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Whats the fuss about tire changes?

oldnslow

It's a way of life!
I've changed countless dirt bike tires in my days, and hated it every time I did it. It was usually done in the pit area, in a hurry, and the wheel full of mud and dirt.

So today when I decided to give a try at my K100 tires, I was ready to be pissed off.

Cripes, what a joy to work on. The beads were a little tough to break free, but after that, the tire spooned right off with ease! No gobs of goo inside the tire, no nasty tube to pull out, my hands didnt even get dirty.

A few well placed swipes of tire mounting goop on the bead of the new tires, a good cleaning of the rim bead with scotch brite, and the new tires practically fell into place! No rim lock to mess with, no valve stem to feed through the rim, and no tube to pinch or poke holes in!

I did both wheels, (remove from bike and replace) in less that 90 minutes! No wheel stand, just laying on the garage floor.

Am I missing something? Where is the frustration factor? Tire changing used to be a 'tool throwing, ground kicking, cuss like a sailor event' !:banghead
 
An '80's/'90's K100/R100 tire is a breeze.

Try it on a 190/55R17, in a shallow drop-center rim. You'll learn new vocabulary. :banghead :thumb
 
I don't know even those aren't too bad if they're warm and you keep the offside bead in that shallow drop center. :).

Did a tubed wheel last night and it was brutal. Then read nomars lit and it said mounting tube tires might not be possible. (breaking down it did fine but I had to use spoons to get new tire on!)
 
My vocabulary does get more creative every time I change a tire.

Some tires have been easy and some not, same bike, same wheels, different tire brands.
 
I am with Mark....did my 190/55 on a cool day, used the no-mar extra hand and still needed a buddy...front was pretty reasonable, though.
 
I don't know even those aren't too bad if they're warm and you keep the offside bead in that shallow drop center. :).

Did a tubed wheel last night and it was brutal. Then read nomars lit and it said mounting tube tires might not be possible. (breaking down it did fine but I had to use spoons to get new tire on!)

I have a small block of wood I jam between the rim and tire to keep the bead in the drop center.
 
I think changing the rear tire on a 1200 series bike would answer your question about what the fuss is about. I have a No Mar and changing tires is now a simple event, but changing a tire on some of our bikes would be a many expletive deleted affair if done on the garage floor.
 
A rear ME880 on a K12LT would cause some choice words if it were not for the NoMar. Spoon bars a must and lot's of wood blocks as you spoon those stiff bad boys on. Even with that set up, some days it's just a bear. I'm spoiled now and would hate to do it on the floor.

I set tires out in the sunlight and "usually" have no issues.

I have changed a tube on a HD and a 650 Thumper on the roadside. Once the tires are run in, they come off/go back on the rim a tad easier...sometimes:banghead
 
The No=mar tire changer has good tips on tire changing that can be used even though you may not have a changer like it.see their web site.:bikes

another vote for watching the No Mar video. techniques shown works on any type changer. including manual with levers. note stress relief procedure and where and how to lube.

makes a HUGE difference if you follow these steps

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/N80C7eEOyMY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

same for balancing your wheel
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/S17FvUTcDU8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
 
Yep;

Some of the newer rims are NOT friendly and even BMW shops fight'em on the rim! I've done my own and watched too many times. The older bikes are much easier. My GSA1200 spoked rear wheel is a fight every time, having done dozens of'em. Spooning these on would be near impossible without extended LONGER industrial spoons. Randy:thumb
 
you want frustrating? i tried changing my buddy's rear tire for his Buell Lighning. there is NO dish to that rim, the sucker is flat from edge to edge! I gave up; he brought it to a shop that put the new tire on for $17, as i had already gotten the old one off and the first side on of the B'stone.

i use a combo of a H-F stand (great bead breaker and rim holder) with MoJo blocks, a MoJo lever, and some Yamalube tire soap. As long as i remember to use the M-J lever as intended (read that as: "re-read and follow the directions"), it (usually) works just fine.
 
