I don't mind having the experts do jobs that I just can't do effectively myself, like turning a crankshaft or rebuilding an overdrive unit, or rebuilding a Smith's instrument.
But there are some jobs that folks, in the spirit of capitalism, are pricing up to the point where I'm just going to start doing them myself. I'm hoping I still have enough good years left in me that the investment in tools to do the job will pay off well.
One is changing motorcycle tires. The local generic motorcycle/ATV shop 5 miles from the house charges $55 to dismount/mount/balance a motorcycle tire that you bring them IF you buy the tire there. (In no case have I ever asked a shop to remove a wheel from the bike to change a tire). It's a job that takes an expert about 5 minutes to do on a shop tire-changing machine after I hand them the wheel, and uses a minimum of consumables (tire lube and compressed air), so I don't understand, even at a $110/hour shop rate, why the $55 price. The shop hourly rate SHOULD already include the amortized price of the tire changer and wheel balancer they had to buy and will use for 10,000 tires, so that amortized cost shouldn't be included in my tire job.
The old-skool Honda shop downtown used to charge $15 for the same job; recently they bumped it to $25 which is not too bad but has moved me along now. I'm just doing them myself. Tires ship to the house cheap and free, and with a warm tire and plenty of lube, it's just a hassle, not a battle, not to mention avoiding the 50 mile round trip to the shop and having to do it during "business hours".
Same is true for cables. I sent 4 cables for old BSAs to a well-known cable company for matching up new ones. Three were standard cables, still intact although worn, and one was a cable where the clevis on the end had broken off, and the new cable would need a new one. They did not have any clevises, and so are including a generic clamp-on cable end with a bare cable.
With shipping both ways, 4 common BSA cables (three standard off the shelf, one with a generic cable end) were $264. I don't care how justified or "worth it" or "that's just the price these days", I ain't doing that any more.
I'm going to a supplier of cable parts, still to be determined (suggestions?), check around my bikes for the cable inner and outer diameters I will need, buy reels of the appropriate outers, inners, ferrules, cutters, and cable ends, along with the soldering tools, solder, and solder pot, and probably get a lifetime supply for not much more than I just paid for these cables.
I see it getting worse before it gets better ....
Lannis
I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.
I got cable supplies from Flanders. They have a whole range of parts including ones made for British bikes. You might also want to look into ChinaFreight, they have a hand hydraulic crimper for electrical terminal but will work for cables. The only question is the dies. It comes with a range of 12(?). Also good if you are making battery cables for an electric starter where you need 6ga wire.
+1 for Flanders BTW I got my solder pot from Ebay---I think I was lucky--- a lab in CT was closing down and I got it real cheap. Best thing was-- when it arrived it was full of solder! Best of luck!
Same is true for cables. I sent 4 cables for old BSAs to a well-known cable company for matching up new ones. Three were standard cables, still intact although worn, and one was a cable where the clevis on the end had broken off, and the new cable would need a new one. They did not have any clevises, and so are including a generic clamp-on cable end with a bare cable.
With shipping both ways, 4 common BSA cables (three standard off the shelf, one with a generic cable end) were $264. I don't care how justified or "worth it" or "that's just the price these days", I ain't doing that any more.
I bought the Venhill cable making kit a while back to make cables for various oddities, but we're quite lucky here. There is a guy in Victoria who can supply most of the common cables at $20 apiece, and at least one of the old cable makers in Sydney will still make them to your specification for a similar price.
....I'm going to a supplier of cable parts, ......buy....a solder pot.......
Flanders, already mentioned is great, Venhill is good too. I have used the DIY kit they offer and am happy with the results.
About the solder pot, it is a nice thing but not entirely necessary. I have done all my cable building since the 70's with a propane torch or a big soldering iron. The most important thing, at least in my mind, is effective flux, especially if you are working on a used cable, so you can do a good tinning job that includes every strand. That usually means heating and dipping the hot end in the flux and then see how it takes the solder. This can take several repetitions with a used cable. Be careful not to overheat the wire and turn it blue because the solder won't want to stick if you do.
