Tyres
- Thread starter hamilton
- Start date
dynalow
Club Member
Check wheel bearings while you're at it, the current crop are made of cheese and have a p!ss poor life expectancy. Replace every other tyre change is a good rule of thumb.
Andy from Sandy
Registered User
You can read more about speed and load ratings here - https://www.avontyres.com/en-gb/tyre-care/technical/load-index-and-speed-rating-sy/
So long as the new tyres equal or exceed what is required you are good to go, IMO.
Depending on where you are I have heard Northants V-Twin are very good.
Leaving the wheel bearing until the second tyre change in my case would have been a no go as the non ABS failed long before that time span would be reached. The ABS bearing was perfectly serviceable though.
I suggest you check the bearings as called out in the FSM effectively checking them regularly and changing as required. In my case the time span between the bearing being good and then failing was over quite a low number of miles.
So long as the new tyres equal or exceed what is required you are good to go, IMO.
Depending on where you are I have heard Northants V-Twin are very good.
Leaving the wheel bearing until the second tyre change in my case would have been a no go as the non ABS failed long before that time span would be reached. The ABS bearing was perfectly serviceable though.
I suggest you check the bearings as called out in the FSM effectively checking them regularly and changing as required. In my case the time span between the bearing being good and then failing was over quite a low number of miles.
softail898
Registered User
I don't know where you are hamilton but this is a great place for Tyres. Next day delivery. I don't think they fit tyres to wheels though.
RKchris
Club Member
Hamilton how about the chap you passed to me. Mark1. He’s just serviced/mot my RK. Or the garage behind Waitrose in Keynsham. Can’t think of the name now I’m typing. I’ll come back to you with it.
RKchris
Club Member
Unity Road Motorcycles. There were two Harley’s having work done when I was there Saturday. Not sure if you know anyone in Hartcliffe MC but they were there. Might be worth a call.
My Avons were fitted by EMJ mobile bike tyres. I think he's based Nailsea way. Seemed to know his way round a Harley. £335 the pair about a year ago.
Normally I'd take the wheels to Unity Road, but I didn't have any way to keep something as heavy as a wheel-less Dyna upright.
Normally I'd take the wheels to Unity Road, but I didn't have any way to keep something as heavy as a wheel-less Dyna upright.
Mark doesn’t have a lift and recommended Unity rd motorcycles , I have spoken with unity road today £207 for a cobra chrome and £67 per hour which seems fine , they charge £25 to fit to loose wheel , I have bitten the bullet and ordered myself a lift and will remove the wheel myself and take to the fitter .
That sounds like an excellent price .My Avons were fitted by EMJ mobile bike tyres. I think he's based Nailsea way. Seemed to know his way round a Harley. £335 the pair about a year ago.
Normally I'd take the wheels to Unity Road, but I didn't have any way to keep something as heavy as a wheel-less Dyna upright.
Cheers Chris , spoke with them after Riders .
Thanks , I googled it , so I am now better informed .
It was a year ago...
Who knows what it would be today - Brexit, Ukraine, supply chain, Avon factory closing, etc.
surly
Registered User
I fell into this thread by mistake then started reading about wheel bearings failing in the life of a set of tyres seriously?
I have been riding since 68 (thats 1968) and have had more bikes than I care to remeber and have never had to change a wheel bearing and have only had one friend had to do so in all that time if this is really happening it says Harley are using very poor quality bearings in a critical area.
If harley are prepared to cut corners on wheel bearings what does that say about the rest of the bike.
I have owned my bike for 3 years and to be fair its been almost faultless (condensation in speedo) and I really like it but i recently looked at the Street Glide ST and the debit card was getting twitchy but spending 30 grand on a bike made from cheap components does not make sense to me.
I have been riding since 68 (thats 1968) and have had more bikes than I care to remeber and have never had to change a wheel bearing and have only had one friend had to do so in all that time if this is really happening it says Harley are using very poor quality bearings in a critical area.
If harley are prepared to cut corners on wheel bearings what does that say about the rest of the bike.
I have owned my bike for 3 years and to be fair its been almost faultless (condensation in speedo) and I really like it but i recently looked at the Street Glide ST and the debit card was getting twitchy but spending 30 grand on a bike made from cheap components does not make sense to me.
Andy from Sandy
Registered User
There is folk who change wheel bearings when doing a tyre change regardless of condition. Which leads to which bearing tool do these people use?
If you look at some of them the plate used to press in the second bearing has a lip around the edge. This is not good and if used to fully insert the bearing is liable to put a load on the inner race against the internal spacer.
That bike gets sold and the new owner doesn't have the same mindset and the bearing fails at a time when it looks like it should have gone on for thousands of miles.
This leads me to another issue I have read about and that is rear belt pulleys coming off with the bolts snapped. In every case it appears it was after the pulley was removed for some reason which clearly means whatever method is being used to put it back on it isn't the way HD intended.
Many times those internet experts claim it is not necessary to use a torque wrench but for my bike the pulley bolts have a first and then a final torque. How do you do that without a torque wrench?
So in summary surly I think people are not doing work as HD want it done and are causing problems that shouldn't exist.
The worst thing for HD reliability is their owners!
If you look at some of them the plate used to press in the second bearing has a lip around the edge. This is not good and if used to fully insert the bearing is liable to put a load on the inner race against the internal spacer.
That bike gets sold and the new owner doesn't have the same mindset and the bearing fails at a time when it looks like it should have gone on for thousands of miles.
This leads me to another issue I have read about and that is rear belt pulleys coming off with the bolts snapped. In every case it appears it was after the pulley was removed for some reason which clearly means whatever method is being used to put it back on it isn't the way HD intended.
Many times those internet experts claim it is not necessary to use a torque wrench but for my bike the pulley bolts have a first and then a final torque. How do you do that without a torque wrench?
So in summary surly I think people are not doing work as HD want it done and are causing problems that shouldn't exist.
The worst thing for HD reliability is their owners!
Halal Tim
Club Member
Amen.