45 replies to this topic

[03HiYoSilver]

Well if you can get the shop to do the tire Install w/o Balancing... try some DynaBeads.

About 2oz in the Rear & 1oz in the Front.

http://www.innovativ...ng.com/news.htm HowTheyWork

http://www.innovativ...om/gallery1.htm

[deang]

Old Pilot, how many miles do you usually get out of your PR2s and how would you rate your riding style? My bike is still very young but I'm taking notes on what tires I want to get when the OEMs are done.

[Denver_FJR]

I know the PR2s typically require almost no balancing, and I've already got weights on the wheels from the $10-$20 shop that did balance the tires, so maybe it will be okay?

Kind of concerned about the no balancing install. What's the consensus?

PR2s require almost no balancing? That's "almost" true. And I have a front and rear PR2 each with a ton of weight applied to the rim to prove it!

[HotRodZilla]

I know the PR2s typically require almost no balancing, and I've already got weights on the wheels from the $10-$20 shop that did balance the tires, so maybe it will be okay?

Kind of concerned about the no balancing install. What's the consensus?

PR2s require almost no balancing? That's "almost" true. And I have a front and rear PR2 each with a ton of weight applied to the rim to prove it!

Gunny that! I wouldn't run any tire without balancing it. My PR3s took weight, and I know where the heavy spots on my rims are. I've never seen a MC tire not need at least a little weight.

[jmdaniel]

I'll be looking at an alternative as well, as I got b-f'ed recently at my local Yama shop when they put on a set of PR3s for me. $115! The guy bought out the local Honda shop, and I guess since his competition is now gone, he can charge what he wants. Nope...

[Constant Mesh]

The wheel may be the cause of a significant imbalance.

My front wheel requires 4-1/2 weights (1-1/8 ounce) to balance without a tire mounted.

The bare rear wheel requires less than 1 weight to balance.

For my last front tire change I removed and installed the tire with irons. But I cheated a bit. After I installed the first bead of the new tire I took the wheel and tire to a local shop and they installed the remaining bead with their machine.

I took it from there and inflated it at home and then balanced it with a Parnes.

I was at the shop less than 10 minutes and they said "no charge this time". This is an independent shop and it deals almost exclusively with Harleys.

The tire iron jujutsu is fairly easy except for that last bead install. I took the easy way out this time.

[Fred W]

Yeah, I'm not getting this Ii'm too old to change my own tires" thing. (sorry, but that is lame)

If you are young enough to ride a rip snortin' 1300cc murdercycle, you're probably also young enuff to change a few tahrs. It ISN'T that hard. Just take your damn time and do it slow and easy... not fast.

Dude. Be an ass if you like.

It's what I am. Can't be anything else. Just ask around.

Maybe when you have 3 blown discs, arthritis, and bone spurs, you might get a clue.

I actually do have three completely ruptured vertebrae (from S1 to L3) from the indiscretions of my youth . Luckily for me, mine have all dried up and it's all bone on bone now, so no sciatica anymore. But when things were still moving around in there, I could just reach out or twist around the wrong way and be laid up for a week. So I do know what you are talking about.

FWIW, doc's orders are to lift no more than 40#. Hell, just reaching down to pick something off the floor can be an adventure. I'm trying to put off fusion for a few more years. A back attack will effectively render me 'lame' for weeks if not months.

Rule of thumb for even healthy folks is to never lift more than 50 lbs by yourself anyway. Just ask OSHA. And of course to use proper lifting technique when you do. So the doctor's orders aren't really all that restrictive.

IMO the most strenuous part of a tire change is in getting the wheels on and off the bike. But if you aren't physically able to do it, well you'll just have to pay the man.

Getting back on topic, I have installed a fair number of PR2s on several different FJRs, my own and helping out some other locals. In some cases I've needed no, or very little, weight for perfect balance. In a couple of cases I've needed a considerable amount. Unfortunately, with no balance marks being provided on any Michelin tires, you can't find the heavy spot on the wheel and align the light spot of the tire to it for the best odds of minimum weight. So it really is a crap shoot as to whether you'll be OK without any balancing.

