I had been running the Hunter Cub on stock tires for a while, but when I worked on the suspension, the tires seemed to be losing it. So we changed the tires. I chose MICHELIN ANAKEE STREET tires, which I had installed on my Super Cub 90 and found to be very good. The Anakee series is an adventure tire that can be used both on and off the road.
It has great roadability and doesn't get caught in the longitudinal grooves of mountain passes. They also have great rain performance, so you don't have to worry about wet forest roads.
So this time, I'm going to install the Anarky Street 2.75 size on my Hunter Cub JA55.
Michelin Anakee Street
About the Michelin Anarchy Street to be installed. This series of tires is positioned as the adventure tire in Michelin's tire lineup. As the name “adventure” implies, Anarchy Street is a model that offers stable performance in all conditions, from long-distance touring to road, dirt, and rain.
The Anakee series includes various models such as Anakee Adventure, Anakee Wild, Anakee Road, and Anakee Street, which is the model we will be installing this time.
Adventure bikes are generally large, with the BMW GS and Africa Twin being the most representative. However, Anakee Street, developed for mid- to small-displacement motorcycles, is available in sizes that can be installed on Cub-type bikes as well.
Specifically, I would recommend the 17” 2.25, 2.5, and 2.75 for cub types.
I chose 2.75 for my Hunter Cub.
![MICHELIN ANAKEE STREET [2.75-17 M/C 47P REINF TT] Michelin Anakee Street](https://news.webike.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/ANAKEESTREET.jpg)
Note that Anarky Street offers both tubular and tubeless tires in the same size.
If you have a C125, current Super Cub 110 (JA59), or current Cross Cub 110 (JA60), choose tubeless tires, that is, tires labeled TL. That's what it says. I think it stands for TubeLess, maybe. Other models are tubes, so they are labeled TT. TT stands for TubeType.
I'll easily attach the Anakee Street to the Hunter Cub with a cable tie.
Well, let's start changing tires. I'm just not very good at changing tires.
I've punctured so many tubes that I've used 5-6 tubes in one tire change.
So, what is convenient is to use a tire band to change a tire. When you put a tire on, you tighten the tire and tube with a tying band and then put it on the wheel.
Even I, who am not very good at changing tires, can easily change a tire without breaking the tube by using a tying band. I think the person who first thought of this is a genius.
I'm going to introduce you to how to change a tire using a tying band because it's a no-fail and lowers the barriers to changing a tire.
What you need
All you need is what you normally use to change a tire plus a tying band.
First, an Igeta (well girder).
This is quite important because placing the wheels directly on the ground will damage them. However, you can also just combine 2×4 lumber or other materials as you see fit.
Since some home centers nowadays have a workshops, it is easy to cut the materials you bought on the spot.
I cut the tenons to make it possible to assemble, but if you're okay with just fastening with dowels and screws it's super easy to make.
A well is useful.
Just cut 2*4 lumber like this. For those who don't want to bother making it, they also sell finished products like this.
Next, tire levers and tying bands. Three tire levers are useful.
Tire levers are quite different in usability. My preference is to use the ones with the thinnest and smoothest tip possible. In this case, I will use the genuine Honda tire levers I bought from Webike.
As for the tying band, I use a repeat tie with a total length of about 30 cm. Repeat ties are the type of ties that can be removed and reattached many times. It is more economical to reuse them.
Honda tire levers
Reusable repeat ties are convenient
Let's digress for a moment to a non-essential but useful item. The air valve puller assists in putting the valve through the rim when mounting the tire on the wheel.
Without it, it can be surprisingly difficult sometimes. It can also be used as a valve core remover, so to speak, and it is very useful to have one.
The swing-arm lift stand is useful for removing the rear wheel. The rear wheels of Cub-type bikes are difficult to remove because the fenders interfere with the rear wheels. At least on my Super Cub and Hunter Cub, I can't get the rear wheel off without lifting the fender. So, the swing arm lift stand is useful to tilt the bike a little.
DRC Air Valve Puller is handy to have
The swing arm lift stand shows its true value when removing the rear wheel
Tools to remove the front and rear wheels are a must. For the Hunter Cub, 14mm and 19mm eyeglass wrenches.
Also, to remove the rear chain adjuster, you'll need a 12mm and a 10mm.
