, rebuilders rescue bikes from. When you you gonna put it up for sale?
Bill

There's nothing wrong with my bike with the exception of some scratches in the side fairings, dip****. On the contrary, you're just the type of guy who talks down to the less knowledgeable because you didn't need to start anywhere, you just knew it all before you even touched the bike until he front ends an SUV and dies. So when's that lucky day?

Just what I needed was one of you ****ers coming in here and straight up tell me that I fail and can't do it. Blow me. You'll be sad to know everything's working perfectly at the moment.

If dealers and motorcycle mechanics are trying to rip you off,
you should be able to bring the two wheels (off the bike) to any no name
auto mechanic and ask him for cheap to remove the tires, put the new ones and balance them.

Yeah, that's what I was looking at doing, one cycle shop in the area offered it for $34 / tire, the other was $45 / tire - that may be what I'll do next time, I'm not sure. After wrenching at this wheel over the last 2 days I've learned a lot, both in technique, and execution. It'll probably be awhile before I have to change the tires again, but next time I do it won't be as bad - nowhere near it.

All that dirt and grime will affect the wheel balance. I'm not saying you should polish it up but clean parts is happy parts.

Fair enough, I'll be sure to clean the front rim more thoroughly - although a lot of grime came off on the rear when I started using the 409 as a lube - that **** cuts through grease like it's nobody's business.

Give the dude a break! You've never heard that everyone's gotta start somewhere?!

It's useless trying to talk common sense to people like him, I deal with them all too much. These people were born riding a bike with a wrench in their hand, they never had to learn, they had full mechanical knowledge and experience from the womb, and they feel that anybody who hasn't had the same pre-birth blessings as they, are doomed and destined to fail at anything they attempt in or around the topic of focus. According to these people, newbies can't learn how to ride and work on their own bike - either they had it from birth (and they ****in should have!, according to these people), or there's no sense ever bothering to try and to learn - because they'll just fail over and over again. They're complete scum.

----------------------------------

Update:
So today I went out there wit the rim, cut the valve most of the way out, then it started to rain - so I picked up my crap and went inside. There I finished removing the old valve stem, and replaced it. Then I took a wire brush with some 409 on it and did the bead seat real good, just to make sure there wasn't some excess stuff on there. Then I found the heaviest part of the rim with the valve stem in it and marked it with some tape. Then I got the tire from outside and put it on. Putting it on was quite easy - kept having to remember people telling me "The first one is free" - and it may have not been free, but it slid over without any issue. Putting the next side on took maybe 5 solid minutes - didn't exactly fly by, but wasn't grueling, either...a lot of technique I picked up yesterday helped me a lot in flipping the tire over the rim.

After that I looked outside and it was pouring, but I don't need to be outside to put air in the tire, so I went off to a local mechanic that I spoke of prior. He, unfortunately, was closed, but through the trees I saw a Firstone tire place - I figure they might be willing to - so I went in there, the service manager was in there - just straight up asked him "can you put some air in a tire for me?" and he was just like "is it on the bike or just the wheel? -- Just the wheel? Okay, come around to bay 1" - So that was that, I had 'em put 40psi of air in it (max says 42), took a total of 2 minutes - heard both beads set.

Right now it's coming down in buckets, though. I'm not about to put it back on the bike today, I don't think, unless it clears up soon. I balanced the tire, though, on my coffee table. Got a bit unlucky as the heaviest part of the rim was opposite a spoke, therefore had to split it across each side, but it appears to be 100% balanced now...doesn't take long, but definitely takes some patience!

Unless it stops pouring I'm probably not going to put it back on today, after that it's time to put it back on and do the front one.

I'm still contemplating whether or not I should pull off one of the rotors to avoid damaging it, or if I should just be very careful. I'm afraid of taking the rotor off, and then not torquing it down correctly, as it has allen key screws :-\.

Cliffs
- Mounted the tire today
- Got it filled up with the bead set
- Balanced the tire
- Right now it's pouring outside

Questions
- Is it worth it to try and take one of the discs off for the front? As it has those allen key screws - I don't want to get the torque incorrect, I'm guessing it'd be ideal if you have one of those allen key sockets..maybe I'll go buy one tonight.
- Anybody know what PSI I should put it to if 42psi is max? I had them put it to 40.


Think that's it for now, so far everything went well, today. Later this evening or possibly tomorrow morning is installing the rear/taking off the front. Figure firestone won't be open Sunday, so I'll get it all done and ready Sunday, then take it there Monday after work to get filled, and if no major events happen and the weather cooperates, get it on the bike Monday evening, and drive it to work Tuesday.

[Syndacate]

Update:
It was still pouring for quite awhile, I decided to go to Sears and find a match for that castle nut - it's apparently 22mm, unfortunately I couldn't find a 6pt, though, so as much as I don't like using 12pt's, it's only 47 ft-lbs of tq., so it should be fine for this once. When I was leaving Sears though I noticed it had stopped raining, so I raced home and tried to get the wheel on before it got too dark.

Still quite wet and getting darker, I got the wheel out there and on the bike. Took a fair bit of wiggling and jiggling, but I got it on, and the axle through everything. I just put the castle nut on finger tight for the time being, as I have to adjust it.

