Tire won’t seat?…don’t blow yourself up!

There are a lot of examples on the web on how to mount your tires yourself. Just be careful of the ones you follow!

At least he’s wearing safety glasses…

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT do it this way. There are hundreds of these videos on YouTube, some with thousands of views. That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.

Even the most difficult tires can be seated with just two things you probably already have: a ratchet strap and a compressor.

Yesterday I mounted a pair of Continental TKC80s to my spare wheels. Disclaimer here, the rear tire is a 180/55 – 17 and I put it on a 6″ rim. Not ideal, but it’s the largest 60/40 ADV tire available.

Preferably I’d use a 190/55 but the Conti is actually pretty wide for a 180 and works fine. BUT, it’s a bitch to seat because it’s not designed for a rim that wide….there is about an inch gap on each side of the tire between the tire bead and the rim shoulder. Plus it’s cold out, and the tire is stiff. I wanted to ride though so I mounted it. I didn’t use an explosion although it would have been warmer.

All you need to do is put the tie down around the middle of your tire and ratchet it tight until the tire beads start to touch the rim shoulder. A little soapy water helps here too (as it does to get the tires on the rim, but you already knew that right?)

Then even a small compressor can seat your tire as long as it creates enough pressure. You don’t even need to remove the valve stem and have a chock that will “rapid fill” your tire if you use the strap. (another commonly recommended but unnecessary method on the internet).

See, wasn’t that easy, and no lost fingers or 3rd degree burns!

Now it’s time to Go Ride!

Get to the Track…you’ll never go back to the street

Well maybe that’s not entirely true, you might still ride on the street, I do, but you’ll stop trying to go fast all the time. That’s maybe the best part about attending a few track days a year, it removes the desire to ride fast on the street. Not all the time at least.

I enjoy my days on the street more now, maybe because I have a more reasonable bike for street riding than my sportbike, which can easily break the speed limit, in first gear, with the front wheel in the air, in about 3 seconds…

My street riding now consists of the occasional commute, some back roads, some dirt roads, and a frequent run to the beach. I ride reasonably fast, but take in the experience more for sure. I even stop to look at the view now and then.

There are a lot of other benefits to my overall riding experience of going to the track as well and we’ll explore those over the next few blog posts. But for now, get out and ride!

Welcome to Men of an Age

This is not my first Rodeo

If you’re not crashing, you’re not trying hard enough.
— Every racer on earth.

Push yourself. Just do it, chances are you won’t die. More than likely you’ll start to live a little more. This blog will be about getting to an age, whatever that is, when you decide “Fuck it!”, I’m going to do what I want to do.

That doesn’t mean to be irresponsible, or to be immoral. Don’t check your virtue or values at the door, but do dump your fear and anxiety. Life is too short to wait.

The future is no place to place your better days.
-DMB

So we’ll talk about motorcycles, track days, racing, ADV riding, whatever. I’ll do some gear reviews, share some insights, and ask a lot of questions. We’ll meet some friends along the way and make some new ones.

My 1st word of advice: Grab a Handful. Momentum is our friend. On bikes and in life. Don’t be afraid to give it some throttle and relax, Let the bike do it’s thing. It’s not easy but as Eric Wood, owner and operator of Penguin Racing School loves to say. “Bikes don’t crash themselves, people drag them down.” Eric has an uncanny ability to teach the most complicated techniques and the theory behind them in digestible and tangible chunks that will make you faster (and safer) on the track. Eric is also FAST, like really FAST.