[lemming]

Since I blew a tube an hour from home this weekend, I find myself preparing to tackle this task tonight in my car port for the first time. I have the Snidal manual, but does anyone have any special insight on pulling the rear wheel from a 2011 B5? Seems to be the standard wheel, but mine seems different from the examples in the manual.

As for the general job, I think I have the basic gist of it:
-Pull the brake rod adjuster nut, brake lock nut, 24mm castle nut and 30mm main nut, break the chain (will the pins push out easily or do I need a chain break tool big enough for a moto chain??) and pull the wheel, then proceed to engage in hand-to-hand combat with the tire irons and rim.
-Rip out a valve stem or two and pinch-flat a tube before getting a tube finally in place and partially inflated, then realize the tube slipped and valve stem is out of alignment, pull it out and do it again.
-Rip most of my knuckle skin off and spend the remainder of the evening applying afterbite to the mosquito feasted skin that was exposed during combat.

Am I missing anything, or is this about what I can expect?

:-)

[dan0h]

Sounds about right, though I'd personally recommended stopping after say the second or third ruined tube, to have some liquid refreshment

[MarkF]

Lemming,
Unless the B5 is WAY different from the G5 you are getting too involved. You don't have to break the chain or even the big nut. 

On the right side remove the cotter key/split pin and the castle nut. Pull the axle/spindle from the left side (the left snail chain adjuster will come with it). Rock the wheel to break the cush rubbers loose from the lugs on the drum and you will have the wheel in your hands. The chain, sprocket and brake drum stay on the bike.
Then you just have to work it out from under the fender. Probably will have to tip the bike and it will help if you put a 2x4 under the center stand to give you more clearance.

[lemming]

Hmmm.. ...okay, will try that and see if it works. Mine doesn't look like the QR setup in snidals manual, but maybe, just maybe.....

[mattsz]

No - it's easier than that!  You don't need to touch the brakes to remove the rear wheel.  Believe it or not, the owner's manual has the steps:

• Bike on center stand
• Remove the cotter pin and castle nut from the right side of the axle
• Pull the axle out from the left side.  The chain adjuster will come with it.  Mind the spacers between the swing arm plate and the wheel bearing, you'll need to replace them in the same locations when you reassemble
• Remove the wheel.

This last step might be tricky.  First, you might find the wheel stuck to the drum - the rubber "cush drives" on mine bound up pretty well, and it needed some serious coaxing to free it up.  The books say to tilt the bike to the right to remove the wheel from under the fender - if you go this route, be careful, of course!

I have a solo seat on mine, and it's as simple as loosening four nuts and the rear fender pivots up high enough to just roll the wheel out.

I just did this to replace a worn rear tire: 10 minutes to remove the wheel, 22 minutes to change the tire, 12 minutes to replace the wheel...

[barenekd]

Using a bit of grease in the cush rubbers will make them a lot easier to get in and out!
Bare

[lemming]

You are life savers, all. Wheel was off in less than five minutes.... Sweet!

Once I put the tinies to bed, I will start on the tire and tube.

Thanks!!!!

[Arizoni]

I seem to recall reading that the C model also still has the movable rear fender (mud guard) to aid in removing the rear wheel.

Loosen up and remove a few of the nuts that hold the fender sub frame at the bottom and it will pivot about the upper studs after loosening the nuts at the top raising the fender up as well.
With the fender up out of the way, getting the wheel out is just a matter of rolling it.

Course, I might be thinking of a old Iron Barrel. 

[krimp]

I seem to recall reading that the C model also still has the movable rear fender (mud guard) to aid in removing the rear wheel.

Loosen up and remove a few of the nuts that hold the fender sub frame at the bottom and it will pivot about the upper studs after loosening the nuts at the top raising the fender up as well.
With the fender up out of the way, getting the wheel out is just a matter of rolling it.

Course, I might be thinking of a old Iron Barrel. 

You are not wrong sir. I've been looking t it for a few weeks now, you can certainly loosen a few nuts to raise the rear mud guard.

[Arizoni]

That is a feature my G5 doesn't have and I'm dreading changing the rear wheel because of it.

Getting the one castle nut loose and pulling the axle will be the easy part but the last time I tried to raise my motorcycle with a 2 X  6 board under the center stand I pulled several muscles in my right shoulder.  It took over three months before the pain went away.  (Yes, the 2 X 6 was laying on its face so it was only 1 3/4 inches tall.)   

[mattsz]

Yeah, surprising how hard it is to raise the bike up onto center stand riser blocks!

Thanks, Bare, for the cush-drive grease suggestion!  I was just about to inquire about what I might use to make it easier in the future, and there was the answer!

[no bs]

i used 2 2x6 boards stacked, backed the bike up a small ramp and then set the centerstand. all kinds of room for easy tire removal.

[High On Octane]

That is a feature my G5 doesn't have and I'm dreading changing the rear wheel because of it.

Getting the one castle nut loose and pulling the axle will be the easy part but the last time I tried to raise my motorcycle with a 2 X  6 board under the center stand I pulled several muscles in my right shoulder.  It took over three months before the pain went away.  (Yes, the 2 X 6 was laying on its face so it was only 1 3/4 inches tall.)   

Here's the trick to doing that.  Put the bike on the center stand and place the board directly behind the center stand.  Lean the bike to one side so the stand is only on one leg and use your foot to slide the board under the foot that is in the air.  Walk to other side of the bike and repeat.  Just roll the bike forward as usual to get the bike back down.