Stay away from the lead free solders but, if you have a stainless inner wire, lead/tin solder won't take but silver solder works awesome, but that's another story.
Yep, I got used to paying $25 a tire to SWAP old for new, and dispose of the old one.
That's gone up to $50 since "covid" and I'm still paying it. I'm just tired of busting my butt on tires, plus, they balance them.
GrandPaul (does not use emoticons) Author of the book "Old Bikes" Too many bikes to list, mostly Triumph & Norton, a BSA, & some Japanese "The Iron in your blood should be Vintage"
Hello Lannis; there are tyres that are impossible to fit without the machine.Even if the machine do not have the right "heel" for the intended diameter will be a pain. I have Pirelli (route and scorpion rally) both super hard on the walls edges. Then after I paid a guy with the machine (plus I helped him with hand tools) in the local gas station; I put it in the bike and notices how bad was there so I removed the air put plenty of detergent soap between the edges of the rim and tyre and started to jump and dance all over in both sides to locate the tyre...
Lannis lad, well that has shocked me....SHOCKED I tells ya, you a rider as well....
And y'all don't change your own tyres....
So what do you do when you're out on a mighty BSA on the way to some Rally, all around is Corn fields, you've not had a car pass you for over an hour. It's raining and you've got another 2hrs riding before you can get the tent up, then BANG, the back tyre goes flat.....
So what do you do THEN...
Sod paying out good Ale money for some spotty Oik to swap out a tyre, just cos it's not got a tread on any more, and in that situation you've got a lovely workshop with all the tools AND a 100,000 watt heater AND beer fridge. Shame on you my lad, course that cable making lark.....Well I've got to give you that lad, I'm ashamed to say I've yet to learn that one....
I have only ever paid once to have a tire fitted. The low-profile tires on my BMW proved to be beyond my ability and levers. Local shop charged $20, but I brought him the wheels with only the last 6" of bead to get on. I think he charges $30 for the whole job, but I don't know if tubes and rim locks cost more. I've been a customer of Flanders for years. When you have an A65 with Mikunis or a T120V with Mk2s you kinda gotta make custom cables. No solder pot, I just use a 60W iron and plenty of acid flux. The propane torch dirties up the pieces too much for a good solder joint, maybe a proper jewelry torch?
Lannis, some 35 years ago I bought a new Avon Sidecar Triple Duty 3.50-19 tire/tyre for my M21 AA sidecar wheel. The rim had a new beautiful black paint on and the guy scratched the rim and ruined it with the machine he was using. Before and since then I have done it my self.
It was also a necessary thing to do when riding in trials.
Lannis lad, well that has shocked me....SHOCKED I tells ya, you a rider as well....
And y'all don't change your own tyres....
So what do you do when you're out on a mighty BSA on the way to some Rally, all around is Corn fields, you've not had a car pass you for over an hour. It's raining and you've got another 2hrs riding before you can get the tent up, then BANG, the back tyre goes flat.....
So what do you do THEN...
Sod paying out good Ale money for some spotty Oik to swap out a tyre, just cos it's not got a tread on any more, and in that situation you've got a lovely workshop with all the tools AND a 100,000 watt heater AND beer fridge. Shame on you my lad, course that cable making lark.....Well I've got to give you that lad, I'm ashamed to say I've yet to learn that one....
Well, now, you have to admit, when a nice man will dismount, remount, and balance a tire for you for $15, it's sort of hard not to take advantage of that as long as you're in town anyway and not in a hurry. Some of my tires I have always done at home, just to keep my hand in; some I've let the shop do.
But now that it's up to $25, we're talking real money, and I'm upgrading my tire irons and changing bench. SO FAR, all my bikes either are Brits with the usual chrome rims and 18" or 19" Dunlops, OR they are larger bikes with 185R-17s or something, and all of those are changeable by hand. I've never run across one like reverb or DavidP are talking about; I just make sure that the opposite bead is all the way into the center well, slop the P80 or RuGlide lube all over, slip a plastic protector under the tire iron, and Heave Cheerily, Me Hearties and on she goes.
