Triumphrat

Bryan · 09-15-2006, 04:14 AM

I bought tires on line and they arrived in two days. Click here for KG Motorcycle Tires. I bought tubes as well but not tube protectors. I cut up a plastic bottle and used it to protect the chrome from my tire irons and it worked great.

After I pulled the front tire off the rim I found rust on the rim. The rust had damaged the tube and the protector so it's lucky I had a new tube.

I scrubbed the rust off the protector with a Scotchbrite pad and detergent then I used a wire wheel to get the rust off the rim. You can see it was eating away at the rim. I'll have to keep an eye on my spokes to make sure no rust is coming through in the future.

The back rim was fine but I still replaced the tube. Next I balanced the rims then mounted the heavy side of the tire on the light side of the rim so I wouldn't need to add a lot of weight.

I know a lot of you guys are wondering where I got a balancer, well I had a friend of mine machine a balancer for me years ago when I was balancing my own propellers for my boat. All it's made of is 1 3/16 steel rod with 1/2 inch threads and a taper on the ends. I used a couple of metal saw horses and two pieces of conduit across the tops. I took a polishing wheel to the conduit's so the balancer would roll on them without catching on anything. I then used a level and some wooden wedges so the wheel wouldn't roll down hill. I pulled the old weights off and put some heavy duty double stick tape on them, then cleaned the rim with alcohol so they would stick.

I took the wheels down and had them checked on a dynamic balancer. The guy said " We don't ever have anybody come in here that mounts their own tires" I replied " Well that's because they don't own British bike's". He charged me five buck's for the front tire and he didn't have the right size cone to balance the rear. Since I was OK on the front one I figured the back one was still good and I carried them away.

She rides smooth as glass. :chug:

richb · 09-15-2006, 05:42 AM

Good job.. but I think that's another reason why I prefer Speedy solid wheels to spokes..!!

ohiorider · 09-15-2006, 07:04 AM

Nice job! Man, that's a lot of rust inside the tire. I guess it's not uncommon for a chrome wheel, but it is certainly a reminder to me to ask my shop about the condition of my rims the next time I take new tires to them for remounting. All my other bkies have either used cast wheels, or spoked alloy rims.

bgaz · 09-15-2006, 07:28 AM

Most bikes that get wet or washed a lot will look like that.
My T140E did, the T100R did, and my bonneville black likely will.
After the cleanup of the rust, I usualy paint the spoke area to slow down the rust.

Another reason to do your own work, as most shops would likely just put the new stuff on without taking care of the rust.

Brett

4Triumph · 09-15-2006, 08:06 AM

I used to work at a Harley dealership and I have seen rust on $15-$18,000 bikes with as little as 500 miles on them. Not as much as your rim but still, 500 miles? Did a tire change over to the wide white wall's. All the manufactures know they have problems with trying to get enough chrome on the inside of a wheel rim, it's in the process of plating. That's another reason why I bought a Thruxton, aluminum rims, no rust!

Bhakti-rider · 09-15-2006, 10:22 PM

That's quite disconcerting! Do you have any idea why it rusted like that? Do you ride in rain? (Even if you do, how would water make its way there? Through the spoke holes?) I wonder if that would be a warranty issue...

oldsport · 09-15-2006, 11:23 PM

Very good. I'll keep this in mind.

CAPTDON · 09-16-2006, 07:43 PM

Man I hope mine doesnt look like that when the time comes!! A lot of rust!! I live in a salt air enviorment as well. Nice repair job. I wonder if that stuff has anything t odo w/ the spoke issues? :???:

whoa · 09-18-2006, 08:06 AM

Noticed you said "lucky I had a new tube". I change tubes with tires, do most not do this?

ohiorider · 09-18-2006, 04:47 PM

Whoa - I'm like you in that respect .... got in the habit when an independent shop said they wouldn't install the new tire without a new tube .... and they didn't care if I bought the tube from them or someplace else.

It's a good idea.

Bob