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Tire balancer-tire irons.

froggy

New member
I would like to get some suggestions on tire balancers and yire irons from the riders that use them out there.
Now that I have two bikes it would be cost effective to change my own tires now.
Thanks.
 
I would like to get some suggestions on tire balancers and yire irons from the riders that use them out there.
Now that I have two bikes it would be cost effective to change my own tires now.
Thanks.

The Mark Parnes balancer is very well made and popular. Irons are pretty generic, a good bead breaker is very important. Don't forget the rim savers to protect the rims.
 
http://www.stubbytiretools.com/

no rim savers required. If you have a tire mounting stand like the Harbor Freight ones then I'd get the Mojo or no-mar bars.

I use the Harbor Freight tire balancer.

I have read about the HF,but will the cones work on the BMW rims.I am noticing companies are requiring a larger cone for the single sided swingarms like my K100 and R1150RT.I do like the $ though.
I am doing this to save $, know its done right, and no more traveling to bike shop.
 
AND AGAIN, +1 for the Marc Parnes balancer. Also a +1 for the Harbor Freight bead breaker #98875. Both work great on my tubeless R1150R and by tubed F650GS (single) tires. Yes, the balancer will require an additional cone so you can switch between wheel types. A small amount of rubber lube (Ruglide) (buy an empty glue bottle with an appicator brush) from your local automotive tire shop (free?) will greatly simplify the process of dismounting and mounting your tires. Irons and rim protectors are pretty generic. Mine are from Motion Pro and work great. Once you start changing your own tires, a flat on the road becomes a minor inconvienience:).
 
I have read about the HF,but will the cones work on the BMW rims.I am noticing companies are requiring a larger cone for the single sided swingarms like my K100 and R1150RT.I do like the $ though.
I am doing this to save $, know its done right, and no more traveling to bike shop.

Works fine on my front wheel. The rear one needs a Mark Parnes adapter which I need to order. :)
 
I have read about the HF,but will the cones work on the BMW rims.I am noticing companies are requiring a larger cone for the single sided swingarms like my K100 and R1150RT.I do like the $ though.
I am doing this to save $, know its done right, and no more traveling to bike shop.


The HF tire changer reportedly works fine with BMW rims. Some minor mods might be necessary to prevent marring the rim. The HF tire balancer requires an adapter that is not available through HF, even though the part number is listed in the manual and on the box. Additionally the HF website reviews report many problems with bent balancer axles caused by improper packaging. An adapter from another company might work with the HF balancer, but for a no hassle solution, I'd recommend the Marc Parnes balancer.
 
The HF tire changer reportedly works fine with BMW rims. Some minor mods might be necessary to prevent marring the rim. The HF tire balancer requires an adapter that is not available through HF, even though the part number is listed in the manual and on the box. Additionally the HF website reviews report many problems with bent balancer axles caused by improper packaging. An adapter from another company might work with the HF balancer, but for a no hassle solution, I'd recommend the Marc Parnes balancer.

refer to my post, #3. HF tire changer, but only as a bead breaker, and as the device for holding the wheel when messing with the tire. MoJo blocks are specifically designed to be used with the HF changer to prevent gouging your rims, and the MoJo Lever is THE tool for getting tires on and off the rims. When you order the Parnes balancer, he will sell you the correct sized cones for BMW rims. And, fwiw, those cones will work on oilhead AND airhead wheels. Total cost should come in under $200.
I'll post up a source for tape weights when i get home and can look at my receipt. It was MUCH better priced than what anyone else was offering, and have yet to lose a single one.
 
refer to my post, #3. HF tire changer, but only as a bead breaker, and as the device for holding the wheel when messing with the tire. MoJo blocks are specifically designed to be used with the HF changer to prevent gouging your rims, and the MoJo Lever is THE tool for getting tires on and off the rims. When you order the Parnes balancer, he will sell you the correct sized cones for BMW rims. And, fwiw, those cones will work on oilhead AND airhead wheels. Total cost should come in under $200.
I'll post up a source for tape weights when i get home and can look at my receipt. It was MUCH better priced than what anyone else was offering, and have yet to lose a single one.

