| Author | Message | ||
     Liljester |
Ive orded a Bridgestone BT020 for my 05 XB12Scg to replace the original dunlop, and this has posed a few questions for me. 1) I would love to do all the work i can myself. How difficult is removing the back wheel? 2) The owners manual is just not too helpful, there is no information about the process of removing said back wheel. Where can i purchase/download a maintainence manual? 3) The nearest dealership (hd/buell) is 2 hours from me, i assume i can get the new tire mounted at most cycle shops? Also, im a new member, and ive found this site very helpful, so thanks! | ||
| Daves |
Welcome to the Badweb The wheel removal isn't a big deal but I would tell you to get a service manual. I sell them to Badweb members for 52.20 plus shipping. What are you going to run on the front? I do not recommend mixing tire brands front and rear. | ||
| Liljester |
i was planning on running the original dunlop on the front.. it still has *alot* of tread on it, the rear only got around 3600 miles. can you hook me up with a link to order the manual? Thanks! | ||
| M1combat |
Swap the front too. I tried the same thing you're doing and the handling was a bit funny due to the mixed profile (except it was a BT014). The rest of that front will wear much quicker than you might think. The tread depth is shorter which allows less flex in the tread block. It'll slide more than flex and wears out faster the more worn it is... Then you'll replace the front 1/3 of the way through a rear and the handling will still be funky because the tires will never have an evenly worn profile... Wheel removal is pretty straight forward but lifting the bike can be a challenge. There are a number of ways to do it. I prefer to put a couple jack stands under the forks and then lift the rear with a jack under the exhaust... Be careful if it's windy  . You can get the tire changed at most any dealer BUT... Make sure you tell them to be VERY careful with the powder coat. It works best if they take a strip of duct tape, tear it in half length wise and apply it to the lip of the rim and then do the work. They "probably" won't be able to balance the rear tire. The bearings are an "odd" size and most places don't have the cones needed for the balancers... I've never had a problem with that when buying good tires and making sure the shop knows how to mount them with the heavy side opposite the heavy side of the wheel. I have had both places I've used destroy the powder coat on the lip of the wheel though. I'll be going the route of just taking the powder coat off the lip... It'll save me and them a lot of trouble. | ||
| Diablobrian |
The Bridgestones should also improve the handling of the bike over the stock Dunlops. If you do the pair. I have also had a bad experience with mixed tire profiles. It makes the bike very "nervous" in corners. The bike I did that on was an old vf1000f interceptor, which was much longer and more stable than an XB. I'd hate to see how wierd an XB would get given the sensitivity to suspension and tire changes it has. Also, Welcome to Badweb. (Message edited by diablobrian on July 25, 2006) | ||
| Kootenay |
I'll third the suggestion to change both tires. Removal of the rear wheel is not terribly difficult, but it is involved...problem is, you have to remove the belt (can't just break it like a chain) and the belt must be handled carefully. I raise the bike on a pair of custom floor jacks I made up, then remove a lot of stuff from the right side of the bike until the belt is fully exposed and loose--it then just slips off, no stress at all. I then proceed to mount and balance my own tires, working completely by hand. Takes a while, but definitely do-able. Get the manual from Daves. It is well written and easy to work with. | ||
| Liljester |
I really appreciate the input, and it sounds like i will be replacing that front tire as well. also, what is the url for daves site? Thanks! | ||
| Perry |
Dave Stueve (Daves) works here: http://www.h-dappleton.com/index2.htm Call and ask for Dave Stueve, or send him a PM. |
