The Pacific Coast Repair and Blog Thread

[SL350]

Check the dates of the tires too. Even new ones. If they are 5 years or older it is recommended to change. I have gone to 10 on the ct90 but its top speed is 45.

I use the head of a Lincoln penny to measure minimum tread depth.

 

[snapp600]

Yeah, old tires are bad tires. :o
I had one go out on me back when i had my Suzuki, on the highway.
Good thing it was the rear. A big ol hole fell out of the side wall. They were pretty old. But looked good...
Good luck on your fresh air! You got Tim and myself pretty close if you have any issues or need anything bud.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Pacific Coaster]

This is really weird. The air pressure hadn't dropped at all, and I took it on the road - very carefully, of course. About halfway home is when the problems started. While switching lanes, she decided to become a magnet and basically stick to the center crack, and tried to throw me off the seat by wringing the handlebars around. She was being a bad girl

From then on, every turn felt like I was trying to simultaneously keep myself upright and tear my hands on the handlebar grips to keep them from shaking too much. I'd say it was akin to driving a brick. I even stupidly took a wrong turn somewhere and needed to make a u-turn because of how concerned I was by keep looking down at the front tire

Eventually, I made it home, but only just barely. Checking the pressure showed a whopping 3 PSI. I'm surprised I didn't fall over in the driveway

She'll be out of commission for at least 2 or 3 weeks while I search for and wait for new tires to come in. The brakes finally came in today too, so I guess now this is the perfect time to get everything replaced at the same time.

Nice of the campus PD to help you out like that. Yeah, that tire may be down to its last 2/32; can't really tell from the picture.

It's probably time to update your tool kit a bit. You can buy a tire plug kit at Auto Zone. They're pretty easy to use - I figured it out for myself. But if you'd like, hang onto your old tire & I can drop by sometime & show you how it's done. It's also good to have a way to inflate a tire. Some people carry 12V pumps. I carry a can of Fix-Flat, which will not only inflate a bike tire to 25 lb or better, it'll do a pretty nice job plugging a small hole. (It also makes a mess of the inside of your rim, so you won't be popular when you take your wheel to a fellow TWTer for a tire change. Just plan on doing your own cleaning). Also, if you don't have one, buy a tire tread gauge - they cost a whopping $3 or so.

Well, that's the thing, I can't seem to find out where the leak is coming from - I put my ear right up next to it and didn't hear any hissing coming from anywhere, but once I actually get the tire off, I'll have to try the water bath trick and see.

And I'm definitely getting a backup kit in case this happens again. I would hate to get stranded somewhere not so opportune

Check the dates of the tires too. Even new ones. If they are 5 years or older it is recommended to change. I have gone to 10 on the ct90 but its top speed is 45.

I use the head of a Lincoln penny to measure minimum tread depth.

I'll have to do that, I'm sure they are pretty old and neglected though because the rear tread is seriously low. I've skidded a few times even coming to basic stops at 40MPH in recent weeks.

Yeah, old tires are bad tires. :o
I had one go out on me back when i had my Suzuki, on the highway.
Good thing it was the rear. A big ol hole fell out of the side wall. They were pretty old. But looked good...
Good luck on your fresh air! You got Tim and myself pretty close if you have any issues or need anything bud.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yikes, did you have to get a new pair of pants after that?

And thanks for the offer, much appreciated.

 

[tshelfer]

Three weeks? Order from Bike Bandit or MotorcycleSuperstore and your tires will be here in 2 to 3 days. Bike Bandit doesn't charge Texas sales tax; both have free shipping.

As far as finding the leak, mix yourself some soapy water in a spray bottle, and rotate the tire while spraying it down. Your leak should show up that way. Be sure to spray the sides and rim edges as well as center tread, as there's no telling where the leak is coming from.

Plenty of folks in this area can mount a tire for you. DFW_Warrior is nearby in south Arlington, Shrek in Midlothian, and probably several others I don't know. So you know, it's customary to tip with a nice little gift card. If you're planning to do both tires at once, plan on doing some labor on the spot, because NOBODY is going to want to pull your rear tire off, given all that tupperware you have to deal with.

