HW's Inaugural Maintenance

Hayabusa Wannabe said:
We shall see about inflation. I do not think my tiny portable unit will work so I may have to transport the wheels to the gas station.
Click to expand...
Constant airflow might not be the key if there's a constant leak past the bead. ...although you might get it to work. Worth a trip to the station to try it. You'll hear it pop like a little fire cracker if it works and it will hold air obviously.

The real key is rapid air flow. a ball foot chuck with the valve removed and valve stem with core removed will let the air burst in so fast, it doesn't have time to escape the bead. I used a little pancake compressor and it did the trick along with those two other techniques.

Here's a little tutorial I whipped up. See the sixth picture down and the last picture at the end of the tutorial.

Tire Removal and Mount

ZX-14 Ninja Forums : ZX-14 Conference : ZX-14 HOW-TOs : Tire Removal and Mount
zx14ninjaforum.com

You got the hard part done. Seating the beads is really easy. ...at least with the valves taken out of the equation. The air will blow back out of the empty valve stem when you pull the cuck off. The beads are seated. You put the core back in, inflate the tire to the proper psi and then all you need to do is to put the wheels back on.
 
Mythos said:
Constant airflow might not be the key if there's a constant leak past the bead. ...although you might get it to work. Worth a trip to the station to try it. You'll hear it pop like a little fire cracker if it works and it will hold air obviously.
Click to expand...

Great tutorials as always, thanks.

To accomplish something today I took the front wheel to the gas station. This one had free air and a quick digital selector. Supreme. The first bead seated as it approached rated pressure and the second one seated several pounds higher. The first seating was a startler, for sure.
 
It is hot out again, 81°F for reference. I made an attempt to change the rear tire. I broke the bead all around. I cannot get the tire iron supplied by Rabaconda in between the bead and the rim. I pushed the tire far back with the bead breaker. Even pushing the tire way back I cannot identify a gap between the bead and rim. My understanding is that pushing the tire a certain distance, the drop center of the rim should be my ally and open the gap up. I do not see it.

I used wood clamps and clamped the tire on both sides of the duck head, pulling the tire in from both sides of the rim. Still I could not get a gap to open between the bead and rim.

I am thinking that around most of the wheel the tire is expanding as much as it can. The front seemed to really break loose and leave a lot of space. Do I need to clamp a great part of the diameter of the tire to get a lot more of it in the wheel drop center to open up a gap?

Any recommendations?
 
Hayabusa Wannabe said:
It is hot out again, 81°F for reference. I made an attempt to change the rear tire. I broke the bead all around. I cannot get the tire iron supplied by Rabaconda in between the bead and the rim. I pushed the tire far back with the bead breaker. Even pushing the tire way back I cannot identify a gap between the bead and rim. My understanding is that pushing the tire a certain distance, the drop center of the rim should be my ally and open the gap up. I do not see it.

I used wood clamps and clamped the tire on both sides of the duck head, pulling the tire in from both sides of the rim. Still I could not get a gap to open between the bead and rim.

I am thinking that around most of the wheel the tire is expanding as much as it can. The front seemed to really break loose and leave a lot of space. Do I need to clamp a great part of the diameter of the tire to get a lot more of it in the wheel drop center to open up a gap?

Any recommendations?
Click to expand...

I had the same problem with my rear Goldwing tire, it seemed impossible, so I had to use a hydraulic press to break the bead.
If I were you, I'de just take it to a car garage and asked if they would break the beads for you, as an auto tire machine will do it.
The only other thing that you can do is to let it lay in the hot sun to soften, and soak it with soapy water.
Some tire my Rabaconda street broke the bead with ease, others, not so much.
The only othet option would be a couple of really big 'C' clamps to thread in and hold pressure on the tire.
 
sixpack577 said:
If I were you, I'de just take it to a car garage and asked if they would break the beads for you, as an auto tire machine will do it.
Click to expand...

I broke the bead away from the rim all around. I cannot hook the bead to pull it out. Even pushing the tire way into the rim, no gap between the tire and inside of the rim seems to open up to allow the tire iron to slip underneath the tire.
 
Hayabusa Wannabe said:
I broke the bead away from the rim all around. I cannot hook the bead to pull it out. Even pushing the tire way into the rim, no gap between the tire and inside of the rim seems to open up to allow the tire iron to slip underneath the tire.
Click to expand...
With the tire on the ground, your knee on the tire at 6 o'clock, try puliing up on the bottom of the tire at 12 o'clock
 
sixpack577 said:
With the tire on the ground, your knee on the tire at 6 o'clock, try puliing up on the bottom of the tire at 12 o'clock
Click to expand...

