Shedding the Shinkos

[guaire]

What I said, tossing the Shinkos. Looking to hear from experienced rubber scuffers here. I want to get more traction, especially on wet pavement. I avoided a collision recently, but my front end washed out, and I'm still sore. My ride is a 1983 R80RT. Current rubber is Front 100/90 19 and Rear 120/90 18, Shinko tires. I went to my local shop to check availability.
Looks the ME888s are available 110/90 19. The ME888 is also available in 110/90 18. I have run Metzlers on other machines.
Also available are Pirellis rear, 120/90 18R MT66. and the MT66-F 100/90S 19.
I rode the MT66 set up on a 1982 Honda Nighthawk 450. Good sticky tires with a nice profile. I could stuff them into a turn with no problems. Pretty good for a bike with a tube/pressed steel frame.
Anyone here have experience, opinions on either of these two set ups, with any recommendations, I would appreciate hearing from you.
Cheers,
Bill

 

[beemerphile]

The bike will handle significantly better with a 3.25 x 19 front and a 4.00 x 18 rear. Save the metric sizes for the monoshock bikes.

BTW: 100/90-19 is too wide and 110/90-19 is way too wide. If the stock size were able to be converted to metric, it would be about 90/100-19.

 

[guaire]

Lee - I found Lasertec tires in those sizes. Those will work better than what I've had.

Bill

 

[m_stock10506]

Michelin Pilot Active front and rear in the 3.25 and 4.00 inch sizes. Wonderfully responsive tires in wet and dry.

 

[beemerphile]

Lee - I found Lasertec tires in those sizes. Those will work better than what I've had.

Bill

I think you will like them much better. Avon, Michelin, and Metzeler all make correct size tires that work well on the twin shockers.

 

[SCBuckeye]

Michelin Pilot Active front and rear in the 3.25 and 4.00 inch sizes. Wonderfully responsive tires in wet and dry.

These tires in factory period sizes for both and front are the best I have ridden on. Be careful though, as Michelin's are notoriously tight fitting and hard to install. I couldn't get the rear to seat without taking the wheel off and slightly turning down the interior of the aluminum rim to allow the tire beads to "slide" out to hit the insides of the rim.

This may not be the case with steel rims though.

Tires are great gripping and they wear well. When I put mine on, I had been running Dunlops and when on the Dunlops I would hit the parallel rain grooves, the bike would go all squirrily. First time after installing the Michelins, I had gone around 2 miles on the same rain grooves on an interstate before I knew that the grooves were even there! Great tires.

 

[guaire]

Sounds good. I'll be ordering the Activs today.
Keeping the rubber side down is really important.
"Real motorcyclists don't need tattoos. We have bruises."

 

[happy wanderer]

+1 on the Michelin Pilot Activ inch sized radials for airheads. I get more mileage from the Michelins than the Avons and WAY more than the Lasertecs. Over on the airheads list and here lots of comments on the difficulty of mounting and dismounting them from the rims. I had no such issues but I think it was due to technique and the fact that the beads on the Michelins are really tough.

Three things I did that I believe contributed to ease of install and removal were:

- warm the tires up as much as possible before you install them. I put mine on last summer and just laid them on a black asphalt driveway for 1/2 an hour prior to spooning them on. This makes a huge difference in how hard it is to stretch the bead over the rim.

- use a good quality tire lube, not just homemade soap and water. I use RuGlyde which was suggested to me by a friend who wrenches professionally and does a LOT of tires. The RuGlyde also makes it easier to get them back off when the time comes as it leaves a waxy film behind. No, it does not make the beads slip on the rim in use at all. But it does prevent the rubber and aluminum from really sticking together.

- when I watch folks change tires and struggle the one thing I notice is that they try to get too much on at once. Taking tiny bites like a couple to a few inches at a time with your tire spoons (irons?) will make the job MUCH easier. Yes, it's a bit slower but way less effort and way easier on the tire beads. I also use rim protectors made from scrap vinyl siding to help ease the irons in and prevent marring rims.

Hope this helps.

