Tyres - Arrow pointing the wrong way?

OK so I did a preride check of the air pressure today and took a closer look at the tire labels.

BOTH front and rear tyres have tire Rotation directions pointing the wrong way. (Front has 2 arrows but "front" usage arrow is pointing back to the rear).

Was the person who installed them a total idiot or are the arrows suppose to point towards the rear?

EDIT: Should I be looking to get a small motorcycle lift for stuff like changing/removing tyres and replacing rear brake drums?

EDIT2: Can tyres be removed/reinstalled at home (by a newbie)???

 

Possibly an idiot. And the arrows point in the direction of normal rotation.

If your bike has the center stand all you need is a regular jack stand to hold the front up. This is what I do: put the bike on the center stand, place jack stand next to bike, pick up front of bike and slide stand under frame, place bike odwn gently on stand. Now both wheels are off the ground.

Yes. Getting the wheels off the bike is the easy part. The tires may or may not come off easily and you can damage a wheel and/or rotor. Call around for mount/balance prices on carry in wheels. It may not be worth it to hassle with them yourself.

 

Should I get those tires remounted ASAP?
They appear to have been installed shortly before purchase.

 

ASAP would be a good idea, it might be doing something to the belts that you can't see
changing you own tires isn't that hard, the first one might take 45 min the second 20 min after that 10 to 15
you need the right tire tools and clean rims
it's going to save you a bunch of money over time

 

he was trying to lower the mielage as he was sitting on the floor spinning the tire backwards he mounted the back the same way to confuse the bike so it wouldnt fall over lol change them quickly

 

Since I planning on changing rear drum pads anyways, good timing I guess.

I'll take a picture of my unused jack and maybe tell me if it will be sufficient combined with center stand.

How likely would Sears or Farm and Fleet be capable and competent to do the tires?

I'm tempted to remove my self to CLEAN inner rims.

Edit
I guess I could also get a local HD quote

 

Could you link some of the tools?
Can u balance at home?

 

Motorcycle tire changing and balancing at home

You can see pictures of the similar setup I made/used in my gallery. Gallery link

Three tire irons and a buddy to add a third hand are very helpful.

DO NOT USE SCREWDRIVERS or other sharp objects instead of tire irons. If you gouge the rim you'll never get the bead to seal.

 

!!!cixelsyD saw boj eht did ohw yug eht kniht I ..., lleW

(Q: What do you get when you cross an insomniac, an agnostic, and a dyslexic?
A: Someone who can't get to sleep while pondering the existence of "Dog.")

 

take a pill Rick you'll feel better in the morning

 

I don't have a work bench or any hydralic presses to change tires.

I might be able to mount the assembly to my sheds' 2x6 studs.

Not so sure about this DIY... Especially the first time

Also no buddies near by atm... unless I asked the neighbor who use to ride...

I do like the idea about long term doing it myself though.

 

i use a big C-clamp, tire irons and a set of saw horses and cut up pop bottles
MiCarl's setup is deluxe
a wife or girlfriend can hold a tire iron, neighbors work too
you can do do this

 

Any chance you can take a picture in the near future? Thanks.

 

Do it yourself.
Piece-'o-cake.

That's what I read in another Forum.

So, ... I got all the stuff together.
Including, ... a Handy-Dandy -- makes it so easy a child could do it, ... Tool, called:
The Breeezer. (Three E's)
They should have name it:
The Brooozer. (Three O's)
Because once you start slugging that tool with a heavy hammer; your going to get bruised, ... because The Breeezer is ROUND, and the hammer deflects off from it ... easily!
And, once the hammer caroms off the Breeezer, ... the next stop is your foot ... holding the tire down.

I'd rather be a Fireman with the first Engine Company sent-in to extinguish the fires of Hell; than have to struggle with the task of manually removing an old tire and remounting new rubber.

What do you save? Twenty-bucks?
Here's a deal you can't refuse.
Let me videotape you doing it and I'll pay you 20-bucks!

But, all the money I win on America's Funniest Home Video's is all mine!

 

+1 with Rick, I cut the old skins off with a craft knife, then take the rims to the shop, no pain, all gain ~o)

 

Problem I find in my area is that most places don't want you to bring in your internet bargain tires and go thru the trouble of mounting and balancing your rubber since you didn't get ripped off by their inflated (pun intended) prices.

