My chain became really slack after tightening it 3-4 weeks ago to the point it was sitting on the centre stand even with me sitting on the bike. I headed out to the garage tonight to tighten it up and as I was slackening off the main bolt that holds the rear tyre in place I spotted this.



Now I knew my rear tyre was squaring off but I didnt think the threads would appear so soon! If anyone is thinking 'omgz burnzout' Ive only once spun this tyre and that was when I got the bike months ago. Even that was for 2-3 seconds in the wet just to see If I could. I do 60-70 mile a day on this bike and its nearly all spent upright. Can anyone recommend a fairly cheap (student) tyre that has a hard centre compound and a soft side compound?

I may aswel replace the chain while Im at it because its stretched over the recommended point of replacement. I havent counted the links to see if its longer than stock, Ill do that after supper. The chain appears to be in good condition but I know from experience thats not always the case. Its done 4k miles with me and who knows how many with the previous owner.

I know its a good idea to replace sprockets with the chain but the cost runs up into the £130 range for a honda sproket+chain kit. I dont have one of those punch sets for attaching the master link either!

Here's a picture of the current sprocket which doesnt look to bad in my eyes. I can wobble the sprocket and the part it attaches to, this normal? Its not a major wobble and I cant seem to wobble it out. It just wobbles slightly.



What do you think of the bearings?



Any advice welcomed.

I also clean my bike every weekend, that crap on the rim is from 2 days winter riding. The salt from the road makes a right mess!

 

well if your looking for a really cheap tire, you can do what i did. i went on ebay and bought a set of track take-offs. there not brand new but for 15 bucks i couldnt pass it up since the tires that were on it when i bought the bike looks alot worse than yours. as far as brands, ive heard that the pirelli diablos are pretty good.

and for the chain and sprocket, its not a 100% necessity to change the sprockets. its just a good idea since they wear together over time. it doesnt look that bad so you might be ok with just a chain. but since they wobble some you might want to check the cush drive behind the rear sprocket. there just pieces of rubber that absorb the torque and they could be worn out. and those bearings look pretty bad. is that from salt too?

 

I agree with mightymouse, but before you try ebay and deal with the wait time and shipping, check out your local shop. Do you have a place that you regularily visit? I have a local mechanic shop that's been around since '81 with the original two guys who opened the place still there. They're awesome and those two are the ones helping me with my engine. You should be able to get take offs thrown on and balanced at a decent price and possibly get the hookup to keep rolling a little longer at an affordable price. Don't forget to check for dry rot in your front tire. A lot of peoples tires last a longggg time and the rubber starts to crack before the tread wears away. My wife's F2 is getting to that point where i don't feel very comfortable...

As for those bearings, wtf dude!? Did you grab salt and pack it around the bearings. Wow. Also, does the inner portion have gouges in it?

You can get the rear wheel bearings for $30 or less depending on where you get them from. I don't know if the rear bearings call for grease but i packed it in there when i reasembled mine. I figure it never hurts to lube it up. hahaha

For the chain, I bit the bullet and bought a Motion-Pro chain tool kit. It was around $90 but the shops all charge around that much to replace a chain. So I already have my tool paid off and saved money last time i did a chain. Plus, you can use the kit on a bicycle master link or pretty much any other link for that matter. And, you could replace other friends chains that don't know how at a discounted price and make money!

Are you in San Diego? I'll help you with your chain if you help me. By your dialect i'm guessing not the USA.

You have the factory center stand? That's super hard, scratch that, damn near impossible to find on a USA spec F2. Do you own chain clean? Keep it clean and it'll take care of you... lmao

 

How do you know if those rubber pieces are worn out? Mine i remember i could get a good amount of movement with the "final driven flange" aka the thingy with the studs and sprocket.

The rubber pieces are $10 a piece.

Wheel bearings are $15.

Dust boots are $6 per side.

 

well when i took mine off they were starting to get hard and crack. i mean all they basically are is a buffer between the torque of the engine and the rear wheel. i was just thinking of his because with all that salt it wouldnt surprise me if it got all over everything and started eating away. i dont know how you can live somewhere with that kind of winter. but hey, to each his own. i wouldnt mind alittle snow now and again.