V7 rear tire change

[Guzzidad]

   What a pain in the butt. But now I know how it's done it will be easier the next time. Wonder how much a shop charges for this service.

[Kev m]

It's really not that big a deal.

Though it helps a lot to have a lift with a drop out plate.

[Moparnut72]

My first time with my V7 was frustrating. Piece of cake now. Did you secure the rubber cushions i.e.glue. I use contact cement. Also helps to let the air out of the tire.
kk

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

   What a pain in the butt. But now I know how it's done it will be easier the next time. Wonder how much a shop charges for this service.

My last rear tire change was at Optimum Performance Motorsports in Portland, OR last year and the labor cost was $75. The line item reads 0.38 hours at a rate of $199.00

[Dirk_S]

I never found too much difficulty with it…until the one time I did. That’s when I began using either silicone grease or RTV to stick the cush rubbers in their places and spraying some silicone lubricant onto both the drive dogs and the hub area that it mates to. Make sure you have two operating arms and hands. Make sure there’s no air in the tire, unless you’re cool and have a fender with high clearance. Take a seat. Have the axle, caliper, and spacer at hand. Use your foot as a jack stand, and get your pretty eyes close to see the details as you rotate carefully, lining the mating surfaces up. Hopefully you lined it well enough and none of the rubbers poked out. That’s why we stuck them in with the grease and sprayed the whole area. Slide the wheel on. Using that foot as your prop, and one hand/elbow to support the wheel on the final drive—I sure hope you’re doing this with the bike centered and not at an angle, ugh—now use that second hand, and a third if you were lucky enough to be born with one more— to get all the other components lined up and that axle through it all.

If I were north of 55 in age or out of shape, I could certainly see myself cursing and giving up on doing it eventually. Kudos to those up their in age who still do it themselves.

Now—I’m curious if the newer small block final drives are easier to work on with their 5-dog/rubber setup than the older 6-dog pumpkins?

[Perazzimx14]

Was the difficulty changing the tire or removing/replacing the wheel?

[faffi]

Not sure how much the V7 (guess it depend on what version as well) differ from my V9, but Guzzi has made an effort to make repairs and especially maintenance more time consuming and/or difficult than required. Refitting the rear wheel is a curse in itself unless you to as Dirk S do, then it's quite simple. But the could have used a rubber cushion solution that never gets in the way, as many other manufacturers do, and they could have made it easier to get sufficient room for rear wheel removal out the back. There are other stuff that annoy me more, though, than rear wheel removal and refitting, which I've made a separate rant on. However, all you need to partially forgive Guzzi is to remove the carbs adjust the valves on a Honda VF1000F Interceptor or V65 Magna

[DoubleGuzzi]

However, all you need to partially forgive Guzzi is to remove the carbs adjust the valves on a Honda VF1000F Interceptor or V65 Magna

VF400F: a jewel of a bike but a mechanics nightmare. Inboard enclosed discs making wheel removal/installation a knuckle painful chore. Tight engine/frame spaces, necessitating a 1/4" drive socket set with extensions. Exhaust removal an exercise in patience, origami and frustration. I never got around to checking valve clearances on that one, for some reason! 16" front wheel tuck-in just to really keep you awake! Fab wee bike though. 

[toomanybikes]

Not sure how much the V7 (guess it depend on what version as well) differ from my V9, but Guzzi has made an effort to make repairs and especially maintenance more time consuming and/or difficult than required. Refitting the rear wheel is a curse in itself unless you to as Dirk S do, then it's quite simple. But the could have used a rubber cushion solution that never gets in the way, as many other manufacturers do, and they could have made it easier to get sufficient room for rear wheel removal out the back. There are other stuff that annoy me more, though, than rear wheel removal and refitting, which I've made a separate rant on. However, all you need to partially forgive Guzzi is to remove the carbs adjust the valves on a Honda VF1000F Interceptor or V65 Magna

Or try to sync the carbs on a V45 Sabre. The sync screws are nye impossible to reach, let alone fine tune.

[faffi]

VF400F: a jewel of a bike but a mechanics nightmare. Inboard enclosed discs making wheel removal/installation a knuckle painful chore. Tight engine/frame spaces, necessitating a 1/4" drive socket set with extensions. Exhaust removal an exercise in patience, origami and frustration. I never got around to checking valve clearances on that one, for some reason! 16" front wheel tuck-in just to really keep you awake! Fab wee bike though. 

