so, how much did you save my doing your own tire?

 

Depends on how much your dealer or indy charges. My last tire cost me $106 and a few hours time (I spent some time cleaning the rim and pulley and other hard to reach places on the bike).
At most places you can take your wheels in and it is cheaper than if they have to remove and reinstall them on the bike. Most places don't like mounting and balancing tires you bought somewhere else, some simply refuse to do it.

 

I bought a torque wrench from HF and it has never fallen out of calibration. I bring it in to work once a year and have our calibration specialist inspect it for me and it has never been out by much. Any torque wrench can go out of spec w/o warning...It all depends on how you store it. Prior to stroring, all torque wrenches should be backed off to 0 NM's as not to put undue or constant stress on the internal spring, this is what causes them to go out of spec, not because it was purchased from HF.

I disconnected shocks in order to remove the wheel on my 05. I didn't have to take off the mufflers, but I did have to remove a portion of the saddlebag support to get the axle out.

 

Didn't read this whole thread, so don't know if this has been mentioned, but to get easy clearance around the bag guards to remove the axle, just adjust the air pressure up or down in the shocks.

That also works when putting the tire back on, to align the axle holes with the swingarm

 

My thoughts exactly. I remove top bolt of shock and no problems.

 

When all else fails...