I'm not blowing my horn, just relating how I used the info gained from various FJR boards to make this @#$% job easier. Also learning from my mistakes didn't hurt!
Got back from a long trip to the West Coast with four Arkansas riding days at the end (chip/seal roads eat tires!). So today to get ready for another AR trip next week, I put the 04 ABS on the Harbor Freight air/hydraulic lift (about $230 on sale after using an additional 25% off coupon from the Internet). You can get on the HF mailing list to get coupons by E-mail. I know their stuff is mostly chinese made crap but for some things I've had good results.
Put the bike on its center stand on the lift and after loosening the disk brake bolts and axle pinch bolt, pulled the axle almost all the way out, took out the removable lift floor under the rear tire, then let the lift down to the bottom, pulled the axle the rest of the way out (then found the spacer over in the darkest corner of the garage) and eased the wheel off the gears. The tire/wheel drops a few inches and sits on the under frame of the lift. Raised the lift until the wheel is easily rolled out.
Broke the beads loose with the HF car tire changer bead breaker. Using a 3 foot pipe "cheater" (actually a metal fence post driver) on the very short handle on the bead breaker helps a lot-takes a matter of seconds. I remember using a vise, clamps, rubber hammer, etc to accomplish the same task taking much longer with busted knuckles, sweat and much cursing! I put 2" x 2"s under the rim to clear the disk-more necessary on front wheel.
Put the wheel on the HF motorcycle wheel attachment on top of the HF car tire changer. As per a posting on this or another FJR board I coated the rim clamps with the rubbery stuff you dip tool handles in. This works great to keep from scratching the rim and keep the rim from turning-much better than rags over the rim clamps.
I use Tire Lube from NAPA and like it a lot better than the dish detergent/water combo, it costs less than $10 a gallon. The first time I did tire work, I used the HF bar and was unhappy with it. I think it would be fine now that I picked up a few tricks along the way. Anyway, I bought a Mojo lever. I like the one end to remove the old tire but the nylon on the install end shifts and gets jammed, at least for me. I use the install end of the HF bar with good results. The secret to both removal and especially installing is LOTS of lube on the beads, rim and bar end. I use a 1" sponge paint brush to apply. I also use the same "cheater" on the end of the HF bar for the install. I cut a couple of 1" blocks of wood to keep the opposite tire bead in the center of the rim.
Aired it up and reinstalled, The only time I had to have an additional hand was when I had my wife use a 2" x 4" as a lever to hold the tire in place while I got the gears lined up on the drive side. Having the bike in gear makes this much easier.
I had a Pirelli Strada rear tire put on in CA for $255. Changing my own tire took 55 minutes, tire cost me $90 (Shinko-no flaming please) and I have a tire with 1/3 wear left to put back on for these straight Iowa roads when the new one wears out.
Sorry this post is so long. I guess we "shriner types" with headlight modulators are verbose-right John? :>
Ian, Iowa
Got back from a long trip to the West Coast with four Arkansas riding days at the end (chip/seal roads eat tires!). So today to get ready for another AR trip next week, I put the 04 ABS on the Harbor Freight air/hydraulic lift (about $230 on sale after using an additional 25% off coupon from the Internet). You can get on the HF mailing list to get coupons by E-mail. I know their stuff is mostly chinese made crap but for some things I've had good results.
Put the bike on its center stand on the lift and after loosening the disk brake bolts and axle pinch bolt, pulled the axle almost all the way out, took out the removable lift floor under the rear tire, then let the lift down to the bottom, pulled the axle the rest of the way out (then found the spacer over in the darkest corner of the garage) and eased the wheel off the gears. The tire/wheel drops a few inches and sits on the under frame of the lift. Raised the lift until the wheel is easily rolled out.
Broke the beads loose with the HF car tire changer bead breaker. Using a 3 foot pipe "cheater" (actually a metal fence post driver) on the very short handle on the bead breaker helps a lot-takes a matter of seconds. I remember using a vise, clamps, rubber hammer, etc to accomplish the same task taking much longer with busted knuckles, sweat and much cursing! I put 2" x 2"s under the rim to clear the disk-more necessary on front wheel.
Put the wheel on the HF motorcycle wheel attachment on top of the HF car tire changer. As per a posting on this or another FJR board I coated the rim clamps with the rubbery stuff you dip tool handles in. This works great to keep from scratching the rim and keep the rim from turning-much better than rags over the rim clamps.
I use Tire Lube from NAPA and like it a lot better than the dish detergent/water combo, it costs less than $10 a gallon. The first time I did tire work, I used the HF bar and was unhappy with it. I think it would be fine now that I picked up a few tricks along the way. Anyway, I bought a Mojo lever. I like the one end to remove the old tire but the nylon on the install end shifts and gets jammed, at least for me. I use the install end of the HF bar with good results. The secret to both removal and especially installing is LOTS of lube on the beads, rim and bar end. I use a 1" sponge paint brush to apply. I also use the same "cheater" on the end of the HF bar for the install. I cut a couple of 1" blocks of wood to keep the opposite tire bead in the center of the rim.
Aired it up and reinstalled, The only time I had to have an additional hand was when I had my wife use a 2" x 4" as a lever to hold the tire in place while I got the gears lined up on the drive side. Having the bike in gear makes this much easier.
I had a Pirelli Strada rear tire put on in CA for $255. Changing my own tire took 55 minutes, tire cost me $90 (Shinko-no flaming please) and I have a tire with 1/3 wear left to put back on for these straight Iowa roads when the new one wears out.
Sorry this post is so long. I guess we "shriner types" with headlight modulators are verbose-right John? :>
Ian, Iowa
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