Motorcycles BS Thread 2.0

Absolutely worthwhile to know how to change a tire yourself if off road etc. Like stated below, set the new tire out in the sun to heat up some, and take the bike for a short ride with a 5-10 psi less than normal to heat it up as well.

Im going to recommend against soap / water n soap as a tire lube. It never goes away, and water rusts things, especially when trapped inside a rim where it cant evaporate.

If you plan on changing tires in any amount on your own grab some Ru-Glyde (or other tire mounting specific lube). Its cheap ~20 bucks for a gallon specifically meant for changing tires, actually helps with the bead stick once dry, no corrosion from water etc. I JUST had to refill my 32oz spray bottle after ~ 5 yrs and with tons of tire swaps. Napa sells it i believe or you can get it on Amazon

$22 Ru-Glyde Tire Mounting and Rubber Lubricant, 1 Gallon Bottle, Rejuivanate Tire Rubber, Easy Tire Bead Seating, Tire Dressing, Tire Lubricant, Tire Changing Accessory

https://www.amazon.com/Ru-Glyde-Mounting-Rubber-Lubricant-Bottle/dp/B000CIJUGK

$15 Ru-Glyde 12 oz Bottle: Superior Rubber Lubricant for Smooth Tire Mounting & Enhanced Bead Protection on Cars, Trucks, and Motorcycles, Ready to Use Spray

https://www.amazon.com/Ru-Glyde-Bottle-Lubricant-Protection-Motorcycles/dp/B0C34D46YY

I also like to use cornstarch on my tubed tires tubes and a little on the inside of the tire itself to prevent chafing of the tube.

 

I never would have thought of the water/soap as being a no no. Good info!

 

Also this stuff is WAY slippier on rubber than soap (unless you use like pure soap... then get ready for spun beads), I have found lots of uses for it outside of tires when dealing with stretching rubber over things......................

 

What is the general consensus on something like Sealsavers? Must have? Complete waste? Something in the middle?

 

Soap works fine, a very small amount is all that's needed along with a few drips of water from a camelback. I do allot of remote offroad riding, have been for many years and have yet to tear a valve stem out from the tire spinning nor have the guys I ride with but we don't go and try to do stupid stuff like a burnout afterwards, maybe that why it worked fine for the last 50 years.

Don't think I have the creds to make that statement? this says different.

 

First, don't take it personal as it was just a comment expressing appreciation of a perspective on things I had never heard. It's not a judgement on you and had nothing to do with you.
Second, who was doubting your creds? Who said anything about it?
Third, we get it. You have a yootoob channel.

 

Only ever seen sealsavers cause more issues than help prevent. 25 yrs of dirt riding in all conditions over thousands of hours on multiple bikes with different styles of forks, 17 years officially on the street over 60ish thousand combined miles, never a blown / fork leak that a sealsaver would of prevented. In fact in all that time, only 3 leaky seals. One due to my own doing (leaving a piece of tape on the lower fork leg of my dirtbike then riding it), One due to simply age of the fork seal and cracking, another due to a bent fork leg.

Needless to say, the sealsavers really only trap dirt and cause more problems IMO.

Oh in a pinch out in the sticks, use what you got, no shame in using soap if you have it out there. Just saying for at home doing changes the right stuff is cheap.

 

Yeah, I wasn't really sure if they would work as advertised. I'm also not sure how often a leaking seal would be an issue. I've not had a bike long enough to know.

 

If someone want to carry around a spray bottle of rubber lubricant for the eventuality of a flat fix I'm not here to tell them they are wrong. To each his own. Space on a motorcycle is a premium, a vile of soap that's about the size of a keychain that will lubricate multiple tires. I do allot of this and have fixed or help fix allot quite a few flats over the years, I made a suggestion that's worked fine for a long time. If someone is saying it doesn't work or damages the rim then their talking out of their ass, probably half the shops out there and many auto tire places use soapy water when mounting tire. I've seen pretty much everything used to help get a tire on, and rarely what's used matters 10 min after the tire is on. the soapy water dissipates just like the other tire lubricants nor will it be the cause of a torn valve stem, if your spinning the tire on the rim you're asking for too much traction for the tire pressure. As for rusting things, that ridiculous, the water that enters through the spoke hole openings is far more of a concern. Is it as slick as a specific rubber lubricant probably not but I can say it works fine with no issues.

Point in linking that YT channel was to illustrate I have lots of seat time in remote areas, I'm not spouting off something I read from an article. Don't think that counts for anything then ignore my suggestion.

 

I agree, I use this at home, on the trail I use soap because it's just a tiny bottle and it's easy to carry.

