newbie - what is a dohickey?

DSN_KLR650
Post Reply
Tom Zangla
Posts: 101
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2005 4:37 pm

tire changing fun

Post by Tom Zangla » Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:05 pm

Well I got my MEFO front tire from Arrowhead Motorsports a few day ago and I went out in the yard YESTERDAY and tried to change the tire with NO PROBLEMS. I got the old tire off and the new tire on and when I put the air in the tire it came out as fast as I was putting it in. So off the wheel came and I took one side of the bead off and took the tube out. Some how I managed to cut the tube with my tire irons. No screwdrivers were used. I called a friend of mine who works on motorcycles part time to see if he had a tube and I told him what I was up to. When he told me that since I had the wheel off he would install the new tube for 5 bucks plus the cost of the tube. Lucky for me my daughter left my car home for me to use and off I went for the 5 mile drive. After a bullshit session I was back home and got the wheel back on and went around the block a few times. Instead of the regular valve stem caps I have ones that show green if the air pressure is OK and red if the pressure is low. When I got up this morning the green was not showing. Sure enough it only had 10 pounds of air in the tire. I filled the tire up and got out my spray bottle with dish soap and water and begun to spray the hole tire looking for air bubbles. I thought I may have picked up something when I rode around the block a few times. I finally saw some bubbles on the valve stem and it looked like it was coming straight out of the threads of the stem. I took the wheel off and got the tube out and sprayed it again and no bubbles were showing. Must have been a chemical reaction the first time. I sprayed the whole tire over and over and could not find a leak. I then took the tube down to the stationary tube in my cellar and put the tube under water and still I could not find a leak. I did not want to put this tube back in and I was lucky that when I was down my friends place I picked up a used tube (almost new) and put that in with no problems. I sprayed the wheel again and saw no bubbles. One thing I did notice was on the factory tube there was only one nut on the valve stem which was on the outside of the rim. On the two tubes I got from my friend there were two nuts on the valve stem and when he put the tube on one nut went inside the rim and one on the outside. I did a Google search and found a post which showed..... Per an inner tube manufacturers instructions: "The first nut must be securely fastened to the rubber stem base with a wrench before inserting the tube into the rim and casing.... The second nut must be securely tightened to the rim with a wrench." Well that is my Fun with Tire Changing Story. Tom SW Pennsylvania

Arden Kysely
Posts: 1578
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2001 8:18 am

tire changing fun

Post by Arden Kysely » Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:20 pm

Sounds like a nightmare. I once changed a tire 3 times at a shop, pinching the tube twice. So...you never found out where the first tube was leaking? __Arden
--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Tom Zangla" wrote: > > Well I got my MEFO front tire from Arrowhead Motorsports a few day > ago and I went out in the yard YESTERDAY and tried to change the tire > > with NO PROBLEMS. I got the old tire off and the new tire on and > when I put the air in the tire it came out as fast as I was putting > it in. > > So off the wheel came and I took one side of the bead off and took the > tube out. Some how I managed to cut the tube with my tire irons. > > No screwdrivers were used. I called a friend of mine who works on > motorcycles part time to see if he had a tube and I told him what I > was > > up to. When he told me that since I had the wheel off he would > install > the new tube for 5 bucks plus the cost of the tube. Lucky for me my > > daughter left my car home for me to use and off I went for the 5 mile > drive. After a bullshit session I was back home and got the wheel > back > > on and went around the block a few times. Instead of the regular > valve stem caps I have ones that show green if the air pressure is OK > > and red if the pressure is low. When I got up this morning the green > was not showing. Sure enough it only had 10 pounds of air in the > tire. > > I filled the tire up and got out my spray bottle with dish > soap and water and begun to spray the hole tire looking for air > bubbles. > > I thought I may have picked up something when I rode around the block > a few times. I finally saw some bubbles on the valve stem and it > looked like it was coming straight out of the threads of the stem. > > I took the wheel off and got the tube out and sprayed it again and > no bubbles were showing. Must have been a chemical reaction the > first time. I sprayed the whole tire over and over and could not > > find a leak. I then took the tube down to the stationary tube in > my cellar and put the tube under water and still I could not find > a leak. I did not want to put this tube back in and I was lucky that > when I was down my friends place I picked > > up a used tube (almost new) and put that in with no problems. I > sprayed the wheel again and saw no bubbles. One thing I did notice > > was on the factory tube there was only one nut on the valve stem > which was on the outside of the rim. On the two tubes I got from > > my friend there were two nuts on the valve stem and when he put the > tube on one nut went inside the rim and one on the outside. > > I did a Google search and found a post which showed..... > Per an inner tube manufacturers instructions: > "The first nut must be securely fastened to the rubber stem base with > a wrench before inserting the tube into the rim and casing.... The > second nut must be securely tightened to the rim with a wrench." > > Well that is my Fun with Tire Changing Story. > Tom > SW Pennsylvania >

J. Christopher Krok
Posts: 108
Joined: Wed May 03, 2006 4:52 am

tire changing fun

Post by J. Christopher Krok » Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:00 am

