5047 mile valve clearance check

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Ross Lindberg" wrote:

> > I had a good day today. I had ordered a Mefo Explorer rear tire

from Fred a

> couple weeks ago to replace the worn stocker. Problem is I was

having

> trouble getting motivated to put it on since I had never changed a > motorcycle tire before. I had spent the afternoon pulling the rear

axle and

> transfer case out of an articulated forklift. Afterwards I

thought "Well if

> I can handle that by myself, changing a tire should be no problem".

My

> biggest fear over the years of riding has been having a flat in the

middle

> of nowhere. I might as well learn how. > > > > The first thing I learned is that I do not want to meet the gorilla

who

> tightened the rear axle on my bike. He has to be really big. I had

to get

> out a long drive breaker bar to loosen the axle nut. Had I

waited to do

> this on the trail somewhere I would have been screwed. There was

no way

> that was coming loose with the stock toolkit. It was probably a

good thing

> though since the axle adjuster nuts were finger tight. I'll slip a

bit of

> hose over the bolts to keep from losing them. After that things

went well

> considering I hadn't done this before. I spent Sunday looking at

websites

> with instructions so I had a pretty good idea of how to do it. I

was able

> to break the beads with my bare hands and had the old tire off in

no time

> with a set of Cruz Tools tire irons purchased from Fred. I agree

with Capt.

> Bob though; while two irons will get the job done, three are much

better.

> Before pulling the old tire off I marked the brake rotor with an

arrow using

> a felt tip marker to make sure I put the new one on the right way.

I was

> having fun, but didn't want to mount the same tire twice. > > > > Installation was a little more work, but no bad. The toughest

thing was

> trying to get the valve stem back through the hole in the rim.

Finished

> putting the tire on and I was done. No leaks!! I pulled the

bearings out

> and cleaned/regreased them while I was at it. > > > > 3 bearings inside. > > > > 1 NSK #6204DU > > 1 NSK #6004DU > > 1- KOYO #6003C3 > > > > All in all, a good time. I'm sure you old hands at this are

smiling a bit

> because you are used to changing tires, but my point is this. If

you are

> new at this like I was, don't be scared to jump in. It really

wasn't as hard

> as I imagined and now I feel much better about the possibility of

doing a

> tire repair in the boonies. Sometimes the anticipation is much

worse than

> the actual event. > > > > Ross Lindberg > > Fertile, MN > > Oakdale, CA

Hello Ross, I'm guessing that the tire change was a CA not a MN task, and that a nice warm tire contributed to the ease of change. One thing for those who will be doing tire changes soon, a nice warm tire (placed in the sun or inside a car with the windows up, or next to a furnace vent) will soften up the tire to make the job significantly easier. revmaaatin.

[Andrus Chesley]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Ross Lindberg" wrote:

> > I had a good day today. I had ordered a Mefo Explorer rear tire

from Fred a Good for you guy. It's always a good idea to loosen and retighten factory settings on parts you may have to go into as soon as you get the bike. I've accumalated different things about the shop to help in changing tires but in the end reverted back to a few 2 x 4 nailed together in a square and just work from there on my outside bench with some tire irons. Now I just use my fancy tire changer to break the bead. .. Always good to do as much maintenance you can on the bike with what tools you carry when riding. you just never know. '43 Andy in Louisiana '00 KLR 650 '03 Chevy truck '06 DL 1000

[Ross Lindberg]

> Hello Ross, > I'm guessing that the tire change was a CA not a MN task, and that a > nice warm tire contributed to the ease of change. > > One thing for those who will be doing tire changes soon, a nice warm > tire (placed in the sun or inside a car with the windows up, or next > to a furnace vent) will soften up the tire to make the job > significantly easier. > revmaaatin. >

Actually I'm back in MN for a few days. Sadly, I'll have to leave my bike here when I fly back. It won't fit in the overhead compartment. Blake and Matt will get to have all the fun in CA. The bike is in a heated shop though, so that definitely helped. The trick of warming the tire inside a car is a good one. Ross Lindberg Fertile, MN - for now

[Luke in Brooklyn]

I bought one of the little motion pro bead buddies from JC Whitney for $9 and I sometimes find it extremely helpful. I rarely use my third tire lever because its a different kind than the other 2 and I think it's easier to pinch tubes with it... but that bead buddy thing is tiny and helpful. And the Rev is right about changing warm tires--likewise, if you get a flat out in the world, do it RIGHT NOW. It's tempting to say damn it and go have a smoke or take a break and THEN tackle it, but having the tire warm from riding really helps. If you're changing tires in a hotel, you can make a little tent over the heater with a chair and a couple blankets, then crank the heater while you go out for a ride to warm up the old tires and then remove them. By the time you're ready for the new tires they're like rubber bands. -Luke

> I agree > with Capt. > > Bob though; while two irons will get the job done, > three are much > better. > One thing for those who will be doing tire changes > soon, a nice warm > tire (placed in the sun or inside a car with the > windows up, or next > to a furnace vent) will soften up the tire to make > the job significantly easier.

