BLUEKNIGHT911
Sadly Passed Oct 2024 - RIP
14,000 on an "Ecsta" I find that very Odd ..... I expect to get 30,000 mi on my Pirelli P-4 ..... just sayin' .... What PSI did you run the Ectsa at ????? ..... Mike
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HowTo: Change Rear Tire
- Thread starter Craniac
- Start date
14,000 on an "Ecsta" I find that very Odd ..... I expect to get 30,000 mi on my Pirelli P-4 ..... just sayin' .... What PSI did you run the Ectsa at ????? ..... Mike
Adventurer
Member
Can anyone tell me if these instructions apply exactly to a 2021 RTL or is there newer info on 2020+ models?
I’ve got 9250 miles on the OEM tire and it’s shot. I have a new Quatrac sitting in the garage and will be changing out ASAP.
I’ve got 9250 miles on the OEM tire and it’s shot. I have a new Quatrac sitting in the garage and will be changing out ASAP.
This thread started out back in 2015 as a 'How To:' DIY description for a 2013 ST, which would've meant the instructions were also fairly applicable to the 2010 - 2019 RT's..... That said, while there are clearly a few minor differences between the ST's & RT's of that vintage, and even more differences between them & the 2020+ RT's, when it comes to changing the rear tire, I believe that most of the frame is close enough for these instructions to still apply to your 2020+ Spyder. :thumbup: However, be aware that some time around 2017/18, the rim changed from being a 2-piece rim that could be separated, making it easier to strip/refit a tire on traditional tire changing equipment, to a 1-piece rim - meaning it's still not impossible to change a tire on it using the tire changing equipment your local tire shop is likely to have, but it'll definitely make it somewhat harder for anyone less than a skilled & competent operator with a little bit of a flair for thinking & operating outside of the 'traditional' box! No real difference or a biggie for anyone using manual strip/refit equipment or even basic tire irons tho!
So all that said, these instructions might not apply EXACTLY to a 2021 RT-L, but in all significant &/or applicable respects, they should be close enough to work for most operators. It's not really all that difficult a task, IF you can get down there
but there are a few fiddly bits & it will probably take you a bit longer than you might expect when you're doing it for the first time. Pay attention to how the speed sensor is mounted & where any shims used on it might go, cos you REALLY don't want to damage that sensor or the wire, kink or over-stress the wiring, or get the sensor's clearance/flying height above that notched wheel wrong on re-assembly; and you don't want to damage or bend the notched wheel either (it's the spinning part of the speed sensor); nor do you want to 'clock' the drive sprocket incorrectly when re-fitting it either! :thumbup: Oh, and I find it a whole lot safer to actually TAPE the belt tensioners on the ends of the swing arms into place - just run a 9-12" long piece of duct tape or similar a few inches or so along the top of the arm, down over the end of the arm & the tensioner/tensioner bolt, then along the underside of the arm for a few inches. That way, the tensioners can't fall out or the bolts be turned, & when you walk the belt off during wheel removal & back on again during the wheel refit, you should find it easier & you shouldn't need to re-tension the belt afterwards, altho you should check it anyway!
But if you get the wheel refit done correctly & the axle tightened up squarely & properly, it should all go back exactly where it was before it came off! 
hyea: Over to you! Good Luck. :cheers:
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Adventurer
Member
Thanks for the input Peter Aawen. I continued to search after posting my question and found most of the suggestions you mentioned, very helpful. One additional help is to use a ratchet strap thru the wheel and secured to the pegs (or in my case probably the passenger floorboards on the RTL) to keep the wheel pulled forward.
I didn’t find any mention about loosening the belt tensioner that is standard on late build 21’s. Does that need to be loosened and/or removed?
I didn’t find any mention about loosening the belt tensioner that is standard on late build 21’s. Does that need to be loosened and/or removed?
Last edited by a moderator:
If your talking about the Spring Loaded Anti-Vibration Roller/Vibration Damper that runs on top of the belt (& which really ISN'T a Belt Tensioner by any stretch of the imagination!
) then you might need to tie it up out of the way &/or loosen/remove it in order to make 'walking' the belt off the drive sprocket easier. :thumbup: But in any case, I reckon you really need to closely inspect that device for damage on the roller & for free rolling quiet bearings, spring tension etc. There have been a number of quite expensive failures in some of those things, and if you set your belt tension appropriately (generally at about 160 ft/lb - see the many threads & posts on belt tension &/or belt vibration here) many find them of questionable benefit at best.
nazdackster
New member
A few added comments...