Scottie j

[lemming]

Yes, this^^^^^^^. I used stacked boards, set one batch under the left side of the center stand while tilting the bike, then repeated on the other side. Easy-peezy. The wheel dropped right out, no need for fender futzing.

Found the leak in my old tube and patching it now, so I have a spare kicking around. Altogether, far less painful than I expected. Took a bit to get the tube aligned right and the tire back on, but once I did, all went well. Waiting to see if it holds air through the night before I hop back on to make sure I didn't damage the new tube going in.

[High On Octane]

Yes, this^^^^^^^. I used stacked boards, set one batch under the left side of the center stand while tilting the bike, then repeated on the other side. Easy-peezy. The wheel dropped right out, no need for fender futzing.

Found the leak in my old tube and patching it now, so I have a spare kicking around. Altogether, far less painful than I expected. Took a bit to get the tube aligned right and the tire back on, but once I did, all went well. Waiting to see if it holds air through the night before I hop back on to make sure I didn't damage the new tube going in.

Glad it worked out for you.  As far as the tube, you didn't damage it, that you know of.  A few years ago I had just installed a new tire and tube on my '96 YZ125 race bike.  I was riding the trails near my house and I went go jump this step up and when I landed at the top of the first step my rear tire blew and sent me off of the trail.  It was a bitch to get my bike back on level ground and finally limped the bike back to the truck. When I got home and pulled it apart it was clear as day that I pinched the tire.  So, it happens, but if it felt smooth and you didn't dig too deep with the irons you should be fine.  Did you coat the tire and tube with baby powder?

Scottie J

[lemming]

Glad it worked out for you.  As far as the tube, you didn't damage it, that you know of.  A few years ago I had just installed a new tire and tube on my '96 YZ125 race bike.  I was riding the trails near my house and I went go jump this step up and when I landed at the top of the first step my rear tire blew and sent me off of the trail.  It was a bitch to get my bike back on level ground and finally limped the bike back to the truck. When I got home and pulled it apart it was clear as day that I pinched the tire.  So, it happens, but if it felt smooth and you didn't dig too deep with the irons you should be fine.  Did you coat the tire and tube with baby powder?

Scottie J

Errrrr......no. Curses. Well, we will see how it goes.

[mattsz]

...you might find the wheel stuck to the drum - the rubber "cush drives" on mine bound up pretty well, and it needed some serious coaxing to free it up.

Upon further consideration, then inspection, while I was reinstalling the wheel, I found that of course it wasn't the rubber cush drives causing the binding at all.  It was the the collar where the bearing seats, which stands proud of the hub:



binding where it's a tight fit into the brake drum (ignore the white arrow):



A light swipe of grease on the hub helps...

[suitcasejefferson]

Here's the trick to doing that.  Put the bike on the center stand and place the board directly behind the center stand.  Lean the bike to one side so the stand is only on one leg and use your foot to slide the board under the foot that is in the air.  Walk to other side of the bike and repeat.  Just roll the bike forward as usual to get the bike back down.

Scottie j

This is it. You can actually put the bike up on 2-3 2x6s this way. They can be removed in the same way, one at the time. I have never owned a bike jack, so I have always had to do it this way. I have changed hundreds of tires, and don't remember ever damaging a tube. Aside from just being careful and taking your time, the trick is to use a lot of lubricant. I have used a whole bunch of things as lubricants, the last few tires I've changed I used vaseline and it worked very well. I often have to repair flats on my dual sport bike out in the middle of the desert.

[Craig McClure]

Over the years I have probably changed at least a hundred motorcycle tires, especially since I ran mostly good used freebies. I am blessed enough now to have a Harbor Freight big red platform lift, with a trapdoor to drop a bike wheel. I now take my wheels, spoke weights, tires & tubes, to a shop & pay $30. for the change because I'm not as strong as I used to be, & don't have a spin balancer. I prefer this method now & NEVER pinch a tube anymore.

[lemming]

Several commutes now on the new tube, so far so good. Hopefully I won't have to do this too often, but at least now I know what to do when it occurs and I have what I need with me to fix a flat on the road.

I may try one of the products out there that seals punctures as a secondary measure as well.

[barenekd]

I bobbed the rear fender on my G5 and never had any more problems with it.
Bare

[suitcasejefferson]

Over the years I have probably changed at least a hundred motorcycle tires, especially since I ran mostly good used freebies. I am blessed enough now to have a Harbor Freight big red platform lift, with a trapdoor to drop a bike wheel. I now take my wheels, spoke weights, tires & tubes, to a shop & pay $30. for the change because I'm not as strong as I used to be, & don't have a spin balancer. I prefer this method now & NEVER pinch a tube anymore.

I am partially disabled (severe arthritis and fibromyalgia) but I would never trust a shop with my wheels. I had a shop ruin a couple of expensive car wheels a few decades ago. They finally paid, but it was a long drawn out battle. Changing motorcycle tires does not really require much strength, IF you do it right. I have seen a lot of people fighting like crazy trying to force the tire bead over the rim, and it just wouldn't go. It wouldn't go because they either did not have the bead on the other side down in the center grove in the rim, or they did not have any lubricant, or both. Some people actually think you can stretch the tire bead over the rim. I guess they don't know there is a heavy metal wire in there.