New rear tyre

[mcatrophy]

I have never had such difficulties with an FJR rear wheel.

First problem was undoing the spindle nut. For my last three FJRs, I've used a large adjustable spanner (crescent wrench). Always the first time undoing has required some effort, but I've always managed it without too much difficulty and no swearing.

This time, it just wouldn't move. It was TIGHT. I started to tip the bike over lifting on the handle, just caught it. Got a big hammer onto the handle, but it started to chew the nut.

So, went out and bought a 27mm socket and an 18 inch breaker bar (could only get a deep socket in a six-point, and I didn't trust a 12-point to not chew the nut some more). Had to lightly tap the socket to get it onto my slightly distorted nut, but it finally fitted nicely.

With the breaker bar sticking straight out of the back, left hand pulling down on the luggage rack, right pulling up on the bar, I used all of my (somewhat limited) strength combined with some moderate cussing.

Just about to give up, when it clicked and moved a fraction. Stopped to check it wasn't the socket cracked open or the breaker bar hinge (wouldn't be the first I've managed to break), but all seemed ok.

Made myself a cup of tea, always helps in these sorts of situations. Then, I resumed the position, and with that little extra from caffeine and tannin, it did another couple of its tick movements (so far about two inches up on the end of the breaker bar), but at last it started to undo. Still required a lot of effort, but after about half a turn I was able to replace the breaker bar with a ratchet, and off it came.

The rest of getting the wheel off was easy, I supported the weight of the wheel by sliding some wood under the tyre, loosened the pinch bolt, and drifted the axle out (that did give me a momentary pause at one point, but a slightly harder knock with my trusty block of wood, it popped right out.

Remembered I have to undo the brake control arm. Stiff wasn't the word for it. Tried to undo the nut using a 1/4 inch drive socket and ratchet - wouldn't touch it. So a half-inch drive socket, three extensions to get it out the other side of the bike, and my new friend (the 18-inch breaker bar), I could start it turning. Of course, once just slightly loose you have to get an Allen key into the bolt head, made difficult by the brake line and speed sensor wire that's tightly positioned just in the way.

So, managed to undo that, everything fell out nicely, extracted the wheel. Phew.
(click on image for larger view)


That was yesterday, Sunday. This morning I take the wheel to my friendly local tyre man (he does all sorts of maintenance, runs his business to fund his racing hobby). Watch him change the tyre. He has a lot of trouble getting the bead off the rim - says "This is bl**dy tight". I tell him I'm not surprised, the rest of the job's been that way. But with a combination of tyre levers, some sort of release agent, and a few more expletives, he gets it off. Pops on a new valve and the new tyre, balances it, and home I go with it.

Come to put it on the bike.

Feed the wheel into position, offer it up to the spline.

In the past, my technique has been to stand on the left of the bike, lean over and hold the top of the rim with one hand each side. A little bit of wriggling, and it pops into position.

This time? Will it seat? Hell, no, this is the nightmare job. No way is this going to go into place. Even another cup of tea doesn't help, now I know this is bad.

Move the wheel out, look over everything, only thing I'm not sure of is the spacer, item 11 in the diagram.



It seems to stick out from the pumpkin a long way, but a careful measurement shows it's just right.

Then I realise the bike is in neutral (I'd put it in neutral to help getting my supporting wood in and out). When I jiggle the wheel, the pumpkin can simply follow it, if the splines aren't aligned exactly, it's not going in. So, put the wheel down, side-stand up (YCC-S won't go into gear with the side-stand down) ignition on, flick the shift lever, actuators make the usual noise - but display shows we are still in neutral. Try another couple of times, nope, it's not going in (even tried it manually, pushing the actuator rod).

Well, why not have another problem? We already know this is a nightmare job.

Ok, in normal riding, this does happen very occasionally. All we need to do is rock the bike an inch or so, and it will snick in. But the wheel isn't on, can't rock it.

So I pick up the wheel, push it against the splines (still won't go in, but we already knew there was no chance of that), turn it a bit to move the transmission, put the wheel down, try the gear-change again. Aha! First gear!

Lift the wheel up again, and - wonder of wonders - after a bit more wiggling it goes into place!

