Front tire removal and mounting/balancing

I just mounted two new pilot road 2s, and now I'm having issues getting the front wheel back on. Service manual said to torque the axle bolt and right pinch bolts, bounce the front end a few times, then torque the left side. Still can't manage to get the proper clearance with the calipers. Sound like a problem with the calipers/pads?

 

Sometimes I have troubles putting the wheel back on and what works for me is to just pull the brake pads out of the left caliper. I know it's not ideal but when it's 10 pm and you gotta go to work next morning you get pressed to solutions. Then I'm able to put the wheel back on and I re-insert the brake pads on the left caliper and I'm ready to rock 'n roll!

 

Great thread Reg :thumbsup:
:cheersaf::cheer2::whoo::vtr2:

 

Reg,...It's better to 'Look' the fool, then 'Be' the fool

 

you use your feet now?

 

Reg's post helped inspire me to do my own tires. It took a bit on the first try but I think it was worth learning.

 

JD .. Had the same but I just spread the brake pads with my thumb and that got them far enough apart to slide over the disk. .. I see that popping them out however could be quick. I was glad to change my tires because When I pulled the caliper free and the brake pads fell out... (not supposed to do that). I had recently had my dealer to the brake job but now I think I will be doing brakes as well as tires in the future.

 

Well I figured out why dumba$$ here (that'd be me) was having trouble with the front wheel. The pilot road 2s that I got have opposite facing grooves when comparing the front tire to the rear. I tried to mount the front the way it "looked" like it was supposed to go, and couldn't get the necessary clearance for the wheel to spin once mounted. FINALLY took a closer look at the tire after noticing the wheel itself was backwards, and all I had to do was flip it around. Slipped right on. Kinda weird to look at, though, since the tread is backwards to any other tire I've ridden on before.

 

I'm not trying to be a smartass here, but the word "front" on a tire has nothing to do with the direction of rotation. It simply means that the tire goes on the front of the motorcycle. You'll probably find that the rear tire says "rear" on it.

I've never mounted a tire that didn't have a rotational arrow on it.

 

Now that it cost $48 to mount and balance, I've been doing my own. However, I am unable to do the rear. In the pic above you are using the tapered spools on the rear. Please explain how this is possible, or what I missed.

 

Never mind, Ic.