Unfortunately the marks from where the things were before (which don't look very accurate, I might add), washed away with all the water splashing up under the cover...so they're not there. So I have to adjust them from scratch, without any markings...

The manual says 1.2-1.6in, from what I understand that's with the swingarm pre-loaded (not in the air), can anybody confirm this? I'm having a bit of trouble figure out exactly where 1.2-1.6" is, as I don't know exactly where the center of the chain is (although the way I figure it, the part with the most free play is the center), and then when I do, there's too much going on there to actually measure it, like, I can't get a ruler in there good to get a good solid measurement..then when I have it as it is now, a guesstimated 1.4", the right side adjuster is loose (you can jiggle it a bit at the end), yet the marks appear to be in the same spot (5 in/2 back from the center hash), so I'm guessing that either that's OK or the measurement things are lying.

I heard somewhere else on here that you need to measure from the outside of the rim to the swingarm, can anybody confirm this?

---

My plans for tomorrow is to get the chain adjusted right, then torque the castle nut down to 47ft-lbs of tq., as the manual says, and then I should be done with the rear.

Since I have a much better understanding of what I need to do, I suspect the front won't take nearly as long, I intend on getting it off and breaking the bead very soon, then getting the tire off, etc. etc. - up until I find the heaviest part of the rim, and align that with the dot on the tire. From there, I suspect Firestone will be closed, I'll let it sit tomorrow night, then I'll go to Firestone after work on Monday and have 'em fill it, put it back on, and if all goes well, I can drive it to work Tuesday.

Short Question Part
- So from lip of rim to inside of the swing arm is an accurate measurement, and as long as they're equal, everything should be peachy?
- Anybody got a better way to measure the chain free-play? I couldn't really get a ruler in there well to where the center of the chain appeared to be.
- Chain tension is 1.2-1.6 according to the Suzuki manual, but that's with the swing-arm loaded (bike on side stand), right?

Status:
- Rear wheel is back on the bike
- Rear wheel needs adjustment for chain/alignment
- Need to torque the castle nut to 47 ft-lbs of tq and put the pin through.
- Then onto the front one!

[Wild-Bill]

Congrats! I told you there was nothing cosmic about it! You can do eeeet!

As for proper tire pressure, you should have a decal under the seat, on the rear fender specifying proper tire pressure. Mine's 36 psi front and rear, 42 rear if I'm carrying a passenger.

...
Short Question Part
- So from lip of rim to inside of the swing arm is an accurate measurement, and as long as they're equal, everything should be peachy?
- Anybody got a better way to measure the chain free-play? I couldn't really get a ruler in there well to where the center of the chain appeared to be.
- Chain tension is 1.2-1.6 according to the Suzuki manual, but that's with the swing-arm loaded (bike on side stand), right?
...

-Yep.
-I stand a tape measure up on the floor to free up the hands. I suppose if you don't have a carpenters' tape measure you could use anything that'll stand up on its' own and mark it with some tape or something like that. with .3" tolerance, you can see it's not a real critical measurement.
-Yep. Right again.

[Syndacate]

Congrats! I told you there was nothing cosmic about it! You can do eeeet!

As for proper tire pressure, you should have a decal under the seat, on the rear fender specifying proper tire pressure. Mine's 36 psi front and rear, 42 rear if I'm carrying a passenger.

Yeah but if it's at like 40 and you don't have a passenger, that's not going to hurt anything or affect handling, right?

-Yep.
-I stand a tape measure up on the floor to free up the hands. I suppose if you don't have a carpenters' tape measure you could use anything that'll stand up on its' own and mark it with some tape or something like that. with .3" tolerance, you can see it's not a real critical measurement.
-Yep. Right again.

- Good
- .3" tolerance within what? I thought the tolerance was the .4 of 1.2-1.6?
- Okay.

So drop the bike onto the wheels so the rear is loaded, and put it on its side stand, then stand something up on its own and mark it, get it to about 1.4" of free play in the chain, then match the lip on the opposite side adjustment until the measurements are equal.

Is this correct?

[bob393]

Does it really take that much to set the bead of a motorcycle tire?

Admit I have never tried on MC myself, but I regularly set the bead on Toyota Land cruisers with a small tankless compressor run of the car battery...
It may take 5 -10 minutes but the tire will pop on no problem.

I suppose getting a MC tire to seal could be more difficult, and we are not suppose to recommend the lighter fluid method are we...

You weren't there when I mounted my rear. Four tire shops, a blast can and still no luck !

[Wild-Bill]

Yeah but if it's at like 40 and you don't have a passenger, that's not going to hurt anything or affect handling, right?

You'll get less traction with higher pressure since the tire won't conform as well to the road surface. It probably won't be noticeable under day-day riding but better to have it just right. Other concern is that higher pressure will concentrate wear on the center of the tread, wearing out those new tires that much sooner.

...
- .3" tolerance within what? I thought the tolerance was the .4 of 1.2-1.6?
...

Let's see... 1.6-1.2=.3 right?! Doh! Public math sucks.