> 5a. Tire Changing Fun > Posted by: "Tom Zangla" tomzangla@... zeegadget > Date: Thu Jun 12, 2008 1:05 pm ((PDT)) > > I did a Google search and found a post which showed..... > Per an inner tube manufacturers instructions: > "The first nut must be securely fastened to the rubber stem base with > a wrench before inserting the tube into the rim and casing.... The > second nut must be securely tightened to the rim with a wrench."
For offroad riding, you don't want to tighten that second nut down to the rim; you should back it up agains the valve cap once you're done. Chris -- J. Christopher Krok, Ph.D. Big Cee Engineering KLR650 Accessories and home of the FAQ

Jud Jones
Posts: 1251
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2004 2:52 pm

tire changing fun

Post by Jud Jones » Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:06 am

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "Tom Zangla" wrote:
> > Well I got my MEFO front tire from Arrowhead Motorsports a few day > ago and I went out in the yard YESTERDAY and tried to change the tire > > with NO PROBLEMS. I got the old tire off and the new tire on and > when I put the air in the tire it came out as fast as I was putting > it in. > > So off the wheel came and I took one side of the bead off and took the > tube out. Some how I managed to cut the tube with my tire irons. > > No screwdrivers were used. I called a friend of mine who works on > motorcycles part time to see if he had a tube and I told him what I > was > > up to. When he told me that since I had the wheel off he would > install > the new tube for 5 bucks plus the cost of the tube. Lucky for me my > > daughter left my car home for me to use and off I went for the 5 mile > drive. After a bullshit session I was back home and got the wheel > back > > on and went around the block a few times. Instead of the regular > valve stem caps I have ones that show green if the air pressure is OK > > and red if the pressure is low. When I got up this morning the green > was not showing. Sure enough it only had 10 pounds of air in the > tire. > > I filled the tire up and got out my spray bottle with dish > soap and water and begun to spray the hole tire looking for air > bubbles. > > I thought I may have picked up something when I rode around the block > a few times. I finally saw some bubbles on the valve stem and it > looked like it was coming straight out of the threads of the stem. > > I took the wheel off and got the tube out and sprayed it again and > no bubbles were showing. Must have been a chemical reaction the > first time. I sprayed the whole tire over and over and could not > > find a leak. I then took the tube down to the stationary tube in > my cellar and put the tube under water and still I could not find > a leak. I did not want to put this tube back in and I was lucky that > when I was down my friends place I picked > > up a used tube (almost new) and put that in with no problems. I > sprayed the wheel again and saw no bubbles. One thing I did notice > > was on the factory tube there was only one nut on the valve stem > which was on the outside of the rim. On the two tubes I got from > > my friend there were two nuts on the valve stem and when he put the > tube on one nut went inside the rim and one on the outside. > > I did a Google search and found a post which showed..... > Per an inner tube manufacturers instructions: > "The first nut must be securely fastened to the rubber stem base with > a wrench before inserting the tube into the rim and casing.... The > second nut must be securely tightened to the rim with a wrench." > > Well that is my Fun with Tire Changing Story.
Similar adventures used to befall me all the time. I stopped pinching tubes when I started using my Motion Pro T6 spoons. The manufacturer to whom you refer must like the extra sales in replacement of those tubes that fail when the tire shifts on the rim and rips the stem out. Can't patch those. Running the nut up under the cap will allow the stem to tilt if the tire shifts, giving you a chance to spot the problem and correct it before the tube fails.

Mike Frey
Posts: 833
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2004 10:53 am

newbie - what is a dohickey?

Post by Mike Frey » Tue Jun 17, 2008 2:44 pm

http://www.bigcee.com/klr650faq.html#knownissues *Balancer chain tensioner ("Doohickey") prone to failure* The counterbalancer tensioner arm (clamped down by the small bolt on the bottom left engine cover) has a tendency to get brittle and break. This has happened on bikes of all years and mileages, while many other bikes (of all years and mileages) are fine. If anything, later bikes seem to be more prone to failure, perhaps because of the change to solid balancer sprockets. If this system fails and the balancer chain jumps, it can sieze the engine. Eagle Machine http://www.eagle-m-e.com/index.html> makes a machined adjuster arm (available from Arrowhead) that is vastly superior to the stock unit. (Both units are of equal quality, although they offer different spring lengths.) In addition, the adjuster bolt and spring were upgraded in 1996; earlier models can be upgraded by replacing the bolt and spring, and adding the washer. The required parts are: Idler spring, 92144-1860; 7mm O-ring, 670B1507; washer, 92200-1263; idler adjuster bolt, 92150-1923. See the links section for a way to report balancer failures. knandyal wrote:
> > Hello there. Newbie considering KL650 - Please go easy on me for this > question. > > What is a Dohickey? I understand what the word means (From > freedcitionary - something unspecified whose name is either forgotten > or not known). > > I am trying to understand, what this means in KLR650 world? > >

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 18 guests