My stock tire ran out of rubber and I had to get a new rear tire. I put on a Dunlop Q3 Sportmax 190/50/17 rear tire.
I'm posting my process on how I removed/reinstalled my rear wheel. This just how I did my tire replacement. Do your removal your own way.
Tools I used are:
1 - 10mm open end wrench (wheel sensor bracket & chain adjusters)
1 - 12mm open end wrench (chain adjuster)
1 - 36mm socket (rear axle nut)
1 - Torque wrench that will go up to 74 foot pounds (100Nm)
1 - Rear stand to get the rear tire off the ground.
1 - Small cloth had towel
2 - 6" x 9" Maroon Scotch-Brite™ Very Fine General Purpose Hand Pad
After putting the motorcycle up on a rear stand, I removed the rear wheel speed sensor bracket (10mm bolt) and pulled out the pin/sensor. You can leave the pin/sensor bolted in place, but you risk the chance of breaking it. So... I removed my sensor.
Remove the rear axle nut & washer, loosen the lock nuts on the chain adjusters for both sides of the swing arm.
Put a small folded hand towel on top of the rear brake caliper to prevent it from scratching the rim.
I put my foot under the rear tire. By keeping my heal on the ground and only raising my toes off the ground toward the tire, my foot supports the wheel and keeps it from dropping down onto the rear brake caliper (after the rear axle is pulled from the swing arm).
With my toes against the bottom of the tire, I removed the axle from the swing arm. Keeping the rear wheel in place, slide the rear brake caliper toward the rear of the motorcycle, and move it to the outside of swing arm.
Moved the wheel forward enough to remove the chain from the sprockets, moved my foot out of the way, lowered the wheel to the ground, and rolled the wheel from the swing arm. Now the wheel is out.
Be sure to notice the female grove on the inner part of the swing arm where the brake caliper bracket slides into, and check out the male post on the bracket too. The bracket must slide back into this grove when the wheel is being installed, and the brake disk must go between the brake pads too.
Removed the spacer from each side of the wheel, and then removed the sprocket/drum assembly too.
I took my wheel to a Suzuki dealer (Action Suzuki in Mesquite, Texas) to have the new tire installed & balanced. The cost was $39.96 and I was in and out of their front door in 15 minutes. Also, the Tech did not put one single scratch on the rim!
To reinstall the wheel, install sprocket/drum assembly, and the spacers for both sides of the wheel. Have the chain adjusters and axle laid out to make the reassembly easier.
Roll the rear wheel back inside the swing arm, put your foot back under the tire, and gently slide the brake caliper (with towel on top) back into its grove. You will have to make sure the brake disk goes in between the brake pads as you lift the wheel to install the axle. Put the chain back onto the sprocket.
Install the axle with the chain adjuster back into the swing arm, install the axle washer and nut, remove your foot from under the tire, and remove the hand towel from the brake caliper.
I like to pre-tighten the axle nut to 50 foot pounds before the chain adjuster to adjusted to the proper chain slack. I think this pre-tightening gives a better chain slack adjustment (keeps the axle from moving both ways). Adjust the chain adjusters to get the proper chain slack. Standard chain slack is 0.79 - 1.18" (20 - 30mm).
With the motorcycle still on the stand, use a Scotch-Brite pad against the new tire to gently remove the slippery gloss. These pads will not "Sand or Scratch" the tire like sandpaper, but they can minimize the slipper gloss before you go for a ride. Rotate the wheel to make it easier to scuff off the slippery gloss.
Tire manufacturers do not recommend washing or sanding your tires. They go to great lengths to design and engineer tire treads, so the last thing you should do is attack the tread surface with a belt sander! It is also a bit risky using any chemical solution on a tire as you do not know if it will be applied evenly and how it will react with the tire. A wipe with a dry cloth or even the Scotch-Brite very fine pad is fine. Notice that race bikes leave the pits with shiny new tires that have not been belt-sanded or washed with any chemicals. I read the best way to break in a tire (lose that slippery gloss and become sticky) is to heat it up and the most effective way to heat a tire is slowly over a long-distance ride. Anyway…
Remove the stand from the motorcycle and recheck your chain slack. Check the chain slack and adjust again if needed. BE SURE TO Tighten the axle nut to 74 foot pounds (100Nm).