The rest was a bit of an anticlimax, it all went together quite easily (usual greasing etc that I always do). Even the wheel sensor plate slots aligned without me doing anything. Oh, yes, I dressed the axle nut a bit with a file to make it a little more hexagonal.




Now all I need to do is find a private road to check the balance.

 

[rogdeb]

Only thing prettier than a new tyre, is 2 new tyres

 

[Brodie]

Now that you got it back together and on the road again...

Does the arrow on the side of the tyre match the direction of rotation?

BTDT

Brodie

 

[RossKean]

Balanced with the label still on the tire??

 

[mcatrophy]

Now that you got it back together and on the road again...

Does the arrow on the side of the tyre match the direction of rotation?

BTDT

Brodie

Funnily enough, I did think to check that.

Although the tyre man didn't make an obvious check (there's an arrow in the brake disc to help him), he did get it right. I'm pretty sure he checks subconsciously, I've never known him get it wrong.

 

[mcatrophy]

Balanced with the label still on the tire??

Well spotted.

Just for you, I've weighed the label. It's somewhere between 2 and 3 grams (for you ex-colonials, that's between 0.0705479 and 0.105822 ounces). In all honesty, I don't think a tenth of an ounce is going to matter very much, even at that increased radius from where weights are normally fitted.

On the subject of weights, he used the original clip-on weight moved round slightly, seemed perfect. Albeit with the label still on.

 

[mcatrophy]

Only thing prettier than a new tyre, is 2 new tyres

True that, but the front has a few more miles on it. So did the rear, I'm changing it a thousand miles or so early in preparation for a two thousand miles or so trip in a couple of weeks. Front will last easily.

 

[Fred W]

Next time you have difficulty breaking the axle nut loose, put your breaker bar and socket on the nut with the bar at 9 o’clock, then step on the bar with your foot. Unless you are Popeye, your leg is a lot stronger than your arm. I’m sure it was properly torqued at the factory, but stuck from sitting in place for so long.

 

[mcatrophy]

Next time you have difficulty breaking the axle nut loose, put your breaker bar and socket on the nut with the bar at 9 oclock, then step on the bar with your foot. Unless you are Popeye, your leg is a lot stronger than your arm. Im sure it was properly torqued at the factory, but stuck from sitting in place for so long.

I've used the foot method many times for car wheel nuts. Unfortunately it won't work on the bike without taking off the exhaust silencer, unless an extension is used, but then the leverage will probably pull the socket off the nut.
I might have suspected corrosion. I got the bike in January when there were copious amounts of road salt around. I did get told off by my garage at the 600 mile service for the corrosion around the brakes (posted the story here), but all threads and mating services were clean, no sign of anything amiss.

I have no reason to suppose the bike had been sitting around for overlong, though that's difficult to prove. Not looked for any plastic mould dates.

Seems like either a bit over-tight or stiction for whatever reason.

If only they'd put on a tiny bit of grease ...

 

[Bugnatr]

Balanced with the label still on the tire??

Well spotted.

Just for you, I've weighed the label. It's somewhere between 2 and 3 grams (for you colonials, that's between 0.0705479 and 0.105822 ounces). In all honesty, I don't think a tenth of an ounce is going to matter very much, even at that increased radius from where weights are normally fitted.

On the subject of weights, he used the original clip-on weight moved round slightly, seemed perfect. Albeit with the label still on.

Piff.....a nice smokey burnout will rid you of that ugly sticker in no time.

Just here to help

 

[RossKean]

Balanced with the label still on the tire??

Well spotted.

Just for you, I've weighed the label. It's somewhere between 2 and 3 grams (for you colonials, that's between 0.0705479 and 0.105822 ounces). In all honesty, I don't think a tenth of an ounce is going to matter very much, even at that increased radius from where weights are normally fitted.

On the subject of weights, he used the original clip-on weight moved round slightly, seemed perfect. Albeit with the label still on.

I had no idea of the label mass but thought it might be a little heavier than a couple grams. I haven't made the measurements or done the math but I would guess that the effect might be close to double with it being that much further out from the centre but still not enough to matter. (less than 1/4 oz.) Physics classes were a LONG time ago so I would even have to look up the formulae.

