• 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?

Tire balancer-tire irons.

Why not? :ear Breaking the bead is harder on a tubeless tire, everything else is easier with no valve stem to snake through a hole and no tube to pinch. All-in-all I find tubed vs tubeless to be different, but about the same amount of work. I change the tires on both my R69S (tubed) and my R1200GS (tubeless).

I do not use a changer. I've a wheel stand because I got tired of working on my knees with the wheel resting on some 2x4s. The stand has a bead breaker attachment. Before I got that attachment I used everything from a 2x4 lever, to the bike's side stand, to tire irons, to a hand bead breaker tool, etc., to break the bead. That was the hardest part of the job. The only other tools I use are some tire irons and a valve core tool.



Gas or starter fluid and a match will do the job. I saw it on youtube. :stick :laugh I've never had to change a tire on the road and hope I never have to. I like plugs!
I remember seeing that done back when I was a GM mech. One of the guys wanted to try it and it worked.
 
The flammable aerosol and a thrown match works but I use it in an emergency only such as when I lose a bead on one of these type of tires- and I'm away from the shop.

34385.jpg


Its real dangerous and really doesn't do a tire any good due to the over-pressure (that can't be calculated).

The new hot-setup is the Cheetah- this is the new and lower prices 2 gallon unit (around $200.00)

gallon-cheetah-bead-198490.jpg


Tires are a lot of work. OM
 
The flammable aerosol and a thrown match works but I use it in an emergency only such as when I lose a bead on one of these type of tires- and I'm away from the shop.

34385.jpg


Its real dangerous and really doesn't do a tire any good due to the over-pressure (that can't be calculated).

The new hot-setup is the Cheetah- this is the new and lower prices 2 gallon unit (around $200.00)

gallon-cheetah-bead-198490.jpg


Tires are a lot of work. OM
Looks like an asperator for asthma.
 
I see a "magic powder" & zinc rim weights using this link? :)

hmm. i hadn't looked again, just gave link. but you're right, no tape types. guess its a google search for those needing new ones. i have a box that i won't use up in this lifetime, so i'll let someone else man up for that task.
 
I marvel at the psychology involved in this.

Over the years I've discovered that when using my Harbor Freight tire changer it's about twice as easy to do a car tire as it is a motorcycle tire. Up until recently I was an Airhead guy and all my tires had tubes--I'm not even going to attempt a tubeless motorcycle tire.
Tubeless are actually easier.

So, if the number of times one had to change tires was the same, it would suggest doing car tires at home before doing motorcycle tires. But hardly anybody does. (No, you don't need alignment.)
You make a good point, I'm not completely sure why either but there are 4 big tires to get home and 4 big ones to get rid of. No balancing required???

And it's dubious whether much of this relates to road emergencies, either. Plugging isn't related at all and you simply can't carry enough air power to seat a tubeless bead if that's what's needed. The fact it's a little more feasible for old-timers with tubes really doesn't translate well to modern bikes, either. Methinks you'll be calling a professional and truck transportation.

Well, yes, perhaps cars are utilitarian and motorcycles are toys and there's some sort of guilt in spending too $$ much on toys. (But not personal time--we work cheap) There should be none of that, however, and, yes doing it oneself can be just more fun for the sake of fun, but changing tires? I say life's too short and my time's too valuable.
My time's too valuable to waste hanging around a dirty garage and all the scratches on my rims were put there by me. Tire work is not my favourite but I do find it satisfying.

.
 
What motomike said, and I do change my own car tires too.

Bottom line of why, changed 25 sets on my Replika in the last 9 years, plus quite a few sets on the wife's bike, son's bikes and track bike. All with tire irons.


And yes you can seat new tires with a 12 v compressor. Did it with my little slime compressor, after changing a set of tires in the hotel parking lot during the Johnson city BMWOA rally. The new set I showed up with, only lasted 3 days and 1100 miles of the twisty NC/TN roads.
 
And yes you can seat new tires with a 12 v compressor. Did it with my little slime compressor, after changing a set of tires in the hotel parking lot during the Johnson city BMWOA rally.

How did that go?
I've had trouble once or twice popping the second bead on.
 
How did that go?
I've had trouble once or twice popping the second bead on.

Worked pretty good, I was worried I might have to go find a repair shop with a real air compressor, but soaped them up well, and they popped at fairly low pressure..

As far as weights, you can get them free from most tire places, most have a 5 gallon pail full of used ones, just ask them if you could have some of them, I have actually had one place hand me a hand full of new ones free!

ONLY way to clean the tape off the weights is to set them on a cement floor face down, and take your bernz-o-matic touch or heat gun and heat the tape up, then I just use a very fine bristle wire brush and give them a quick swipe with the brush as they lay on the floor, it strips them clean, don't pick them up as they will be HOT!

Then to make them look better (if you care) you can give them a shot of paint to match the rims, or toss them in a bucket and poor the acid from an old battery in there and leave them until shiny.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top