Removing the front tire from 650, is it easy?

[Rifleman3006]

I took the back tire off a week or so ago and took it to a motorcycle shop to have it replaced (It also had a nail which forced the issue a little early at 5600 miles). The rear tire was pretty straightforward. But the front tire is needing replacement as well. i read the book on the removal but my concern is removing the brake calipers from the rotors? Although I have some mechanical inclinations, I admit, I have never dealt with brakes at all of any sort. Do both sides need to come off as the book says and is it really easy to put the calipers back on? I just want to make sure it's pretty simple otherwise, I'm going to have to ride the bike 25 miles to the same shop rather than just bring the tire in for swapping out? Any advice would be appreciated. Sure would like to see a youtube video on repairs such as this! Hopefully eventually will see some of these. The Vespa 250 I had previously had all kind of video help to guide me through maintenance procedures.

Best

 

[justscootin]

You remove the front fender (4 screws)
Remove the calibers (2 bolts each)
Twist the caliper lightly to spread the pads (do not use the brake levers now till the wheel is on again)
Jack the front end of the bike to get the wheel off the ground
Undo the 2 pinch bolts
Remove axel with a 3/4 Allen key

This is off the top of my head (memory) from a year ago

Replacement is the opposite

Yes it is relatively simple

 

[Rifleman3006]

justscootin, thanks for the quick reply. i was just out looking under the bike and frankly I'm now not sure where you would put the jack under the front of the bike to get the front wheel of the concrete a couple of inches. It looks like all black plastic under the front part of the bike. I don't have the regular ride on jack shown in the book just a regular floor jack so am I screwed on doing this myself??

 

[JaimeC]

We were able to remove the front wheel without removing the fender...

 

[Rifleman3006]

We were able to remove the front wheel without removing the fender...

I took the fender off, it was real easy, just confused on where to place jack underneath as it's all plastic? By the way, without the fender, you can easily see straight up and should easily be able to change either of the headlights when they burn out.

 

[davidh]

Crazy-simple. Here's what I do...

1. Put the bike on the center stand.
2. Using a floor jack, get a short (8-12" or so) 2x4 or 2x6 and put it between the jack plate and underside of the scoot about where the oil plug is.
3. Raise the jack just enough to get the front wheel off the ground.
4. Optional (for the extra cautious): Connect ratchet straps (like you'd use for towing) to the handlebars and connect to a support beam/rafter in the garage. Put just enough tension on them to eliminate the slack. This is ONLY in case the jack slips or something goes wrong while you're getting the new tire mounted.

5. Carefully remove the ABS sensor and calipers.
6. Loosen the pinch bolts and remove the axel.
7. Pull the wheel off!

PS. No need to remove the fender. Installation is the reverse. Just be sure to loosen the ratchet straps before lowering the jack.

PPS. For the 3/4" axle bolt, I couldn't find an Allen wrench that large but I took a 1/2" x 1" bolt and 2 @ 1/2" nuts and Locktighted them together. The head of a 1/2" bolt/nut is 3/4", a perfect fit for the axle.

 

[justscootin]

Just raise the front wheel enough so it is not touching (1/4 inch)

 

[Rifleman3006]

Thanks to both of you guys!! Makes sense.

 

[exavid]

I used to remove the brake discs on my Goldwing's front wheel when taking it to a dealer for tire replacement. It's all too easy to warp a disc if the wheel is allowed to fall over.

 

[exavid]

I tested jacking up the front of my scooter much like davidh described. I have an old scissor jack that works nicely for such jobs. No damage, no sweat. Pretty much like I did on all my motorcycles that had center stands. I did use a strap on the centerstand to make sure it couldn't try to fold up during the chore. I can tell you all one thing, my HF freight bike lift sure beats working on the floor. Especially for an old guy that's beginning to have a good bit of trouble getting back up from the floor. I believe my case of A.G.E. is progressing on me.