The Mitas E-07 tire thread merge-fest

[bigbob]

I have a brand new set that just got here. Since I am trailering to Romney and they are hosting us will let them mount them. I know the front is over 20k and the rear replaced once so it is around 10k.

 

[RCinNC]

Today I mounted the front and rear Mitas E07's (non-Dakar). I'm not sure where this myth grew up that they were some sort of Herculean task to mount them by hand, but it's indeed a myth. The front was easier to mount that my usual Shinko 705; in fact, I got the second bead over the rim without even using a tire iron. I just knelt on the tire and pushed the second bead over the rim with my hands. It was in the 80's here today and sunny, and I left the front tire in the sun for about a half hour while I took the front wheel off the bike. I used Ruglyde for lubricant.

The rear was stiffer than the front, even after it had sat in the sun for a while, but it was no harder to mount than a rear Shinko 705. It didn't require any zip ties or other special techniques, just three tire irons.

The beads on both tires were set using a 12 volt cheapie compressor that I've had since the 80's (the kind you buy at Walmart and throw in the trunk of your car). Both the front and rear beads set at around 25 PSI, with the valve cores out. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the Mitas might have been the easiest tire I've ever mounted by hand. I may buy the Dakar version next time around, just to see if they present any additional mounting problems.

I haven't ridden them yet, but they've got to be better than the 705's I took off; the front was cupped so bad that it felt like I was constantly riding over a cattleguard.

These are not the tires from Hell, as far as mounting goes.

 

[RonH]

Good to hear. I'm waiting to wear out the original Bridgestones, then mount the Dakars which have been sitting in the garage for a couple years. I don't anticipate any problems.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Today I mounted the front and rear Mitas E07's (non-Dakar). I'm not sure where this myth grew up that they were some sort of Herculean task to mount them by hand, but it's indeed a myth.

I've mounted both Dakar and non-Dakar. The non-Dakar front was probably the easiest tire I've ever mounted. The Dakar is, without a doubt, the most challenging tire I've ever mounted. I'd rather mount 10 rear Dakars than one front. I found the trick to make it easier was to convince my wife to come out and help. It was much easier with two people.

 

[Yamasaki]

Today I mounted the front and rear Mitas E07's (non-Dakar). I'm not sure where this myth grew up that they were some sort of Herculean task to mount them by hand, but it's indeed a myth.

I doubt that anyone ever said that the "non-Dakar" is difficult. It's the Dakar model that has a very stiff sidewall so it doesn't want to stretch over the rim.

I've had both and the Dakar's are very difficult to mount and I had even more trouble removing them. I ended up having to cut my rear tire off with my saws-all. The difficulty factor is definitely not a myth regarding the Dakar model.

Still love the E07, but I only buy the non-Dakar now.

 

[Checkswrecks]

I finally changed out the last set of E07s at 12,771 miles for a set of new Dakars. They'd gotten square enough that the new tires felt like somebody had turned on power steering. NICE!
btw, the rain grooves in the rear are from my dremel tool, not Mitas. Grooving them got me more than 2,000 additional miles.

No problem mounting them, but I do have a changer in the garage. This was the first time I'd used it bolted to the garage floor rather than to a piece of plywood and if I had know how much better it would be I would have done this years ago. Four simple half-inch concrete anchors in the floor and done. When not in use, I just unbolt the changer to store in the shed and cover the holes with duct tape.

 

[EricV]

New tires are always nice. ::001::

I'm resisting the urge to pull my EO7 Dakars off and install new tires. I have two sets of new tires in storage, the OEM Bridgestones and what I intend to try next, some Pirelli Angel GTs that are pure street rubber. I currently have 16,825 miles on my EO7 Dakars and they look just slightly more worn than your 12,771 set. Still fine for street rides. Sadly, I've not been getting much riding in. No vacation time and less disposable income plus family issues have made for less than 20k in the last 12 months.

 

[Checkswrecks]

New tires are always nice. ::001::

I'm resisting the urge to pull my EO7 Dakars off and install new tires. I have two sets of new tires in storage, the OEM Bridgestones and what I intend to try next, some Pirelli Angel GTs that are pure street rubber. I currently have 16,825 miles on my EO7 Dakars and they look just slightly more worn than your 12,771 set. Still fine for street rides. Sadly, I've not been getting much riding in. No vacation time and less disposable income plus family issues have made for less than 20k in the last 12 months.

So much for retirement and moving to some low cost of living State?

 

[EricV]

So much for retirement and moving to some low cost of living State?

Pretty much in limbo still. We still have the lake front property in Northern MS. Sold the house here a couple of months ago. Wife's adult son is our problem. Won't go into details, but it's a waiting game with government entities and medical issues involved and a failure to launch problem as well. Until this gets sorted in some way, we need the benefits that I get with my city job and what little vaca time I earn ends up mostly getting burned up when we have a 'crisis' with the boy.

The wife is taking a week at the end of the month to ride out to NC for a wedding of a mutual friend. I get to spend a day in a metal tube to get there, a day there, then another day flying back. Good thing they chose the holiday weekend for their wedding day or I wouldn't be able to make it at all. I'm encouraging the wife to take a couple of weeks to a month to come home, wandering and visiting friends solo. She needs a break and some bike time on the road. So do I, but that's not going to happen. Such is life. I just hope I don't have to move again for a while. Twice in two months, doing all the work myself is a b***h.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Got it. You have a bed north of DC if you need to get away for a break yourself. See something green rather than red or brown for a while.
::003::

 

[EricV]

I appreciate the offer. You never know what life will throw at you.

 

[bigbob]

I appreciate the offer. You never know what life will throw at you.

And if you are on I80 in Iowa any rider can have a bed, camp spot with bathroom or the camper!

 

[EricV]

And if you are on I80 in Iowa any rider can have a bed, camp spot with bathroom or the camper!

Very nice offer BigBob. ::008::

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I think this qualifies as a E07 question...

My wife's front tire (E07) loses about 1/2 lb of pressure every day or two until it is totally flat. It takes weeks of sitting to go flat. Has anyone every tracked down a leak in a tire that takes 3 or 4 weeks to go flat?

No, I haven't tried looking for it yet, but I have really low expectations that I will be able to find it. I've never had one that leaked this slowly.

...and yes, I do realize the solution is not to let it sit for 3 or 4 weeks, but life doesn't always allow for that fix.

 

[Don in Lodi]

I've read of a few random bead leaks...

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I've been suspicious of that. I thought riding it might take care of it if that were the case. It seems as long as you ride it the tire stays fine. Park it for a while and it goes flat weeks later.

 

[Don in Lodi]

That's gonna be a tough one to track down. A real good soap solution in a trough and looking for really small bubbles, probably single bubbles, not a trail. Once clear of the solution the leak may show up as a clump of foam. Could break it back down and quickly smear the rim beads with patch cement and reseat. Double check the valve core...

 

[Dirt_Dad]

It's a front E07 that only has about 8K on it. It has a ton of life left in it, but was still planning to swap it out before the TransLab ride this summer. I like fresh rubber before starting a major trip.

I do like to hold onto such a low mileage tire to re-install when needed. If it turns out to be a tire bead issue I'm not too concerned about the re-install. I guess I'm not all that concerned overall since it is so slow. Just didn't know if was possible to even identify at that leak rate.

 

[eemsreno]

I've had E0-7 fronts leak at the bead.
If they have any of that rubber ridges form molding the tire in the seating area they leak.
Had to grind off all that excess rubber and really clean up the rim good.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

Good to know. I'll look closely at that when I change out both fronts before the trip.