I heard a guy say once if your having to stuggle with it(changing tires) your doing something wrong. But so far alI feel like doing isfighting when I get done.

 

You change your own tires ****

And what exactly is pinching the tube? Is that poking a hole in the tube with the tire iron during install?

 

It's all together..last post was when I came in to check to see what the torque spec was for the axle..so i took a few secs to post my troubles and cool off a bit..no test ride until Monday I guess, but I am just relieved to have it together again....I had to flip the adjusters over so they are now pointing towards the ground and I am at 7.5 on the scale. The stupid thing is, somebody warned me not to cut the chain too short, but I was so focused on the possibility of getting the full use out of the adjusters that I didn't even think about needing to have the extra slack in the chain to slide the wheel ahead enuf to remove the chain from the sprocket toallow removal ofthe rear wheel and tire.

My new front tire is coming sometime early April (Kenda 776 already ordered and paid for..just on back order) so perhaps I should get off my azz and rig up some sort of tire changer before i end up doing the same thing to the front tube.lol[]

Also have a 2bros exhaust on the way...I certainly hope I get my head in the game before that arrives.

 

shoot as many tires ive gone thru latley i should change my own[:@]

 

its not that hard to just pay attention and not pinch the tube, a trick that i do is put enough air in it so it stays a "donut" as to keep it away from the bead of the tire, been goin good so far, canged 5 tires and not once pinched the tube, and you dont need a tire change stand... waste of money.... the front i found tricky cause you couldnt get one bead on the wheel then put the tube in, there was no room to get you fingers to get the valve stem through the wheel, so you have to put the valve stem through the wheel before you even start getting the tire on the wheel.... good luck with that, its even more of a pain than the rear tire. The rear is easy, just like the street bike, it was pretty simple to change the tire. do you have tire irons with rounded tips? that helps for no pinching.

 

I had some air in the tube to help hold its shape, but I believe my down fall was with the 3rd tool i had used...I did buy 2 tire irons, one short and one long, but while I was putting the second bead on the rim, i felt I needed another "hand" so I grabbed a pry bar...I think this tool caused the pinch in the tube...but all has been repaired since and the tires is on and holding air.

 

Mudjunkie 2 tips: lay the new tire on the ground and use that as the stand to change out the old tire. Once the old tire is off put that on the ground a use that as the stand for the new one. The tire gives enough clearance so your rotors/sprocket won't hit the ground.
Tip 2. If you are going to inflate the tire from empty with your compressor, don't let the compressor build up full air pressure and then inflate. Shut it off after about 30 psi. Better yet use a hand pump. Slowly inflating it gives the tube a better chance of working its self loose if it is pinched somewhere.
Funny you mentioned cutting your chain short. I just installed 14/47 gearing and the adjusters are on the 1 notch below 1. I never realized about getting the tire off untill now. On the flip side with one extra link in the chain it would have been back on number 9 or further and left no room for adjustment.

 

2k,

you just answered a question (sort of) that I was about to ask..that is has anyone found a sprocket chain combination good for the trails/some pavement that is also giving you the most use of the adjusters? I love the lower gearing the 13/42 gives me (trying 13/45 now) but hate seeing the adjusters at the last couple notches as I would love to get the full use of them back..BTW...I believe there are 2 more notches below where u are set right? and do these give you teh room to remove the chain from the rear sprocket to slip the wheel off...should u have to?

 

Hey Mudjunkie this one really need to be in this thread. https://www.kawasakiforums.com/m_274498/tm.htm But I guess I'll answer it here. When I first got the bike the very first thing I did was put on the 13 tooth. Then when I took it to the shop to get the jetting done and have the Muzzy installed and the bike jetted and tuned, I had them install a 45 tooth and a new chain. Here is what happened since then. After a few weeks the chain needed adjusted, and again in a couple more, soon I ran out of adjustment and ran them all the way back to 1 and took out a link. The chain, at least the ones I have seen seem to stretch at least 3/4 of an inch over the life of the chain. Now I am back in the middle of the adjusters and things seem to have settled down. As soon as a chain stops needing adjustment, its probably a good indicator that its ran the course, and its time for a new one. JMO

P.S. there are a lot of good posts getting lost without a relative thread to keep them organized. I thought this thread was just a joke at first, but I would hate to see good stuff get all lost. Just a thought. Carry on.[8D]

 

thanks deej..I apologize for putting some useful posts into the BS thread..haha..I was replying to hoedogg and I now realize I should have posted in the chain/sprocket thread..but I like what you're telling me..so i should be able to remove a link after I get a few miles on my 13/45 set-up and get back to the lower end of my adjusters...I like it