Tyre Fitting... you slaaaaaag!

[ILMV]

Well, I'm not calling anyone a slag as such... Hello All!


I have about... er, no tread left on the front of my F800GS (running on Battlewings), I have found a replacement for £65, but now I have to think about getting the bugger fitted.

I could:

1) Get my local garage to get the tyre, remove the wheel, fit it etc
2) Remove the wheel myself, buy the tyre myself and get local garage to put the two together
3) Find a tosser locally who can (for a beer or two) fit and balance that bad boy
4) Buy all the gear to change it myself...

Now I really need a cheap option, so what do you guys think? Should I just chuck it all at the local garage or be more proactive and do it myself?

Cheers,
Ben

 

[Keith Chapman]

Well, I'm not calling anyone a slag as such... Hello All!


I have about... er, no tread left on the front of my F800GS (running on Battlewings), I have found a replacement for £65, but now I have to think about getting the bugger fitted.

I could:

1) Get my local garage to get the tyre, remove the wheel, fit it etc
2) Remove the wheel myself, buy the tyre myself and get local garage to put the two together
3) Find a tosser locally who can (for a beer or two) fit and balance that bad boy
4) Buy all the gear to change it myself...

Now I really need a cheap option, so what do you guys think? Should I just chuck it all at the local garage or be more proactive and do it myself?

Cheers,
Ben

If you have the space. Buy all the gear, then set yourself up as Numbers 1 & 3. Could be a nice little spare time earner. Working by appointment only. giving you ample time for going out to play.

 

[Dellis]

Number 4, have always changed my own and find it quite satisfying

Dave

 

[ILMV]

Cheers guys, the only thing I see being a problem, what advice can you give about balancing the wheel?

That seems to be the bit that will cost the most (for tools)...

Thanks again,
Ben

 

[ianboydsnr]

Cheers guys, the only thing I see being a problem, what advice can you give about balancing the wheel?

That seems to be the bit that will cost the most (for tools)...

Thanks again,
Ben

I use a wheel balancer from http://www.marcparnes.com/

 

[ILMV]

That's what I feared, I don't own a paddock stand to put the balancer rod on...

Can't cost that much though

 

[Yellow Peril]

No 2 never cost more than a tenner a wheel and its done without f***ing around

 

[ILMV]

Yeah well I plan on asking my local garage this afternoon for a range of prices, would be good to do it all myself, but the expense of the tools at is a show stopper :-/

Edit: That said, is the F800GS a bike that I can jack-up from under the engine?

 

[Uncle Ricky]

Have you tried Grahams Motorcycle at Wood Street

 

[ILMV]

Mr Rick that's exactly where I am heading to get some prices, I live pretty close by and always gone there for my old Suzuki / non-BMW stuff

 

[komatias]

To balance the wheels you just need your axle and a couple of chairs. Or you can even make two little braket that hold two skatebiard bearings (£3 each) and clamp that to two chairs and rest the axle on.

Plenty of ways to do it. Been changing my tires since I got my bike actually. Its an involved job but savesd around £35 for fitting and balancing (price based on protyres estimate 4 years ago)

 

[Paul S]

Changing Tyres yourself is simple enough if you have the right tools and know what you are doing
If not leave it to the experts.

Been changing mine for years and balancing is simple with one of these :

 

[Dellis]

I use one of these and one of these. A decent set of levers is also a must as are rim protectors so you don't chew the rims with the levers, And no I don't work for Abba

Dave

 

[Major Gadget]

I use one of these and one of these. A decent set of levers is also a must as are rim protectors so you don't chew the rims with the levers, And no I don't work for Abba

Dave

When I emailed Abba and asked them if they did an adaptor for my 1150gs rear wheel they said they didn't.

 

[rockchunk]

That's what I feared, I don't own a paddock stand to put the balancer rod on...

Can't cost that much though

i have never bothered balancing mine and have never really felt any ill effects though when i fitted the tkc80's i thought i might have to as they felt very strange at first but they seem fine now,,, and after all the gs is a tractor init

 

[Dellis]

When I emailed Abba and asked them if they did an adaptor for my 1150gs rear wheel they said they didn't.

But you will find that even BMW don't balance the rear wheel on any of the single sided GS range. However, I had an adaptor made but found that it didn't make any perceivable difference if the rear was balanced or not.

Dave

 

[(RIP) Yamaha1]

Ben - I always take my loose wheels down to Furlongs Tyres at Yeovil.

They only sell bike tyres - and hold a vast stock. Aaron is very good - balances them as well - usually while you wait.

Mike