And bead cream. It makes a big difference if you don't have it.
If you buy one, it will last for quite a long time, so make sure you buy a good one.
The last is the air gauge and air intake. You can't complete the project without them. Having one reliable air gauge will give you peace of mind. I like Daytona's small air gauge and Esco's air gauge. The chuck (mouthpiece) is 90 degrees, so you can use it with one hand.
Tools to remove tires
An inflator and air gauge are essential.
Wheel removal
Front is easy
As for the front, just remove the axle nut with a tool and pull out the axle shaft. The nut side is 19mm and the bolt side is 14mm for normal axles, while mine is a chrome-molly hollow axle from Kitako, so both are 17mm.
I'll remove the tires. The front is easy.
Easy to pull out
One axle collar fits on each side of the wheel, so be careful not to lose it.
The rear is a little harder.
The front is awfully easy, but the rear is pretty tough. The process is to remove the chain adjuster, pull out the axle shaft, and remove the wheel from the body while removing the chain.
But if you don't remove the chain adjuster, the wheel can't be pulled out because it interferes with the body of the motorcycle.
Let's remove the chain adjuster first. Loosen the 10mm and 12mm double nuts at the swing arm end.
Then, remove the axle shaft as well as the front.
I'll remove the chain adjuster.
I'll remove the rear axle.
So far so easy, but the problem is when pulling the wheel off the body. With my Super Cub 90, the driven sprocket and hub come off at this point, so I just pull it off the body, but with the Hunter Cub, the driven sprocket is rather firmly attached.
So I gently removed the chain from the driven sprocket and then pulled out the wheel.
I was struggling to get the chain off, probably because I was not used to it. I had no freedom, so I removed the valve core and let the air out, which made it a little easier to do.
I can't pull it off as it is.
Remove the valve core and let the air out.
I had no choice but to use the swing arm lift stand to tilt the vehicle to create a gap between it and the ground, and I managed to pull it off. I use the swing arm lift stand in such situations, but be careful not to tip over because the stability is worse when the bike is tilted.
I managed to get it out by tilting it on a swing arm lift stand.
The rear wheel should have the driven sprocket removed before the tire replacement work.
As for the rear wheel, let's remove the rear hub.
When the driven sprocket is removed, the hub damper, which is attached to the hub, is exposed. It is a rubber part that looks like a gourd. The hub damper tends to fall off during work, so be sure to remember the direction of the hub damper.
The hub damper tends to come off, so it's helpful to take a picture of the mounting orientation.
Tire removal
Next, let's remove the old tire from the removed wheel. To avoid damaging the wheels, we will work on the well.
Once removed, place it on a grid and replace it.
First, let's remove the valve core by turning the worm. Be careful not to let the valve core fly away with the air. It is also a good idea to keep a spare valve core in your toolbox in advance. It is a hassle to go out and buy a new valve core when you notice that it has deteriorated. Next, let's remove the fixing nut at the base of the valve.
The tool size is 10mm.
I'll use a worm wheel to remove the valve core.
Let's use a 10mm tool to remove the nut.
Grip the tire and let's drop the bead. The bead is the rim of the tire, and it's stuck to the rim. To remove the bead, you need to remove the bead from the rim.
On a big bike, the bead won't come off by human power, but on a Cub-type bike, the bead will come off smoothly and comfortably.
Then, you use the tire lever to remove the tire. Even though it is called changing a tire with a tying band, if you make a mistake here, you will break the tube, so be very careful and gentle.
The two most difficult parts of the work are pulling out the rear tire and when removing the old tire.
The trick is not to push the tire lever down too far. It is said that it is best not to pull it down any further after it has been pulled up to 90 degrees.
I'll drop the bead by hand.
Then use the tire lever to remove the tire. Be careful not to tear the tube.
Once one side is off, pull out the tube. If it's deflated, you can pull it out rather easily.
If there is no tube, you can pull it out. On the other side, remove the rim as quickly as possible without damaging the rim.
I'll carefully pull the tube out.
The tube is safely removed. Now we can remove the tire from the rim.
Since you don't want to tear the tube when you remove the tire, install a valve core on the removed tube and inflate it to check it.
If it is torn, repair it or replace it with a new tube.
