Today I received the Shinko 705 Dualsport 110/80R19 tire from the local Suzuki dealer who'd offered the best price (savings on shipping basically, $75 out the door). Got it home and in about an hour got the old Shinko Tour Master 110/90R19 tire off and the new one on with 30,600 miles on the tug's odometer. How many miles did I get from the Tour Master? I am unsure as I neglected to get the final mileage on Vikki when last I saw her at the salvage yard, I am estimating less than 7000 miles.
The Shinko tires side by side
As you can see, not much left on the old one.
The tug has Metzeler Tourances and there's plenty of "meat" left in the threads so no plans on changing them out any time soon. I do have a new General Exclaim 205/55 R17 read to take the place of the pusher tire already, it's the same one that was on the previous tug, Vikki.
I also took receipt of the wiring harness to hook up the Oxford Heated grips. The harness is from Eastern Beaver, purveyor of fine wiring adapters and such items that make the electrical farkling of one's motorcycle that much easier. This adapter, along with the headlight cutout switch for the low beam lamp, will probably be installed tomorrow night. The adapter hooks up to the stock coupler for Suzuki heated grips but allows easy connection to non-OEM grips like the Oxfords I like.
Oxford Heated Grip Controller, the 40% setting was plenty this past winter on Natasha
Heated Grip Adapter from easternbeaver.com
The headlight cutout? To allow me to shut off one of the two headlights that are always on with the tug, to save on current draw if adding more electrical farkles causes too much drain. Not sure I'll need it but if I do, I'll need it badly.
Headlight cutout adapter from easternbeaver.com
The front brake pads were replaced 1200 miles ago at 29400 miles, the rear brake pads will be changed out by next month as they've still some wear left on them.
Last note is the oil and filter on the tug having been changed out at 30,125 miles. She'll be "due" again at 34000 miles.
Update: 22SEP11: Installed the Oxford Heated Grips, see picture below as to mounting location for the heat controller.
Update: 22SEP11: Installed the Oxford Heated Grips, see picture below as to mounting location for the heat controller.
9 comments:
Did you use tire irons to put them on or do you have a tire mount?
If you did it manually using irons, you out to do a post on the best methods you discovered for mounting tires.
Ride Safe!
Jared
UtahMotorcyclist.org
Utah Motorcyclist,
I used tire irons, I've been unable to find an inexpensive Harborfreight type tire changer, it would have made the job easier.
As to "best methods", with me its youtube, previous practice on the Ural tires and other motorcycle tires as well. I am nowhere near good enough at this task to write a tutorial!
I find the larger motorcycle tires to be too hard with just tire irons, best to use a tire changer or pay someone a fee to have it done. The skinny tires used by the sidecars, are manageable.
Invest in good tire irons, especially a long one for the "leverage", and short ones for holding things in place as you work in the inner edge of the tire.
Thanks for reading this stuff.
good stuff.
best advice for tires is go SLOW. take small bites with the irons. use lots of lube.
Eastern Beaver is a great place for DL bits! I've got there PC-8 fusebox which has my GPS, 12v socket and grips wired to it and still has some spare outputs...
http://banditrider.blogspot.com/2011/04/pottering-in-shed.html
Dear Charlie6 (Dom):
I have Eastern Beaver relays in the headlight basket, amog other things, so it is getting to be a tight fit in there. If I ever get around to it, I'd love to fit a headlight modulator in there too.
I like the control panel for your grips. Where on the handlebars will you mount it?
I was thinking about electric grips, but used that switch slot on the K75 dash for HID lights. I went instead with Gerbings heated Nubuck gloves. My thought was I'd rather have my hands warm all the time, and not just on the grips.
Then I started thinking about system failures. It seems the number of guys I know who have had their heated gear crap out on them is about equal to those who've had fried grips. (I thought I could always carry another pair of gloves.) Plus the wiring for the gloves seemed a lot easier too. (The truth about the lazy man always comes out.)
My mechanic, whose name I cannot mention because he said he'd beat the shit out of me, devised a foot operated clamp to break tire beads, and then puts the tire over a small barrell, working the lip of the wheel with irons. I watched him change a tubeless tire on the K75 in just under 15 minutes.
My riding club, the Mac-Pac maintains a tire changing room with a tire changer and balancer for members. The one-time contribution is $20, as there are no dues charged. My master mechanic can get a new tire on by hand faster than some guys can manipulate the machine.
Fondest regards,
love to see this article thanks for sharing this
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I have both the Oxford grips and Shinko 705s on my Tiger and love them.
Never had a problem with the grips and love the 4 temperature setting.
I put 9000 miles on the last set of Shinkos and just bought a second pair, they're sitting in my garage now waiting to be mounted. I'll see if I can cobble a tire changing video together this weekend.
Chris....couldn't have said it any better, lube and small bites....Mr Riepe would have spun an entire story out of those words....
Andrew, yep, Jim Davis makes good stuff.
Jack....I added a photo to show where I mounted the heat controller. I've tried wired gloves, the wires are a pain if you dismount/mount the motorcycle a lot during a ride as I do. They do keep the hands warm though. I'd love to have ready access to a tire changer machine at the "club"....
Mike and The Bike Buyers....thanks for reading this stuff.
Troubadour, thanks for commenting....tire changing is all about the right irons and technique....plus lube, and patience.
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