Yes, that infamous enclosed brakes of Honda, what were they thinking? VT250, the mentioned VF400, the CBX400 and 550 and the VT500E (at least) came with this - thing? Making a disc look like a drum brake, with ComStar wheels that would never look classic. In addition to making maintenance and wheel removal/fitting a real pain, the design also kept the heat from escaping efficiently, allowing brakes to cook during spirited riding. When on Honda V-fours; adjusting the valves on the VFR800 VTEC is extremely complex, time consuming and costly, and could almost make an owner lust for an old bevel cam drive Ducati to simplify things. Yamaha XZ550, XVZ1200/1300 and V-Max 1200 are other examples of bikes not designed for ease of maintenance. Luckily, there are also plenty that are really well designed out there.

[faffi]

Or try to sync the carbs on a V45 Sabre. The sync screws are nye impossible to reach, let alone fine tune.

For those who want a close look at them carbs and their innards https://youtu.be/YqtlZB1RA3o?t=377

[chuck peterson]

Doesn’t anyone just yank the wheel with the rear drive attached anymore?

Assembly..put wheel back on rear drive. Install on swingarm. What am i missing with the smallblocks?

That was my preference for Vert, T3, G5 etc

Piece o cake…

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

Doesn’t anyone just yank the wheel with the rear drive attached anymore?

Assembly..put wheel back on rear drive. Install on swingarm. What am i missing with the smallblocks?

That was my preference for Vert, T3, G5 etc

Piece o cake…

For the V7 at least that sounds like a lot of risk to seals and pinion splines. As I've learned from mine failing, the correct shimming of the final drive is sensitive and per Moto Guzzi it is not servicable in that way.

[Guzzidad]

If I were north of 55 in age or out of shape, I could certainly see myself cursing and giving up on doing it eventually. Kudos to those up their in age who still do it themselves.

   Well Dirk, I'm 73, but I've changed about 40 tires in my time. Mostly on big block Guzzis, never a small block.
  I couldn't squeeze the wheel out from under the fender. My mistake was to remove the final drive. That gave me the room to get the wheel out. But when I removed the final drive the drive shaft dropped to the bottom of the swing arm. No way to get the drive back on. So both shocks had to come off to lower the swing arm to the point the shaft centered itself. Then I could reinstall the drive. Should have just removed the left shock in the first place. This on a 2020 V7 Racer.

[elrealistico]

Steve, I have a lift now that my daughter bought me. Makes everything a lot easier than crawling on the ground, and jacking the bike up just to get enough clearance. Next time you gotta change a tire, lemme know. I don't have tire changerh woever so bring yours

[moto]

Everything is better with a lift and a jack to raise the rear. Well past 55, I now support the tire on a block of wood and use the jack to lower the wheel down to the right elevation before I mount it onto the drive.

[Alfetta]

when servicing the rear wheel, I hang my V7 from the garage rafters till the lower tip of the rear fender is about 1" higher off the ground than the diameter of the wheel / tire.
once i pull the axle the wheel rolls directly out the back of the bike.

worst part is keeping the rubber blocks in place during re-install, but there are tricks for that as well.

still think it's a small burden to pay for such a good bike...

[Dirk_S]

Well Dirk, I'm 73, but I've changed about 40 tires in my time. Mostly on big block Guzzis, never a small block.
  I couldn't squeeze the wheel out from under the fender. My mistake was to remove the final drive. That gave me the room to get the wheel out. But when I removed the final drive the drive shaft dropped to the bottom of the swing arm. No way to get the drive back on. So both shocks had to come off to lower the swing arm to the point the shaft centered itself. Then I could reinstall the drive. Should have just removed the left shock in the first place. This on a 2020 V7 Racer.

Curious—I don’t think you mentioned which V7 you have. I’m guessing if you had trouble clearing the mudguard, then you have a pre-2021 850, probably a Stone, Special, or Racer/Cafe. The newer 850cc mudguards are chopped higher with better clearance, which I can only assume makes for much easier wheel changes. That said, a few V7 III models did come with a plastic mudguard with similar higher clearance:

• V7 III Stone S
• V7 III Stone Night Pack
• V7 III Racer 10th Anniversary

And you could also opt for one of the aluminum rear mudguards found on these models:

• Stornello
• Rough
• Carbon Shine / Carbon Dark
• Milano
• Anniversario

Edit: The Carbon Dark’s rear mudguard is carbon fiber, not aluminum (lapse in cognitive ability)

All of these would bolt on V7 frames between ‘08-‘20

[DoubleGuzzi]

And you could also opt for one of the aluminum rear mudguards found on these models:
..

• Carbon

..
(The Carbon Dark’s rear aluminum mudguard is also painted black.)

The clue is in the name: carbon fibre mudguards and sidepanels. ;)

[Kev m]

And you could also opt for one of the aluminum rear mudguards found on these models:

• Carbon Shine / Carbon  Dark

(The Carbon Dark’s rear aluminum mudguard is also painted black.)

The Carbon Dark doesn't have an aluminum rear fender. It's Carbon Fiber, like the front fender and the side covers.

