Kudos to Marc Parnes for his superb balancer!!

[macx]

Just did my first tire swap on my 1200RT. The local dealer wanted over $600 to sell and install a pair of tires. NOPE!

 

Bought a ~$40 manual bead breaker from Harbor Freight which, BTW, works like a charm & is worth every penny even though a person only uses it for maybe 30 seconds to change a tire, and a Marc Parnes balancer and front axle tool. A dab over $300 for the same tires shipped from MC Superstore, the balancer and bead breaker, and I STILL saved some $, and now I've got the tools.

 

I did the rear tire a few weeks ago and the front tonite. I remained as impressed with the balancer tonite as I was the first time I used it, on the rear.

 

I remain amazed at the super low friction bearings in the balancer. It's still hard to believe a 1/4oz weight would make that apparent of a difference.

 

And the front axle tools works just slick as can be, and is small and light weight. It goes with me when I ride.

 

OK, on to tires.

 

I got just a tad over 8k on the oem's. Tried a pair of Metzeler Interact Z6's and liked em. Had to have a dealer in another town put them on when I got caught with a very rapidly wearing front tire. Had thought I had "one trip left" in it. NOPE! Anyway - Got nearly 12k on the rear and 13k on the front. I'm not a white knuckle rider but do like the "sport" in sport touring, so am probly a fairly typical RT rider. Certainly not the "hot shoe" that I've seen banzai'ing on GT 1200/1300's! I want to live to retire and then ride a few years more.

 

Anyway.

 

This time I'm trying Michelin PR3's cuz I've read they wear very well and are good on cold and wet pavement. Then unless something "latest & greatest" comes out to replace/improve on the Z6's and the PR3's, I'll choose between them. Shouldn't take too long, I put on 18.5k last summer between May 1 & mid October.

 

Oh, and I found a slick way to remove the tire from esp. that shallow dish rear wheel on my 1200RT. I read so many horror stories about how difficult it was to remove the tire, that I thought "there's GOTTA be an easier way".

 

A cheap 4" side grinder and a metal cut off disc and about 15 minutes and I had that darn tire off. NO tire tools, NO rim scratches. Some rubber smoke, but - - . I used a sawzall to cut the sidewalls (only fabric, no steel cords) back from the cross cut a ways so I could push the carcass out of the way so I could get at the bead with the cutoff wheel, prying it away from the rim a little with a big flat blade screwdriver. NO sweating, NO name calling. Worked for me!

 

NOW I gotta get out on the road and RIDE! Getting the bug, warming up around Vegas.

[taylor1]

Just another note on Marc Parnes I Emailed him the other day to see if I could purchase a set of his throttle body ring adjusters. He informed me that they are no longer in production and that his current equipment can not handle that small of a part. I mailed him back and asked if it were possible if I could get a print so that I could have them locally made. I mentioned that I would be happy to pay for it. Within ten minutes he had sent me the blue print on his product and wished me the best of luck. That action reaffirmed to me that there are a lot of great people in this community that are willing to share their time and knowledge for the spirit of giving. Many of you forum members included! By the way, he asked for no compensation for his print. I am sure I will be dealing with him again in the future.