How old are my tires?

[julien]

Mr. Cliff,
Yes, robbery!!! and no, I would have to bring the wheels and they would install the tires... and then I have to put them back on myself. Crazzzzzy.
No gold raised letter... no platinum sidewalls... I forgot to ask him but maybe they came with a flatbed tow truck... where I just stay there on the bike while they drive me around.
I could try to do install them myself... but I already have a list of things to do (carbs, tune-up, valve) I guess that is part of the fun. The only thing is that time isn't on my side (I have 4 children, one 7 years old... and three 9 months old) so I want to spend some time with them during the weekend as I am out early in the morning and by the time I come back home the triplets are in bed during the week. The little free time I have for myself (on the bike) I just want to ride and ride and ride....

 

[nisom512]

this is awsome cause the guy I bought my new bike from told me new tires 3 years ago. but thats funny cause they are from 2000.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. julien,

Wow! Four kids including triplets! Do you and Mrs. julien ever get any sleep? :-$

With all that responsibility, I strongly encourage you to get new rubber on your bike. Riding on 12 year old tires can lead to serious death or injury.

(Yeah, yeah, I know. This is coming from someone who recently rode over 1000 miles on a plugged rear tire.)

Check on the list of favs. There are a few who will ship for free on orders over $100. A set of S11 tires are about a buck and a quarter.

The "lash strap" method of mounting might be easier and even cheaper than tire irons. You don't necessarily have to worry about balancing if you don't drive at freeway speeds all the time. Modern tires are fairly well balanced from the manufacturer. Just put the balance mark next to the valve stem. The balance mark indicates the lightest spot on the tire.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[julien]

Mr. Cliff,

Thanks... yes we do get some sleep. My wife trained them well
I am planning on getting new tires. I most likely will order them online and see if I can find a cheap install or do it myself.
I have a couple of questions - I don't want to highjack this tire thread and can always post in another thread.
Since we are expecting snow in NYC tomorrow I took Suzie for another ride. I took the freeway... she handled okay... didn't seem to want to go faster than 50/55mph though . When I got home I "touched" the exhaust pipe... 3 out of the 4 were very very hot, the 4th one (3rd from left when seating on the bike) was lukewarm. Does this mean I am running on 3 cylinders? Any ideas? Will cleaning the carbs correct this? I am stepping away from this forum (got to spend some time with wifey - she will get jealous ) but will try to browse the forum for some info.

Thanks again.

 

[BassCliff]

Thanks... yes we do get some sleep. My wife trained them well

That's good to hear. With our youngest, my wife didn't sleep for a year and I managed only 3 or 4 hours a night. And we didn't have triplets. :hand:

I took Suzie for another ride. I took the freeway... she handled okay... didn't seem to want to go faster than 50/55mph though. When I got home I "touched" the exhaust pipe... 3 out of the 4 were very very hot, the 4th one (3rd from left when seating on the bike) was lukewarm. Does this mean I am running on 3 cylinders? Any ideas? Will cleaning the carbs correct this?

Yep, could be running on only three cylinders. The cylinders are numbers 1 though 4, left to right as you sit on the bike. I know we sound like a broken record around here, but there is a definite list of systems and components to bring up to standard. Check out the "Top 10" list in the mega-welcome. Your issue could be a plugged carb jet, wrong float height, a bad plug or plug cap. Clean carbs, good spark, compression, and no leaks in the air intake system is what you are striving for. Keep us informed.

Here's what my friend Mr. bwringer has to say on the subject:
***********Quoted from Mr. bwringer************
Every GS850 [and most other models] has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting. It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years. It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time.

These common issues are:

1. Intake O-rings (install NEW OEM or Viton only - common nitrile O-rings will quickly deteriorate from heat)
2. Intake Boots (install NEW -- these cannot be repaired)
3. Valve clearances (more important than most people think)
4. Carb/airbox boots
5. Airbox sealing
6. Air filter sealing
7. Petcock (install a NEW one)
8. On '79 models, install new points or Dyna electronic ignition (or at least verify that the old points are working correctly)
9. On all models, it's fairly common to have problems with the spark plug caps. These are $3 or $4 each, and often worth replacing if you're keeping the stock coils/wires.
10. Stock exhaust with NO leaks or holes -- good seals at the head and at the junctions underneath.


Carburetor maintenance:

Replace the intake boot o-rings, and possibly the intake boots. Here's the procedure:
http://bwringer.com/gs/intakeorings.html
Here's an overview of what happens with this particular problem:
http://cycleorings.com/intake.html
You'll also want to examine the boots between the carbs and the airbox. There's a good chance these are OK, but check them over.
And finally, if things still aren't exactly right, you'll want to order a set of o-rings for BS carbs from the GS owner's best friend, Robert Barr:
http://cycleorings.com
Once you receive these rare rings of delight, then you'll want to thoroughly clean and rebuild your carburetors. Here are step-by-step instructions that make this simple:
http://thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm

***********End Quote************



Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[gearhead13]

I found this thread by doing a search, so I sent down and checked the date on my spitfires. Both were made late in 2002. I dont really see that much wear on them, but time for new rubber i guess. I am looking at the cheng shin hi-max and I can only find a 110/90/19 front and a 110/90/18 rear. I would seem kinda strange having the same width tires F+R.
It has 100/90/19 front and 130/90/18 now. I think the rear looks kinda narrow even now for the size of the bike. Stock size as stated in the manual is 3.25 frt and 4.00 rear. I dont know what to get but I am sure not gonna pay $175 each plus tax and mounting the local shop wants.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi,

Tires that are over 6 years old would start to get a little scary for me. But this is coming from a guy who rode around with a plugged rear tire for a month and a thousand miles.

