Changing your own tyres?

[beemer]

Anyone got any tips on changing your own tyes?

[Bob_Roller]

I'm not experienced in relacing tires (tyres !), one accessory that I have seen is a heavy plastic guard that you insert between the tire and rim to hopefully prevent gouging the rim with the tire irons.

I've been told that the snowflake rims are quite 'soft', and are easily damaged, I've gone to a motorcycle dealer here, that refused to replace a tire on my R65 rim, due to the high probability of them damaging it.

[tagordon]

Bob
So how then do you get new tires on?

[Bob_Roller]

The guards are about 4-6 inches long in a V or U shape in cross section, and you move them along the rim as you remove, or install the tire.

Here's a link for an illustration of the parts : www.americanmototire.com    

Select accessories, then rim protectors.

[Semper Gumby]

You need dome soapy water to help lube the tire on and off the rim.  (How soapy I don't know).  Also helps to have a bead breaker.  This is all hearsay as I have yet to actually to this.  Just lucky I guess.

Someone else please chime in with better information please!

TTFN,

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

Just color me part of the lucky club.

(man I hate acknowledging that...)




I have mine changed at the local bike accessories store.  They have never said anything, and they have never removed too much of the dirt on my rims!


I would not mind learning how to change a tire.  The benefits are multiple:

1) you know what you are doing when "your time" comes along the road.

2) You can save A LOT of money, by buying online.

3) YOU are in command when it comes time to balance them.  You can take the time to find the heavy spot on your rim, and then compensate for it during the final adjustments, be they weights or moving the tire around.

[nhmaf]

I have changed/mounted/balanced many hundreds of automotive tires, and hundreds of bicycle tires (no balancing on those),
but only 1 motorcycle tire, and I don't think that qualifies me as any authority on motorcycle tire changing.   I could do it if I had to,
but I don't think that I'd get it done in anything resembling a speedy/efficient manner.

I also gotta look for some new m/c tire irons  and rim protectors as I foolishly left my last good set with my R100RT when I sold it.  

A tire machine makes things SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier, but who among us has the $$ to keep one of those around
in the garage ?

[Bob_Roller]

NHMAF,

That's pretty much the problem with most riders, you change tires once every 3-5 years, and it just doesn't make much sense to purchase the equipment to make the job easy !

[Crossrodes]

I bought a Harbor Freight tire changer with motorcycle attachment, a Mojo Bar and Mojo Blocks for the attachment, a Mark Parnes balancer, weights, 15" spoons, rim savers and tire lube.  So far I have changed front and rear Goldwing tires and a Front R65 tire.  I'm getting better at it the more I do.  If you buy the Mojo Bar pay close attention as to how it is to be used.

[montmil]

Anyone got any tips on changing your own tyes?

Here's a link to a DIY ghetto-style bead breaker for motorcycles.

http://www.webbikeworld.com/t2/bead-breaker/motorcycle-tire-bead-breaker.htm

I've gotta take my bride's car to be inspected right now but I'll post today my learned tricks on swapping tires on my snowflake R65. Be back shortly...  Hang on. It ain't no biggie.  

Monte

OK, I'm back. Car passed emissions test and it sure ought to... Recently paid $638.00, just for the cat-not labor, for a rebuilt catalytic converter due to the failure of some attached electronics. Grrr. Extended warranty did not cover because exhaust systems are considered 'disposables' just like tires and wiper blades. Double grrr...

So, to your tire changing exercise. I recently removed the rock hard vintage Metzlers from my R65s snowflake rims. As to the rims being easily damaged, that would be from the changer's experience level, tools used, precautions taken, and deficits in his gene pool.

If you wish, you can make your own rim guards. Buy some large i.d. vinyl tubing -maybe around 0.75 inch- slit a piece about four inches long and you've got a rim guard! Make a few. Also suggest you grow a third hand so it'll be easier to fit them as you use your remaining two hands to work the tire spoons.

Two motorcycle tire spoons are needed. Three's better. WD40 is a good tire lube because it will eventually evaporate. Soapy water might lead to corrosion issues inside the wheel rim.

You will want to lay the tire across a couple 2x4s while you work on it. Must protect the brake disc from side loads and damage.

After that, it's a matter of getting the tire bead into the deepest part of the rim and then inserting a spoon across from the collapsed bead. Get one side off, remove the inner tube -if you're running them- and then pry off the second bead.

My narrower front tire was a booger to get off so I was not loking forward to the rear. Guess the wider rim helped because the rear came off "piece of cake". You may wish to begin with the rear tire removal to pick up some new skills before tackling the front.

Prepare to get dirty. Have plenty of work space so that when a spoon slips and cracks you across your knuckles, you'll have lottsa room to jump around. Someday, ask me how I learned this tip years ago.

No screwdrivers, at all, none, never! Want rim damage? That's how it happens. If we can simply save just one more snowflake...

Do it yourself and learn some new skills. You'll save some money and impress those who know you.  8-)  

[Justin B.]

I don't recall ever having somebody else install a tire for me.  Like Crossrodes, I have the HF hardware, I make my own wheel balancers, but I have no idea what a "Mojo Bar" is.  I use 3-4 12" irons and plenty of soapy water and use the HF rig for the bead breaker and as a fixture to hold onto the rim so I don't have to chase it around the floor.  One thing that makes mounting easier is to use a couple of "C"-clamps to squeeze the tire together where you force the tire down into the "drop center" of the rim.  This allows the tire to install that last 6 inches much easier.

[mikethebike]

I have all the gear but not the inclination after "nipping" the tube the last time!  The guys with the proper equipment at the tyre shop just make it look too easy.  It's too much like hard work now.

[Crossrodes]

Justin the Mojo bar is shown in this series of photo's by Fred Harmon:
 
http://www.pbase.com/fredharmon/tirechange

The whole package that Fred shows is also very instructive.  Fred produces some excellent videos for those that want to do their own maintenance and beyond on Honda Goldwings.  In this case much of what he does with Goldwing rims and tires applies to the BMW.

Mike

[Barry]

I put a new front tyre on a snowflake recently.  I found it much more difficult than previous tyre changes on spoked rims but it can be done.  The old tyre was 27 years old and very hard so I cut it off to avoid damaging the rim.

As others have said when you fit a new tyre you must get the tyre beads into the centre well which is quite narrow on a snowflake.  Unless you do this you won't stand a chance.  I would also clean and polish inside the rim before fitting the new tyre. It will help make seating the beads easier. Be prepared to use lots of lubricant and inflate to 50 psi. To check the tyre is seated properly there is a guide rib which should be concentric with the rim.

[Crossrodes]

Just FYI I had to inflate my tire to over 100psi on the snowflake rim to get it to seat properly.  The GW tires seated much easier on the polished aluminum rims that I have on that bike.  My snowflake rims are not polished so that may be the difference.