• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

Snowflake rear wheel & Michelin Pilot Active, 4.00 x 18

SCBuckeye

New member
Has anyone ever had a problem getting a Michelin Pilot Active, 4.00 x 18 tire (using a tube) to fit on a Snowflake rear alloy wheel?

I purchased two new tires for my R100/7 and the front went perfectly. Over the years, I have changed dozens of tires, so I have had experience. However, on this one I am stumped.

The rear tire will not fully seat in the rim. About 8 to 10 inches of the "seat bead" (on both sides) will not pop out as it is supposed to. I have used pretty high pressure to get it out, in fact, up over 60 lbs., along with "soap & water" lubricant. I also on my way home I had the wheel/tire in the trunk of my car, and stopped by a large motorcycle dealer that sell nearly every brand except BMW, and asked them for advice. Thinking they could help, they offered to look at it. They tried, using regular tire lube, but couldn't get the tire to seat either.

Both of us were afraid to use more pressure.

Any help or advice from experience?

Thanks
 
Did you remove the valve stem core? This will allow a higher volume of air into the tire. That and straight dish soap, if you don't have a commercial lube, and more air will pop any bead. We always had success with this set up.
 
Have you done this with tube-type wheels/tires?

Have you done this with tube-type wheels/tires?

I just went through two brand new tubes! And...for SURE, they were not pinched when installed!

I am going to try this next: take the tire completely back off, and clean up and maybe even polish the inside of the rear wheel to see if it can be that that is causing the problem.

In my mind, the tire is just too tight - maybe it needs to be this tight for a tubeless installation, but where one needs a tube, this is ridiculous.
 
I've always heard where getting the tire warmed by the sun helps. I'll ask the BMW dealer how they do it the next time I have my tires mounted by them! :stick
 
I've always heard where getting the tire warmed by the sun helps. I'll ask the BMW dealer how they do it the next time I have my tires mounted by them! :stick

I did the sun thing too. This tire was hot! Easy to put on rim, too, but just will not do the final seat. Blew my third tube today. My last one.

I totally cleaned the rim out - no knicks, or old rubber residue. And I used the above suggestion to use liquid soap undiluted. The tire was so slippery, that it almost "fell" onto the rim, but just will not seat - even with numerous pounding with a rubber mallet and bouncing off the cement! Then, at about 100lbs. the tube blew!

I am going to, I guess, see if I can return it and get either a replacement or simply go back to the exact brand (Dunlop) and size (110/90-18) that it had on it. I didn't mind the tire, but I wanted to go Michelins this time. I think if I go with a Michelin replacement, I will likely have the same issue.

Can you call your dealer and see if they have ever installed THIS particular combination: Michelin 4.00 x 18 on a snowflake rim? Do they know of some secret?

Thanks,
Jimmylee
 
I have also had unreasonable difficulty with those Michelins. I took mine to a place, after blowing a tube. They also used high pressure, but did not blow their tube.
I wish I could use these type tires again, but they seem too much hassle, at least with a tube.
 
Is this problem typical for the Pilot Activ?

I just sent for a Pilot Activ in the 120/90 18 size for a new to me '92 R100RT. Should I expect a problem mounting it? I have successfully mounted several Pilot Road 2s on my R1100RT with no problem.
 
Should not really be a problem with other sizes. My son and I installed two Pilot Activs on his K bike, and the Pilot Activ for the front of mine was no problem either. I only had the problem with my rear tire - 4.00-18 on my Snowflake wheel.

My guess is that on the new style measuring of wheels/tires the tires fit OK.

On mine I am figuring that the tight tolerances required by the "tubeless" feature of this tire is so tight that it just would not seat. I had no problem getting it onto/off the rim - both sides, including the tube, but it just would not seat - three tubes later, I decided to send it back and go to my closest BMW dealer and purchase whatever they had and have them install it - in case the problem was my wheel. Well, no problem - wheel was OK and new installation took about 10 minutes which included balancing.

I guess I would just stay away from the inch measured tires that are meant for older bikes but are also listed as tubeless.

However, I hear of lots of people who put these Pilot Activs on non-snowflake wheels with no problem.


I took my bike out after this ordeal last night for the first time, and along with new IKON rear shocks and it rode better than any motorcycle I have ever ridden!
 
It's been my experience that Michelin (bias) tires have a stiffer sidewall and are more challenging to rim than other brands. Last week I had a 400 X 18 Pilot-Activ installed on my rear snowflake wheel. The technician did have to work at it a bit & the rim/bead fit up required several tries. well worth $25.00 IMHO.

It seems that since the tires that I have been able to find for my Airhead are all rated "tubeless" the mounting has been much more difficult.

I use the 400 X 18 as it is the correct size for my machine, not the metric sized "almost correct" sizes.
 
I guess I would just stay away from the inch measured tires that are meant for older bikes but are also listed as tubeless.!