 

[YoDoc]

Hey, at least it's tires. My strom decided the only lights needed are headlights.

 

[SL350]

Could it be the stem? Put a little soapy water over it and look for bubbles.

Once I used a tire gauge and it mashed the stem in too far. I was a million miles from anywhere. But there was an old 24" girls bicycle in a dump. Had to be there 20 years. I unscrewed the stem and it worked!

I am talking about the little needle that goes inside, not the whole unit. Sometimes they just need to be tightened. Careful, use a metal tool for that, those plastic ones on the top of Slime and others break and can not be removed.

It could be a real cheap fix.

 

[tshelfer]

Hey, at least it's tires. My strom decided the only lights needed are headlights.

You probably annoyed your bike. That's what you get for threatening to sell her.

Could it be the stem? Put a little soapy water over it and look for bubbles.

Once I used a tire gauge and it mashed the stem in too far. I was a million miles from anywhere. But there was an old 24" girls bicycle in a dump. Had to be there 20 years. I unscrewed the stem and it worked!

I am talking about the little needle that goes inside, not the whole unit. Sometimes they just need to be tightened. Careful, use a metal tool for that, those plastic ones on the top of Slime and others break and can not be removed.

It could be a real cheap fix.

Good thought - I didn't even think about the stem.

 

[YoDoc]

You probably annoyed your bike. That's what you get for threatening to sell her.



Good thought - I didn't even think about the stem.

Oh, that reminds me, I gotta take that down, lol. Thanks man!

 

[Pacific Coaster]

Three weeks? Order from Bike Bandit or MotorcycleSuperstore and your tires will be here in 2 to 3 days. Bike Bandit doesn't charge Texas sales tax; both have free shipping.

As far as finding the leak, mix yourself some soapy water in a spray bottle, and rotate the tire while spraying it down. Your leak should show up that way. Be sure to spray the sides and rim edges as well as center tread, as there's no telling where the leak is coming from.

Plenty of folks in this area can mount a tire for you. DFW_Warrior is nearby in south Arlington, Shrek in Midlothian, and probably several others I don't know. So you know, it's customary to tip with a nice little gift card. If you're planning to do both tires at once, plan on doing some labor on the spot, because NOBODY is going to want to pull your rear tire off, given all that tupperware you have to deal with.

I just now picked up a front tire off Amazon, should be here between April 4th - 9th, and Bike Bandit / Motorcycle Superstore both had around the same shipping times, but much higher pricing

I tried the soapy water, but I couldn't find any leaks anywhere at all on the tire, and I even tried pressing on the tire to push air out. I think it may be completely out of air now, or there's something else wrong...

Could it be the stem? Put a little soapy water over it and look for bubbles.

Once I used a tire gauge and it mashed the stem in too far. I was a million miles from anywhere. But there was an old 24" girls bicycle in a dump. Had to be there 20 years. I unscrewed the stem and it worked!

I am talking about the little needle that goes inside, not the whole unit. Sometimes they just need to be tightened. Careful, use a metal tool for that, those plastic ones on the top of Slime and others break and can not be removed.

It could be a real cheap fix.

Ok, let's check the - oh...

Well, there's your problem.

Yeah, I don't think that's normal, is it? I sprayed it, but I didn't get any bubbles to show that air was coming out of it

Oh, that reminds me, I gotta take that down, lol. Thanks man!

Did it finally find a forever home? :o

 

[tshelfer]

Uh, if you didn't refill your tire first, you're probably not going to get air bubbles at 3 psi.

 

[SL350]

Is it tubed? Yes, the stem is the problem. If it is a tubed tire then you need a new tube. If not, then just a stem. You probably don't need that new tire.

 

[mr-roboto]

Humzah,

On the next batch of tires, check out http://www.rhinotire.com/



They line the tire with some type of thin polymer. The video demo is amazing. It does add a little bit of weight to the tire but makes the tire very robust. You can also try a liquid tire sealant called Ride On. I was skeptical at first, but it really does dynamically balance the tire and helps seal the tire in the event of a puncture. It costs about $14 per bottle from your local Cycle Gear store.