Go for a safe ride to finish breaking in the rear tire and be sure to recheck your chain slack afterwards.
I'm posting my process on how I removed/reinstalled my rear wheel. This just how I did my tire replacement. Do your removal your own way.
Tools I used are:
1 - 10mm open end wrench (wheel sensor bracket & chain adjusters)
1 - 12mm open end wrench (chain adjuster)
1 - 36mm socket (rear axle nut)
1 - Torque wrench that will go up to 74 foot pounds (100Nm)
1 - Rear stand to get the rear tire off the ground.
1 - Small cloth had towel
2 - 6" x 9" Maroon Scotch-Brite™ Very Fine General Purpose Hand Pad
After putting the motorcycle up on a rear stand, I removed the rear wheel speed sensor bracket (10mm bolt) and pulled out the pin/sensor. You can leave the pin/sensor bolted in place, but you risk the chance of breaking it. So... I removed my sensor.
Remove the rear axle nut & washer, loosen the lock nuts on the chain adjusters for both sides of the swing arm.
Put a small folded hand towel on top of the rear brake caliper to prevent it from scratching the rim.
I put my foot under the rear tire. By keeping my heal on the ground and only raising my toes off the ground toward the tire, my foot supports the wheel and keeps it from dropping down onto the rear brake caliper (after the rear axle is pulled from the swing arm).
With my toes against the bottom of the tire, I removed the axle from the swing arm. Keeping the rear wheel in place, slide the rear brake caliper toward the rear of the motorcycle, and move it to the outside of swing arm.
Moved the wheel forward enough to remove the chain from the sprockets, moved my foot out of the way, lowered the wheel to the ground, and rolled the wheel from the swing arm. Now the wheel is out.
Be sure to notice the female grove on the inner part of the swing arm where the brake caliper bracket slides into, and check out the male post on the bracket too. The bracket must slide back into this grove when the wheel is being installed, and the brake disk must go between the brake pads too.
Removed the spacer from each side of the wheel, and then removed the sprocket/drum assembly too.
I took my wheel to a Suzuki dealer (Action Suzuki in Mesquite, Texas) to have the new tire installed & balanced. The cost was $39.96 and I was in and out of their front door in 15 minutes. Also, the Tech did not put one single scratch on the rim!
To reinstall the wheel, install sprocket/drum assembly, and the spacers for both sides of the wheel. Have the chain adjusters and axle laid out to make the reassembly easier.
Roll the rear wheel back inside the swing arm, put your foot back under the tire, and gently slide the brake caliper (with towel on top) back into its grove. You will have to make sure the brake disk goes in between the brake pads as you lift the wheel to install the axle. Put the chain back onto the sprocket.
Install the axle with the chain adjuster back into the swing arm, install the axle washer and nut, remove your foot from under the tire, and remove the hand towel from the brake caliper.
I like to pre-tighten the axle nut to 50 foot pounds before the chain adjuster to adjusted to the proper chain slack. I think this pre-tightening gives a better chain slack adjustment (keeps the axle from moving both ways). Adjust the chain adjusters to get the proper chain slack. Standard chain slack is 0.79 - 1.18" (20 - 30mm).
With the motorcycle still on the stand, use a Scotch-Brite pad against the new tire to gently remove the slippery gloss. These pads will not "Sand or Scratch" the tire like sandpaper, but they can minimize the slipper gloss before you go for a ride. Rotate the wheel to make it easier to scuff off the slippery gloss.
Tire manufacturers do not recommend washing or sanding your tires. They go to great lengths to design and engineer tire treads, so the last thing you should do is attack the tread surface with a belt sander! It is also a bit risky using any chemical solution on a tire as you do not know if it will be applied evenly and how it will react with the tire. A wipe with a dry cloth or even the Scotch-Brite very fine pad is fine. Notice that race bikes leave the pits with shiny new tires that have not been belt-sanded or washed with any chemicals. I read the best way to break in a tire (lose that slippery gloss and become sticky) is to heat it up and the most effective way to heat a tire is slowly over a long-distance ride. Anyway…
Remove the stand from the motorcycle and recheck your chain slack. Check the chain slack and adjust again if needed. BE SURE TO Tighten the axle nut to 74 foot pounds (100Nm).
Go for a safe ride to finish breaking in the rear tire and be sure to recheck your chain slack afterwards.