 

[guaire]

Victory on the front tire. It's on.
I could use some advice on how to get the rear tire out. It has been pulled away from the brake and hub. Trying to get it out the left side is a squeeze between the fender and the luggage rack. The luggage rack seems to be welded into the rear sub-frame. Even if I remove the shock top nut and bolt, it will still be welded to the rear sub-frame. My manual skips the '83 R80RT. Looks like I have to remove the rear fender, or the rear sub-frame to get the wheel/tire out.
Anyone have the best way to get this wheel of the bike and into the shop?
Cheers,
Bill

 

[kioolt]

It's been years (maybe 15) since I have removed the rear tire from my 82R100RT but I remember having my wife help me. I would lean the bike over and have the wife pull the tire out.

 

[guaire]

A ha! That might help.
Bill

 

[Friedle]

Shedding Shinkos

Deflating the rear tire prior to removal, and not fully inflating it until it has been reinstalled, will make the job a lot easier.

Friedle

 

[beemerphile]

This is one of the consequences of wrong size tires. The 120 width tire that you are trying to take off is about 1/2" wider than the correct 4.00 tire that you will be putting back on. So, it will be easier going back, but Mr. Friedle's advise still holds.

For the 120...

Remove the air valve. Take a couple of C Clamps and break the bead at the place where the tire will rub against the swingarm and rear drive on the way out. You might even leave the clamp in place below the swingarm. Pull like crazy without knocking the bike over. Putting a board or two under the centerstand can give you better clearance for getting it out past the rear fender.

 

[khittner]

If removing the rear bag mounts would be helpful, the racks only have five points of connection to the motorcycle: the two upper shock bolts, the bolts on each rear footpeg flange, and one through-bolt that connects the two luggage brackets to each other, and that passes through a small hoop at the back end of the bike's rear subframe above or in front of the rear tail light. No welded connections to the motorcycle's rear sub-frame, unless an over-zealous PO decided to, uh, "improve" things.

 

[ccolwell]

If you have help, try getting a 2x6 under the center stand; that should give you just enough room. Or you can use the method described in the 2nd post here https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?73108-Never-never-never&highlight=tire

Sounds crazy but works well.

 

[1074]

One other thing

The arms on the shock pre-load adjusters should be facing forward. If installed and indexed correctly then they should be in the highest tension position. My wife has been trained to hold the bike over on the right side to get the tire out and has only dropped the bike off the center stand twice.

 

[SCBuckeye]

On your rear tire, you want to be sure to fully deflate and break the bead before removing from bike. Makes for a little more wiggle room, and it is much easier to break the bead then as well. I use several "C" clamps with a couple pieces of 1/2" plywood so as not to allow the clamps to slide into and mar the rims. I also have seen some us a cut-up old Prestone antifreeze plastic bottle to provide protection. They worked great.

Also, while tire is off the rim, be sure to completely clean the inside of the rim, and polish to get as smooth as possible.

When inflating the new tire with a new tube, be sure to have air valve out of stem to allow for a quick flow of air into the wheel to help force the beads out to the rim edges. Also, use plenty of rubber lube to help rubber slide over rim. I have used soap, but that dries too quickly and will inhibit tire sliding then.

 

[beemerphile]

If you have help, try getting a 2x6 under the center stand; that should give you just enough room.

There are a couple of "one man tricks" for that. One is to lean the bike over and stick a 2x4 under one leg of the centerstand. Then go to the other side and do the same thing. Another is to roll the rear wheel of the bike onto a 2x6 to elevate it a bit, then place another 2x6 under the centerstand foot and rock it up normally. Then remove the 2x6 under the rear wheel.

 

[beemeruss]

Curb your beemer

If you are lucky enough to get a flat in something resembling an urban setting there are curbs such as found on streets, gas stations, and shopping malls. I park the bike with the offending wheel hanging over the curb to create the necessary clearance, Clarence.
Russ

 

[guaire]

Finally got the bugger out yesterday. I removed the left luggage rack, the left shock unit, the left muffler. Then all I had to do was squeeze the tire with a carpenter's clamp to force the thing out.
The worst mess ever. Why put on a crappy compound tire that's too big???
Thank you for the help, everyone, in telling me that it could be done.

Merry Christmas,
Bill