I just swapped tires on a 2014, so I thought I would add a few thoughts.
1) Discount tire would not work on it, they don't do motorcycle tires. Firestone did mine but could not balance it, (drive hub and brake disc removed) because the shaft wouldn't fit on their machine. So I took it to a motorcycle place for a static balance after I reassembled the hub to the wheel (which is the same method as the dealer, but they are far away and would only do Kenda tires). But I did buy from Discount tire (a Kumho, no miles to add any opinion yet). Good price, delivered to their shop same day.
2) On my generation of Spyder, there is no sensor to remove, and I did not disconnect the shock. Belt came right off once I lifted it off the ground.
3) Brakes were shot (new to us Spyder). I replaced pads without removing caliper. I found this to be quite fiddly. The slide wants to stay in one position where the outer pad will stay in, but the inner one wants to come out. So I used a small clamp to hold the caliper slide in a position where the pads wanted to stay captured, then I put a 1/4" spacer in there to hold the pads in place until wheel went on, then removed the clamp before rolling the wheel in. Anything 1/4" thick (maybe 2 paint sticks or a screwdriver?) should work until you are under the bike rolling the tire in and can slide them out. Maybe once the pin is in the pads will stay, but I wasn't taking any chances after messing with it under there. Bad language was used.
4) You don't push the rear piston in, there are 2 holes in the piston that you twist (righty tighty) and it will go in. I used some fine needle nose pliers. I went until it stopped and backed off 1/8 turn so I didn't bind this mysterious mechanism. The disc cleared the new pads.
5) I found the 35 ft-lb spec on the brake retaining pin to be scary, so I tightened using the German torque spec (Guttent-heit). It seemed MUCH looser than 35 when I took it off, and I'm sure the brakes have never been serviced. Don't forget the retaining clip before and after.
6) The disc brake bolt spec was 18 ft-lb. I thought that seemed low given the bolt size, and I think it was MUCH tighter than that when I disassembled. I used 30. Lots of yellow thread locker paint was on the bolts when removed.
7) The hub assembly to the wheel (15mm bolts and nuts) was CRAZY tight, I think because of the yellow adhesive used. My Dewalt 1/2" impact was no match, even on the nut side. My 600 ft-lb Earthquake took them right off but had to break up a lot of the thread locker to get them off. I think this was factory. I only tried impacts, but man, that was TIGHT (removed for tire installer, which required another trip home to use the big impact)
8) When ready to assemble and you have the axle, washer and nut back on (very loose), the adjusters will be loose. Put the belt back on with the bike in the air and shock extended (I did have to start at the bottom and turn the wheel to get the belt back on, but it was easy). Once the belt looks like it is somewhat in its usual position, make sure the adjusters are sitting in their pockets by pushing the wheel forward before lowering. Now you can lower the bike all the way to the ground. This will produce a lot of tension in the belt and will take up the adjusters. Then after you lower, the tracking should be exactly the same as it was (mine was). Now tighten the axle to spec on the ground. On mine, you can feel quite a lot of take-up as the swing arms are drawn closer (maybe 2mm) and probably another 2mm where the rubber isolators are also being compressed (you will see that there is a little play in the drive spacer in the wheel before you tighten, because the rubber isn't compressed all the way yet). Finally, you'll notice a drastic increase in torque, where the spacers are all now together against the races. Keep going until you hit the spec (with my wrenches I had to estimate length and forces, but it is damn tight). My bearings felt perfect at 20,000 miles.
9) Be sure to depress the pedal until stiff (1 stroke on mine) before turning the key on, I'm told this could cause an error if too much stroke is seen when on... Then work the parking brake a few times. When off, the cable end should have 1mm clearance (mine was perfect).
10) The O-ring between drive hub and wheel was damaged on mine. Ace was able to match up pretty close. The section diameter was 3.74 and the new one was 3.54. Measuring the mating parts, it will still get 0.25 compression on each surface (1mm total) when installed, which in my opinion is still too much, but it went together OK with some grease (I pulled the hub off to check a couple of times, no damage). Just work it down pressing hard on it. Even with a damaged o-ring, the insides were perfectly clean. Clean and re-grease the seals before assembly.
Not really too bad a job and it will go much faster next time now that I've done it.
I just swapped tires on a 2014, so I thought I would add a few thoughts.
