New Front Tyre at last!

[seagrass]

I am in the process of replacing the front Tyre on my 2006 NT700. This is the original Bridgestone BT020 tyre which is now 14 years old (manufactured 41st week of 2006 according to date stamp) and the Tyre has travelled around 17,000 Km’s (I have owned bike since around 5,000 Km’s)

I had a new tyre fitted to the rear earlier this year from memory, and I chose a Pirelli Angel GT for that wheel. I have decided to also install a Pirelli Angel GT on the front at a cost of $189 fitted at my local Honda dealer (I need to remove the wheel and take it to the Honda dealer for them to fit the new Tyre to the rim).

I have just removed the front wheel from the bike and it was so much easier than the rear wheel, just nine bolts and pull the axle out (around ten minutes work) and you have the wheel off the bike.

I am not sure how easy it will be to install the wheel but I guess I will find out tomorrow or Tuesday.

My local historic motorcycle club has a ride arranged on Wednesday so I may just take the NT700 for a ride on Wednesday to wear in its new front Tyre.

Seagrass

 

[DirtFlier]

I use a *tapered wooden shim to drive the pistons back a little which makes it much easier to fit the caliper onto the brake disc during reassembly. And remember to pump the front brake lever a few times before riding to get the pistons back in place!

* contractors use these to square up new windows & doors and they are available at most hardware stores.

 

[ST1100Y]

I use a *tapered wooden shim to drive the pistons back a little which makes it much easier to fit the caliper onto the brake disc during reassembly.

If all is clean, well maintained and in order you should be able to push them in by hand while still installed...
However is this tool coming handy at times:



Wonder how the Pirelli will hold up on the NT though

 

[seagrass]

The Pirelli Angel GT has a pretty good reputation for handling and longevity so I am hoping it lasts OK.

Macka and I are hoping to do a trip from Melbourne to Perth and return, when Covid settles down and Macka’s health is good enough. That will be around a 12,000Km trip for me and the NT700 so if the Pirelli’s do not work out I will be needing a new set of tyres shortly after anyway.

Seagrass

 

[Macka]

I am in the process of replacing the front Tyre on my 2006 NT700. This is the original Bridgestone BT020 tyre which is now 14 years old (manufactured 41st week of 2006 according to date stamp) and the Tyre has travelled around 17,000 Km’s (I have owned bike since around 5,000 Km’s)

I had a new tyre fitted to the rear earlier this year from memory, and I chose a Pirelli Angel GT for that wheel. I have decided to also install a Pirelli Angel GT on the front at a cost of $189 fitted at my local Honda dealer (I need to remove the wheel and take it to the Honda dealer for them to fit the new Tyre to the rim).

I have just removed the front wheel from the bike and it was so much easier than the rear wheel, just nine bolts and pull the axle out (around ten minutes work) and you have the wheel off the bike.

I am not sure how easy it will be to install the wheel but I guess I will find out tomorrow or Tuesday.

My local historic motorcycle club has a ride arranged on Wednesday so I may just take the NT700 for a ride on Wednesday to wear in its new front Tyre.

Seagrass

Funny that you should bring this up right now. I fitted and balanced a new Bridgestone BT011 only last Monday. It has not been on the road yet as I have been sick again since then. I would have preferred a Michelin again but I could not get a Pilot Active which INHO is the best tyre for the front of an NT. I am thrilled to hear that you are still keen for the trip to go ahead. We have not touched base for a while. I did have a lot of trouble getting the second bead over the rim. Summer and lots of sweat.

 

[NewTo700V]

Wow, I can't imagine having a tire on a bike that long. I think my NT is on its third or fourth front since I bought it last year. Two rear brake pads and one front set.

37,000 miles will do that. (y)

 

[coaster]

I use a *tapered wooden shim to drive the pistons back a little which makes it much easier to fit the caliper onto the brake disc during reassembly. And remember to pump the front brake lever a few times before riding to get the pistons back in place!

* contractors use these to square up new windows & doors and they are available at most hardware stores.

The tapered wooden shim that I use is a wooden clothes pin that I took apart.

 

[seagrass]

The new tyre was fitted at my local Honda dealer today and I fitted the front wheel to the bike this afternoon.

