Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum
Royal Enfield Motorcycles => Bullet with the UCE engine => Topic started by: Ricey Thunderhide on April 26, 2010, 11:14:25 am
-
Morning all,
Whilst riding around the Cotswolds, England on Sunday I got a puncture in my rear tyre. I won't bore you with tales of the five hour wait for the AA to turn up (and not fix it), or the incredible£157 they subsequently charged me to ferry me home. I won't even mention the 30 minute heavy downpour with nowhere to shelter. Nor will I make mention of the official Royal Enfield UK team driving past with a trailer full of Royal Enfields, with nothing but a friendly smile and thumbs up by way of help. Nope, these tales are for another day.
My question is now it's home, how to fix it?
My first plan is to remove the rear wheel, take it to my dealer and get them to change the inner tube.
My second plan is to remove the rear wheel and change the inner tube myself.
Has anyone here done any of these things themselves. If so can you offer any advice on what to do and any pitfalls to avoid?
Thanks
W
-
i have had really bad luck with tube patch kits . i suggest a new heavy duty innertube. or a hot patch as applied by a repair shop. if you do the repair by yourself , be careful not to pinch the tube .be sure to put the bikescenterstand on a 2 inch thick block of wood so that you can get the wheel out from under the mud guard. a simple matter of removing one axel nut , one break assembly nut,and cotter pin and sliding out the axel.the chain and break assembly stay on the bike .getting the tyre off the rim is a little harder but one should really get used to doing this. good luck.
-
Thanks Bob,
I had planned to replace the inner tube, rather than patch the old one.
It is the removal of the rear wheel I am concerned about. You make it sound quite easy. I was expecting all manor of nuts, spacers, springs and screws to scatter and ping off around my garage as I pulled the axle out. Is there anything like this I should be mindful of?
Thanks
W
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJL8pBXBp3Y
This might help too
http://www.royalenfields.com/2008/08/removing-bullet-rear-wheel-is-easy-with.html
Cheers
HMR
Mumbai
-
Keep in mind that the tire spoons tend to be a little weak. They bend easily. Go out and get some penetrating oil and spray around the bead to aid you in getting the tire off the rim. Also, you only need to get one side of the tire off the rim. you should be able to pull out the old tube and insert the new one in this configuration. I just went through this myself, twice, with my front wheel. I had a defective tube that I patched which subsequentlt failed again. A hot patch would be a good idea, although there are a lot of options out there. One last thing. The tube has what I will call "ribs" for lack of a better term on certain parts of it. If your puncture is there you may have a difficult time patching it.
Good luck.
Sam
-
I don't think you can even get good tire patches anymore much less good glue to put it on with.
With the low prices of tire tubes I just toss old ones and replace with new every time.
As far as getting the rear wheel off the bike you don't need to disassemble anything. Just pull the axle out, remove the spacer, tilt the bike over and kick the tire out of there.
It's really that easy!
As mentioned before the spoons that come with the bike are worthless. Get 2 or 3 good ones and go at it.
CJ
-
Getting the wheel off is the easy part. Most first time tire changers pinch a tube or 2 before they succeed. Balance the cost of the tubes against the shop charge. Most shops charge less for a wheel off the bike.
-
Oh yeah, done that. Here is my write up.
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,5793.msg66180.html#msg66180
-
Balance the cost of the tubes against the shop charge.
There is a 3rd quotient in there. The price/value of an education.
Every self respecting motorcyclist should know how to change a tire out in the middle of nowhere. And if it cost you a few inner-tubes to gain the confidence of knowing how to do it then so be it.
Then after your a pro and really don't feel like doing it then take it to a dealer and spread the wealth around.
CJ
-
I think that is good advice. Getting those skills would shrink down the whole puncture problem for future rides.
-
LOL ! I repaired a puncture on the roadside while on my way to work barely a month ago.
Our brothers have kindly provided links and information so I will add that it is a simple task and only seems daunting the first time or two.
It goes rather quickly and easily once you've practiced it a few times at home.
Emglo makes tire spoons (levers) that are drop forged and of good quality while being surprisingly inexpensive.
I found the spoons supplied in the tool kit to be notional at best.
-
I replaced the rear tube at work after showing up with a stem-washer-left-in-the-tire induced flat.