I always take the labels off before balancing "just because".

 

[mcatrophy]

I can now confirm that the tyre man obviously made allowance for the weight of the label when he balanced the wheel. I found a private road nearby with no traffic. Smooth as silk at a go-to-jail very high speed

.

 

[Fred W]

Rear has to be pretty far off before you’ll feel any problems. Front seems to be more sensitive to misbalance. YMMV.

 

[philter]

Only thing prettier than a new tyre, is 2 new tyres

True that, but the front has a few more miles on it. So did the rear, I'm changing it a thousand miles or so early in preparation for a two thousand miles or so trip in a couple of weeks. Front will last easily.

Wow, 2000 miles from you covers a LOT of territory and different countries. Keep us up to date and pics are "required" LOL

 

[philter]

I can now confirm that the tyre man obviously made allowance for the weight of the label when he balanced the wheel. I found a private road nearby with no traffic. Smooth as silk at a go-to-jail very high speed

.

Just curious, we don't have any 'private roads' over here long enough to safely ride at high speeds. What do you consider a "private road"?

 

[mcatrophy]

I can now confirm that the tyre man obviously made allowance for the weight of the label when he balanced the wheel. I found a private road nearby with no traffic. Smooth as silk at a go-to-jail very high speed .

Just curious, we don't have any 'private roads' over here long enough to safely ride at high speeds. What do you consider a "private road"?

If I was a citizen of the USA, I think my response to this would be something along the lines of "I plead the 5th".
Suffice it to say, on my way, I travel along some dual carriageway roads where the national speed limit of 70mph applies, some of them don't have speed cameras, and police road patrols are almost unheard of these days.

 

[SwollenRaccoon]

I fully understand your frustration. Every once in a while, working on a project (home, car, bike) it seems like EVERY little thing that can go wrong or cause problems, does. My wife has learned, over the course of 36+ years of wedlock, to just walk away without saying anything, if she hears a previously unrelated string of caustic expletives pour out of the front of my head. Years ago, due to my apparently limited athletic ability, I discovered that the game of golf can produce similar grammatical results. I wish I liked tea. Apparently, according to you, it helps. Glad you got it back together, figuratively as well as literally.

 

[mcatrophy]

I fully understand your frustration. Every once in a while, working on a project (home, car, bike) it seems like EVERY little thing that can go wrong or cause problems, does. My wife has learned, over the course of 36+ years of wedlock, to just walk away without saying anything, if she hears a previously unrelated string of caustic expletives pour out of the front of my head. Years ago, due to my apparently limited athletic ability, I discovered that the game of golf can produce similar grammatical results. I wish I liked tea. Apparently, according to you, it helps. Glad you got it back together, figuratively as well as literally.

My wife would do that. Not sure she was being sympathetic, just keeping out of the way.
Tea has many properties.

Made properly, in a teapot, really boiling water poured into the pot over the leaves, allowed to infuse/brew/mash (according to what part of the country you come from) for an appropriate time (flavour and strength can vary significantly), a little milk in your cup or mug, and tea poured from the teapot. Maybe add sugar (I haven't for maybe 60 years).

Its uses include waking you up in the morning, helping you sleep at night. Warming you up if you're cold, cooling you off if you're hot. Relaxing your mind if you are overthinking things, stimulating your mind if you are unsure of something.

Most relevantly here, it allows you to stop, calm your mind, and help you work out how to deal with issues. Usually.

 

[mcatrophy]

Next time you have difficulty breaking the axle nut loose, put your breaker bar and socket on the nut with the bar at 9 oclock, then step on the bar with your foot. Unless you are Popeye, your leg is a lot stronger than your arm. Im sure it was properly torqued at the factory, but stuck from sitting in place for so long.

I've used the foot method many times for car wheel nuts. Unfortunately it won't work on the bike without taking off the exhaust silencer, unless an extension is used, but then the leverage will probably pull the socket off the nut...

So, I had another cup of tea, and it came to me how to use an extension without risk of the socket coming off the nut. Prop the extension up with a suitable block of wood.



Now our foot goes on well clear of the silencer

.

One of those obvious things, once you've seen it

.