Yeah, did it myself. Wasn’t too terrible of a job. Breaking the bead, and then getting the bead initially over the rim were the two hardest parts. I used a combination of a vice and large c-clamps to break the bead. Only thing I’d do different next time is to buy better rim protectors. The ones I used tore through and I ended up scratching the rim.

Edit:

The difficulty in getting the tire off may have been due to their age, or just the tire design. The new tires (Michelin Road 5) almost installed by hand without tools, they felt way more flexible than what came off.

I thought about this, seems to be some mixed opinions about using them online.

Yeah, I packed the dust seal with grease when reinstalling.

Interesting. Based on the amount of force required to pop them apart, I think I’d have ended up with the uppers firing themselves through the wall. Bike is a Honda CB500F. The area where the snap ring and seal sits was corroded and rusty, effectively locking in the seals.

I really do want to balance them, just didn’t have an easy way today. If there was a shop available to mount and balance, I’d absolutely have taken it there. The weights are opposite the valve stem, so I’m hoping that I get lucky, we’ll see.

Yeah, putting on the Road 5s, Revzilla had them for a good bit less than the Road 6.

Haven’t balanced them. They are Michelins, which claim to not need balancing, or at least don’t have a heavy spot. I had planned to rig up a basic rig, I do have a pack of stick on weights, but ran out of time and had to get the bike back together. If I notice any weirdness after doing the rear tomorrow I’ll need to figure something out. There are no shops available locally who can balance them.

Thanks. Not looking for run-flats, just wondering if there is something less puncture resistant. In the cycling world (the ones with pedals) certain tires are known to be more or less resistant to punctures. Commuting on brand X resulted in multiple punctures each month, while brand Y was puncture free for a year.

Wow, a completely sensible and rational take on the issue.

Safety and quality? Have you never driven an American car?

Not sure if this will fit the bill, but I am a huge fan of Joplin for general note taking and to dos.