Archive for Tyres
Changing tyres
Posted by: | CommentsI figured it was time for a bit of practice in preparation for the Slovenia trip so I rolled up my sleeves and changed the tyres on the GS from part worn TKC80s to the original Battlewings that came with the bike. It was definitely a very useful experience. I learnt for instance that the tool kit I have been carrying is missing a couple of items that are needed for tyre changing. Notably a third tyre lever – one of my long steel ones. The two alloy ones I bought do a pretty good job but I needed the extra leverage this afternoon – owning perhaps to a question of experience but also my hand which is still painful. I also used a 13mm open ended spanner to adjust the chain tensioner bolt/nut and this size of spanner was not in my kit except as a ring spanner on one end of an alloy tyre lever.
In removing the rear wheel I found that in practice it was unnecessary to slacken off the chain tensioner adjusters as there was sufficient play to remove the wheel without slackening them. I learnt that a bit of lubricant makes the job much easier and that KY jelly does the job very well. Not a lot is needed so a smallish tube of it is sufficient. I noticed a bit of a tear in the inner tube close to the valve stem. I don’t know if I was responsible for this or someone else. However, the tyre did hold pressure OK. I pumped it up using my new cyclepump for which I soldered up a connection enabling me to use a battery connected fly lead usually used for my heated jacket.
At the last service with South London Mottorad, the rear wheel bearings were replaced as they had started to collapse – great for ony 5000 miles! I asked SLM to carefully check the front wheel bearings as I wanted to be sure they would be OK for the Slovenia trip. SLM told nme they were fine. However, on removing the front wheel it was clear they had not removed the wheel themselves and I could feel a distinct roughness in the bearings which also felt as though there was no grease in them. I am very disappointed in SLM – things have gone downhill since the takeover. However, I am coming to value Mark Holden more and more – he is a super guy to do business with and really knows his stuff. As an independent, he s also a lot cheaper than the BMW dealerships! Mark will be replacing the front wheel bearings for me and altough it won’t be paid for under warranty, I am confident I’ll get a better job and we’ll use SKF bearings rather than some no-name Taiwanese things.
New tyres
Posted by: | CommentsThe healing process has progressed far enough to allow me to do a bit of light physical work – just as well ‘cos I am getting fat – and so today I used my new bike lift to remove the wheels from the TTR which I then took to Watling Tyres at Swanley where I had the TKC80s replaced by Michelin AC10s. The price was pretty good and fitting is free so I was a happy bunny. Alan Clark who runs the Swanley depot is a long time motocrosser and enduro racer himself so he knows what’s important to a biker.
The lift makes a potential awkward job very easy and the TTR is well designed to facilitate a simple job like removing/replacing the wheels.
The new tyres look businesslike!
Out and about
Posted by: | CommentsFresh from the triumph of fitting my new crash bars to the BMW yesterday, I celebrated by having a short ride on it today. Having both been laid low by the flu for two weeks, dearly beloved and I have postponed our Xmas jollifications until New Year – assuming we (still) feel like doing so by then, so today there were no distractions like presents to open or any such nonsense – it was on the bike and off! More accurately, it was about 11 am when I dragged myself to the garage, determined to prove to myself that I was still capable of getting the bike off the centre stand and out of the garage, mounting it and riding it.
I accomplished all of the above, only to discover that far from the imagined peace and quiet that would be prevailing on the roads at this time, countless, godless, antisocial idiots were already abroad, cluttering up the place just like a normal weekday. I turned as soon as I could onto the byways and quiet country lanes but found them so covered in mud and water that even with my new TKC-80s, I felt a mite insecure and given my kitten-like feebleness, I reckoned that it would be quite beyond me to pick the darn bike up if I fell off so I headed for home a lot sooner than I planned.
Aside from anything else, it wasn’t that warm. The bike claimed 5 degrees but my thumbs were sure it was sub-zero. Ah well, time to look at Gerbings heated gloves I reckon..
F800 Updates
Posted by: | CommentsI took the BMW over to South London Motorrad yesterday for a set of factory mandated checks and updates. These involved re-routing the ABS connections, checking various fasteners on the brakes, replacing the fuel pressure sensor and a software update.
Not unnaturally, I have not noticed any difference as the bike was running fine beforehand anyway. What I did notice was just how different the 650 GS loan bike I used felt (I had to leave my bike there for most of the day, and I needed transport). It seemed very low in the seat, rather underpowered, or at least lacking in the torque department and contrary to my expectations, the steering seemed very slow and the bike reluctant to tip in at corners. I didn`t check the tyres closely but they were road tyres, not TKC`s like mine – how much and what kind of difference this makes, I don`t know. I do know that I vastly preferred my own bike to the 650. Perhaps this had more to do with familiarity than anything else but the difference surprised me, I had thought the two bikes would feel much the same.
The weather was absolutely dreary and in the morning, cold with it. The heated hand grips are great but particularly my thumbs get cold even with them on. I guess it`s time to don winter wear.
