| Author | Message | ||
     Bdrag |
This is all because its my first Tire removal time on the Uly. Made a craddle to lift the bike on the muffler. No problem. Got the bike in the air and secured to the lift. No Problem. So I start at the front end and remove the fender as needed, Then I go to loosen the axle pinch bolts. Hummm where are they? I look and see the holes but no damn pinch bolts. Buell NEVER installed any. I could grab the wheel and the fork and I could see the axle move back and forth 1/8 of an inch. NO WONDER the bike would wiggle under braking and would not hold a decent line in a turn. DAMN! Called dealer and rode over after re assembling the front end. The installed the missing bolts and claim to have checked over the rest of the fork bolts and such. Get the bike back home and removed the front wheel, it was easy. Now to the rear. Is there an easy way to get all this crap off the bike. Do I really need to remove the whole right side of the bike and idler to get the freaking rear wheel off? If so I am selling this bike because I am only getting 1900 miles from a rear tire. Its a real mother to pull a rear wheel for simple maintenance? CRAP! I can have the front and rear off my DL 1000 V Strom in less then 10 minutes. The rear comes of in less than 2 minutes. Whats the easy way? I know someone has a short cut. BDRAG | ||
| Larryjohn |
It's been a while and I am sure someone with better memory than mine will chime in but as I recall for the rear you just need to loosen the pinch bolt and then start to loosen the rear axle. The rear axle is tapered so after a few rotations the rear wheel gets a bit of play an you can slide the belt off. I may have removed the covers on the right side, but I don't recall removing the idler pulley. Seemed to me to be a pretty simple process. | ||
| Cumminspowered |
With the bike in the air remove the axle, then slide the belt to the right to clear the pully. I don't think I even took the caliper off last time. BTW which tire did you destroy that quick? I just toasted a Strada in under 2500 | ||
| Froggy |
Don't blame the bike for you roasting the tire that fast, I had 15k miles on my rear Scorpion Sync when I swapped it out, and it wasn't at the cords yet. Rear tire removal is easy, remove pinch bolts, prop wheel up, rotate wheel 15 times backwards, slide off belt, remove axle and off it goes. (I think that was the right order). Once you get the hang of it, its easy. | ||
| Ratbuell |
How the F are you guys killing tires that quick???? I run D616 Dunlops on my '06. I have the Journey bags. I'm usually OVERloaded, and I'm NOT nice to the throttle. I still get 5k out of a rear. Including the one I rode from Maryland to TN to GA to the Dragon and back:  | ||
| Union_man |
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| Blk_uly |
I can't get more than 5 grand from a rear tire, be it strada or sinc. the money i save in gas gets eaten up by tires! I thought I'd be smart and try one of those shi*... I mean shinkos. It's just starting to show cords now at 3500 so much for saving a few $$$ (Message edited by blk_uly on February 13, 2010) | ||
| Cumminspowered |
I wish I knew! I too run overloaded, flog the throttle every chance I get. I ride in gravel, rain, cold, hot, high speed(100+), interstate, potholed chip & seal roads and spend quite a bit of time on the rear wheel all the while 2 up. Am I doing something wrong? I've got Strada's front and rear with 38/42lbs in them. And I have honestly never done a burnout. I save that for my worn out old pickup. | ||
| Union_man |
I burned off a tire in 1800 miles too. Asked around and found that others using the same shop were in the same boat. I went to a new shop. (La Crosse Buell/HD) 3200 miles on the new one and about 1/2 tread left on this one. Mount/Balance issue? (Maybe) | ||
| Bdrag |
Cumminspowered I had the Sync. I got the rear wheel off but its gonna be a bear to get the thing pried back on I bet. Thanks for the assist... BDRAG | ||
| Bdrag |
Froggy, I don't blame the bike for the tire usage. I was pissed at the front pinch bolts never have being installed at the factory. Thats the main bitch of the thread. I got the rear wheel off it just seems that the axle is gonna be a bear to thread back in. BDRAG | ||
| Bdrag |