1) Discount tire would not work on it, they don't do motorcycle tires. Firestone did mine but could not balance it, (drive hub and brake disc removed) because the shaft wouldn't fit on their machine. So I took it to a motorcycle place for a static balance after I reassembled the hub to the wheel (which is the same method as the dealer, but they are far away and would only do Kenda tires). But I did buy from Discount tire (a Kumho, no miles to add any opinion yet). Good price, delivered to their shop same day.
2) On my generation of Spyder, there is no sensor to remove, and I did not disconnect the shock. Belt came right off once I lifted it off the ground.
3) Brakes were shot (new to us Spyder). I replaced pads without removing caliper. I found this to be quite fiddly. The slide wants to stay in one position where the outer pad will stay in, but the inner one wants to come out. So I used a small clamp to hold the caliper slide in a position where the pads wanted to stay captured, then I put a 1/4" spacer in there to hold the pads in place until wheel went on, then removed the clamp before rolling the wheel in. Anything 1/4" thick (maybe 2 paint sticks or a screwdriver?) should work until you are under the bike rolling the tire in and can slide them out. Maybe once the pin is in the pads will stay, but I wasn't taking any chances after messing with it under there. Bad language was used.
4) You don't push the rear piston in, there are 2 holes in the piston that you twist (righty tighty) and it will go in. I used some fine needle nose pliers. I went until it stopped and backed off 1/8 turn so I didn't bind this mysterious mechanism. The disc cleared the new pads.
5) I found the 35 ft-lb spec on the brake retaining pin to be scary, so I tightened using the German torque spec (Guttent-heit). It seemed MUCH looser than 35 when I took it off, and I'm sure the brakes have never been serviced. Don't forget the retaining clip before and after.
6) The disc brake bolt spec was 18 ft-lb. I thought that seemed low given the bolt size, and I think it was MUCH tighter than that when I disassembled. I used 30. Lots of yellow thread locker paint was on the bolts when removed.
7) The hub assembly to the wheel (15mm bolts and nuts) was CRAZY tight, I think because of the yellow adhesive used. My Dewalt 1/2" impact was no match, even on the nut side. My 600 ft-lb Earthquake took them right off but had to break up a lot of the thread locker to get them off. I think this was factory. I only tried impacts, but man, that was TIGHT (removed for tire installer, which required another trip home to use the big impact)
8) When ready to assemble and you have the axle, washer and nut back on (very loose), the adjusters will be loose. Put the belt back on with the bike in the air and shock extended (I did have to start at the bottom and turn the wheel to get the belt back on, but it was easy). Once the belt looks like it is somewhat in its usual position, make sure the adjusters are sitting in their pockets by pushing the wheel forward before lowering. Now you can lower the bike all the way to the ground. This will produce a lot of tension in the belt and will take up the adjusters. Then after you lower, the tracking should be exactly the same as it was (mine was). Now tighten the axle to spec on the ground. On mine, you can feel quite a lot of take-up as the swing arms are drawn closer (maybe 2mm) and probably another 2mm where the rubber isolators are also being compressed (you will see that there is a little play in the drive spacer in the wheel before you tighten, because the rubber isn't compressed all the way yet). Finally, you'll notice a drastic increase in torque, where the spacers are all now together against the races. Keep going until you hit the spec (with my wrenches I had to estimate length and forces, but it is damn tight). My bearings felt perfect at 20,000 miles.
9) Be sure to depress the pedal until stiff (1 stroke on mine) before turning the key on, I'm told this could cause an error if too much stroke is seen when on... Then work the parking brake a few times. When off, the cable end should have 1mm clearance (mine was perfect).
10) The O-ring between drive hub and wheel was damaged on mine. Ace was able to match up pretty close. The section diameter was 3.74 and the new one was 3.54. Measuring the mating parts, it will still get 0.25 compression on each surface (1mm total) when installed, which in my opinion is still too much, but it went together OK with some grease (I pulled the hub off to check a couple of times, no damage). Just work it down pressing hard on it. Even with a damaged o-ring, the insides were perfectly clean. Clean and re-grease the seals before assembly.
Not really too bad a job and it will go much faster next time now that I've done it.