Ride Out
Posted by: | CommentsI had a great ride yesterday with guys on the UKGSer forum. We started and finished at Newlands, taking in three counties in a 120 mile loop through some very pretty country side and along a fine mix of roads including some gravelly muddy stuff that almost threatened to become off-road, shady country lanes and some faster stuff with nice sweepers. I was pleased with the road going performance of the TKC80s although rather cautious when it came to exploring their full potential in the bends – which often had gravel just waiting around the bend – I wasn’t desirous of finding their maximum lean angle the hard way but I suspect it is quite a bit more than I was prepared to try.
8000 mile service and new tyres
Posted by: | CommentsOn the Goldwing that is. I bought it just a year ago when I started this blog and it has performed beautifully during the time since then but I guess part of that is getting it serviced regularly and so I took it into Doble’s yesterday for the scheduled service. I reckon a 4000 mile service interval is pretty horrendous in this day and age but subtracting the tyre costs left me with what I thought a reasonable bill for a major service.
8000 miles isn’t a huge amount for a year’s biking but to that I must add the mileage of my two foreign trips on other bikes (Patagonia 2700 miles, Italy at 1800 miles and a further 1000 miles for the GS) and we end up with a respectable total of 13,500 miles for the year. Not surprising that my woodwork has taken a back seat!
Trailer ordered, 8000 mile service booked, new tyres needed
Posted by: | CommentsIn my (respectable on-road) Goldwing life – as opposed to my (irreverent off-road) GS life, I have decided it’s time to get a trailer for the bike. I hasten to say that is not a trailer to carry the bike on but a trailer to tow behind the bike. This will alow me to dump all the stuff that currently adorns the back seat when I go camping with the bike (because I can”t get it all in the panniers).
I have accordingly made arrangements to get a trailer at the end of May when I return from a trip touring on an 800 or 1200GS in Italy (not sure which at this stage but it will be one or the other and I shall be happy with either). The trailer will be used this summer on a couple of outings for sure – Kent Wings Wingding and the Irish Treffen (bloody expensive ferry ride that is too!).
I have also booked my 8000 mile service which I shall probably get done just before picking up the trailer. I have asked that new tyres be fitted although the ones I have are no doubt good for a good few more miles I have used them pretty hard and I figure I might as well get them done at the time of the service to ensure that my summer touring is not interrupted by a need to schedule a tyre change which will inevitably clash with something else I want to do. I am pretty happy with the Bridgestones that came with the bike and I have asked that the same tyres be used this time, altough I have heard good things about the Avon Venoms too.
YEE HA!
Posted by: | CommentsI had a fantastic day on Saturday, taking the GS properly off-road for the first time. The weather was rather mixed, starting out nice but with some rain and hail later. It didn’t stop five of us having a ball in the mud though. The new tyres were perfect for the job even if the rider wasn’t! I fell off enough to test various aspects of my set-up – most things survived OK apart from the Satnav bracket which broke, the mirrors kept being knocked loose but stayed in one piece and the gear lever which was bent double on one occasion and merely 90 degrees on another survived the bending back to its original position.
First we got the bikes muddy, then we cleaned them:-
TKC 80s fitted
Posted by: | CommentsI took the GS this morning to get the off-road tyres fitted. They are Continental TKC 80s, a road-legal tyre with a good blocky pattern that should be much better in the mud than the road tyres. I’ll get a chance to try that out tomorrow! On the way home. I was treading somewhat carefully as they were brand new and it started raining so I wasn’t expecting a lot of grip. I especially wasn’t expecting a lot of grip when it started hailing like crazy – sizeable lumps of ice that actually stung my hands through the thinnish gloves I was wearing. You can imagine my joy then, when some bright spark pulled out suddenly in front of me and I had to jam the anchors on 
. Fortunately, the ABS performed brilliantly. I stayed upright without even a wobble and stopped in time even though I had to retrieve my heart from the roof of my mouth. A very scary moment and I am very glad I chose the ABS option.
The tyres feel noticeably different from the Battle Wings I had on before. I can feel the knobbly bits at low speeds and the bike doesn’t tip into the corners like before – needs more steering effort to turn. Nothing extraordinary, just enough to be noticeable really. I shall probably keep these tyres on for the while and see how I get on with them for normal road duties.
Weird Weather!
Posted by: | CommentsThis was the scene chez moi last Sunday before the snow really came down and the bike went back into the garage! Since then we have had a couple of lovely days and I rode both bikes (on separate days! 
)
Tomorrow I am taking the bike to South London Motorcycles to get a set of knobblies fitted as on Saturday I shall be doing a bit of greenlaning – provided that the snow doesn’t come back in earnest..
I have ordered a set of tyre irons and a bead buddy – still neeed a bead breaker probably and a couple of other things, so I can change the tyres back and forth as I need. This is the best site I have found with advice on changing tyres on wheels like mine