The change went pretty smooth with the exception of putting a hole in the tube the first time around..... That was ugly. I cussed it a little, patched the tube, and got back at it. Soap and water in a spray bottle goes a long way. A little caution when prying the tire back on goes even further. Got it back together and took it for a spin. Not a huge difference right off the bat except the E2 is a smidge taller and has a bunch more tread than my old stock dunlop. Quick ride but it felt pretty good. Time will tell. It did feel better on the corners too. Maybe that's because my old tire was more square than round....lol. I'm diggin the Raised White Letters for sure. If you've never tackled a do it yourself tire change, I highly recommend it.

 

Nice job...saved yourself some money..

I plan to R&R my tires soon. But I think I'll let someone else put the rubber on, not really up for that. The R&R will be enough for now, still learning.

 

I hear ya man. Plenty to learn. There's nothin like ridin what ya wrenched on. I thought it would be harder than it was just because of hearsay but it wasn't that bad. I picked up a couple of tricks when I worked in a tire shop and the right tools would have been nice... The damn tube was the trouble but if you're tubeless it should be a bit easier. Not sure if many people go tubeless anymore. It seems to be much safer to be tubed up.

 

The hardest part is breaking the bead,after that it all down hill !!!

 

good job///

 

Are you sure you didn't get the Elite III? It's much better than the Elite II.

 

They say pinched tubes occur when you take the tires irons past 90 degrees (to the rim). When you go past vertical thats when the tip of the tire iron pinches the tube between the rim and the tire iron. Makes sense. Of course you should not use screwdrivers in place of tire irons....that would just be asking for a leak. I was also wondering why you did not go with the more modern E3 which replaces the old K491 (Elite 2) and is also a high mileage touring compound. I wanted to get another K491 for my bike but went with the E3's because the 491 was only available in RWL. I needed front and rear tires because the sidewalls were starting to crack. In my opinion the E3 is a noticeably better handling tire. Did you look at the DOT # to see how old the tire was before mounting it up?

Tech23

 

True, the bead was a set of cuss words all it's own...

 

Nope, it's the E2...Might have to go with a 3 next time....front needs some attention too.

 

I got a really good deal on this one. That was the reason for the E2. Might have to try an E3 on the front. Just a slave to the wallet right about now so paying retail isn't an option for the moment. That 90 degree technique rings a bell... That one must of slipped my mind....lol. Didn't use screwdrivers, just some tire irons that had seen better days. To me the white letters look pretty good. I've always liked that look though. Kinda like the old qualifiers. I was thinkin about puttin one of those babies on too but this one was calling my name and the price was right. I forgot about the DOT# too. Will have to check that and see if I'm in the safe zone. It's gotta be newer than what I had. Thanks for the heads up.