Did a tubed wheel last night and it was brutal.

They are these days for sure ... maybe mostly because the tires are built to be tubeless.

A real genuine tube-type only tire on my R80G/S practically goes on/comes off with no tools at all.
 
I'm no expert, but I've seen some people doing a tyre change roadside without all the fancy equipment and it looked like a simple job. Let me paint a picture for you:
Morrocan desert, 40 degrees Celsius and you've had about 3 flats already... The bike is a Yamaha Tenere and the tyres are Michelin Desert, and those are tough tyres. Even without inflated tube hard to deform by hand.
So, like I said, the guy had some experience and it was (not literally with 40 degrees) no sweat. Within 20 minutes the tube was changed. The only 'tools' we had were some DIY tyre lifters we made at home. Extra long ones.

I guess it's a job you need some experience in like the topic starter. If you know how to do it, you don't need fancy stuff.
 
I'm no expert, but I've seen some people doing a tyre change roadside without all the fancy equipment and it looked like a simple job. Let me paint a picture for you:
Morrocan desert, 40 degrees Celsius and you've had about 3 flats already... The bike is a Yamaha Tenere and the tyres are Michelin Desert, and those are tough tyres. Even without inflated tube hard to deform by hand.
So, like I said, the guy had some experience and it was (not literally with 40 degrees) no sweat. Within 20 minutes the tube was changed. The only 'tools' we had were some DIY tyre lifters we made at home. Extra long ones.

I guess it's a job you need some experience in like the topic starter. If you know how to do it, you don't need fancy stuff.

Can you do that without leaving a single scratch on the rim ?.
 
Most street tires are pretty soft in the sidewalls compared to a DS or dirt tire and are thus a lot easier to deal with. Next time my GS is due to change the K60s, come on by and I'll show you what a real tire is like to fight off the rim. :laugh

Still, not so bad that I want to pay the going rates to have the dealer do them.
 
Knowledge & Experience Pays Off

Am I missing something? Where is the frustration factor? Tire changing used to be a 'tool throwing, ground kicking, cuss like a sailor event' !:banghead

You're not missing anything but I am. I tried twice changing tubeless tires in the 1980s and could not seat the bead. I gave up and decided that the dealer didn't charge too much for mounting and balancing.
 
Can you do that without leaving a single scratch on the rim ?.
No, but I can't change a tyre to save my life ;)
The way our guy did it on the road to Dakar was a bit harsh on the rims I guess, but that was no problem then. With a little care you can do the same thing on your precious alloys without scratches. Again...it's the technique that matters, not the gear. With simple means you can do the same thing. It's the same thing with all hobbies: some people think that when they use fancy and expensive gear, it'll all work out. But it turns out that most of the time, the same thing can be archieved by other means for a lot less money and not necessarily with less quality or more effort.
 
I'm no expert, but I've seen some people doing a tyre change roadside without all the fancy equipment and it looked like a simple job. Let me paint a picture for you:
Morrocan desert, 40 degrees Celsius and you've had about 3 flats already... The bike is a Yamaha Tenere and the tyres are Michelin Desert, and those are tough tyres. Even without inflated tube hard to deform by hand.
So, like I said, the guy had some experience and it was (not literally with 40 degrees) no sweat. Within 20 minutes the tube was changed. The only 'tools' we had were some DIY tyre lifters we made at home. Extra long ones.

I guess it's a job you need some experience in like the topic starter. If you know how to do it, you don't need fancy stuff.

that's why I manually changed several sets of tires. didn't want to find out how to or how not to ... on side of road.

our local dealers only charge $15-20 to mount and balance if you bring wheels in. add $100 if they dismount wheels from bike.

recently a complete change kit came up on ADV flea market that happened to be local.

it's a lowly harbor freight tire changer with motorcycle attachment. but it's got the nylon inserts to prevent scratches. best of all came with No-Mar nylon tipped change bar, No-Mar balancer and instruction DVD.

100_2235.jpg
 
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