Ratbuell, I weigh in at 330 lbs, 6 foot tall and like to ride the piss out of bikes in the twisties and on the two lane back roads. I usually run the Journey bags. I think its just a bad combo for me. The syncs only have .200 deep rubber new. The new Angels have .250 deep tread so that should get me a few more miles before I have to remove the wheels again. The front sync was fine. Just the rear was dead down the middle. BDRAG | ||
| Ratbuell |
Weird. Despite what Froggy thinks about my "goofy" tires...I'll stick with my 616's. Mud, dirt, stream crossings, singletrack, wet grass, pavement, hot weather, snow and salt - 5k rear, 10k front. Pressure checked at every fuel fill, 36/38 cold (station is less than 1/2 mile from home; other station is 1/2 block from work). No burnouts...but I don't baby it either. The pic I posted was as-arrived at the Dragon- blue bag is tent, RH saddlebag is sleeping bag, LH bag is all clothes, topcase (larger Hepco-Becker 50L) is tools/fluids/parts/extra larger gear/camping gear, tank bag is gloves and balaclava and cell charger and digital cam and other small stuff, gas can is...well...gas (2 gal - Blue Ridge Parkway isn't all that fuel-friendly as far as frequency of stations). 5 days, between 2k and 3k miles, lived out of the bike, and the Uly only used fuel and air. And tread - nearly 11k when I got home and they were BARE. But it was FUN  People piss and moan about the 616's...but I love 'em. Sure, the front end gets a little vocal once you have 8k or so on the front tire...but you learn to ride around it because it has a TON of depth left. I'll try a different pressure this time around, to try and combat the cupping a little bit. But it's never been anything to make me nervous - just part of "you're-not-in-a-Buick" to me Did I mention it's FUN? | ||
| Hooper |
I love the rear D616...it looks like it was designed for the Uly (hmmmm, ironic). The chunky tread really speaks to me. I'm about to replace my second one and try something new that might have a tad bit more lifespan. I ride about 5% off-road (but boy, do I relish that 5%!), so I may be looking for something that will last a bit longer. Um, I put 7,176 miles on the first rear D616, and I have about the same amount on the second. I will admit to being a relatively conservative rider. Keeps me lively. | ||
| Ourdee |
10,500 mi. on Strada. Not doing burnouts? Quit trying to stop with the rear brake. | ||
| Xbimmer |
2 616 rears 7000-7500, 6 Syncs 6500+/- each, 1 Strada 4000. All run at factory pressures with a lot of highway miles. Some two-up, more often with lots of crap in the cases, I push the corners on my favorite roads when my head's on straight, very rarely off pavement though I like crappy paved roads. 4000 on Roadsmarts right now, lots of tread left on the rear and the front is smooth and no cups. Stick at least as well as the Syncs although they ride harsher. I'm sold, especially for the price. | ||
| Tootal |
Just ordered Michelin Pilot Road 2's. The dual compound should make it last much longer than stock. I'm running Metzeler R6's and love them but still have plenty of tread left so they are an experiment in progress. After reading the mileage and performance achieved from the Michelin's I thought I'd give them a try. Highly recommended by many here. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I have PR2's on my S2 and love 'em. But...they don't do what I want a Uly to do, so I stick with the 616s on it. | ||
| Motoskier |
Not the tires. Maybe your buds are shaving off the rubber while you're having your Buds. My factory Stradas have 1800 miles and they look new, no measurable tread wear. And that's the most positive comment I have ever said about my Uly. Thanks bro. | ||
| Rwven |
I'm going Shinko Ravens. I have one on the front now and the rear Strada will be replaced with one fairly soon. I'm impressed with the feel of the front so far. The customer reviews I have read have been favorable amongst the group of riders who use them and whose reported riding style is similar to mine. Long treadwear too if the reports can be believed. Too bad none of the major MC publications have done a full report on them yet. Edit: I get about 9000 out of a rear Strada (Message edited by rwven on February 14, 2010) | ||
| Blk_uly |
we high-jacked the crap out of this thread. we even turned it into yet "another tire thread"  | ||
| Djz |
I live in oregon have pr2 on now nice tire but very slick on wet grass and gravel .I am going back to 616s i think they look better on the uly and work much better for the gravel and little off road i do | ||
| Tootal |
