Ok, got ya. The mileage is not terrible it's the dry rot. Yep new tires are in order.
Ugh. Sorry to hear that.
I'm leaning towards doing it myself. My only concern is balancing them properly. The chain I'll probably do myself if I can find a rivet tool or a chain that uses a clip link. I've spent the better part of my evening looking into how difficult it is to do the forks and it doesn't seem too bad but I'm still leaning toward a shop doing them. Performance Cycle quoted me $425 to do them so I'm going to see what other shops charge.
Buddhaman,
The seals are super easy. On my Harley I cut a slice out of a piece of PVC pipe and used the pipe to press in the new seals. The slice allows you to make the pipe diameter adjustable.
The big part of working on a motorcycle is assembly, use the manual and torque everything exactly as the manual states. Use loctite and type if the manual says to use it. The last thing you want is for the front brake or axle to come loose going down the road.
I could replace a fork seal on a motorcycle by the time I was 16, started riding when I was 12. However, at 16 I was still not anywhere near a skilled mechanic, my dad always checked behind me.
As other members have stated, get on a forum for your motorcycle type and ask questions. There are tons of guys who will walk you through anything you need to do.
The only real way a motorcycle saves you money, is if you do the maintance yourself.
I try to get the best deal I can on parts, on the net. However, tires I buy locally. I could and have mounted a tire myself, but on a harley my wheels are expensive, and it is not worth the risk of messing them up to save 20 bucks. Get good tires, look at the date on the tire and make sure it is not old stock.
The seals are super easy. On my Harley I cut a slice out of a piece of PVC pipe and used the pipe to press in the new seals. The slice allows you to make the pipe diameter adjustable.
The big part of working on a motorcycle is assembly, use the manual and torque everything exactly as the manual states. Use loctite and type if the manual says to use it. The last thing you want is for the front brake or axle to come loose going down the road.
I could replace a fork seal on a motorcycle by the time I was 16, started riding when I was 12. However, at 16 I was still not anywhere near a skilled mechanic, my dad always checked behind me.
As other members have stated, get on a forum for your motorcycle type and ask questions. There are tons of guys who will walk you through anything you need to do.
The only real way a motorcycle saves you money, is if you do the maintance yourself.
I try to get the best deal I can on parts, on the net. However, tires I buy locally. I could and have mounted a tire myself, but on a harley my wheels are expensive, and it is not worth the risk of messing them up to save 20 bucks. Get good tires, look at the date on the tire and make sure it is not old stock.
Balancing is easy. I made a stand out of heavy angle iron & skateboard wheel bearings, but here's the easy button method. Make sure you take a 20% off coupon with you.
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=balancing+stand
Stick on weights are available at most cycle shops. Use caution with tire Irons, you can ding up the sealing surfaces if you get too heavy handed. HF has them cheap- http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=tire+iron but you might want to buy one and cut it in half. A 2' iron makes it easy to screw up. I use rim protectors, but you can get a couple 8"-10" pieces of 1/2" ID Polyethline tubing, slit it down the length and push it down over the rim lip, to prevent steel tire Iron to Aluminum wheel contact. Clean all residue off the wheel while the tire is off and inspect the wheel bearings.
Lessons learned- Change motorcycle tires on a sheet or scrap of plywood, OSB or old carpet. No sense in scratching everything up on your garage floor. Spray cleaner, like 409 or Mean Green is an adequate lubricant. Once the tire is on, but not seated, use window cleaner and paper towels to ensure clean mating surfaces, then a little squirt all around before inflating and seating the bead. Don't forget to read the manufacturer's instructions as to where to locate/ rotate the tire in relation to the new valve stem you put in (Some tires have a spot or arrow) and insure you didn't put the tire on backwards...
Have fun and remember your favorite curse words when breaking the bead and getting the new tire started on the wheel. Like everything else- The first time's the hardest.
http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=balancing+stand
Stick on weights are available at most cycle shops. Use caution with tire Irons, you can ding up the sealing surfaces if you get too heavy handed. HF has them cheap- http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?q=tire+iron but you might want to buy one and cut it in half. A 2' iron makes it easy to screw up. I use rim protectors, but you can get a couple 8"-10" pieces of 1/2" ID Polyethline tubing, slit it down the length and push it down over the rim lip, to prevent steel tire Iron to Aluminum wheel contact. Clean all residue off the wheel while the tire is off and inspect the wheel bearings.
Lessons learned- Change motorcycle tires on a sheet or scrap of plywood, OSB or old carpet. No sense in scratching everything up on your garage floor. Spray cleaner, like 409 or Mean Green is an adequate lubricant. Once the tire is on, but not seated, use window cleaner and paper towels to ensure clean mating surfaces, then a little squirt all around before inflating and seating the bead. Don't forget to read the manufacturer's instructions as to where to locate/ rotate the tire in relation to the new valve stem you put in (Some tires have a spot or arrow) and insure you didn't put the tire on backwards...
Have fun and remember your favorite curse words when breaking the bead and getting the new tire started on the wheel. Like everything else- The first time's the hardest.
After much reading and looking at the forks I've decided that I should be able to do them myself. My biggest problem is how to lift the bike but I can make something work. I'll need a torque wrench and a makeshift seal driver but thats cheap compared to the shop cost. The chain is simple enough, I just need a rivet tool unless I get a clip style link.
I'm still on the fence over doing the tires myself. I don't have an air compressor and I'd need the other tools to mount and balance. Another plus to a dealer is they might have tires in stock so less downtime from riding.
I'm still on the fence over doing the tires myself. I don't have an air compressor and I'd need the other tools to mount and balance. Another plus to a dealer is they might have tires in stock so less downtime from riding.
lots of cheaper motorcycle jacks around from pepbpoys to harbor frieght. Sears offers a low end motorcycle jack.
If you are on a budget, you can take a 2X12 foot long and put about a 6 foot fence post in it for a handle, use it to lift the bike.
Do not try to use a car jack.
If you are on a budget, you can take a 2X12 foot long and put about a 6 foot fence post in it for a handle, use it to lift the bike.
Do not try to use a car jack.
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As far as tires, I've got Michelin PR2's on my Yamaha FJR. The OEM tires got me almost 7K and the tread was for sh*t at that point. With the PR2's, I'm currently at 11K on them and still have plenty with no worries. I'm not an aggressive rider either. There's a tire shop down on Agnew, south of Stockyard City that will mount tires if you bring them in. Price was reasonable, maybe $30 or so per tire if I remember, the shop was pretty sketchy, but he did a good job and I have no problem recommending the place, just can't remeember the name. East side of Agnew.
When I started riding I ran a good dual compound tire like the Bridgestone BT-45. Was a soft compound on the outsides and a harder compound in the middle for the long commutes. They worked really well on my day trips to Arkansas and Missouri. When I started joining friends at the Hallet track days, I switched to the Michelin Pilot Powers which greatly increased the grip in the turns, however I definitely lost mileage out of the tires for my commutes.
I received an email from cycle gear today and they have a good deal on pirelli diablo front and rear set of tires for 209 or 219 depending on the size you need. It seems like they mount them for $15 each and then balance them for free. I have bought from them in the past. If I needed tires I would have no problem putting the diablo's on my R1.
http://click.m.cyclegear.com/?qs=41...4b5dd7c0c05c6f82680fecc9fe3f472ef693e373388c0
http://click.m.cyclegear.com/?qs=41...4b5dd7c0c05c6f82680fecc9fe3f472ef693e373388c0
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