One shop actually has a sign that says: "Get a good deal on internet tires"?

"Good we charge $50 to mount and balance any tires not purchased from us"

At that price I will take my chances.

Rob

 

What would be reasonable prices to have the rubber remounted and maybe balanced - on or off bike?

As I mentioned there is a HD shop about 7 country miles away.

 

You should see the new setup. Not quite cost effective unless you're doing a lot of tires though :lol:

$30 carry in is pretty common around here. $66 on the bike is what the only surviving metric dealer in the area charges on bike.

 

First off, you CAN change tires yourself, I did it for about 30 years before I started just taking them to a pro.

However, it's a ROYAL PIA. Plus you stand a good chance, even with tire irons, of tearing up the rims. And nothing beats a good high-speed spin balance.

Sears or Farm & Fleet will most likely NOT be capable. I'm lucky in that there is an independent tire store that does everything from big trucks and cars to ATVs and motorcycles in my area (sort of.)

Take 'em to the Harley shop, or at least find out what they'll charge you.

 

OK I figured HD was my only local option. Rather sucks that actual Yamaha dealers are nearly am hour away, and only HD is local that I've found so far.

 

So I picked up 2x Torque Wrenches, an impact socket - hammer kit thing-a-ma-bob, some White Litium grease and a can of Carb cleaner to get my self started with some tools.

In theory, taking off the wheels my self will save me some $$ and partially pay for today's purchases. Then I can sorta afford to let a shop swap the rubber directions.

 

The most expensive part of the job is getting the wheels off/on. You should save $70 or so doing that part yourself.

Next time you're out pick up some cotter pins. You need to replace the ones in the rear axle and the rear brake link.

 

Taking the wheels off yourself is no big deal, and it opens up such...um...

Opportunities! Yeah, that's it-- opportunities.

Just kidding but it gives you the opportunity to check your brakes, front and rear, lube your speedo drive, check the wheel bearings, etc.

PLUS depending on how scruffy the wheels are (usually just the rear) it would be an opportunity to repaint or at the very least clean, detail and polish.

See? Opportunities. For fun!

 

I got a tub of mixed cotter pins (I read manual before visiting store today).

I know I could save $70 but not ready to build my own tire changing setup...

My shed is not clean enough yet, which has all the tools I need to build it anyways.

I know I'm potentially opening a can of worms but I think I need rear brake pads already and have a quote from our parts guru.

 

One more tip (or set of tips)

You also need:

A can of anti-sieze compound. (Auto parts.)

Kroil http://www.kanolabs.com/google/

A "pot" (plastic these days) of CHASSIS GREASE. (Auto parts.)

A tube of silicone grease. (Auto parts.)

A basic set of metric tools, sockets and combination wrenches. If you wait for stuff to go on sale at Sears you can set yourself up really nicely for under $200. Also, a set of "long pattern" metric allen wrenches and if you've got an extra $20 those t-handle metric allens are the sh*ts.

A box of latex gloves and lots of shop towels (Auto parts.)

Q-tips and band-aids. (Figure it out.)

**EDIT** and a set of metric feeler gauges KD Tools #2274 (some Sears, I got mine from Amazon or some online tool place; I think chacal carries them too.)

 

Carl meant you're already saving $70 by pulling your own wheels.

 

Yeah Saving $$ by pulling my own.

I did forget to get anti-seize - It was on my mental list...
I have WD-40 but will probably need some stronger to loosen rusty stuff.

I need to find/buy the open end wrenches. I think I have at least 2 sets of sockets - Unknown amount in shed.

I grabbed some allen wrenches from Lowes that had a handle attachment to give more leverage. (NEED to adjust handle locations).

I'll get feeler gauges after I order my valve gasket and rubber boots.

Will I need chaise grease/silicone grease for the tire removal project?

P.S. Before this XJ purchase I rarely stepped into my local Farm and Fleet - They have lots of useful stuff and slightly cheaper than auto/sears

 

That's the thing to do.
Show-up at the Dealer with just the Wheels.
The Tech uses the Machine for the hard part.
High-speed balances the Wheels for you.
You go home without risking a heart attack.

