Honda CBR125RW - Owner's Manual > If You Have a Flat Tire

A flat tire is always unwelcome, especially if you are far from help. If you think you are losing air, or you hit a pothole or hard object, pull safely to the side of the road so you can inspect the tires and assess the situation. (Be sure to park on a firm, level surface and use the side stand for support.) You should examine the tire treads and sidewalls for foreign objects or damage. If you find a tire that has been punctured or damaged, you have two options.

Option 1: Have Your Motorcycle Transported

If a tire has a major puncture or a cut in the tread or sidewall, or the bead has come loose from the rim, there is probably not much you can do except have your motorcycle transported to a Honda dealer or other qualified service facility. Even with a simple puncture, this may be the safest and least troublesome solution.

Option 2: Make a Temporary Roadside Repair

If a tire has only a minor nail puncture and is not completely flat, you may be able to make an emergency repair that could allow you to continue riding to where you can get the tire replaced or permanently repaired.

WARNING

Riding your motorcycle with a temporary tire repair can be risky.

If the temporary repair fails, you can crash and be seriously injured or killed.

If you must ride with a temporary tire repair, ride slowly and carefully and do not exceed 50 km/h (30 mph) until the tire is permanently repaired or replaced.

Due to the uncertainty of any temporary repair, you should ride slowly (not over 50 km/h, 30 mph) and carefully (preferably without a passenger or cargo) until the tire is replaced or permanently repaired. Stop frequently and check the air pressure. If the tire is losing pressure, it may be unsafe to continue riding. As the tire gets low, it will affect the handling of your motorcycle (especially with a passenger and cargo), and it may overheat and blow out.

Types of Temporary Repairs

The following types of temporary repairs generally require a source of air to inflate the tire. Possible sources include CO2 cartridges or cans of compressed air designed to inflate a tire.

• Inflate the tire: Tubeless tires have some self-sealing ability if they are punctured and the result is usually just a slow leak. If this is the case, you can try inflating the tire to see if it will hold air pressure. If you can see a nail or other object embedded in the tire tread, do not remove it at this time.
• Plug the hole: The idea here is to do something to temporarily stop the leak. If you have a tubeless tire repair kit, you can pull out the nail and try inserting an external plug in the puncture. Follow the instructions that came with the repair kit and be sure to inflate the tire to the correct pressure.

Should You Repairer Replace a Tire?

We strongly recommend that you replace, not permanently repair, any tire that is punctured or damaged, even if the tire has only a minor puncture. For a full discussion of repairs and replacement.

Emergency Front Wheel Removal/Installation

We recommend wheel removal be done only by your Honda dealer or another qualified mechanic. Do not attempt to remove the wheel on your own. Wheel removal requires mechanical skill and professional tools.

Removal

1. Park your motorcycle on a firm, level surface.

2. Raise the front wheel off the ground by placing a support block under the engine.

3. Remove the speedometer cable (1) by pushing the tab (2).

4. Remove the front axle nut (3).

LEFT FRONT

1. speedometer cable
2. tab
3. front axle nut

5. Remove the front axle shaft (4), wheel, and side collar.

RIGHT FRONT

4. front axle shaft

• Avoid getting grease, oil, or dirt on the disc or pad surfaces. Any contamination can cause poor brake performance or rapid pad wear after reassembly.
• Avoid depressing the brake lever when the wheel is off the motorcycle. This will force the caliper pistons out of the cylinders. The result will be loss of brake fluid. If this occurs, the brake system will require service. See your Honda dealer for this service.

Installation

1. Install the side collar and position the wheel between the fork legs. Insert the front axle shaft from the right side, through the right fork leg and wheel hub.

• To avoid damaging the brake pads while installing the wheel, carefully fit the brake disc between the pads.

2. Position the lug (5) on the speedometer gearbox against the lug on the left fork leg.

LEFT FRONT

3. Tighten the front axle nut to the specified torque: 59 N-m (43 Ibf-ft)

4. Operate the front brake and pump the fork several times. Check for free wheel rotation after the brake is released. Recheck the wheel if the brake drags or the wheel does not rotate freely.

If a torque wrench was not used for installation, see your Honda dealer as soon as possible to verify proper assembly.

Improper assembly may lead to loss of braking capability.

5. Install the speedometer cable.

Emergency Rear Wheel Removal/Installation

We recommend wheel removal be done only by your Honda dealer or another qualified mechanic. Do not attempt to remove the wheel on your own. Wheel removal requires mechanical skill and professional tools.

Removal

1. Park your motorcycle on a firm, level surface.

2. Raise the rear wheel off the ground by placing a support block under the engine.

3. Loosen the rear axle nut (1).

4. Loosen the drive chain lock nuts (2) and drive chain adjusting nuts (3) on both sides of the swingarm.

LEFT REAR

1. rear axle nut
2. lock nut
3. adjusting nut
4. drive chain

5. Remove the rear axle nut.

6. Remove the drive chain (4) from the rear wheel sprocket by pushing the rear wheel forward.

RIGHT REAR

5. rear axle shaft

7. Remove the rear axle shaft (5), rear wheel, side collars and rear brake bracket from the swingarm.

• To avoid damage to the brake hose during removal, support the caliper assembly so that it doesn't hang from the hose. Do not twist the brake hose.
• Avoid depressing the brake pedal when the wheel is off the motorcycle.

  This will force the caliper pistons out of the cylinders. The result will be a loss of brake fluid. If this occurs, the brake system will require service.

  See your Honda dealer for this service.

Installation

1. Install the side collars and position the wheel and rear brake bracket.

• While installing the wheel, carefully fit the brake disc between the brake pads to avoid damaging the pads.
• Avoid getting grease, oil, or dirt on the disc or pad surfaces. Any contamination can cause poor brake performance or rapid pad wear after reassembly.

2. Make sure that the lug (1) on the swingarm (2) is located in the slot (3) on the rear brake bracket (4).

3. Install the rear axle shaft.

1. lug
2. swingarm
3. slot
4. rear brake bracket

4. Install the drive chain by pushing the rear wheel forward.

5. Install the rear axle nut and tighten the drive chain adjusting bolts.

Refer to drive chain adjustment.

6. Tighten the rear axle nut to the specified torque: 59 N-m (43 Ibf-ft)

Failure to provide adequate disc-to-rear brake bracket clearance may damage the brake discs and impair braking efficiency.

7. After installing the wheel, apply the brakes several times, then recheck both discs for caliper holder to disc clearance.

Do not operate the motorcycle without adequate clearance.

If a torque wrench was not used for installation, see your Honda dealer as soon as possible to verify proper assembly.

Improper assembly may lead to loss of braking capability.

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