Damn It.. #%@%#%@%*&

[Paul Landry]

Between the weather, work, health issues (all resolved now) the GPz has not
seen much use at all this summer.

Getting ready for this long weekend I had the new Michelin Pilot Roads I
purchased back in Jan. installed a little over a week ago.

Made it easy for the dealership.  Took them just the rims (old rubber still
mounted) and new rubber.  They charged me almost $100 to mount and balance 2
tires that I purchased from them!.  Ok.. 
Get them home and mounted again on the bike.  Looks good.
Only time for a short ride to scrub up the new hoops and I notice a "bounce"
from the front end??
Thought it was just me being too critical of my marginal mechanical skills.
Week goes by and no opportunities to ride again until today.  Running
errands locally, more scrub time for the tires before heading out on a
planned major ride tomorrow.

The "bouncing" of the front end is not in my head.  Can't see it when riding
but can really feel it, especially at the 60 Km/hr mark.
Tonight I thought I had better look more closely at the wheel.  I wondered
when I picked them up, the front has 10 oz of lead weights to balance it.
Seemed like a lot to me.  Within 8 inches there are 3oz, 4oz and 3oz of
weights.

Stared but removing the brakes, loosened off the axle with the intent to
spin the tire looking for the state of the static balance.  Was just fine,
but while doing this I noticed that the wheel was not round!.. Spinning the
wheel with a static reference on the floor and back lighting you could see
the tire (outside circumference) was not round but oval!..  What the
#$@#@$#@$@%..
Looking closer on the Michelins there is a line running around the sidewall
of the tire.  It is not even with the rim.  The difference here between that
line and the rim is out by 3 - 4 mm the same difference I noted on the
outside reference!.

I can't get it fixed now until next week!..  Damn It!  Another missed
weekend of riding as I am very uncomfortable riding it like this for fear of
the bead on the rim letting go (flat) and / or of the damage riding it like
this might do the brand new tire!

I get so PO'd with crap like this..  Now I am really glad I did not take
them the whole bike..  Who knows what else they may have screwed up
considering they messed up the easiest part of the process!.

Sorry for the rant..

Hope you guys are all out having fun!.. 
 
 
Paul W. Landry
P_Landry at telus.net