Bike on center stand, pull axel, remove spacer, tilt bike onto thighs while doing a partial squat, pull out tire.
I put it on the floor and broke the bead by pushing on the side wall with the butt of a mallet handle. Did both sides. Used the spoons in the kit and they did not bend and worked fine. You only have to go a few dozen degrees around the rim and then it pretty much can be wrestled off by hand. Just flipped off one side of the tire
Pulled out old tube and replaced. Put a little air in it so I knew where it was and started pushing the freed edge of the tire back on with my hands for a while, then went back to pushing with the mallet handle finishing up the last few degrees with the spoon. Made sure valve was straight, filled tire to reset bead, let air out to desired pressure, put on the stem washer and nut.
Tilted bike onto my lap again, slipped tire under fender, replaced spacer and axel, tightened things up then washed my hands.
20 minutes or so I think. Ahhh.
-
Bill Harris has his axle installed in the reverse direction to accommodate his up swept exhaust. Axle is easily withdrawn from the left for flat repairs.
-
I have taken the wheel off. Very easy to do. Removing the tyre, however, seems to be an insurmountable task! I think I am too light and puny to break the bead and fear the bead has broken me! I can't make a dent. I will try again tonight, otherwise it is being taken to the inner tube replacement man.
-
Ricey,
Where in the UK are you?
Help may be at hand!
REgards
TT
-
I have taken the wheel off. Very easy to do. Removing the tyre, however, seems to be an insurmountable task! I think I am too light and puny to break the bead and fear the bead has broken me! I can't make a dent. I will try again tonight, otherwise it is being taken to the inner tube replacement man.
I think "emskee" is the replacement man!!
-
I have taken the wheel off. Very easy to do. Removing the tyre, however, seems to be an insurmountable task! I think I am too light and puny to break the bead and fear the bead has broken me! I can't make a dent. I will try again tonight, otherwise it is being taken to the inner tube replacement man.
Try a big C-Clamp to break the bead.
Usually jumping up and down on will do it for me. But I am a fat a~~.
-
I think "emskee" is the replacement man!!
Shucks.......
-
Okay...I'm over myself now.
When I've broken beads, I'd always use the hammer thing.
I put the head of the hammer up at my shounder/chest pocket where a rifle stock would go. Wheel on ground. Holding handle with both hands, butt of handle on tire near bead, I do a bayonet thrusting move driving with my shoulder, using all my weight and muscle complete with a grunt and maybe a "KILL". Has always worked. Should work for most since I reckon it's a violent move and packs some punch.
But I weigh like 195 lbs and used to pick up heavy stuff as a sport. Or I've been lucky. Or both.
-
Tiny Tim,
I am based in Birmingham. However my dealer, whom I called to ask instructions, said it would take him about 2 minutes to change. So I will take it there on Saturday. Although I may apply some camouflage face paint and have a go with the bayonet technique. It sounds like it could be therapeutic if nothing else.
-
I have taken the wheel off. Very easy to do. Removing the tyre, however, seems to be an insurmountable task! I think I am too light and puny to break the bead and fear the bead has broken me! I can't make a dent. I will try again tonight, otherwise it is being taken to the inner tube replacement man.
My technique is to remove the valve for any residual air to escape, stand on the tyre and use one heel to push in the tyre around the rim in the area directly opposite the valve and work my way around the rim to break the bead. I insert the tyre irons, again in the spot directly opposite the valve, while still standing on the tyre to pry it off. Works for me.
HMR
Mumbai
-
Should you get so far as removing the punctured tube, be sure to check inside the tire to be sure there is no offending item to puncture the new tube once installed. There can be a sharp pointy that you won't see from the outside, but a run of the hands on the inside will reveal it. It's a real drag to go through the whole process and end up where you started. :-[
-
Ditto.
On my flat, I'm pulling out the tube and Norm goes "what's that shiney thing in there". Sure as hell, there is a stem washer (dropped in during build) in there and a similarly dimensioned hole cut into the tube I'm replacing. Had he not seen it, I'd probably have just stuffed in the new tube and had the washer eat through it.
Great thing having a bunch of dudes standing around watching you as you wrestle through a tire repair.