 

So, as new bike day approaches I am still digging into what method of transport for the bike would be best. As it stands, my buddy wants to road trip with me in a newer Nissan Frontier that he has access to, so that leaves the following options.

1. Drive to CA empty and load the bike in the bed with either a ramp or see if a local place will let us use a loading dock.
2. Drive to CA hauling my utility trailer that tows like an airbrake, and use that to haul it back.
3. Rent a motorcycle trailer from Uhaul for the trip over and back.

Option 1 would be good for fuel savings on the trip, and for not having to haul a trailer around, but loading a 600+ pound bike into a truck bed sucks. Without exposing the seller, I did pull up his address and get a look at a nearby driveway that has a good slope. This would make the ramp angle much less of an issue if the truck were in the street and if we were allowed to use the driveway. One concern is that I do not know how big the bed of the Frontier is, so a bike the size of the Super T might not even fit.




Option 2 would be a solid hit to the MPGs and require the trailer in unfamiliar territory. My trailer is also not the best for tying down a bike. I've done it and know this. The major pro is not putting the bike in the bed of the truck.

I was looking Option 3 originally as a one way rental out of CA, but that cost is stupid high. Over $650 one way. I can ship the bike for $900, so that was instantly tossed. However, I looked at what it would cost to rent a uhaul motorcycle trailer on a round trip from somewhere close enough to me that I can ride the bike home after returning it, and I am thinking this might be what I do because it's a little over a hundred bucks plus tax. The trailer will certainly tow better than mine and has the wheel chock built in.







Any flaws that my graveyard brain is missing?

 

The bike is 88.8" length, Frontier bed is between 58.8" and 73.2".
Might put a bend in the tailgate if it's the long bed.
I'd say U-haul or ride it back.

 

If you rent the U-haul, it'll be easier to unload and ride it once you clear California..You know you'll get the itch once the highway clears up.

 

Though the desire will be there, with it being a 12 hour one way, pick up the bike (however long that takes), and then 12 hours back type of trip, I won't do it for safety. Can't ride it if I crash it before I even get it home.

 

Reminds me of my 2nd marriage. 12 hour cannonball run to Vegas, after both working 8 hours.
Got hitched, quick consummation, then drove back. If it wasn't for the video, neither of us would have remembered it. Around 40 hours without sleep.

 

I'll get some pics of tie down points on the tenere later today when I pull her out for a ride.

FYI. Zero issues fitting in the DCSB of my Tacoma with the tailgate down, it's no longer realistically than a full size dirtbike.

With a little bit of a sloped driveway to back into and a 6ft ramp loading is not really an issue with a step stool, tho using someone else's driveway doesn't really sound kosher imo.

That's not a bad deal on that uhaul trailer. Just make sure to lock the bike to the trailer and trailer to truck if staying somewhere overnight... Lock the bike in the truck bed if you go that route

 

I figured it'd fit, but wasn't certain and the weight might damage the tailgate. ST is a bit heftier than a dirt bike. Also, ramp there on a slope is great, but at home I have no slope.

Trailer will not be unattended as there is no overnight stay. It's a straight turn and burn, so it will be safe in that regard.

Ran my uhaul plan by my buddy to be sure he's on board as well, and he is. U Haul is the official plan, now.

 

I appreciate it a ton, man. I'm sure I could figure it out once hands on with the bike, but pics make it all easier.

 

Yeah its definitely chunkier, I never worry on my trucks tailgate as I have a relentless fab full skin wrap around tailgate reinforcement but a stock midsize truck tailgate might be a bit much.

And yeah what kind of straps do you have? I used my rhino straps with built in soft ties at the main straps around the lower triple clamp on the tenere and actually used the built in soft ties. I have had the straps for YEARS and love them, but typically cant use the built in soft ties as theres not much handlebar space on the dirtbikes for the wide strap - in which case i use some soft ties I make out of climbing webbing thats 5/8ths in wide.

Rhino USA Motorcycle Tie Down Straps (2 Pack) Lab Tested 3328lb Break Strength, Steel Cambuckle Tiedown Set with Integrated Soft Loops - Better Than a Ratchet Strap (Black 2-Pack)

https://www.amazon.com/USA-Motorcycle-Stainless-Cambuckle-Integrated/dp/B01M07K9YW/

I get proper climbing webbing from REI for like 35c a foot for my custom skinny soft ties (but you likely wont need them for the tenere)


Are there any pics of the internal tie down points in that Uhaul trailer bed? At a minimum youd have the two main front straps (i like clamshell style for front of a bike) and a rear strap around the rear tire (not rear of the bike but the tire itself) holding it down and centered on the trailer (ratchet style to really synch down the tire to the trailer/bed).