Okay, I had mentioned that I was going to install the Heidanau K37 tires on Saturday but Thursday is close enough to Saturday, right? Anyway, the old spare and the old sidecar tire are being discarded as they are really worn out. The pusher is now the spare and, BTW, very little perceptible wear after 2500 km. The Heidenau K37 tires are a square profile, dual sport tire designed for "classic military bikes and Urals". Both of the new tires only required about 1 oz to balance which is significantly less than the old tires. I greased the drive splines with a mixture of axle grease and Honda Moly 60.
I am still amazed at how easy it is to change the tires on the Ural compared to the Beemer. The Baja No-Pinch tool made short work of mounting the new tires with the hardest part of the whole job was getting the old tube back into the new tires. I need to find a valve stem tool that threads to the inside of the stem.
On the ride in this morning, absolutely no more vibration. It was from the sidecar tire being so far out of round. This was probably caused by the alignment being so far off. This evening, I'll change out the front tire.
The trees around our house still have some of their leaves so it isn't all drab. This is the view from our rear deck looking towards the southeast. The forecast for tonight and tomorrow is rain. Combined with the near freezing temperatures, it could be fun riding tomorrow.
This evening I put on the third K37 onto the front wheel. Since I didn't take any photos of the process yesterday here are a few. Here is the new tire on the rim before the first bead is installed. After the first bead is on, the tube is partially inflated and put into the tire and the valve stem fished through the hole in the rim strip and the rim.
The second bead is started and while holding it in place on one side, the Baja No-Pinch tool (shown here) is used to slowly push the bead over the edge of the rim. This is a shot right before the last little bit of the bead is pushed on. Very simple and very quick. Tire changes are getting faster and faster. I then balanced the tire and it took 1 oz. I am still using stick on steel weights though I should pick up some spoke weights. Less mess.
Front wheel is back on. These tires look pretty aggressive compared to the Heidenau K60 tires I used on the Beemer. It looks like there is plenty of material for the GripStuds. These tires look like they will be noisy but based on having them on the pusher and sidecar, minimal noise.
Richard, hope you get the "fun" rain and near freezing temperatures you wanted to ride in =) I on the other hand am hoping for a bit of warmth and dryness for a last few rides. My rear tire is near the end of it's life but I don't want to change it at this time, since the Star will be going to bed soon. She's not as tough (nor is her rider) as you and your Ural.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very pleasant 45°F this morning though it had been raining for quite a while. Ran a few errands including showing up at the College Coffeehouse. I stopped by the university as some of the Equinox Marathon runners were just starting to show up. They are the tough ones though they looked wet and miserable...
DeleteRichard, Please stop promoting Winter....I am not yet ready...LOL
ReplyDeleteI'm not promoting winter. It's just what happens when you choose to live in Alaska. Winter is hard to ignore.
DeleteI know.. ...Just giving you a hard time.....
DeleteI really like the K37s Richard, they work great on snow....as to the air stem fishing tool, it's key! You can also, fab one out of 22 gauge wire and an old air stem cap.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to find one that threads into the valve stem instead of on the outside of the valve stem. I have one of them already and it is a pain to try and feed it through the hole in the rim strip.
DeleteHeidenaus would be my first choice as winter tyres, too. They might be noisy on the tarmac but once you have it snow covered it will be a mere whisper.
ReplyDeleteI heard that they have a relatively long life and are designed for use on a sidecar. The sidewalks are pretty stiff and they are rated for heavy loads. Plus the knobby tread looks pretty good for winters.
DeleteNot very noisy or maybe it's just me. I've grown used to tire noise.