| Author | Message | ||
     Taxman |
its time for my 5,000 mile tune up and i also need to replace my tires. i've made up my mind on what brand so no need to get into that whole discussion. but here is my dilema. if i go to the local harley dealer and have them put them on it will cost me $300 for the tires and $90 for labor. but i can also buy the same tires online for roughly $210 and a local "works from his garage" bike mechanic will put them on for like $60, but he's never seen a buell before. this is a significant difference in price. but i'm just a little worried that something could get messed up by him not knowing the bike. am i over thinking this? let me know what you guys think. normally i like to go to my dealer but for over $100 difference i may not in this instance. i've heard that if you don't remove the rear tire properly you can cause damage to the belt. is this true? p.s. my new job is going great. not a lot of free time to check the site though. but i am racking up the miles on my bike now that summer is here. | ||
| Xbcrazy |
The early 2003 model XB's with the Gates belt is difficult to remove and can be weakened if done improperly. The 2004-2005 model bikes with the new belt guard design and Goodyear belt are much easer and not prone to problems. Any good mechanic should be able to figure out how to remove the wheels from the bike. I wouldn't worry much. | ||
| Glitch |
Yes you need to take your time and do the rear tire the right way, with no short cuts. The newer Gates belts are much better than they were in the beginning. My first belt lasted 2000 miles, my fault for taking short cuts changing the rear tire. Second belt lasted longer, but I had bought it from an unreliable dealer, so I ended up with the old style Gates belt again. My third belt just broke the other day, with well over 24thousand miles. If he's a good mechanic and you trust him he should be able to change tires for you. I get mine done a Cycle Gear, they charge me $0-$20 it according to who does the work. Go with who you're comfortable with. Peace of mind while you're riding is priceless. | ||
| M1combat |
Make sure you tell him that the belt is very fragile. He can not twist it or bend it any smaller than the front pulley and DO NOT BEND IT BACKWARDS. Do not roll it onto the rear pulley under any circumstances. Do not remove the swingarm brace with tension on the belt (although there should be no reason at all for him to remove the brace anyway). Other than those little pointers (did I forget any?) he should be able to do it successfully. It's not "that" hard. You just NEED to be VERY careful with the belt. IF he does kill the belt, the money you save by using him should just about cover a new one anyway... | ||
| Daves |
Couple things to consider here. Is your Buell dealer a good one? If so have them do it. Here's why, So you have Garage Joe do it, he may be an ace tech BUT, Is he going to know how to correctly take your wheel off without messing up your swingarm/belt/axle? Remember the front axle is reverse thread! How is he going to remove the old tires? Does he do them by hand or have a machine? If he scratches your rims, who pays? 2 days later and your belt snaps because he did not remove it correctly. Now, who pays for your new belt? 136.80 Badweb price. At the very least I'd furnish Garage Joe with a service manual and tell him he needs to follow it to the letter. | ||
| Chainsaw |
...although there should be no reason at all for him to remove the brace anyway I believe the service manual specs the removal of the swingarm brace and the passenger peg mount. (I leave the mount on) Good points Dave. | ||
| M1combat |
"I believe the service manual specs the removal of the swingarm brace and the passenger peg mount." Isn't that just to swap the belt? | ||
| Yeags30 |
my local guy charges 15 bucks to mount and balance a loose wheel....if u pull the wheels its much cheaper and faster...look in the phone book for small motorcycle shops | ||
| Chainsaw |
I stand corrected! | ||
| 12bolt |
Take the wheels off your bike yourself, it's a good learning experience. The problem with going to Joe Mechanic is that there could be a problem balancing the wheels. The rear wheel is often to wide to fit onto some balancing machines and the perimeter rotor on the front wheel can be a problem too. They need a flat surface to butt the machine up to the wheel. If they have the right equipment to balance them make sure they put the front tire on the right direction. |