RB

 

[tshelfer]

So, where did you buy tires significantly cheaper than Bike Bandit?

 

[SL350]

I got a deal once for the ct90 on amazon that was BikeBandit where 2 tubes, 2 tires and shipping for $44. Now CT90 tires are cheap but they are not free! I have paid $15 for a tube.

If you don't like doing tires they really discount the service if you take in the wheel already removed from the bike. They can balance too. Shop around though.

 

[Pacific Coaster]

Is it tubed? Yes, the stem is the problem. If it is a tubed tire then you need a new tube. If not, then just a stem. You probably don't need that new tire.

Yeah, it's tubeless. As for the tire, I've already purchased it, but it's never too late to cancel. I'll do a little more investigating tomorrow into the tire itself, and if all seems good and it's just the stem, then I'll go ahead and cancel the tire.

Humzah,

On the next batch of tires, check out http://www.rhinotire.com/



They line the tire with some type of thin polymer. The video demo is amazing. It does add a little bit of weight to the tire but makes the tire very robust. You can also try a liquid tire sealant called Ride On. I was skeptical at first, but it really does dynamically balance the tire and helps seal the tire in the event of a puncture. It costs about $14 per bottle from your local Cycle Gear store.

RB

Whoa. That is freaking awesome. Definitely getting a can of that stuff.

So, where did you buy tires significantly cheaper than Bike Bandit?

Not significantly cheaper per say, but I found [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Metzeler-ME880-Marathon-Tire-Application/dp/B000GV5CYW?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00"]this one[/ame] on Amazon, but now that I check, I think I got it mixed up with another site. I looked at Cyclegear over here (hyperlink isn't working for this link for some reason):

http://www.cyclegear.com/METZELER-ME-880-Marathon-Street-Motorcycle-Tires

and it was priced at $204 for the front tire if you choose black and then the 120/80-17. That was the only way to get that size on there.

Man, I gotta polish my stuff up before I post lol

 

[DFW_Warrior]

Any reason you went with the ME 880? Those are typically very popular on cruiser sites only because other tires aren't really available in their sizes. If you were looking for a 120/17 I'd be hard pressed to ever not run a Pilot Road on my street bikes. In fact, when those are what have been on mine and my Wife's bikes for the last 5+ years.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/michelin-pilot-road-4-front-tires

Yeah it is a 70 for sidewall height, but that isn't going to amount to any difference on your bike. And you can get an awesome tire for $144.

 

[YoDoc]

Did it finally find a forever home? :o

Yeah, my garage!

I test drove a couple of big tourers, and didn't like it add much as I remembered, so I'm gonna stick a little money on the Strom and keep it.

 

[SL350]

Electric gremlins can be the most difficult. Good luck Yo.

 

[YoDoc]

Well, the electric gremlins were a simple fix. I never imagined that all four signals, the brakes, and the dash were on one fuse.

Now it's an oil leak. :/

/hijack. Lol

 

[YoDoc]

Hey, buddy. This thread is neato. I decided to copy you. Lol.

http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93801

 

[Pacific Coaster]

Any reason you went with the ME 880? Those are typically very popular on cruiser sites only because other tires aren't really available in their sizes. If you were looking for a 120/17 I'd be hard pressed to ever not run a Pilot Road on my street bikes. In fact, when those are what have been on mine and my Wife's bikes for the last 5+ years.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/michelin-pilot-road-4-front-tires

Yeah it is a 70 for sidewall height, but that isn't going to amount to any difference on your bike. And you can get an awesome tire for $144.

No reason at all, actually, just was searching for "PC800 Tires", and the most popular one was the ME880. That, and there were pretty good reviews of the tire on different PC forums - several people highly preferred it, and said that it tends to follow grooves in the road and cracks less than Dunlop, which is what I have and is a problem that I face more than I'd like.

But I'll give that a look. I'm not worried about measurement really, I just went by what my current tire sizes are :P

How much of a difference do those sizes make, namely the sidewall height for example?