I could understand wanting the Home-brewed Machine for changing tires if you had some need to change the tires more often.

I'm a Heavyweight, ride hard into turns and live up near the right-side of the tach.
I get two or three seasons out of good rubber.

Why bother building something for a job, best left to a pro, you only do once every two years or more?

 

Good point rick

And I'll learn stuff, use my new tools and check brakes better while tires are off

 

Before you call me a moron, I've never used a clicking torque wrench and trying to save every $$ possible.

Can I use my 5-80 wrench on my wheel nuts that require 80?
Are there any other major bolts that require more than 80 lb ft?

Fyi I bought both wrenches but they are still sealed.

 

Yes you can use the 5-80 on an 80lb nut. Just back off the setting after your done or you'll weaken the springs in the wrench.

To get used to it put a bolt in a Vise if you have one and use the wrench on that at different torque levels to get the feel for it. Depending on the wrench the "click" can be quite loud or just something you feel.

If you have no vise loosen a lug nut on your car then retighten it with the torque wrench.

 

Good to know. That one wrench (larger) can pay for the type remounting
And keep the wife less angry

 

So I got a GOOD quote from a Friend of my wife's friend's friend.
So Wife, Her Friend, 1st friend, 2nd Friend.
Gotta love facebook.

The 1st friend said he does a real good job with tires, better than most dealership "hack jobs" and apparently he knows alot about older yamahas.

So depending on what type of "shop" he actually works at, I might have a potential mechanic/friend soon

Not to say I won't try to do as much as I can my self. But some things just shouldn't be don't by newbies.

P.S. If he does good work and its a motorcycle type shop, I'll ask if I can drop his name here. Can't promise same price but you never know.
He's apparently somewhere near United Center in Chicago-Land - I haven't gotten the exact address yet.

 

If I clean / degrease the gears connecting rear wheel and final gear, is white lithium spray a good grease to reapply?
If not what kind?

 

Why do you want to grease them? they live in gear oil in the final drive housing.

You do have gear oil in there right?

 

I was referring to the matching gears on the rear while and the external gear that the wheel connects to.

They are currently greasy.

Even if I don't clean them, is the lithium grease ok to add to them ? (just a little)

 

No ones asked if the arrows were pointing rearwards when they're on the top of rotation or bottom Arrows pointing rearwards while they're close to the ground is CORRECT.

Which means if they're pointing rearwards on the top of the spin indeed is backwards.

It's always better tho, like suggested here, that you use the "rotation" to measure if they're backwards or not, and not so much the top or bottom of which way the arrows are pointing.

 

ya know I thought that too and then thought "nah, surely that's understood"

if the arrow is on the bottom it SHOULD point rearward.

Most have the word "rotation" incorporated into or near the arrow.

 

You want a high pressure grease. Yamaha specifies a molybdenum disulphide grease.

 

I, for one, can understand the validity of the question. I have seen some tires that, while the arrow indicates a forward rotation, the tread itself would appear to be running backwards. On the ones in question, a forward rotation would pull water in to the center of the tire rather than pushing it outward. Example-- forward tread pushing water out = <<<<< with that pattern tread on the road the point of the V hits the road first and pushes the water out to the sides. The opposing forward tread looks like this-- >>>>>>> with that tread pattern on the road, the water is pulled from the sides to the center since the open part of the ^ hits the road first. It would seem to my finite brain that a pattern directing water away from the tire would be much more desirable than one that directs it in to the center. Now, I'm sure there's logic as to why it would still be a really good tread, but I need someone to explain it. Until then, I ride the tires I have, in the correct direction of the arrow, but try to replace them with an less confusing tread when I wear them out.

Hope SOME of that makes a little sense,

dave fox

 

Yeah, I've noticed that too.

I think it has to do with the rounded profile of a motorcycle tire. In a turn the contact patch would either be ///// or \\\\\ (depending on direction of turn and orientation of the V shapes). Either would tend to pump water out from under the tire. Most also have some sort of center groove which probably helps clear the water when going straight.

 

Have a look at a Metzler ME33 which has a tread pattern like your second example >>>>> nothing wrong with their wet performance either