CLEANING, INSPECTION AND REPAIR
1. Clean the inside of tire and outer surface of tube.
2. If rim is dirty or rusty, clean with a stiff wire brush.
3. Check wheels for lateral and radial runout before installing
a new tire.
a. On models with laced wheels, see 2.9 TRUING
LACED WHEELS.
b. On models with cast wheels, see 2.10 CHECKING
CAST WHEEL RUNOUT.
4. Inspect the tire and tube for wear and damage. Inspect
tread depth. Replace worn tires. Replace damaged tubes.
Replace punctured or damaged tires. In some cases, small
punctures in the tread area may be repaired from within
the demounted tire by a Harley-Davidson dealer. Speed
should NOT exceed 50 mph (80 km/h) for the first 24 hours
after repair, and the repaired tire should NEVER be used
over 80 mph (130 km/h). Failure to follow this warning
could result in death or serious injury. (00015a)
5. Tubeless tires may be repaired in the tread area only if
the puncture is 1/4 in. (6.4 mm) or smaller. All repairs
must be made from inside the tire.
6. Acceptable repair method involves the use of a patch and
plug combination.
INSTALLATION
Harley-Davidson front and rear tires are not the same.
Interchanging front and rear tires can cause tire failure,
which could result in death or serious injury. (00026a)
Do not exceed manufacturer's recommended pressure to
seat beads. Exceeding recommended bead seat pressure
can cause tire rim assembly to burst, which could result
in death or serious injury. (00282a)
Do not inflate tire beyond maximum pressure as specified
on sidewall. Over inflated tires can blow out, which could
result in death or serious injury. (00027a)
For tire pressures, see 1.8 TIRES AND WHEELS, Tires.
Some tires have arrows molded into the tire sidewall. These
tires should be mounted on the rim with the arrow pointing in
the direction of forward rotation.The colored dot on the sidewall
is a balance mark and should be located next to the valve stem
hole.
Tube Type Tires
Match tires, tubes, air valves and caps to the correct wheel
rim. Contact a Harley-Davidson dealer. Mismatching can
result in damage to the tire bead, allow tire slippage on
the rim or cause tire failure, which could result in death
or serious injury. (00023a)
Use inner tubes on laced (wire spoked) wheels. Using
tubeless tires on laced wheels can cause air leaks, which
could result in death or serious injury. (00025a)
NOTES
• For correct tire and tube types, see 2.1 SPECIFICATIONS.
• Whenever a tube type tire is replaced, the tube should
also be replaced. Inner tubes should be patched only as
an emergency measure. Replace a damaged or patched
tube as soon as possible. Rim bands must be used on all
laced wheels.
1. See Figure 2-80. On laced wheels, install a rim strip into
the rim well. Make sure no spokes protrude through
nipples, and be sure to align the valve stem hole in rim
strip with valve stem hole in rim.
2. Install tube and tire.
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