Brooklyn NY 92 CB750 nighthawk--naked simpleton 03 KLR650--fat girl with a dirty mind ____________________________________________________________________________________ Now that's room service! Choose from over 150,000 hotels in 45,000 destinations on Yahoo! Travel to find your fit. http://farechase.yahoo.com/promo-generic-14795097

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, Luke in Brooklyn wrote:

> > I bought one of the little motion pro bead buddies > from JC Whitney for $9 and I sometimes find it > extremely helpful. I rarely use my third tire lever > because its a different kind than the other 2 and I > think it's easier to pinch tubes with it... but that > bead buddy thing is tiny and helpful. > > And the Rev is right about changing warm > tires--likewise, if you get a flat out in the world, > do it RIGHT NOW. It's tempting to say damn it and go > have a smoke or take a break and THEN tackle it, but > having the tire warm from riding really helps. If > you're changing tires in a hotel, you can make a > little tent over the heater with a chair and a couple > blankets, then crank the heater while you go out for a > ride to warm up the old tires and then remove them. > By the time you're ready for the new tires they're > like rubber bands. > > -Luke

Hi Luke, I can easily see that little tent with a tire in it. I suppose that you could also fill the bathtub with hot water, place the tire in it and warm it up there also. That would transfer a lot of heat to the tire very quickly. Drying out the inside of course, with a rag, (no, not the hotel towel....) revmaaatin.

[hofsassw]

I have never changed a motorcycle tire and would like know what I need to do the job. What about balancing? Its not 60 bucks of aggravation to save 20? Thanks for the help! Bill H Jax MS

[Ross Lindberg]

I'll tackle this one. I did my first tire change last winter. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Someone posted the link to the Bridgestone tire changing video yesterday. It's a really good video. Watch it a couple of times. 2 tire irons are good. 3 are better. You can use a 5 gallon pail as a work stand so you don't bend the brake rotor or anything like that. I also drew a big arrow on a piece of duct tape and stuck it on the wheel to indicate the direction of rotation so I wouldn't forget and put the tire on backwards. Balancing isn't too hard either. I balanced mine on the bike (rear tire) with the chain and the caliper off. Just spin the wheel and note where it stops. Spin again. If it stops in the same place, add some weight opposite the bottom of the rim and spin again. Repeat the process until the wheel stops at random places. The wheel is now balanced. My future son-in-law showed me a really neat trick that I'd have never thought of on my own. After mounting the tire and seating the bead, the valve stem was cocked at an angle. I thought I'd have to break the bead and move the tube. "Not so" said Steve. He races motocross and changes tires about 3 times a week. We mounted the brake caliper, and the spun the wheel gently in the direction the valve stem was pointing, then slammed on the brake. Valve stem was aligned. He did it again and knocked it off kilter, so I could practice. It's a simple trick that can save you alot of frustration. I'd go ahead and change the tire yourself. Your confidence level will go way up and you'll feel better while riding knowing that you can break-down a tire and repair it if the need occurs.

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "hofsassw" wrote: > > I have never changed a motorcycle tire and would like know what I need > to do the job. What about balancing? Its not 60 bucks of aggravation > to save 20? Thanks for the help! Bill H Jax MS >

[Spike55]

After 5047 miles on the clock on my 2006 KLR, I finally started digging around in the engine. Last Friday, I completed the doohickey and tension spring (used the new torsion spring design). The OEM doo and spring were still intact so no need to go fishin' with a magnet. I took a 150 mile big loop from here an up into the coal region on Saturday with great performance. Today, I got to the point of measuring the valve clearances (much bike disassembly required). The intakes were at 0.004" (0.004"-0.008" acceptable range). The exhausts were at 0.007" (0.006"-0.010" acceptable range). It appears that I'm still OK clearance-wise after this many miles but it was getting close. Tomorrow I'll go to the next step and pull the cams and get the shim numbers and determine the proper replacements. My dealer "of shims", will trade me for the shims I need at no cost. Don R100, A6F