Front tire replacement

[LongRanger_imp]

Replaced my front tire today with a new BT54 that I found on eBay for $50 from a liquidating dealer. The BT54 that I removed had traveled about 5,500 miles and was getting down to the wear bars, though the profile was still intact (no cupping or scalloping).

I used a sissor jack under the engine to lift the front of the bike off the ground. There was sufficient clearance between the headers to fit the jack and a piece of 2x4.

I was amazed how easily the calipers came off. On my BMW's, you really need to wrestle with the calipers, back and forth, before you gain enough clearance from the rim to remove them, but on the CB, they slipped right off. Easy peasy.

I didn't have a 17mm male hex tool to remove the axle, but I discovered that the butt end of my Honda oil filter wrench has a 17mm nut which fits perfectly into the axle. Using the cup as a hand wheel, it was easy to twist the axle out of the forks.

I torqued everything down per the service manual specs and was done in no time. All in all, this was a very easy job.

[the Ferret]

LR...do you have a tread depth gauge to measure how much rubber is on that BStone?

[LongRanger_imp]

I don't, but the sipes were pretty well worn clean and the center tread was down to the wear bars, so it was time. I didn't ask for it back from the shop.

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Edit: Sorry, I may have misunderstood your question. The new tire has a center tread depth that goes to the top of Lincoln's forehead on this penny, or about 4-5 mm.

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[url=http://s1285.photobucket.com/user/ericlevy/media/Mobile%20Uploads/11057622-7F3C-402B-9BB1-65110A89492B_zpsxv3j0vvz.jpg.html]

[url=http://s1285.photobucket.com/user/ericlevy/media/Mobile%20Uploads/19AC8605-1956-4A36-B684-AE15FA48BA08_zpsdepurddl.jpg.html]

[the Ferret]

I think we discovered in 2013 when the new bikes with BS tires were getting poor mileage out of the front tires (5-6K) that they didn't have much rubber on them, compared with the Dunlops.

However many were getting great mileage out of the BS rears..some upwards of 16K miles.

ahh found an old thread from 2013

http://cb1100forum.com/forum/showthread....ridgestone

"Front tires start out with less rubber. According to Bridgestone, their front tires start out with 4/32 tread and rears with 9/32. If that is true with the Dunlops as well in 6200 miles I have used up 1/32 on the front and 4/32 on the rear, so the rear is wearing faster than the front."

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/ti...e-BT54.htm

[Randy B]

I got 9000 on my original front tire Ferret.

[the Ferret]

Yea but most got between 5 & 6K if memory serves me which is why we delved into how much rubber was there. You also got like 16K or something out of the rear, when every one else was getting 9-10K

[Randy B]

Yea but most got between 5 & 6K if memory serves me which is why we delved into how much rubber was there. You also got like 16K or something out of the rear, when every one else was getting 9-10K

True, and I probably could have gone further on the rear, but I decided that it was time.