New to me R50, first week of riding. Rear tire removal & tire questions
Posted: Sat Jun 03, 2017 11:22 am
Earlier this week I bought an original paint 65 R50 daily rider in good shape- my first non Japanese motorcycle. I posted the Ebay auction last week and got some great feedback from ya'll. Very satisfied with my transaction with Nathan at Boxerworks in Watkinsville, GA.
The Conti 400x18 (R) and 100/90 X18 (F) tires looked good, no cracks, and I checked the pressure and took the bike out several evenings this week getting to know my new two wheeled tractor. Seems very solid- with heavy though (almost) neutral steering. I made the mistake of loosening the steering damper too much and was rewarded with a death wobble that developed very quickly at 40 mph, I then coasted to the side of the rode and tightened it back up again.
Still amoung the living, I was polishing the rims later that evening and I noticed a DOT stamp on the tires of 2600. I took this to mean that the tires are about 17 years old. So I am ordering a set of Heidenau K36 Tires(I think). The 100/90seem a little big on front, literally about 1/8 inch clearance between the fender and the tire. My repair manual (repo Workshop Manual) indicates the proper tire is 3.5X18 F & R so I am going to order those in the Heidenau K36, unless there is a better option in a vintage look. I am not concerned about grooved pavement. Little of that around here.
Getting to my main question- the manual has a procedure to remove the rear wheel, which is not as straight forward as it is on my other bikes as this is my first shaft drive cycle. The instructions end with "Withdraw Axel Spindle". Well, then what happens? I am assuming I can then remove the rear wheel, but that final drive appears to be connected to the hub....and what about the final drive fluid? Just want to be sure I know in advance what I am getting into before my new tires come in.
Also, the tires are marked tubeless, for some reason I though bikes from the sixties usually have tubes? Well my Hondas and Yamaha do...
Can anyone confirm if the Heidenau K36s are tubeless? Can't seem to find any tech information on the Revzilla website.
Thanks in advance.
The Conti 400x18 (R) and 100/90 X18 (F) tires looked good, no cracks, and I checked the pressure and took the bike out several evenings this week getting to know my new two wheeled tractor. Seems very solid- with heavy though (almost) neutral steering. I made the mistake of loosening the steering damper too much and was rewarded with a death wobble that developed very quickly at 40 mph, I then coasted to the side of the rode and tightened it back up again.
Still amoung the living, I was polishing the rims later that evening and I noticed a DOT stamp on the tires of 2600. I took this to mean that the tires are about 17 years old. So I am ordering a set of Heidenau K36 Tires(I think). The 100/90seem a little big on front, literally about 1/8 inch clearance between the fender and the tire. My repair manual (repo Workshop Manual) indicates the proper tire is 3.5X18 F & R so I am going to order those in the Heidenau K36, unless there is a better option in a vintage look. I am not concerned about grooved pavement. Little of that around here.
Getting to my main question- the manual has a procedure to remove the rear wheel, which is not as straight forward as it is on my other bikes as this is my first shaft drive cycle. The instructions end with "Withdraw Axel Spindle". Well, then what happens? I am assuming I can then remove the rear wheel, but that final drive appears to be connected to the hub....and what about the final drive fluid? Just want to be sure I know in advance what I am getting into before my new tires come in.
Also, the tires are marked tubeless, for some reason I though bikes from the sixties usually have tubes? Well my Hondas and Yamaha do...
Can anyone confirm if the Heidenau K36s are tubeless? Can't seem to find any tech information on the Revzilla website.
Thanks in advance.