[carlson_mn]

The tire iron jujutsu is fairly easy except for that last bead install. I took the easy way out this time.

That's like saying motorcycling is pretty safe except for when you leave your driveway.

[FJR Flyer]

The independent shop that told me they could not mount low profile tires is a listed installer on MC Superstore's site.

Since when is a PR2 considered 'low profile'? For our size wheels, I believe its about the same as any other tire out there you'd fit.

[phroenips]

I know the PR2s typically require almost no balancing, and I've already got weights on the wheels from the $10-$20 shop that did balance the tires, so maybe it will be okay?

Kind of concerned about the no balancing install. What's the consensus?

PR2s require almost no balancing? That's "almost" true. And I have a front and rear PR2 each with a ton of weight applied to the rim to prove it!

Gunny that! I wouldn't run any tire without balancing it. My PR3s took weight, and I know where the heavy spots on my rims are. I've never seen a MC tire not need at least a little weight.

I actually just had a rear PR3 put on (my dealer only charges ~$20-25 a wheel if I take it off the bike myself...as much as I want a cycle hill, that's a whole lotta tire changes to break even), and they said it didn't need any weight. Being the skeptic that I am, I put it on my Marc Parnes balancer at home, and sure enough, perfectly balanced without any weights. First time I've ever seen that!

EDIT: I should mention that this doesn't mean I would ever blindly trust that a tire/wheel is perfectly balanced without checking it

[old Pilot]

Well, all seems to be right with the world. Rode to the newly found independent shop this morning. One of the first things I saw there was a black FJR. It did not look too happy, what with most of its right side plastics missing. Asked the shop owner about it. He said the FJR rider dumped it on the road when leaving the shop after having new tires installed. The rider said the rear skipped out under hard throttle. An expensive lesson in respecting slippery new rubber. Wonder if the owner is a member here? I'll maybe take a photo of it next time I'm there.

I have an appointment next week to have my tires installed. $25.00/tire on the bike and they balance them.

[carlson_mn]

Those are some good Arkansas rates right there....

[jmdaniel]

Those are some good Arkansas rates right there....

And the installer has his own truck!

[ApexGT]

FWIW, I've changed many tires by hand, yes it's not easy sometimes , BUT it's all in the proper technic ,
always be working the bead up into the centre of the rim to relieve tension, use good tire irons like the original Michelin style spoons and use tire lube, WD40 works well !!
It's also good practice to remove the discs before tire changes unless your using a machine that holds the wheel securely.

Edited by ApexGT, 30 March 2012 - 03:21 PM.

[old Pilot]

Those are some good Arkansas rates right there....

And the installer has his own truck!

That's sort of the image of the guys in the shop that said they could not change 'low profile' tires. The shop had 2 Confederate flags hanging inside. They were building what I'd guess would best be described as chopped trikes with VW engines. More like abominations. The shop owner told me the trikes are popular.

[old Pilot]

Old Pilot, how many miles do you usually get out of your PR2s and how would you rate your riding style? My bike is still very young but I'm taking notes on what tires I want to get when the OEMs are done.

Hey, are you trying to get this moved to NEPRT? Seriously though, NEPRT is your best bet for reading tomes of tire comparisons (but you can't go wrong with PR2s).

[Zorlac]

"and use tire lube, WD40 works well !!"

I'll bet it does, even after its mounted.
I had my FJR rear tire rotate about 30 degrees on the rim after using a lump of Murphy's soap dissolved in water as lube.
I only use the blue NAPA lube now.

[Fred W]

FWIW, I've changed many tires by hand, yes it's not easy sometimes , BUT it's all in the proper technic ,
always be working the bead up into the centre of the rim to relieve tension, use good tire irons like the original Michelin style spoons and use tire lube, WD40 works well !!
It's also good practice to remove the discs before tire changes unless your using a machine that holds the wheel securely.

NO!!!!

I agree about the technique sentiments, but do NOT ever use WD-40 as a tire lube on a motorcycle wheel. Sure as hell the tire will spin on the wheel later while in use, either the rear (under power) or the front (under heavy braking). You want to use something that will only be slippery temporarily, then dry up and let the bead stick to the rim. Soapy water works pretty well, or any of the lubes/pastes specifically made for tire mounting.