YSo drop the bike onto the wheels so the rear is loaded, and put it on its side stand, then stand something up on its own and mark it, get it to about 1.4" of free play in the chain, then match the lip on the opposite side adjustment until the measurements are equal.

Is this correct?

Close. It's a balancing act, requiring the wheel to be straight when you measure the slack. If you have to adjust either side of the wheel it'll affect the chain slack. Trick is to get the wheel straight and then adjust both sides equal amounts until the chain slack is right. It helps me if I use a paint pen or sharpie to mark one flat on each of the adjuster bolt heads. Makes it easier to be sure I'm turning each of them the same amount.

[Syndacate]

You'll get less traction with higher pressure since the tire won't conform as well to the road surface. It probably won't be noticeable under day-day riding but better to have it just right. Other concern is that higher pressure will concentrate wear on the center of the tread, wearing out those new tires that much sooner.

Ah, I see. On the flipside, I'm a heavy guy, so I should probably go up a bit anyway, I'll have to check the recommendations under the seat..but realistically those are only for OEM tires (cars have them too), the new tires more-so dictate the PSI.

Let's see... 1.6-1.2=.3 right?! Doh! Public math sucks.

lol - I wouldn't lose sleep about it - just making sure we were talking about the same thing .

Close. It's a balancing act, requiring the wheel to be straight when you measure the slack. If you have to adjust either side of the wheel it'll affect the chain slack. Trick is to get the wheel straight and then adjust both sides equal amounts until the chain slack is right. It helps me if I use a paint pen or sharpie to mark one flat on each of the adjuster bolt heads. Makes it easier to be sure I'm turning each of them the same amount.

Okay, that makes sense, going to go do it now. I just hope it's tensioned and aligned properly when I'm through.. O.o.

[Syndacate]

****

Ahhh,

Things are NOT going smooth.

There's about 1cm difference (larger) in the left than in the right.

I measured it both from the center lip of the rim, and just in case that wasn't accurate, I did it from the lip (which is a pain in the *** on my bike btw b/c the aftermarket exhaust sits right there).

Regardless of where I measure from I have 1cm more room on the left in the front of the rim than I do on the right.

Only problem is that the left adjuster is tightened all the way to the point where I'm not comfortable tightening it any further, and the right adjuster is loosened almost to the point where it makes no difference. That should pitch the wheel as far left as possible in the front - but it's not, it's making miniscule difference and I have a 1cm gap!!

I have no clue what to do - please, somebody help .

From what I saw, there's no way to put the adjusters in upside down, right? And I'm 99.9% sure I put the right one in the right fork and the left one in the left fork - although that shouldn't matter either, right?

I have no clue what to do, the tire just doesn't seem to care what it's adjusted to.

I haven't looked at the markers on the outside much, but they're telling me the same thing, right has about 3 ticks, left has like 4.5 or so. I believe they both had about 5 when I removed it - but there's no way the bolts were this tight...and if I put the right to 5 ticks, it'd be even more outta whack than it is now. I just screwed with it for an hour and got absolutely nowhere.

Does anybody have any advice/tips/what the hell is going on/reasoning that I'm missing here??

Thanks..

[Philskat]

I know on my bike when i tighten the axle on my bike things flex and move around into place

[Syndacate]

I know on my bike when i tighten the axle on my bike things flex and move around into place

So you're saying tighten down on the axle nut a little bit, just to straighten things out? I guess I'll give it a whirl. I'm completely out of other options..

[Wild-Bill]

Have you checked at the center of the wheel? Is the wheel centered in the swingarm there?

[Syndacate]

Have you checked at the center of the wheel? Is the wheel centered in the swingarm there?

I'm not sure I'm following...the axle goes through all, so it's all centered around that..

I was pushing on the rear of the wheel from the left side with all my weight to the point where the bike wasn't the most stable on the center stand - and then tightened it - but the same thing happened - the chain was too tight.

Basically the problem I'm running into is that the rim seems to be very favored towards pointing to the right in the front, I'm not sure why. I can't push the right side forward any more as the adjuster is almost completely loosened (still putting light pressure on the plate). The only other adjustment I can make is to tighten the left adjuster, pulling the left side back - only problem with this is by the time it's straight (or almost straight), the chain has so much tension on it - it's way past it's stress point, so I have to back it off a bit (probably 3 turns), and we're back at square one.

[Philskat]

Do you have the rear caliper all bolted down if so take it loose or unbolt the caliper and see if you can move it a little easier the pivot could b tight causing it not to rotate and let it line up just a thought

[Syndacate]

Do you have the rear caliper all bolted down if so take it loose or unbolt the caliper and see if you can move it a little easier the pivot could b tight causing it not to rotate and let it line up just a thought

Thanks, I'll give it a shot - I thought about it but didn't think that would hold it back.

I didn't touch the caliper when I removed it, just slid the disk out from the caliper, and when I put it back I simply slid the disk into the caliper - so the caliper hasn't been touched..but seeing as the mount goes around the axle, I can't move that...I recall seeing a castle nut on the end of the torque arm/end of the caliper - I'm assuming you mean loosen that and flip the caliper up?