[Dirk_S]

Revised, thanks. I wrote in haste without thinking.

[malik]

When I change my rear tyre, I have to place a couple of 2x4 blocks under the centrestand so I can clear the mudguard. I have used one 2x4 & one 4x4 to get an incline to make it easier to have the cushion rubbers stay in.

Another technique, if you can have a handy assistant, is to remove the final drive, lie the wheel plate on the ground, place the final drive neatly into the hub, then holding both together, fit the wheel in place mounting the final drive onto its four bolts on the swingarm. You may have to use the axle without the calliper to help steady it. With 2 people it's doable.

Just the other day a mate & I mounted the rear wheel on the NTX 650. That bastard has a plate in the hub holding the cushion rubbers in, so jealous.

[mhershon]

I feel I should mention that many of these V7s are sold to new riders. They are sold without centerstands and without toolkits to riders who commonly do not realize that the device features metric sizing. Luckily, every one of these new riders is inseparable from his/her cellphone, which that rider will need, because a rear tire puncture will be terminal: Virtually no one can remove and replace the rear wheel by the side of the road unless he/she is towing a trailer loaded with tools and a paddock stand. Let alone an urban goggle-wearer on his way to the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride.
Having to remove the final drive to replace a rear wheel in the swingarm is bad design. Claiming it's no big thing is looking the other way. It's the glaring worst thing about an otherwise fine bike.

[Guzzidad]

   I mentioned I have a 2020 V7 Racer. I also have a 2017 V9 Bobber. I bought the frame lift from MG Cycle and it works great on both bikes. If I would have just removed the left side shock absorber I wouldn't have had to remove the rear drive. I shouldn't have to ever do this job again because the Racer is up for sale. I'll keep the Bobber because it's more age appropriate for this 73 year old.

[Kev m]

I feel I should mention that many of these V7s are sold to new riders. They are sold without centerstands and without toolkits to riders who commonly do not realize that the device features metric sizing. Luckily, every one of these new riders is inseparable from his/her cellphone, which that rider will need, because a rear tire puncture will be terminal: Virtually no one can remove and replace the rear wheel by the side of the road unless he/she is towing a trailer loaded with tools and a paddock stand. Let alone an urban goggle-wearer on his way to the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride.
Having to remove the final drive to replace a rear wheel in the swingarm is bad design. Claiming it's no big thing is looking the other way. It's the glaring worst thing about an otherwise fine bike.

Oh please.

First, you don't have to remove the final drive to remove these rear wheels.

But more, I'm not as old as some here, but I've been riding since I dunno the early 90's and I think I've had 2 flats in over 300,000 miles.

And I don't bother carrying enough tools to remove a wheel on the side of the road. Never actually have, which is ironic because I've repaired fuel and ignition systems on the side of the road.

But if one was concerned about repairing a rear tire on a V7 there are options:

* Carry a tubeless repair kit
* Carry a few extra tools and if shit goes down lay the bike over on the right side.
* As you've said, they could phone a friend


As for the metric sizing comment, good God, I was in college when we started using metric tools, now many decades later I don't think any new riders are going to get taken by surprise.

[Guzzidad]

    Kev, some bikes still have tube tires, like the Racer.

[Kev m]

    Kev, some bikes still have tube tires, like the Racer.

I'm well aware, and personally choose not to own them.

I'm also aware that Mhershon has one with cast wheels (though I seem to remember he's had some trouble with them).

But of course those queen racers could choose to seal or replace the wheels if they share a concern. Or lay it on its side as previously stated. Or add a centerstand or....

[mhershon]

Kev, some V7 riders have never owned a tool beyond scissors and a box cutter. They'd be unable to raise the hood of their cars if it weren't for the picture on the little lever. Metric sizes means liter bottles of kombucha. And men who've owned 20 motorcycles struggle to remove/replace a V7's rear wheel. And not just for a puncture: Every 7 or 8,000 miles you've got to replace the tire.

[DoubleGuzzi]

Kev, some V7 riders have never owned a tool beyond scissors and a box cutter. ..

These folks tend to be able to afford bikes as a consumable and haven't gone through the baptism/hardship of owning older/used bikes. Sorry, I have no sympathies for that type of "biker".

[buck]

Surprised to see so much discussion about rear wheel R & R on a V7. I do not have a center stand. I just jack the bike up high enough for the rear wheel to clear the fender.
I have jacked the bike up with it upright, and I have even left it on the side stand and jacked up the bike at an angle while still supported by the side stand. I can easily remove the wheel in 10 minutes, and installation is about the same. I have never glued the Cush drive rubber pieces into the wheel.

I am aware that having been a tech for many years, I may find this easier than the average DIY’er. But still, this is not a difficult job.