Cali II Front rim direction ?

[Peter949]

Hello - After struggling to install a new Shinko 730 front tire on my twin disk Cali II, I manage to get the 'Direction Arrow' the wrong way. 

Can I just install the front wheel in the reverse direction so that the tire arrow is correct?   The disk brake pads might need to seat themselves in once again, but I am OK with that.

Peter   

[Huzo]

Is your speedo drive electrical ? You could try to install it and don't force anything I 'spose. If the bare wheel was on the floor with no tyre fitted, how would you know what direction was correct, is there an arrow on the rim or similar ?

[Peter949]

When I took the front wheel off, I marked the disks with a felt pen as Left & Right sides so that I could put it back the same way around.  It seemed like a good plan.

[Huzo]

When I took the front wheel off, I marked the disks with a felt pen as Left & Right sides so that I could put it back the same way around.  It seemed like a good plan.

Yeah mate, I saw the baffled face with your post. Don't be too hard on yourself, that was and is a bloody good idea. I REALLY hope that Shitko tyre is up to the task. I really don't know... I did 18,000 k's on my last Pilot 4's so I cannot understand the desire to go "cheap" but anyway... That same set of tyres was fitted at the shop and the "mechanic" fitted the front one arse about and it made no difference if that helps any. I'd sooner have the rim correct and monitor the tyre than potentially bugger something up around the disc/caliper relationship, tolerances are a bit tight there.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

  There will be no problem with the "Shitko" tire - Shinko tires work just fine and the front on my Ambassador has 12k miles on it with some tread remaining.

Peter: does one front wheel bearing sit in farther with a circlip or do both sit pretty much the same? On older Tontis, one sets in the whole way and has a circlip, the other sets flush. If it's the same way on your Cal 2, then the wheel can really only go one way.

[Tom]

CAVEAT on this.  I dropped and reversed the front wheel on a '96 Cali 1100i at the Washington State National.  Seems the the friends didn't notice it when they had the tires installed.  This was on a borrowed bike.  I happened to notice the orientation arrow going the wrong way.  I can't remember if I told them.  The wife was riding the bike a couple of months prior and slid through an intersection while touring their tent trailer.    Fortunately, no one else was there except her husband towing the equipment trailer.  The front wheel hydro-planed.  Could have been worse.  The front brakes seem to be okay on the ride back to ID.  They should have bedded back in after getting east of the Cascades.     BUT like Charlie says, it would only work if the bearings sit the same distance out of the wheel. 

[Huzo]

There will be no problem with the "Shitko" tire - Shinko tires work just fine and the front on my Ambassador has 12k miles on it with some tread remaining.

Peter: does one front wheel bearing sit in farther with a circlip or do both sit pretty much the same? On older Tontis, one sets in the whole way and has a circlip, the other sets flush. If it's the same way on your Cal 2, then the wheel can really only go one way.

Now, now.... I just can't imagine on a wet day, tipping into a corner 10 k's faster than I should, taking comfort in the fact that my Shi-ko tyre is gonna look after me. I guess I just don't see enough of them on Aussie production racers and the like to have an inbuilt faith. BTW, you don't stock them by chance do you ?

[oldbike54]

 Peter , I ride in the rain on curvy roads on a regular basis , Shinko tires work just fine , even production racers run a race compound . The only tire I've ran in years that was just a bit stickier was an Avon , and it lasted about 4 K miles on the rear .

 Are you an ex HD rider ?

 Dusty

[Huzo]

CAVEAT on this.  I dropped and reversed the front wheel on a '96 Cali 1100i at the Washington State National.  Seems the the friends didn't notice it when they had the tires installed.  This was on a borrowed bike.  I happened to notice the orientation arrow going the wrong way.  I can't remember if I told them.  The wife was riding the bike a couple of months prior and slid through an intersection while touring their tent trailer.    Fortunately, no one else was there except her husband towing the equipment trailer.  The front wheel hydro-planed.  Could have been worse.  The front brakes seem to be okay on the ride back to ID.  They should have bedded back in after getting east of the Cascades.     BUT like Charlie says, it would only work if the bearings sit the same distance out of the wheel.

It's entirely possible I'm misunderstanding you, but are you saying the brakes may not have bedded in ? If the front wheel hydroplanes as you suspect, then the brakes have done their job by exceeding the grip capabilities of the tyre in the rain. And you can't remember if you told them the arrow was backwards or can't remember telling them you had the wheel out ? Doesn't seem like the biggest surprise in the world that you could lose a bike in the rain by towing a bloody big trailer and grabbing a handful of brake on a nicely scrubbed and smooth intersection, probably no oil or fuel contamination there..

[Huzo]

Peter , I ride in the rain on curvy roads on a regular basis , Shinko tires work just fine , even production racers run a race compound . The only tire I've ran in years that was just a bit stickier was an Avon , and it lasted about 4 K miles on the rear .

 Are you an ex HD rider ?

 Dusty

Now what have I ever done to you to deserve an insult like that Dusty ?

[oldbike54]

Now what have I ever done to you to deserve an insult like that Dusty ?

