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First it was the chain, then it was the screw in the tire. Lastly, it was a crack.

As I was putting on my disc lock, I noticed a crack on my rear tire. It was a tad bigger then the picture lets on. These are the tires that come stock on the Grom and I have read some bad reviews on them. Since I already have over 5,000 miles on these tires, I decided to replace these right of way. 

I couldn’t decide between two styles of Michelin’s. One style called Power Pure were targeted more to sport riding, while the other called City Grips were more for every day use with better grip in the rain. I decided to go with the City Grips since I ride every day and have been caught in the rain a few times.  

I learned that changing the tires on my tiny 12″ wheels requires the right machinery. Third time’s a charm when I finally found a tire shop that can do it. 

We had a few moments of confusion with the direction of the tires. You can’t just mount tires any way you like nowadays. They are directional. Both tires had arrows pointing towards the forward direction. Piece of cake right? Welp, the tires guy were very confused. If they mounted them per the directions on the tires, according to them, the front one would be backwards. 

I trust these guys. They work with tires nonstop. All day long. But, they were wrong. The front tire is indeed supposed to mount in the opposite direction of the rear. 

And they look pretty freaking good:

One of the things that is recommended to carry with you on a motorcycle is a tire plug kit. I’ve been carrying one in my bag for over a year with hopes of never having to use it. The kit comes with plugs, tools to insert the plug into the hole caused by a nail or screw, and a mini air compressor. After church on Sunday, I found a nail in my rear tire of the Grom. I was bummed because it meant having to take the wheel off and deal with my chain again. I purchased a new chain recently after an incident. See here: Riding Loose On The Grom.

I then realized this was the perfect opportunity to test out and practice with the tire plug kit. I am so glad I did because I was having a hard time understanding the instructions. Call it a blonde, or senior moment! I filmed the entire thing with my Yi Camera and did not edit any time out of the video so you could see how long it took me.

Here you go:

Second time’s a charm! If you have a motorcycle, or know someone that rides, I highly recommend this little kit. I am glad I purchased it and even happier I know how to use it.

Get one here:

Chains. They need to be cleaned, lubed, and tightened. I am learning now that is has to be in that order. I have owned the Grom now for over a year and the one thing I have not been able to do very well is maintain the chain. What happens when you don’t do it right and often? See this video to find out:

It was a hot, but a cloudy Sunday, and I had ridden into town after church to do some work for Ronald McDonald House. While there, the clouds broke and we got some much needed rain. It lasted only a few minutes but it was enough to cool the air and lower the temperature a few degrees. This made for a nice ride home. I took the long way home and enjoyed the breeze. As I got closer and closer home the wind picked up and the skies began to darken. I was glad to beat the rain.

Then it happened. The chain fell. The camera was rolling but it died right as the chain was being seated. It was a super short ride the rest of the way home but I was so nervous. Nervous that it would fall again and cause some damage. As soon as I made it home, the rain began.

It wasn’t until Tuesday evening that I was able to work on the Grom and see if I could get the chain tightened so that it wouldn’t fall off again. I was able to get it tight up to specification but the wheel was as far back at it could go. I rode it to work the following morning, and I could have sworn that at one point the chain skipped. I arrived at work safely and looked up chain replacements for the Grom. I read that the factory chain is not that great and that it usually lasts about 3,000 miles. I am at just over 5,000 miles. I read the manual and it said to replace the chain when the wheel is as far back as possible. So, I was a tad relieved that I hadn’t messed up the chain, but that it was normal wear and tear. I ordered a new chain and it should be arriving soon. Until then, I am not riding it. To Be Continued…