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I am starting a New Post on the results of the Car Tire Installation on the 400 as the previous post did not include the words Car Tire or Darkside and got long with all the problems I had removing OEM Tire and mounting the Car Tire. Seating was also a problem and I broke my recommendation to staya round70 or so PSI. We ended up at near 100 PSI and I used Teflon Lubricant (spray can like WD40) as last lubricant). Anyway, tha tis all documented.
I hope all this helps someone decide waht and how to do it. If you are thinking Darkside - so far, i recommend it.
This is LONG and DETAILED with PICTURES. There will be several posts involved. (Pictures and details of installation, pictures on scooter, pictures after 15 mile test ride). I sent E Mail to my ride lsit and others, easier in E Mail as I can write above the pictures - so, I hope this make sense when I am done.
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The removal of OEM Tire (150-70-13) at 6190 miles, mounting of the Car Tire (Achilles Premium 155-70R-13) on the Rim, and the problems getting it seated have been reported. Tire shiped from www.Tireeasy.com -- but I would look locally for a 13 inch tire in that size (save shipping). I did not, but wish I had.
First -- It makes it easier if you put the Scooter up at least one block (I am using 2 x 8 by various lengths). To do this (sounds simple, but this will help):: First run the front and rear tires up on a block (Before removing OEM Tire) and MAKE SURE you have a board to catch the side stand. Then place a board under the Center Stand where it contacts the board solidly on both feet of the center stand (important to get it under both feet of the stand or you may tip the whole thing over). Then just pull the Scooter up on the center sand as you normally would. Note: If you do not run the Scooter tires up on the boards first, you cannot force the Scooter onto the Center Stand with a board under it as there is not enough leverage.
NOTE: NO PLASTIC REMOVED - You can get to everything (the muffler exhaust pipe clamp is the only half way difficult thing to reach - see 2 of 2 for that).
Now - the Install of Wheel with Car Tire.
I was all set to start and realized after we seated the tire bead at Curt's, we did not balance the wheel (DUH). So, I went to Bob's and he did a bang up job (spin balance). I usually just static balance on the axle, but you can't with this bike as the spline gears on axle and hub interfere.
I had one interference problem when trying to put the hub ion the axle. ------ The Car Tire being a bit larger in Diameter (155 x 70) vs OEM (150 x 70) and I think the Car Tire has more tread thickness (I measured 0.25 inches with a micrometer depth gauge). Anyway, the Car Tire tread at about 2 O'Clock interfered where the tire goes under the fender (which is the bottom of the storage area under the seat). There is a flange apparently where two sections of the fender are joined. The tread of the Car Tire was barely touching the flange and would not allow one to get the hub and axle aligned to allow the spline gear to connect. SO, I CUT some of the flange away. HINDSIGHT -- I wish I would have cut a bit less of the flange. I don't think there will be a problem, but leaving it as close as possible to OEM would be best.
Pictures showing the interference are not real clear - should have used a flash vs a trouble light on the material - HINDSIGHT).
The flange interference is in the area where I rubbed the dirt off to show it (upper left black shinny area of the picture). DOES IT MAKE SENSE? If not, maybe this helps - the dirty area to the left of the shinny black area is the cutout in the storage area to give the tire clearance as the frame moves up and down over bumps. Anyway, the flange is like where two piece of the fender were joined (the piece for the tire cutout and the piece for the rest of the bottom of the storage compartment). The axle out of the CVT with it's part of the spline gear is shown along with bearing in the CVT case.
I used this serrated knife to cut the plastic (it was easy to cut). Just wish I would have taken a bit less of it.
The tire then cleared the flange and I was able to mesh up the spline gears (Hub to Axle).
If you look closely above the second 'L" in the tire name, you can see where I started the cut.
Enough of that - the rest is simple. Make sure all spacers are in place (there is one behind the tire where the axle goes thru that is not shown in my pictures). It pretty much stays in there (even thru all the mounting of the tire and trying to bead it). It did come out when I was wiping things off.
This picture shows the clearance of the tire with the metal in front of the tire. I looked at that before I continued mounting as you can not see very well once the swing arm is back in place. Clearance is about 3/4 inch and I am not worried about it. I also felt with my fingers between the CVT (other side of the wheel) and sidewall of the tire, no problem there. Why would there be as tire is only 2.5 MM wider off center?'
Before putting the swing arm on check to see that the "0" ring is in the wheel hub at the spline gear end of the wheel (mine fell out when the guy did a spin balance and he happened to see it on the floor - lucky as I might not have realized one was in there). You also need to make sure the spacer is behind the Swing Arm. Then slide the Swing Arm over the axle while holding the other end as near in alignment the two bolt holes as you can. Then install the two bolts part way in, they will be torque after you have finished torquing the axle bolt.
Installing Spacer and Axle Bolt. Make sure spacer is turned correctly (it would not make sense to put it any other way). Then snug up about hand tight (torque later to 87 Ft Lbs).
Then install Brake Caliper and SET the hand Brake (Brake holds the wheel while you torque the Axle Nut).