Yeah, my garage!

I test drove a couple of big tourers, and didn't like it add much as I remembered, so I'm gonna stick a little money on the Strom and keep it.

I see, that's understandable. Ah well, maybe it was meant to be

Hey, buddy. This thread is neato. I decided to copy you. Lol.

http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=93801

Hahaha thanks, and that's awesome! Glad I was an inspiration!

Repair Mission #3: Operation Stopping Air​

I have propped the bike on it's center stand and utilized an additional jack to push the front up and the rear down to provide for easier maneuvering and access to the front wheel.

With the front wheel free to move on it's own, I decided to follow the video below and test the front steering head bearings for inconsistency, the reason being I have been having shakes and wobbles when turning at low speeds, and sometimes the handlebars seem to have a mind of their own.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi_fmONC9Jg"]Here's the video.[/ame]

After testing a bit, I feel like the bearings are still in good shape, so that's a relief. I guess it's just the tire pressure that was the problem.

View attachment 209011

I also took the time to use the free movement of the tire to my advantage by pumping it up and then slowly spraying and rotating the tire as I went to see if I could find the leak again.

Turn by turn, there was no bubbling, and upon depressing the valve stem, air would come rushing out, so there is obviously something wrong. I attempt to hookup again to pump the tire with a bit more air, and this time the stem came out of it's slot without a problem at all - with it, an extremely loud whistling from the escape of air.

It seems like the rubber simply corroded after time, and the only thing holding it in place was the actual metal tube. That would explain the pop I heard on the road, but the lack of a foreign object and a hole in the tire itself. After some research, it looks like this is a fairly common issue among the PC world, especially after some component used in the rubber previously to make the stem more elastic has been banned from use, so the rubber is now more brittle than ever, and lasts a shorter amount of time.

Due to this finding, I've cancelled the tire order itself seeing as how I have plenty of good tread left on the tire, and have ordered [ame="http://www.amazon.com/83deg-Aluminum-Racing-Angled-Valve/dp/B001P51EZ4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00"]a pair of these[/ame], 1 for the front and 1 for the rear whenever I get the chance to change it, although it is luckily still in good condition.

Now, on to the actual process of tire removal and brake replacement. Seeing as how I have until tomorrow to actually get everything taken off because I don't have the valve stem here yet, I can take a bit more time, but I need to understand what I'm doing first.

Fortunately for me, there's the online shop manual for the PC.
... which is a bit confusing to consult as someone with no mechanical experience, to say the least.

For now, I'm going to be studying these few pages a bit before going any further on it than I already have and / or pulling something apart without knowing what it is.

Wish me luck

 

[SL350]

how old is the tire?

 

[DFW_Warrior]

No reason at all, actually, just was searching for "PC800 Tires", and the most popular one was the ME880. That, and there were pretty good reviews of the tire on different PC forums - several people highly preferred it, and said that it tends to follow grooves in the road and cracks less than Dunlop, which is what I have and is a problem that I face more than I'd like.

But I'll give that a look. I'm not worried about measurement really, I just went by what my current tire sizes are :P

How much of a difference do those sizes make, namely the sidewall height for example?

Well, the middle number is the sidewall height by % of the tread width. Assuming the cross section stays at 120mm, the difference in height would be 10% or 12mm. What that would do to the bike is probably close to nothing that you could ever feel. Technically it might make it tip into corners a little quicker, but 12mm at the tire really isn't a huge difference.

And seeing that you have cancelled your tire order, next time I would give some tires like the Pilot Road a good looking at before switching. Thousands upon thousands of sport touring guys can't be wrong about them.

 

[DFW_Warrior]

On a side note, remove the calipers from the forks so you can remove the wheel. Do what you are going to do to the wheel/tire and then reinstall. Before you pull the old pads use a screw driver to push the pistons back into the calipers. THEN remove the old pads, put the new ones on, and reinstall the calipers on the forks.

Oh yeah, and don't squeeze the brake lever while the calipers are off of the disc.

 

[SL350]

Bill, could a stem be added without removing a tire? I'm a tube guy - don't know.