 Harley riders are willing to pay extra for a Dunlop tire that has the HD logo on the side . They are nothing more than a regular old Dunlop 

 Dusty

[Huzo]

Harley riders are willing to pay extra for a Dunlop tire that has the HD logo on the side . They are nothing more than a regular old Dunlop 

 Dusty

Now if that was the case for me, I'd have to ride a bike with Michelin on the tank !

[Tom]

It's entirely possible I'm misunderstanding you, but are you saying the brakes may not have bedded in ? If the front wheel hydroplanes as you suspect, then the brakes have done their job by exceeding the grip capabilities of the tyre in the rain. And you can't remember if you told them the arrow was backwards or can't remember telling them you had the wheel out ? Doesn't seem like the biggest surprise in the world that you could lose a bike in the rain by towing a bloody big trailer and grabbing a handful of brake on a nicely scrubbed and smooth intersection, probably no oil or fuel contamination there..

Maybe you might be understanding me.  The tire on the front wheel was installed backwards.  It wouldn't push water away but in during a rain.  I dropped the wheel and re-installed so that the tread pattern would work if it rained.  It didn't on the ride back.  IF the brake pads needed bedding in, it didn't need it after going over Steven's Pass in WA going east.  I didn't tell them that the tire was originally on backwards and that I dropped the wheel correcting the situation.

[Peter949]

Hi Dusty - Yes I was a Harley rider ... but only for about 25 years.

[Huzo]

Maybe you might be understanding me.  The tire on the front wheel was installed backwards.  It wouldn't push water away but in during a rain.  I dropped the wheel and re-installed so that the tread pattern would work if it rained.  It didn't on the ride back.  IF the brake pads needed bedding in, it didn't need it after going over Steven's Pass in WA going east.  I didn't tell them that the tire was originally on backwards and that I dropped the wheel correcting the situation.

Ok Tom, just thought it might have come up in conversation...

[oldbike54]

Hi Dusty - Yes I was a Harley rider ... but only for about 25 years.

 So I'm curious , did you run Shinko tires on those HD's ? Don't take me poking Huzo a bit as an indictment of Harley riders , heck , we allow a couple of HD guys to attend Cedar Vale 

 Dusty

[Huzo]

You can poke me anytime Dusty, I've had worse.. ( And told my mates about it)

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Now, now.... I just can't imagine on a wet day, tipping into a corner 10 k's faster than I should, taking comfort in the fact that my Shi-ko tyre is gonna look after me. I guess I just don't see enough of them on Aussie production racers and the like to have an inbuilt faith. BTW, you don't stock them by chance do you ?

I've spent more than a few wet days "tipping into a corner" at speeds a bit faster than I should be and never experienced any traction issues. They're actually one of the better tires in the wet that I've used over the last 38 years.

They're not a racing tire, but a darn good touring tire for a very reasonable cost.

No, I do not stock them, but I do use them on my personal bikes and recommend them to customers and others folks that aren't biased against them.

[Peter949]

Hi Charlie - I took a look at the wheel bearings, and they are flush on both sides, and so reversing the wheel should be just fine.     and to reply to Dusty: just regular blackwall Dunlop tires, slippery with a square flat tread.

Peter

[Huzo]

I've spent more than a few wet days "tipping into a corner" at speeds a bit faster than I should be and never experienced any traction issues. They're actually one of the better tires in the wet that I've used over the last 38 years.

They're not a racing tire, but a darn good touring tire for a very reasonable cost.

No, I do not stock them, but I do use them on my personal bikes and recommend them to customers and others folks that aren't biased against them.

Well alrighty then.

[Guzzidad]

    Something to consider. I really have no idea if this is true or not. But it solved my problem. Years ago I was riding a 77 Triumph Bonneville and I broke 4 spokes on the rear wheel. The local bike shop sent me to someone they knew who was an expert at re-spoking wheels. The guy was at least 70 years old. He took one look at the wheel and said, no wonder you're breaking spokes. The wheel is laced backwards. He had me go buy a set of Norton spokes that were 8mm as opposed to the Triumph 7mm spokes. He relaced the rim and I never had another broken spoke.

[Guzzidad]

      Just realized the bike in question is a Cal II. Mag wheels. Nevermind. 

[Daniel Kalal]

...Cali II...can I just install the front wheel in the reverse direction...

Yes.

notes: The Cal2 front (cast) wheel is symmetrical; other Guzzi models are not.  I routinely did this and it eliminates all brake squeal and promotes even wear of both disks (one disk is fully engaged by the front brake lever while the other disk is integral with the rear, so will otherwise see different wear rates).

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Hi Charlie - I took a look at the wheel bearings, and they are flush on both sides, and so reversing the wheel should be just fine.     and to reply to Dusty: just regular blackwall Dunlop tires, slippery with a square flat tread.

Peter

Yes.

notes: The Cal2 front (cast) wheel is symmetrical; other Guzzi models are not.  I routinely did this and it eliminates all brake squeal and promotes even wear of both disks (one disk is fully engaged by the front brake lever while the other disk is integral with the rear, so will otherwise see different wear rates).

 

[Peter949]

Thank you Daniel for the info that the Cali II front rim can be reversed, and actually even out the wear on the disks. 

Peter