Nuts! Your dealer could have installed the Michelin just as easily as the tire they did install. Your conclusions are not based in reality.
 
It's been my experience that Michelin (bias) tires have a stiffer sidewall and are more challenging to rim than other brands. Last week I had a 400 X 18 Pilot-Activ installed on my rear snowflake wheel. The technician did have to work at it a bit & the rim/bead fit up required several tries. well worth $25.00 IMHO.

It seems that since the tires that I have been able to find for my Airhead are all rated "tubeless" the mounting has been much more difficult.

I use the 400 X 18 as it is the correct size for my machine, not the metric sized "almost correct" sizes.

How did he actually get it to work? I had my at even too high a pressure and it still wouldn't seat.

I, too, prefer the original required size rather than the metric size.

Next time, I will not order mail order and order from dealer so he can install.

I think it is tacky (for me) to buy a tire mail order, and then ask the dealer to install.

JIm C.
 
How did he actually get it to work? I had my at even too high a pressure and it still wouldn't seat.

I, too, prefer the original required size rather than the metric size.

Next time, I will not order mail order and order from dealer so he can install.

I think it is tacky (for me) to buy a tire mail order, and then ask the dealer to install.

JIm C.

The tech repeatedly inflated/deflated the tire using lots of lube until it fit. This particular shop's owner for some reason prefers for me to deal with ordering the tire & paying him to mount it. I suspect that since he mounts a considerable number of tires at "bike week" type of events, his skill level is quite high. Having a professional machine probably helps as well.

As for blowing out the tube at 100 psi while rimming the tire , that is flat out dangerous! lucky no personal injuries were incurred.

And we keep hearing that the tire & rim will too easily come apart on sudden deflation to run these tube rims tubeless.
 
spoked wheels

I just had a set of these Michelins installed on my 75/7 spoked wheels. 400-18 and 3.25-19
they went on relatively easily. Have only put 100 miles on them , but they seem very good.
sorry to hijack your snowflake thread.
 
I just had a set of these Michelins installed on my 75/7 spoked wheels. 400-18 and 3.25-19
they went on relatively easily. Have only put 100 miles on them , but they seem very good.
sorry to hijack your snowflake thread.

I, still would like to have BOTH wheels mounted with Pilot Activs. the front went on like a piece of cake! There rear refused. I Have the Snowflakes. I ended up using the "Vintage" Dunlop of the correct size and I really like it, but suspect it will wear earlier than I would like. However, I heard someone who said that he got lots of miles on his Dunlop of the same type and size.

I am going to purchase the Michelin the next time I need one, from a dealer and let them install it and have the headaches.
 
I, still would like to have BOTH wheels mounted with Pilot Activs. the front went on like a piece of cake! There rear refused. I Have the Snowflakes. I ended up using the "Vintage" Dunlop of the correct size and I really like it, but suspect it will wear earlier than I would like. However, I heard someone who said that he got lots of miles on his Dunlop of the same type and size.

I am going to purchase the Michelin the next time I need one, from a dealer and let them install it and have the headaches.

***************
Follow the directions in the following article, section k through p:
http://bmwmotorcycletech.info/TireRepair.htm
I too have had fun and games with the Michelin Pilot Activ. If you follow my advice in k through p, it should go on fairly easily.
BTW...using anything over around 60 or 70 psi is VERY VERY dangerous. The tire can explode;........but the RIM CAN TOO.
Having aluminum shrapnel flying around is not a great idea. THINK about what that 100PSI really meant.
snowbum
 
There is a product called 'Bead-Eze' It is available at Grainger stores if you have one near...although they will ship, I'm sure.

You might also try an Auto tire store & see if they'll help ? or perhaps sell you a small amount.

The product does work better by far , than soap & water. Just be sure to clean off any excess, and let it dry..before final inflation & mounting.
 
There is a product called 'Bead-Eze' It is available at Grainger stores if you have one near...although they will ship, I'm sure.

You might also try an Auto tire store & see if they'll help ? or perhaps sell you a small amount.

The product does work better by far , than soap & water. Just be sure to clean off any excess, and let it dry..before final inflation & mounting.

For sure ... the ONLY thing that should be used is tire lube designed for the purpose. It turns NOT slippery when dry, while all the cheapskate solutions don't. You can get a gallon jug at NAPA.

And if you're serious about Airheads--and you can take to the bank USA tire importers are not--you can order tube-type tires from Europe in Airhead sizes and not have these problems. Not from Michelin, however.
 
I had never heard of these tires, so I read some reviews on them yesterday. They are high mileage tires, and very popular with the trike crowd. Most of the users were happy with them.

But with the fitting problems, I think I would be looking at something else, if I still had an Airhead.
 
But with the fitting problems, I think I would be looking at something else, if I still had an Airhead.

I have Michelin Pilot's front and rear on my /7...not a single problem mounting them. Well, I didn't do it but the BMW shops did it for me!!
 
Back
Top