Based mostly in The Netherlands, Eastbound is understood for its compact, carry-along device kits for servicing motorbike wheels and repairing tires. The Eastbound Tyre Restore Equipment consists of common tire spoons and a singular fulcrum for bead-breaking. The Wheel Service Equipment is a model-specific set of instruments for eradicating axles and related pinch bolts.
I found Eastbound when reviewing the corporate’s MotoWinch a few yr in the past. Noel De Pietro is the innovator behind the ultra-light restore instruments, and I wanted his assist once more.
The Final Motorcycling Yamaha Ténéré 700 Mission Bike has gained 130 kilos over the inventory weight, so it must go on a eating regimen. The Eastbound Wheel Service and Tyre Restore Kits weigh 23.4 ounces—a financial savings of two kilos in comparison with the instruments I had been utilizing for a similar operate. Weight-saving is an added bonus, because the Eastbound instruments are value carrying even when they weighed extra.
The Tyre Restore Extension Equipment (€66, non-EU clients) works as a companion to the Yamaha Ténéré 700 Wheel Service Equipment (€65), the latter of which will get the wheel off the bike. Another is to buy the Tyre-Professional Base (€83). Although it nonetheless lacks instruments within the Ténéré-specific package, it contains two extra tire spoon extensions.
The Heidenau K60 Scout tires on the Final Motorcycling Yamaha Ténéré 700 Mission Bike have the stiffest sidewalls of any ADV tire I’ve had the pleasure of spooning. They’re so tough to spoon off that I transformed my Ténéré wheels to tubeless in order that I’d have a 99.9 % likelihood (approximation) of solely needing to plug a gap, reasonably than have to interrupt the Heidenau’s bead and spoon it off the rim on the path. As it’s the present ADV tire I’m working on the Ténéré, I used the rear tire to check the bead breaker performance of the Eastbound Tire Restore Equipment.
My first try at breaking the bead utilizing brute pressure reasonably than correct method resulted in frustration, and I almost contracted tennis elbow within the course of. I even tried C-clamps to no avail. I requested Noel at Eastbound for steerage, and he enlightened me with the correct method.
On a stiff-wall tire, open the bead about 3/16-inch all the way in which round. Maintain it open with the Eastbound Wheel Wedge (€20), the edges of open-end wrenches, or no matter you will have useful to carry the lip down. With that completed, go round once more and widen the hole; repeat the method till it offers. It took me two hours, however I bought the bead to lastly let go.
The spoon levers and the leverage from the fulcrum are enough for a traditional human to function. The time it takes will depend upon how vulcanized your bead is to your rim. The spoons are well-shaped and have the correct angle to carry underneath the rim. If you’re working round a tube, you at all times should be cautious, however utilizing these spoons and correct method, it is best to keep away from a pinch throughout re-assembly. I proved that the Eastbound bead breaker works and doesn’t require superhuman power should you use the correct method.
Makes an attempt to shortcut the proper methodology is not going to work. The levers received’t bend, and even with all my power utilized—Eastbound doesn’t advocate this methodology—the bead didn’t give.
The Eastwood Wheel Service Equipment consists of a low profile 27mm socket (for the rear axle), a machined 19mm hex axle drive head (for the entrance axle) that has a detachable 3/8-inch sq. drive insert, 10mm and 12mm sockets (for the pinch bolts and brake meeting), and the 2 items of the assemble-yourself 9.5-inch deal with. The package matches in a zippered, heavy canvas 4-by-6.5-inch pouch.
Though the rear axle nut on the Ténéré 700 might be tight, the lengthy arm has sufficient leverage to interrupt it free. The one instruments required to complete eradicating the rear tire are 10mm and 12mm open-end wrenches for the chain adjusters. Eastbound affords a light-weight 10mm and 12mm open-end mixture wrench for €6 if you wish to full the set. Riders of Austrian bikes will need the 11mm/13mm model.
Eastbound has 14 motorcycle-specific Wheel Service Kits, plus particular person instruments to make up a package if yours isn’t on the listing. All of the handle-set male ends have a rubber o-ring to maintain the meeting tight. Even when your o-ring wears out or someway breaks, the assembled handles nonetheless work. The Eastbound Tyre Restore package comes with further o-rings, ought to they be wanted.
Not everyone seems to be prepared to do trail-side repairs, and lots of riders have no idea easy methods to repair a flat with out calling a tow truck. Nevertheless, I really feel these abilities are mandatory within the off-the-grid areas the place journey bikes are supposed to go. Even should you don’t know easy methods to save your individual pores and skin, somebody in your group or using by may need the wanted abilities. When you’ve got the correct instruments, then you definitely or your Good Samaritan can get you again up and using. I’ve used my instruments and wrenching expertise many extra instances to assist others than to assist myself. The Eastbound tire device kits pack small and weigh hardly something. The instruments could make the distinction between spending the evening within the forest ready for a rescue or mountaineering out in motorbike boots, and using out proudly in your trusty steed.