You also do not want to remove the brake rotors (disks) to do a tire change. That's just crazy. For one thing it will take a 10 minute job and make it last for hours. The brake rotor bolts are one use bolts, so you'll need to replace them all. And the thread locker they use on them will require that you heat the fasteners to remove them, which is not good to do all the time to either the disk or the wheel.

Just use an old 14" steel car wheel (rim) to lay your wheel on. The rotor can drop down into the center area and be protected. Then be a bit careful on the upper rotor while weilding the tire irons.

Here's mine






And in use with home made bead breaker:





PS - old Pilot - $25 per wheel is a very good deal. Glad you found someone to do it so reasonably.

[jmdaniel]

Love the bead breaker, Fred!

[GL4435]

I've been running PR2s for several years and like them. I have a new pair ready to be installed.

The old dirt floor independent shop that has previously done my installs for $10-$20 per tire has a new policy- they will only install tires bought from them (and they will bill full MSRP+).

So, I checked around and yesterday went to another independent shop. They had quoted $50 to install both tires. When I got there they said they could not install 'low profile' tires.

Got on the phone, called another independent shop. No, they won't mount tubeless tires. WTF?

Finally bit the bullet and called a Yamaha dealership. Yes, they will install my tires. At shop rates, so the cost will be over $100 for the pair. To top it off, they don't have a balancer so cannot balance the install. WTF is with that? The service manager also told me it would take extra time to remove the side cases. Yeah, right. He went on to say that the exhaust might have to be removed. I set him straight on those issues, but really, it's a Yamaha dealership. Don't they know anything

I know the PR2s typically require almost no balancing, and I've already got weights on the wheels from the $10-$20 shop that did balance the tires, so maybe it will be okay?

Kind of concerned about the no balancing install. What's the consensus?

Look into changing your own ... it sounds hard, especially when people say you need a tire changer, and balancer which cost extra money. You can change your tires with ease after purchasing a couple of tire changing spoons and some rim protectors... and they are pretty cheap. You can make your own bead breaker with some scrap wood you probably have laying around the garage ... it takes all of two pieces of wood (many u-tube videos and instructions everywhere) my tire changer was couple of 4X4 scrap blocks of wood... you just need something to keep the rim off the ground. Balance your tires to perfection using Dina-beads, easy and you don't have to worry about the weights flying off later. Read it up on the process, its not bad at all.

I've been running PR2s for several years and like them. I have a new pair ready to be installed.

The old dirt floor independent shop that has previously done my installs for $10-$20 per tire has a new policy- they will only install tires bought from them (and they will bill full MSRP+).

So, I checked around and yesterday went to another independent shop. They had quoted $50 to install both tires. When I got there they said they could not install 'low profile' tires.

Got on the phone, called another independent shop. No, they won't mount tubeless tires. WTF?

Finally bit the bullet and called a Yamaha dealership. Yes, they will install my tires. At shop rates, so the cost will be over $100 for the pair. To top it off, they don't have a balancer so cannot balance the install. WTF is with that? The service manager also told me it would take extra time to remove the side cases. Yeah, right. He went on to say that the exhaust might have to be removed. I set him straight on those issues, but really, it's a Yamaha dealership. Don't they know anything

I know the PR2s typically require almost no balancing, and I've already got weights on the wheels from the $10-$20 shop that did balance the tires, so maybe it will be okay?

Kind of concerned about the no balancing install. What's the consensus?

Look into changing your own ... it sounds hard, especially when people say you need a tire changer, and balancer which cost extra money. You can change your tires with ease after purchasing a couple of tire changing spoons and some rim protectors... and they are pretty cheap. You can make your own bead breaker with some scrap wood you probably have laying around the garage ... it takes all of two pieces of wood (many u-tube videos and instructions everywhere) my tire changer was couple of 4X4 scrap blocks of wood... you just need something to keep the rim off the ground. Balance your tires to perfection using Dina-beads, easy and you don't have to worry about the weights flying off later. Read it up on the process, its not bad at all.