There is an interesting procedure in the workshop manual for reinstalling the wheel and torquing the bolts which I would never had followed without the manual.

Everything went well and I will try to go for a test ride this week to make sure all is OK.

I am also trying to get my Honda CX500 Euro back together after awaiting parts since early October. Hopefully that will be back together tomorrow with it’s new clutch, new thermo fan switch and a few repainted and polished alloy bits and pieces.

Seagrass

 

[DirtFlier]

Clothes pins or contractor's shims, it doesn't really matter.

One thing I've noticed after pushing the pistons back into the caliper is that the feel at the lever/pedal is much firmer - similar to bleeding the system of air which is a good thing!

 

[seagrass]

Got out for a ride for a few hours yesterday before it got too hot (forecast of 33degrees Celsius)

The Pirelli Angel GT’s handle very nicely and I enjoyed my 220Km trip “around the block”

The CX500 Euro is also back together BUT I am not sure if I have resolved the overheating problem or not. It is looking like I have a faulty temperature gauge reading rather than an overheating problem and I am hoping a little more diagnosis will confirm this.

Seagrass

 

[Macka]

Tell me, Seagrass. What are the symptoms?

Macka

 

[seagrass]

Macka CX’s are a funny beast and the fuel and temp gauges run on 7 volts via a 7 volt regulator.

I had a set of Keihin carby’s (stock CX carby’s) fully rebuilt by a friend in Adelaide and once I fitted them to the bike and went on a test ride the needle on the temp gauge was right on the red line of the temp gauge. This CX has a radiator and electric fan from a CX650 and the radiator has a thermo fan switch that turns on the fan when the temp gets to 90 degrees and off at 85 degrees. When the temp gauge was high the fan was not operating and after some testing I determined the thermo switch was faulty.

I sourced a replacement thermo switch (a Tridon TFS131 that fits a late 1970’s Honda civic) and installed it along with new radiator hoses, thermostat and coolant and on a test ride the temp gauge was in exactly the same place BUT the radiator fan was now turning on and off as it should. What I missed at the time was that the fan was kicking in right where the temp gauge hit the red line and the red line should be over 100 degrees.

After doing a sanity check with the friend in Adelaide he suggested I check a few things including the output of the 7 volt regulator as if it is putting out more or less voltage the gauge readings change accordingly. Sure enough the voltage regulator was putting out 8.3 volts which means the temp gauge would be reading high.

I have now fitted a 7 volt regulator that is putting out the correct voltage so I just need to go on a ride to see if all is OK.

Thanks for being interested, it is appreciated.

Seagrass

 

[ST1100Y]

Macka CX’s are a funny beast and the fuel and temp gauges run on 7 volts via a 7 volt regulator.

BTDT... :sneaky:

 

[Macka]

Macka CX’s are a funny beast and the fuel and temp gauges run on 7 volts via a 7 volt regulator.

I had a set of Keihin carby’s (stock CX carby’s) fully rebuilt by a friend in Adelaide and once I fitted them to the bike and went on a test ride the needle on the temp gauge was right on the red line of the temp gauge. This CX has a radiator and electric fan from a CX650 and the radiator has a thermo fan switch that turns on the fan when the temp gets to 90 degrees and off at 85 degrees. When the temp gauge was high the fan was not operating and after some testing I determined the thermo switch was faulty.

I sourced a replacement thermo switch (a Tridon TFS131 that fits a late 1970’s Honda civic) and installed it along with new radiator hoses, thermostat and coolant and on a test ride the temp gauge was in exactly the same place BUT the radiator fan was now turning on and off as it should. What I missed at the time was that the fan was kicking in right where the temp gauge hit the red line and the red line should be over 100 degrees.

After doing a sanity check with the friend in Adelaide he suggested I check a few things including the output of the 7 volt regulator as if it is putting out more or less voltage the gauge readings change accordingly. Sure enough the voltage regulator was putting out 8.3 volts which means the temp gauge would be reading high.

I have now fitted a 7 volt regulator that is putting out the correct voltage so I just need to go on a ride to see if all is OK.

Thanks for being interested, it is appreciated.

Seagrass

Many vehicles back in the early days used regulators for the gauges. Failures were common.
Glad that it is fixed (presumably).

Macka

 

[Macka]

Seagrass, PM sent.

Macka