Agreed, PR2's aren't for any off roading. I'd might be setting myself up for two sets of rims, one with PR2's and one with something more dirt friendly. As far as the pinch bolt, my buddy just made the change to Metzeler tires on his electra glide and was complaining about the handling and swore he'd never buy them again. Well I felt bad since I recommended them so while on a trip I pulled over at a scenic outlook and offered to ride his bike to see if I could see what he was talking about. Before I climbed on I just happen to look down at the front tire and saw both clamp nuts about to fall off. The guy who put the tire on forgot to tighten them!! I pulled out the tools and snugged them up. The rest of the trip the joke was, how's that new Metzeler doing!? Amazing how much difference there is when your axle is tight! | ||
| Ratbuell |
Djz - that's what I'm about to do. I have a set of used amber wheels that I'm going to re-coat (unless anyone has some black wheels they want to swap for???) and put slab-only tires on. I figure why flatten a set of 616s riding the slab to Homecoming and back, or Buelltoberfest and back, or whatever... Actually getting ready to do the same thing for our Dodge Ram 2500. Just put BFG T/A KO tires on it, awesome in the muck and snow, but decimated the fuel mileage. Can you say "rolling resistance"? Grrrrr. Steel wheels with highway tires for road trips, here I come - I want my 23mpg back!! (yes...it's a diesel, and I'm sure our sub-freezing temps aren't helping either right now). Now. How's THAT for a thread hijack?? | ||
| Union_man |
Tires, tires, tires, tires, tires!!!!  | ||
| Etennuly |
Actually I am surprised that no one recommended the need for anti-sieze on the axle before reinstalling it. I too have found that I can leave the caliper on as long as you wiggle the wheel to press the pads a bit more open. It will go back in as easy as it came out. I do not remove any of the guards or the idler. I do inspect them while there though. Be careful with following directions on re-torquing the axle. I usually do 45 ft lbs, back it off two full turns, then go to 50 ft lbs. Over tightening can cause an issue with the bearings. I still am pleased with the Michelin PR2's. 11,000 out of the first rear. If winter's ice never goes away my second rear may never wear out! I did 6,000 out of any other rear I have had on it. | ||
| Bdrag |
Tootal Thats story is making me hope like hell the pinch fix will settle all my ill handling issues. The bike never tracked straight and was a bitch when braking hard and into a turn. The bike just hunted and ocsilated along. Totally screws up a good line into the turn when the bike does its dance on entry. It was bad enough on one of my last rides that I was having a major confidence issue with my abilities. Crossed a few double strips on the two lanes in some curves. Thought I was gettin to old for this shit! Thought it may be the tires. I wonder if this is why I only got 1902 miles on the rear tire before I took it off. Maybe the bike was always crabbing? BDRAG | ||
| Tootal |
BDRAG, I think you just found the cure for all of your bike problems. My friend, who is 78 years old, slowly got his confidence back after a couple of days of twisties. It really shook him up because he likes to wick it up in the twisties and he kept backing off and I'd have to slow down and wait for him, which is very unusual. When we fixed the problem and he got confident again he was once again on my tail. I think you will discover a new motorcycle once your back on the road. Think about it, you were putting all your side pressures on one fork leg which is not designed for that. When it slipped in the other fork it probably was not doing it smoothly but jerking which had to play hell with the way you feel that. That's just spooky to even think about it let alone experience it. Look forward to your NEW bike. | ||
| Froggy |
Am I the only one that wonders if it wasn't the factory that forgot the bolts, but instead the dealer removed them? | ||
| Bdrag |
Froggy That had crossed my mind since the ones they installed came from some other bike. They were used ones. The bike was at the dealer for 11 months or so before I bought it. Actually the threaded portion looked factory fresh, no marks or Lock-tite anywhere. No mars in the finish what so ever but the dealer does have to take a big part of the blame since they do the delivery make ready. BDRAG |