Adventurer
Member
Just finished changing out my rear tire the first time on my 2021 RTL. The tips here and in some YouTube videos were a great help. I did put tape over the adjusters and that seemed to work out well. I also used ratchet straps thru the wheel to hold the wheel forward while tightening the axle nuts and that worked perfect too. I put a piece of blue painters tape on the brake peddle to remind me to pump the brakes before test riding it. Also loosening the clamp on the exhaust at the cat and loosening the hanger bolt helped provide room to get socket wrenches in and out for the axle nut. I used a small hand pump air bag that I use to install cabinets and that helped fine tune raising/lowering the rear wheel when aligning the rear axle. Also removing the lower shock bolt is worthwhile in my opinion too. Overall it’s a tedious job but not terribly difficult. However, having a buddy to help would make the job a lot easier especially if, like me, it’s a chore to get up and down about a jillion time during this process!
In Finnless video he mentioned he had to use vice grips or similar to hold the threaded sleeve at the ride height sensor in order to disconnect. The top bolt actually has a nut on the back you can get a wrench on to disconnect the ride height sensor in lieu of trying to disconnect it at the lower connection point.
We have a small independent motorcycle tire shop here and they installed and balanced the Vredestein Quatrac no questions ask. I tried Cycle Gear first and they said their machine wouldn’t handle a tire that wide.
Question: I plan on running the recommended 18 psi in the Vredestein generally but I have a couple of trips coming up where I’ll be riding 2up and fully loaded. Do you think I should bump up to 20 psi for a 2up loaded trip or stick with 18?
In Finnless video he mentioned he had to use vice grips or similar to hold the threaded sleeve at the ride height sensor in order to disconnect. The top bolt actually has a nut on the back you can get a wrench on to disconnect the ride height sensor in lieu of trying to disconnect it at the lower connection point.
We have a small independent motorcycle tire shop here and they installed and balanced the Vredestein Quatrac no questions ask. I tried Cycle Gear first and they said their machine wouldn’t handle a tire that wide.
Question: I plan on running the recommended 18 psi in the Vredestein generally but I have a couple of trips coming up where I’ll be riding 2up and fully loaded. Do you think I should bump up to 20 psi for a 2up loaded trip or stick with 18?
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Adventurer
Member
Also, I didn’t have to screw the brake pistons in, I was able to slip the caliper back on the rotor without difficulty. I didn’t have any shims on the caliper connection but I did have three shims on the ABS sensor.
SNOOPY
Active member
Mikey
Well-known member
You know that you're dredging up old threads when you do this, right?
pegasus1300
Well-known member
No Just a heads up
jcthorne
Well-known member
At 100k miles, I have lost count of how many rear tires I have installed. Second set of Yoko fronts.
OEM Kenda was changed out at 10,355 miles. Center was completely gone and had serious hydroplaning issues. (28PSI)
Kumho Ecsta 225/50R15 (28PSI) changed out at 14,890 miles. Hydroplaning not as severe but tire down to wear bars in center.
Vred Quadrac 205/60R15 (17PSI) changed out at 28,896 miles. Amazing wet tire.
Current tire is another Vred balanced with Ride-On. No issues with this product.
Front OEM Kendas changed out at 22,131 miles. Not wore out but getting close.
Current fronts are Vred Quadrac 175/55R15 (17PSI). Noticeable ride and handling improvement. Current mileage 31,006.
Kumho Ecsta 225/50R15 (28PSI) changed out at 14,890 miles. Hydroplaning not as severe but tire down to wear bars in center.
Vred Quadrac 205/60R15 (17PSI) changed out at 28,896 miles. Amazing wet tire.
Current tire is another Vred balanced with Ride-On. No issues with this product.
Front OEM Kendas changed out at 22,131 miles. Not wore out but getting close.
Current fronts are Vred Quadrac 175/55R15 (17PSI). Noticeable ride and handling improvement. Current mileage 31,006.
SNOOPY
Active member
It’s my rear tire and I have that at factory PSI. I do like to take off fast all the time though. lol14,000 on an "Ecsta" I find that very Odd ..... I expect to get 30,000 mi on my Pirelli P-4 ..... just sayin' .... What PSI did you run the Ectsa at ????? ..... Mike
Mikey
Well-known member
Snoop, the guy you just replied to has passed on, God rest his soul, and if he replies to you, I am going to church! 
He was a wealth of knowledge on the subject and will be very well missed!! I think his answer would be 18 psi!!
EdMat
Well-known member
I think that's going to happen many times over the next years. Mike is missed!Snoop, the guy you just replied to has passed on, God rest his soul, and if he replies to you, I am going to church! 
pegasus1300
Well-known member
Nice to see you back Snoopy. I currently run A Pirelli P4 which is no longer made. It is due for replacement. I think it has about 30,000 miles on it. I run it at 18 lbs
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