I am all signed up for an Aerostich Tours Mexico motorcycle trip in January. Roger, one of the leader’s on the trip, commented to me in an email this week: “you are certainly set up well for this trip. I would only suggest as an addition that you install more aggressive tires, even as far as the MKC80 Continental knobbies that are used on BMW Adventures.”
So Wednesday I called friend Ian’s much mentioned Precision Motorcycles in Goleta and ordered the Continentals. Today’s task was to get the wheels off the Suzuki and out to Precision to have the new tires mounted, then home and replace the wheels on the bike. The time to the first shot, taken at 12:45 when the rear wheel was off, was about 50 minutes. Then it was on to the front wheel. The first task was to get the front wheel off the ground. Grabbing an eight foot 2x4 from friend & neighbor Jill’s yard, a concrete block from my backyard, and neighbor Greg as a pusher, I leveraged the 2x4 under the bike and tilted it up while Greg shoved the block under the bike. Lowering the bike onto the block I was then set to remove the front wheel.
But what’s this? The front axle is tightened (and removed) with a 12mm allen. Bummer alert! Off to Sears to buy a 1/2″–12mm allen ended tool. No luck, but at lease they had a 12mm allen wrench that I am thinking I’ll use to get the wheel off then get a 1/2″ — 12mm allen at Specialty in Goleta while the wheels are being retired near by so I will be able to tighten the axle to the specified torque at reassembly. An hour after image one we now have image two, i.e. both wheels are off (you can also see the concrete block supporting the front of the bike).
At around 2:20 I’ve just dropped the wheels at Precision and turned to finding a 1/2″ — 12mm socket gizmo. Specialty had all sizes but 12 and after a third strike at a third place I got the suggestion to call the local Snap-On guy. He was at Perry Lincoln-Mercury and said he had the part so I drove there and ended up with a 3/8″ — 12mm allen tool for $32! Yikes!
After a very nice and serendipitous lunch at Fresco with old friend Bev King, Precision called to say all was ready so I drove out and grabbed the newly mounted Continentals as well as my old tires and returned home (image #3 around 5:40). The front wheel went on pretty simply. I walked next door and recruited Jill to be the concrete block remover as I again leveraged the bike up with her 2x4 and lowered it down onto the front wheel. Thanks to Jill and she returned home to resume her dinner.
On to the back wheel. After much struggling with trying to figure out how to put it all together with the chain I am finally at the point of thinking I am done and am tightening the axle to its 72.5 ft-lbs of torque when I realize that the brake caliper does not simply bolt on after the fact like the ones on the front wheel but is integrated with the axle installation. Back out comes the axle, followed by more frustration and struggles attempting to get it all correctly assembled. I was about to give up for the night as I was feeling the need of another pair of hands to finish the assembly and was reminiscing about days gone by when I had buddies to help and hang with me in such endeavors as this evenings when who reappears but Jill with an offer of assistance.
Too wonderful. We went at it together for about half an hour and then it really was done; image four taken at 7:35.
5 Responses to “The Suzuki gets some new shoes”
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Could’t resist the challenge eh!
It would have been easier to buy a new bike!!
What Jeff said 🙂
Those are some serious tires for some serious biking!
Glad Jill was there to help & wheel is back on. I bought my tires at Precision as well. Was thinking to recommend him but it slipped my mind and I wasn’t, sure if he was still around but I am glad he is. Now for the dumb question. Why not let him change the tires for you?