I'll check to make sure the tube isn't torn when I remove it, and I'll air it out.
Attach tires with tying bands.
Once the tire is successfully removed, the rest is easy. We'll mount the Anakee Street with the rim band, but before that, we need to do some prep work.
Before mounting, remove the rim band and clean the rim. If the rim band is damaged, replace it with a new one.
Let's clean the rim area lightly.
In my case, I use rim tape instead of rim bands. This is a thick tape that is used for off-roading and replaces the rim band.
I'll use DRC rim tape.
The rim band wasn't that damaged, so I'll replace it since I trust the rim tape. Just stick the rim tape in so the spokes don't come in direct contact with the tube.
Good job on the paste.
Once you have successfully applied the rim tape, make a hole for the valve to go through. The process is simple. Just stick an appropriate screwdriver into the valve hole and press it against the edge of the valve hole as if you were turning the screwdriver.
A round hole will be made.
I'll open the hole for the valve by sticking a screwdriver into it and gouging it out.
Nicely drilled.
Once the rims were maintained, Anakee Street came in. TT in 17” 2.75. It's perfect.
Hunter Cubs can use 2.75 front and rear.
Yes, the Anakee Street is installed in the opposite direction when it is attached to the front and when it is attached to the rear.
Note that the front and rear mounting directions are reversed for Anakee Street.
After confirming the orientation, let's start the installation. First, put the tube into Anakee Street. Make sure not to twist the tube.
Carefully insert the tube into Anakee Street without twisting it.
Then, tighten the tube tightly with a tie (repeat tie). Be careful not to let the tube pop out.
I'll use repeat ties to tie the tubes so they don't stick out like this.
I put on the ties to prevent the tube from sticking out, and this is what it looks like this time. I'm using this kind of tie so that the tube doesn't stick out anywhere, but I think I can go without using more ties.
Binding complete
Before mounting, we should apply bead cream. Normally, you apply it to the bead area, or the edge of the tire, but in the case of a binding tire replacement, you can honestly get by without it. Also, I think it would be more effective to apply it to the ties as well as the beads when applying it.
Let's put some bead cream on it.
Next, pull the valve core out of the tube and install the air valve puller. It goes through the valve hole and fastens to the valve.
It makes it a lot easier to get the valve through. You won't lose sight of the valve.
Attach the air valve puller to the valve through the valve hole.
Then, just put it on from the valve part.
Use your whole body to fit the tire slowly and carefully so as not to put any load on the wheel.
If it is summer season, or if the bead or side part of the tire is soft, you can fit the tire by hand.
On the day we did this, it was about 20 degrees Celsius, so it was a bit difficult to fit the tire by hand.
If it is not easy to fit the tire by hand, it means that the side of the tire is very rigid, so I am happy about that.
The riding after installation is dependable.
Then, use your whole body to slowly and carefully fit the tire.
If you can't fit the tire by hand, use the tire lever to gently insert the tire.
When inserting the tire lever, be careful that the tube does not stick out.
Tire levers are also useful if you can't get in by hand.
Once the tire is safely mounted, the tying band is removed.
Since the tying band has jagged edges, it may not be good for the tube or the rim if you pull it out too vigorously, so be gentle.
When the valve is safely seated, gently pull out the cable ties.
After removing all the ties, adjust the position of the valve so that it is perpendicular to the rim, and tighten the nut.
Let's adjust the valve here so that it's vertical.
Then I'll put the valve core back in.
Let's install the valve core with a bug wheel.
I'll check it once with some air before I install it on the car body. I've never torn a tube in many tire changes I've done, but just in case,
Completed. Before attaching it to the car body, check it with air.
Now it is time to attach it to the car body.
Mounting on the car body is completed.
Check the orientation of the tires. The front arrow on the front wheel is facing forward.
Don't forget to check the tire mounting direction.
The rear arrow is pointing forward on the rear wheels as well.
The rear direction of travel has already been checked
Summary
For those who are worried about breaking the tube when changing a Cub tire, I highly recommend changing the tire with a tying band. I have changed tires 5-6 times, including on my Super Cub 90, and have never had a failure.
It's so convenient that I used to have to prepare several spare tubes.
Please have a comfortable tire-changing life with Repeat-Ty.