Then torque the two Swing arm Bolts on the other end of the swing arm.
The NEXT POST (if noone else posts - please don't) will conclude with the Muffler Installation - final pictures and test ride.
I hope all this helps someone decide waht and how to do it. If you are thinking Darkside - so far, i recommend it.
This is LONG and DETAILED with PICTURES. There will be several posts involved. (Pictures and details of installation, pictures on scooter, pictures after 15 mile test ride). I sent E Mail to my ride lsit and others, easier in E Mail as I can write above the pictures - so, I hope this make sense when I am done.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
The removal of OEM Tire (150-70-13) at 6190 miles, mounting of the Car Tire (Achilles Premium 155-70R-13) on the Rim, and the problems getting it seated have been reported. Tire shiped from www.Tireeasy.com -- but I would look locally for a 13 inch tire in that size (save shipping). I did not, but wish I had.
First -- It makes it easier if you put the Scooter up at least one block (I am using 2 x 8 by various lengths). To do this (sounds simple, but this will help):: First run the front and rear tires up on a block (Before removing OEM Tire) and MAKE SURE you have a board to catch the side stand. Then place a board under the Center Stand where it contacts the board solidly on both feet of the center stand (important to get it under both feet of the stand or you may tip the whole thing over). Then just pull the Scooter up on the center sand as you normally would. Note: If you do not run the Scooter tires up on the boards first, you cannot force the Scooter onto the Center Stand with a board under it as there is not enough leverage.
NOTE: NO PLASTIC REMOVED - You can get to everything (the muffler exhaust pipe clamp is the only half way difficult thing to reach - see 2 of 2 for that).
Now - the Install of Wheel with Car Tire.
I was all set to start and realized after we seated the tire bead at Curt's, we did not balance the wheel (DUH). So, I went to Bob's and he did a bang up job (spin balance). I usually just static balance on the axle, but you can't with this bike as the spline gears on axle and hub interfere.
I had one interference problem when trying to put the hub ion the axle. ------ The Car Tire being a bit larger in Diameter (155 x 70) vs OEM (150 x 70) and I think the Car Tire has more tread thickness (I measured 0.25 inches with a micrometer depth gauge). Anyway, the Car Tire tread at about 2 O'Clock interfered where the tire goes under the fender (which is the bottom of the storage area under the seat). There is a flange apparently where two sections of the fender are joined. The tread of the Car Tire was barely touching the flange and would not allow one to get the hub and axle aligned to allow the spline gear to connect. SO, I CUT some of the flange away. HINDSIGHT -- I wish I would have cut a bit less of the flange. I don't think there will be a problem, but leaving it as close as possible to OEM would be best.
Pictures showing the interference are not real clear - should have used a flash vs a trouble light on the material - HINDSIGHT).
The flange interference is in the area where I rubbed the dirt off to show it (upper left black shinny area of the picture). DOES IT MAKE SENSE? If not, maybe this helps - the dirty area to the left of the shinny black area is the cutout in the storage area to give the tire clearance as the frame moves up and down over bumps. Anyway, the flange is like where two piece of the fender were joined (the piece for the tire cutout and the piece for the rest of the bottom of the storage compartment). The axle out of the CVT with it's part of the spline gear is shown along with bearing in the CVT case.
I used this serrated knife to cut the plastic (it was easy to cut). Just wish I would have taken a bit less of it.
The tire then cleared the flange and I was able to mesh up the spline gears (Hub to Axle).
If you look closely above the second 'L" in the tire name, you can see where I started the cut.
Enough of that - the rest is simple. Make sure all spacers are in place (there is one behind the tire where the axle goes thru that is not shown in my pictures). It pretty much stays in there (even thru all the mounting of the tire and trying to bead it). It did come out when I was wiping things off.
This picture shows the clearance of the tire with the metal in front of the tire. I looked at that before I continued mounting as you can not see very well once the swing arm is back in place. Clearance is about 3/4 inch and I am not worried about it. I also felt with my fingers between the CVT (other side of the wheel) and sidewall of the tire, no problem there. Why would there be as tire is only 2.5 MM wider off center?'
Before putting the swing arm on check to see that the "0" ring is in the wheel hub at the spline gear end of the wheel (mine fell out when the guy did a spin balance and he happened to see it on the floor - lucky as I might not have realized one was in there). You also need to make sure the spacer is behind the Swing Arm. Then slide the Swing Arm over the axle while holding the other end as near in alignment the two bolt holes as you can. Then install the two bolts part way in, they will be torque after you have finished torquing the axle bolt.
Installing Spacer and Axle Bolt. Make sure spacer is turned correctly (it would not make sense to put it any other way). Then snug up about hand tight (torque later to 87 Ft Lbs).
Then install Brake Caliper and SET the hand Brake (Brake holds the wheel while you torque the Axle Nut).
Then torque the two Swing arm Bolts on the other end of the swing arm.
The NEXT POST (if noone else posts - please don't) will conclude with the Muffler Installation - final pictures and test ride.
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