So this morning I just happened to look at the rear tire on my Buddy and *gasp* it's bald. Not just a little bald... Really bald.
I stopped by the shop for a quote and they suggested the Michelin S83. $50 for the tire and $70 for the install. I'm probably just going to go for it because the tire's really bald. But... has anyone tried changing the rear tire themselves? Is it difficult? Should I try and learn to do it? If anyone local feel like showing a noob... I'll make you a pizza.
» Current: 2006 Saabaru 9-2x Aero, 2006 Scion xB, Original '07 Series Italia, 2003 Marin Highway One » Departed: 2004 Subaru WRX, 1999 1/2 VW GTI
I have never done it but might try with the help of a much more mechanically inclined friend. I do know that it involves pulling the exhaust pipe first.
Mine has hit the wear bar but isn't TOTALLY bald yet!!
Mounting the tires is probably the most challenging but installing the mounted wheels on the buddy should be straight forward. The rear does involve removing the exhaust. I wonder if removing the exhaust also involves replacing the exhaust gasket...
Changing the tire is fast and simple with the right tools. The cost of the tools would be recovered after a few tire changes. I had most of the tools from changing tires on my 1929 and 49 MG's.
I've changed tires on the Buddy five times now. One time was for a suspected leak which turned out to be a cap that was slightly compressing the valve. The biggest pain is removing the exhaust and remounting it.
thx for the links! this looks a bit beyond my abilities... i live in a high-rise w/no space to do it and no equipments either. i can probably give it a try with some assistance from someone who knows what they're doing but if i had to do it myself i think i'm going to be way over my head. lol.
maybe a DIY tire-changing BBQ or something? i can't be the only person wanting to learn.
» Current: 2006 Saabaru 9-2x Aero, 2006 Scion xB, Original '07 Series Italia, 2003 Marin Highway One » Departed: 2004 Subaru WRX, 1999 1/2 VW GTI
I changed both of my own tires last year. Taking off the exhaust and removing the wheel from the bike was the easy part. The hard part is removing the tires from the wheel and getting the new tires onto the wheel. So you could save yourself some money by removing your own wheel and then taking it to the dealer to have the tire changed. As for needing a lot of space, I did my tire change during the cold part of the year, so I wheeled my scooter into our mudroom to do the work. That was a pretty small space, but it kept my fingers from freezing. There was just enough room to work.
Yep, it's pretty involved. I can't imagine taking it on from a hi-rise. My caveat is that I didn't mind too much that I put some scratches in the paint on my rims by doing it myself.
I'm not sure, but I think Sportique Scooters charges around 40 bucks if you bring in the wheel yourself which is a pretty good deal.
Call and ask Russell or Sterling (they are at the Denver shop; not Englewood).
.::I know the voices in my head aren't real, but man do they come up with some great ideas::.
i did actually. i scooted straight there after my errand this morning and realizing that my rear tire were completely bald. it just suxs to spend more money, because i just spent $75 for a new battery there just a few weeks ago too.
» Current: 2006 Saabaru 9-2x Aero, 2006 Scion xB, Original '07 Series Italia, 2003 Marin Highway One » Departed: 2004 Subaru WRX, 1999 1/2 VW GTI
un_designer wrote:i did actually. i scooted straight there after my errand this morning and realizing that my rear tire were completely bald. it just suxs to spend more money, because i just spent $75 for a new battery there just a few weeks ago too.
Was the price they quoted for labor if you just brought the scooter in (meaning they would have to remove the wheel) or just the wheel (you remove it)?
That was my other thought- taking the wheel off seems within my abilities (maybe!) but changing the tire seems like another level.
pdxrita wrote:I changed both of my own tires last year. Taking off the exhaust and removing the wheel from the bike was the easy part. The hard part is removing the tires from the wheel and getting the new tires onto the wheel. So you could save yourself some money by removing your own wheel and then taking it to the dealer to have the tire changed.
My dealer looks down their collective noses at my Buddy. They refuse to touch it so I'm forced to bring in the wheel for changing.
If you take the wheel off and bring it to Sportique they'll put it on for $20. I don't like their pricing which is based on CC's. Buddy 50 labor on tire change is cheaper than Buddy 170i even though they're roughly the same level of difficulty. Probably nearly identical.
Erico will do it for $35 labor if you buy the tire there.
Colorado Powersports installs for free if you buy the tire there.
un_designer wrote:i did actually. i scooted straight there after my errand this morning and realizing that my rear tire were completely bald. it just suxs to spend more money, because i just spent $75 for a new battery there just a few weeks ago too.
Was the price they quoted for labor if you just brought the scooter in (meaning they would have to remove the wheel) or just the wheel (you remove it)?
That was my other thought- taking the wheel off seems within my abilities (maybe!) but changing the tire seems like another level.
The prices in my original post is me just dropping the scooter off; $50 for the Michelin S83 and $70 for the labor. I didn't even think of the option of trying to remove the wheel myself and just brining it in, mainly because I didn't think about it and because I've never removed the wheel before.
» Current: 2006 Saabaru 9-2x Aero, 2006 Scion xB, Original '07 Series Italia, 2003 Marin Highway One » Departed: 2004 Subaru WRX, 1999 1/2 VW GTI
velobuff wrote:If you take the wheel off and bring it to Sportique they'll put it on for $20. I don't like their pricing which is based on CC's. Buddy 50 labor on tire change is cheaper than Buddy 170i even though they're roughly the same level of difficulty. Probably nearly identical.