The Cheng Shin Hi-Max tires are no longer in production. You may have to shop around to get the sizes you need. Good luck.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[RobC]

Not sure if this is sad or scary, bike I am looking at buying (1982), according to owners wife, still has the factory installed tires on it.

 

[wilson08]

I was wondering if I should stay with stock size tire on my bike or if I could go a little wider. Does it make a difference on these old bikes.

I have heard somewhere that these old bikes handle better with skinny tires. What are your thoughts.

 

[Loose Seal]

This thread eluded me until now - thanks for the info. Interested to see how old my tires are when I get home.

 

[BassCliff]

Hi Mr. wilson08,

I was wondering if I should stay with stock size tire on my bike or if I could go a little wider. Does it make a difference on these old bikes.

I have heard somewhere that these old bikes handle better with skinny tires. What are your thoughts.

What bike are we talking about?

Without modifications, these old bike need to use as close to stock tire sizes as possible. The tires I use are a little wider than "original stock" because tires aren't really made in those sizes any more. You have to get either a little smaller or a little bigger than original. But you can't go too big because the rim is not wide enough for wider tires and pinching the tread will lead to handling and wear irregularities.

I think the most popular size for a front tire on 650cc or larger GS bikes is a 100/90. I use a 110/90 just to make Mr. bwringer mad. But it also helps with the speedo offset and seems more stable on my freeway commute.

From what I've gathered from others it seems the most popular rear tire size is a 120/90 for 750cc and smaller, 130/90 for 850cc and larger. I imagine there are a few who use a 140/90 on the rear, if the swingarm has clearance.


Smaller bikes (550cc or less) will usually use 90/90 on front and 110/90 on the rear.

But again, let us know what bike you are riding to make it easier to recommend tire sizes.

EDIT: I just went through your old posts and it seems you ride an '85 700E. Put that in your sig to make it more convenient. What size are your wheels? I have a notion that you should use a 100/90 on front and 120/90 on the rear. Let's see if the other 700 riders will chime in.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Billyboy]

You're the man, Cliff!
It's surprising how many riders have never been shown this simple info.

 

[BassCliff]

You're the man, Cliff!
It's surprising how many riders have never been shown this simple info.

Aww shucks, Billy. Thanks. But I didn't think this stuff up. I just decided to document it and share it here. A lot of folks here, including you, know more about this stuff than I do. I'm just trying to give back some of what I've learned from all of you.

Group hug!


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Steve]

Group hug!

 

[BassCliff]

Thanks Mr. Steve!

I've got a special hug for you!

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Macguyver]

Thank you to BassCliff!

Thank you to BassCliff!

I just wanted to say thanks for posting this info Cliff :clap:, upon inspection, my tires had the date code 033.

Rest assured that I already have the new front tire mounted, new rear tire on Monday/Tuesday, and I will not be riding the bike in-between now and then. (mostly because I have no ignitor :lol:, but still...)
Thanks again!

 

[BassCliff]

I just wanted to say thanks for posting this info Cliff :clap:, upon inspection, my tires had the date code 033.

Hi,

January of 1993? 1983? Wow! You can't change those tires fast enough!


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

 

[Shin-Ken 1074]

Thanks for the info Cliff, fine work as always! From this and other threads on GSR it seems that bike shops and dealers etc charge a pretty stiff fee to change tyres. I know that genuine and aftermarket bike parts are much cheaper in the States than here in Oz so how is it that these people charge so much to change a tyre? Anyone here know the answer?

We get stiffed here on parts but tyres look to be reasonable compared to some of prices mentioned here. The Sport Demons for my 1100 Katana (must check those dates in the morning) supplied and fitted (ride in ride out) at a Suzi Dealer was AUD$149 for the 100/90/19 front, AUD$150 for the 130/80/18 rear. This price also includes the mandatory tyre disposal fee the customer pays to the shop to off-set the cost of tyre disposal. Front and rear Sport Demons supplied and fitted for under US$290 seems pretty fair from what has been stated here. Didn't mean to highjack your thread Cliff, just wanted to provide some tyre details from Oz, cheers.

 

[sscott]

I just wanted to also say thanks to Mr. BassCliff for all of his documentation. It's great to have a point of refernce.

I also wanted to add that the 1st pic that Mr. Steve posted is just wrong!
(My humble opinion only)

And for my one cent worth, please take the wheels off yourself. Regardless of who changes the tires. That will give you an opportunity to check that very important spline (if its a shafty) yourself. Remember to take it out and inspect it for wear on the teeth. I just doubt that a shop you are paying to take off the wheels and change the tires will do that.

Just a thought.

 

[Steve]

I also wanted to add that the 1st pic that Mr. Steve posted is just wrong!
(My humble opinion only)

Thanks.

Just trying to keep my postings up to the incredibly high standards of the forum.

.