The rear tire on the fatty needs replaced and I decided to take it on myself given all the positive feedback/reinforcement from the HDF community (have service and parts manuals as well as Fix My Hog DVDs). So far, so good. I did end up having to remove the exhaust because it lined up perfectly with the axle bolt. I found out (eventually) removing the exhaust also meant removing the heat shields as well as removing the right passenger and driver floor boards. Will look into flipping the axle bolt at time of tire install per HDF recommendation. Only major problem was I had the bike tied to the jack but as soon as the rear wheel disengaged the whole jack tried to tip (forgot about the full tank of gas with Stabil for winterization). Had to put blocks under the front wheel to re-balance everything. Rookie mistake! A big thanks to J&S for their sturdy jack as the whole unit was on one corner before I caught it. Will definitely be getting a floor stand jack, or two, when it comes time to install the new tire. I also had to let out some air in the tire in order to get the rear brake free enough to slide out. I'm a little nervous about this when putting the new tire in because it may have to be fully inflated if my little air pump isn't up to the task of pumping it up afterward (will have to try the pump out beforehand). Just waiting for the new Metzeler tire from Dennis Kirk now. Found a local shop that'll change the tire for $22. At this point the only question I have is does the axle bolt look like it should be replaced, or is this how it normally would wear? I'll get the local shop's opinion on the wheel bearings as I don't feel completely comfortable making that call on my own. Although they do look a bit suspect to my untrained eye.

 

New rear tire is on and everything is aligned and torqued for the most part. I'm ready to put the exhaust back on. Quick question: do the nuts that hold the exhaust to the engine need anti-seize or anything?

 

Don't know what you did about the axle, but I would have cleaned it up on a wire wheel, or if lacking one of those used a Scotchbrite pad. As long as there was no serious pitting or galling it's good to go. You also want to coat it with something to prevent future corrosion. Some people use Anti-Seize, but I hate that stuff as if you get it anywhere you don't want it it's hard to clean off. So just a light coat of All Purpose Grease will do the trick.

 

I cleaned up the axle no problem with a wire brush. Looked brand new. Put a thin coat of anti-seize on and the axle slid right in. Little bit of a mess but not too bad. Just not sure about putting anything on the exhaust nut now.

 

Glad you were able to do the job yourself, but I don't understand why you had to remove the exhaust. I have the same pipes on mt Faboy and have never had to remove the exhaust to change the rear tire. Hopefully you won't have to do it again.

 

The axle lined up pretty much perfect to the exhaust. Either way the axle was just a bit too close to the exhaust for my liking when taking it out. I kind of wanted to do it anyways to see how it all went together . I was surprised how simple it was.

 

Make sure that your belt tension is set right. If it's to tight it's a just a matter of time before it breaks. Better to error on the side of too loose than risk breaking a belt on the road. Just my .02

 

Yep, marked them with a permanent market before taking off the old one (per HDF recommendation )

 

Why did you put your jack so far back? If I put my jack there, the bike tilts over even with the rear wheel still in place.

If you are worried about damaging the shocks, just zip tie a bit of .25 inch rubber under both frame rails near the shocks before you jack up the bike. You could use some of the old tire for that.

I've had my bike up in the air so many times with the jack on the shocks and no ill effects whatsoever. Also with the jack more in the center of the bike, even with the rear wheel off, solid as a rock on the Jack, no ties needed.

 

Finally got in my first serious ride of the season this weekend, and the winter mod was a complete success. Wife was nervous as hell about the rear tire falling off though . Took it down the road a few miles by myself to the gas station to put air in the tires, and it handled like a dream. I couldn't believe the difference (and I just replaced the rear one). Never owned a new bike before, but the thing felt brand new. Had a little shimmy in the steering at times around 45 mph and that's now gone. I thought I was going to have to do a steering head adjustment and/or replace the front tire for that. Go figure.

Anyway, the Mrs. hopped on after the gas station run and we had no issues the whole day (other than her in my ear telling me not to dive into corners so much; it was too much fun ). Well, did have one issue with a rear turn signal not working. I was worried I crimped a wire, or had a short somewhere, but it was just the bulb. Unfortunately, no sooner did I get one bulb replaced the other one went out . Oh well, at least it wasn't something serious that I had to take everything off again.

Many thanks to everyone who has posted about replacing tires (from brand to techniques). The information was invaluable!!!