In a way Rabaconda recommends just that, pushing the bead breaker at 12 o'clock for leverage while pushing the tire iron in at 6 o'clock. I will give that yet another shot, remembering the opposite side helps to flex it. Perhaps inserting additional drop center tools will help. Thanks.
 
I got off the rear tire and mounted the new one.

Compressing 1/4 of the tire thoroughly around 12 o’clock made space to hook the bead at 6 o’clock.

Getting the new tire on I had to use every last trick. Rabaconda provides two drop center tools. That is not enough. The next quarter of the tire I pressed with the bead breaker. Then mounted another inch or two and it would get stuck. Rinse repeat several times to get the last 1/4 of the tire on.

It was 80 degrees but the clouds came around so admittedly I did not get the most tire warming this round.
 
I took the tire to the gas station. The air pump is out of service. I just found this really nice place with free air, oh well. Across the street is a station with a pump and it is the ol' $2, no problem. The tire did not pop like a gun like the front tire did. It made the sound like when one is sitting on a leather seat and shifts a bit, blrp. If you require more detail please let me know.

I have the whole day but I just did yard work and do not feel like more work. Now that the tires are done perhaps I can mount the fork and wheels and get the bike loaded down to remove the shock next. I am merely happy to be moving ahead.
 
I bolted on a Vortex AL +3 sprocket.

I am trying to sequence the steps moving forward. Now knowing the repercussions, it was a misstep to not remove the shock first. I likely have to install both wheels to load the suspension to get the shock bolts out. However the steering is disassembled and I have not applied upgrades there. I am leaning towards holding off on brake lines and the Brock's solid clutch hub as separate projects to perform later on. If so, I can make changes to the controls, assemble the fork, install the wheels, and remove the shock in this round.
 
Hayabusa Wannabe said:
I bolted on a Vortex AL +3 sprocket.

I am trying to sequence the steps moving forward. Now knowing the repercussions, it was a misstep to not remove the shock first. I likely have to install both wheels to load the suspension to get the shock bolts out. However the steering is disassembled and I have not applied upgrades there. I am leaning towards holding off on brake lines and the Brock's solid clutch hub as separate projects to perform later on. If so, I can make changes to the controls, assemble the fork, install the wheels, and remove the shock in this round.
Click to expand...

Stainless steel brake lines can be done at any time without really removing anything, unless you have ABS, then just the seat and gas tank.
 
Predicament: The bike has something like 2300 miles on it. I understand that I should probably clean the piston of the rear caliper. But with the caliper removed I cannot remove the bolt that swings it open. Who knew this would have been a good maintenance step before disassembly? I can put the caliper on and assemble the wheel, which means retracting the piston slightly and any dirt will be on the piston seal. Can I cheat and do this at this time?

I do not have a vice to assist, if I removed the caliper, although I think it will be a good upgrade to add a vice to the mobile table.
 
Hayabusa Wannabe said:
Predicament: The bike has something like 2300 miles on it. I understand that I should probably clean the piston of the rear caliper. But with the caliper removed I cannot remove the bolt that swings it open. Who knew this would have been a good maintenance step before disassembly? I can put the caliper on and assemble the wheel, which means retracting the piston slightly and any dirt will be on the piston seal. Can I cheat and do this at this time?

I do not have a vice to assist, if I removed the caliper, although I think it will be a good upgrade to add a vice to the mobile table.
Click to expand...

Put a rag under the caliper, spray it out with aerosol brake-cleaner, use a toothbrush if needed.
That will be fine, as the brakes work as they should anyway.
 
Hayabusa Wannabe said:
Predicament: The bike has something like 2300 miles on it. I understand that I should probably clean the piston of the rear caliper. But with the caliper removed I cannot remove the bolt that swings it open. Who knew this would have been a good maintenance step before disassembly? I can put the caliper on and assemble the wheel, which means retracting the piston slightly and any dirt will be on the piston seal. Can I cheat and do this at this time?

I do not have a vice to assist, if I removed the caliper, although I think it will be a good upgrade to add a vice to the mobile table.
Click to expand...

You may be ok with only lifting the tank, instead of removing it, but if you do need to remove it, it's just the 2 bolts at the hinge, and the disconnect for the fuel hose at the tank and/or fuel rail.
 
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