Now, on the road, I have always carried a spare tube with me - that huge load that Fay and I had on the back of our A10 in 2008 included a 19" tube and a pair of tire irons. But since I've discovered Slime and Ride-On, I've quit planning to actually replace a tube on the side of the road; I just don't get flats. If I get a bad flat that the Ride-On won't handle, or a bad cut in a tubeless tire, I'll wait for a helpful person with a phone (although if Fay is there she'll have one in her camera) and call the AMA breakdown service.
And by the way, the 100,000 watt heater (actually it was 7500 watts but kept the shop toasty and warm) has been replaced with a heat pump that heats AND air conditions, has a thermostat to hold the temperature and everything, so pure luxury!!
Lannis
I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.
$40 per tire if you don’t purchase the tires from them $25 if you do.
I’ve only done that once (2010 Honda RS). I’ll never pay that again.
I was afraid of scratching the rims which are perfect.
I’ve never been afraid of changing a Brit tire……done dozens. Latest tool upgrade is a very nice tire stand. I used to do it on the floor. I saw it as practice for roadside repairs. I have all kinds of special tire tools that do just what they are advertised as doing…..latest add are “bead buddies”
I ride BSA’s with mostly QD hubs…….AND center stands. Side of the road flat tire repair isn’t a problem.
Last edited by Gordon Gray; 04/01/231:13 pm.
Gordon Gray in NC, USA........"Did you shoot our car?"
Last one I farmed out was the rear on my modern Bonniville. Too wide with hardly any bit of drop center in the rim, plus having to be mindful of the tube. Pinched one tube and figured the $30.00 they charged was worth not buying another tube.
1960 BSA A10 2007 Suzuki Bandit 1957 A10 (Used to be a Triumph here) 71 Norton Commando 17 Triumph Bonneville
Last one I farmed out was the rear on my modern Bonniville. Too wide with hardly any bit of drop center in the rim, plus having to be mindful of the tube. Pinched one tube and figured the $30.00 they charged was worth not buying another tube.
I was stressed over the thought of being “that guy” that scratched the rim…..they were spotless.
But at the time I had those XS650s and they had shouldered alloy rims. I was changing those without even thinking about it. Crap the “no mar” plastic tire irons I used on them will work for the Honda.
Live, spend and learn
Last edited by Gordon Gray; 04/01/233:40 pm.
Gordon Gray in NC, USA........"Did you shoot our car?"
I often resort to a C clamp in order to keep the bead I just levered in place when I lever the other side in place. The biggest difficulty with large, low-profile tires is trying to keep the other bead in the drop center. I don't think I'll be doing anything larger than a 4.10x19 at home. The beads on the K81 are flexible enough to make the job relatively easy. The only tires I can fit without tools are the ones on my bicycle.
When I lived in Omaha we had a long time parts and accessory dealer who went of business. His kid (a friend) kept the tire mounting and balancing machines for his garage. I did a ceiling texture match in his living room and he mounted many tires for me free.
Before that and after I always did it my self. its not hard and why pay money for something I can do.
Cables, I can never buy a cable with the right overall and free length. So I make my own
(I just look at the Venhill site. they used to list each nipple and barrel individually, but now everything is in kits. but that may be better)
use bar solder. not the stuff you buy at Lowes. use the right flux. very important thing. Stay_clean is the only one I have found that I trust. you don't need a lead pot. a Norton or BSA (better) fork cap is all I use and melt the lead in the recess with a torch. (I use map gas)
Push the fittings on the cable, the the ends MUST be "birdnested" the ends spread out then bent back in on themself so that the cable can't pull out. Good fittings will have a same recess that this will sit in. There's not a lot of strain on a thottle cable, and a clutch cable fail is an inconvenience. BUT IF THE END PULLS OFF A BRAKE CABLE............. get this step right.
Then apply the flux, melt the lead, and dip no more than half the fitting in the lead until you see the lead but don't let it wick up any farther.
the hardest part is getting the free length right. but it can be done.
Rich "It's not always about going fast. Sometimes it's nice to slow down" (Wendy E.2016)
69 bonney 72 commando 75 commando a ducati Another couple triumphs and no Honda? but another triumph
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