Erico will do it for $35 labor if you buy the tire there.
Colorado Powersports installs for free if you buy the tire there.
have you removed & re-install the wheel before? i've never done it so i don't want to risk it doing it by myself and messing it up.
i'll have to look into colorado powersports. funny i used to work like 2 blocks from there and never realized that i could go there. i'm looking on their website right now to see if they have scooter tires.
» Current: 2006 Saabaru 9-2x Aero, 2006 Scion xB, Original '07 Series Italia, 2003 Marin Highway One » Departed: 2004 Subaru WRX, 1999 1/2 VW GTI
velobuff wrote:If you take the wheel off and bring it to Sportique they'll put it on for $20. I don't like their pricing which is based on CC's. Buddy 50 labor on tire change is cheaper than Buddy 170i even though they're roughly the same level of difficulty. Probably nearly identical.
Erico will do it for $35 labor if you buy the tire there.
Colorado Powersports installs for free if you buy the tire there.
have you removed & re-install the wheel before? i've never done it so i don't want to risk it doing it by myself and messing it up.
i'll have to look into colorado powersports. funny i used to work like 2 blocks from there and never realized that i could go there. i'm looking on their website right now to see if they have scooter tires.
Seriously, taking the wheel off is easy. First you remove the exhaust. That's just a matter of taking off a few bolts and dropping it. The hardest thing I recall about that was the rear fender getting in the way of my socket on one of the hanger bolts. Then for the wheel, the nut is fairly tight, so you need to be able to break that. I managed to do it by myself and I'm a tiny woman. I just put my socket wrench on it firmly and then jumped on it until it turned. You just need something nearby to hang onto while you do that. I didn't need any help in removing my wheel. Where I did need help was in removing and installing the tire. That was hard and required more strength than I have.
i'm going to go get some price quotes tomorrow morning and then possibly getting together w/another member here who has the tools and the better skills to help remove the tire and bring it in.
» Current: 2006 Saabaru 9-2x Aero, 2006 Scion xB, Original '07 Series Italia, 2003 Marin Highway One » Departed: 2004 Subaru WRX, 1999 1/2 VW GTI
pdxrita wrote:
Then for the wheel, the nut is fairly tight, so you need to be able to break that. I managed to do it by myself and I'm a tiny woman. I just put my socket wrench on it firmly and then jumped on it until it turned.
I've found it's easier to remove the 5 small nuts to remove the wheel rather than the one big nut to remove the wheel/brake drum assembly.
pdxrita wrote:
Then for the wheel, the nut is fairly tight, so you need to be able to break that. I managed to do it by myself and I'm a tiny woman. I just put my socket wrench on it firmly and then jumped on it until it turned.
I've found it's easier to remove the 5 small nuts to remove the wheel rather than the one big nut to remove the wheel/brake drum assembly.
How do you balance/check the balance of the tire then?
pdxrita wrote:
Seriously, taking the wheel off is easy. First you remove the exhaust. That's just a matter of taking off a few bolts and dropping it. The hardest thing I recall about that was the rear fender getting in the way of my socket on one of the hanger bolts. Then for the wheel, the nut is fairly tight, so you need to be able to break that. I managed to do it by myself and I'm a tiny woman. I just put my socket wrench on it firmly and then jumped on it until it turned. You just need something nearby to hang onto while you do that. I didn't need any help in removing my wheel. Where I did need help was in removing and installing the tire. That was hard and required more strength than I have.
How about getting the nut tight enough when you put it back on? Do you need an impact wrench?
velobuff wrote:
How do you balance/check the balance of the tire then?
Dynabeads.
the dyna beads website wrote:Motorcycles and Scooters ride s-m-o-o-t-h with Dyna Beads®!
You simply won't believe the ride...
Glass smooth ride, every time, all the time.
Dramatically longer tire life
No rebalancing
No spoke or rim weights
Eliminates tire cupping.
Easy to install
Your motorcycle dealer won't want to do it the old way once he's tried Dyna Beads!
PeteH wrote:My scoot's still inside his first pair of shoes (he's just a baby), but do installers even bother balancing a 10" tire?
I would hope so. Those 10" tires are mounted on scoots that can go pretty fast with catastrophic effects if the tire failed at speed due to effects of an imbalance.
PeteH wrote:My scoot's still inside his first pair of shoes (he's just a baby), but do installers even bother balancing a 10" tire?
I would hope so. Those 10" tires are mounted on scoots that can go pretty fast with catastrophic effects if the tire failed at speed due to effects of an imbalance.
There is no balancing needed on these small tires. As for getting it tight enough, I used the same process as I used for loosening it - I stood on the wrench. I can tell you that I rode for at least a thousand miles on that tire and the wheel never came off . Ideally, you should use a torque wrench to ensure it's tight enough. Unfortunately, that's the scoot I totaled a week or so ago, so I'll never know for sure if it would have eventually shot out from under me .
If you're feeling really handy, snag some Motion Pro tire irons. I never knew how easily a tire could be removed and remounted on the rim with just those and a 50/50 of beer and shampoo to lubricate the bead. It was a first for the cannonball group, changing a tubeless tire without split rims!
I'm in the white t shirt, thanks to Patrick for doing most of the work involved. The video was stopped before the new tire was mounted, but the harder part was getting the old tire off.
I'll make you a pizza.
. Ideally, you should use a torque wrench to ensure it's tight enough. Unfortunately, that's the scoot I totaled a week or so ago, so I'll never know for sure if it would have eventually shot out from under me 
.