I know MP balancer is "all that" judged by reviews but dang,$200,thats a lot of tire changes to break even,even is you include gas $ to get to the bike shop plus you have to come up with some kind of stand.
Yea I'm chea...um frugal:brow
 
sorry, i gave you a slightly low estimate... but that's okay, as you translated everything too high.
HF tire changer is about $50. Marc's balancer is about $100. Mojo blocks about $30. Mojo lever about $100. Tire weights about $30.
so total is about $31o:ish.
at a somewhat conservative estimate of $25/tire change (i know only a few shops that charge that little, most are more. you probably already know what your local place charges, and can adjust from that if you like), and 2 bikes, all your equipment is probably paid for in about 2 years. Unless of course you rack up miles like Paul & Voni, then you'll probably have paid for it all before this year's National in Salem, OR.
 
sorry, i gave you a slightly low estimate... but that's okay, as you translated everything too high.
HF tire changer is about $50. Marc's balancer is about $100. Mojo blocks about $30. Mojo lever about $100. Tire weights about $30.
so total is about $31o:ish.
at a somewhat conservative estimate of $25/tire change (i know only a few shops that charge that little, most are more. you probably already know what your local place charges, and can adjust from that if you like), and 2 bikes, all your equipment is probably paid for in about 2 years. Unless of course you rack up miles like Paul & Voni, then you'll probably have paid for it all before this year's National in Salem, OR.

OK I see what you mean on the Balancer at $105,but $50 HF tire changer does not look like it has the side clamps to hold outside of rim.http://www.harborfreight.com/portable-tire-changer-69686.html
 
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.

Before the assembly is even mounted on the changer it's obviously lots easier to dismount (and remount) a car wheel/tire than it is a motorcycle wheel/tire (especially fronts). No worries messing up brake rotors on cars, either.

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.)

Even given that cars have twice as many tires, it's probably still more expensive in the long run to pay the labor for professional bike tire service because, indeed, bike tires are changed more often. But, offset that with the fact it's REALLY expensive to purchase pro-grade tools for home use and it's REALLY difficult to do a pro-quality job with anything else, where's the point? It may be there but IMHO it's pretty weak.

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.
 
Kent-
I have a F800GS with tubed tires, and a R11S with tubelss. Tubeless are no more difficult than tubes, maybe even easier. Using the earlier design HF unit (the one that has the arms for holding the rim in place. the one posted by froggy is different) the rotors do not come into contact with any part of the equipment. When i bought my tools, I had 4 active bikes in the gareage with 2 riders- all equipment was paid for within a year; I'd call that quite cost effective. (oh, and that is not counting the numerous 6-packs i've been paid for working on friends' bikes :thumb)
A small portable electric air pump will give you plenty of emergency air on the side of the road, even with a tubeless tire that has lost it's bead seat. However, any time i have had or have been with someone that has flatted a tubeless... it's just plug it up, air it up, and away you go, never lost the beadseat at all.
In fact, if i had a choice about which bike to flat on, hands down it would be the R1100. Relatively speaking, tubes SUCK! (and that is not supposition, that is experience that tells me so.)
 
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.

Before the assembly is even mounted on the changer it's obviously lots easier to dismount (and remount) a car wheel/tire than it is a motorcycle wheel/tire (especially fronts). No worries messing up brake rotors on cars, either.

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.)

Even given that cars have twice as many tires, it's probably still more expensive in the long run to pay the labor for professional bike tire service because, indeed, bike tires are changed more often. But, offset that with the fact it's REALLY expensive to purchase pro-grade tools for home use and it's REALLY difficult to do a pro-quality job with anything else, where's the point? It may be there but IMHO it's pretty weak.

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.

Thats why I like to work on my bikes.But when it costs more for me to work on it than a mech(tools,supplies,pissed off spouse),I will let the tech handle it.Thats why I am trying to keep this on the cheap.I don't get bruised knouckes,I always used gloves when changing tires as a mech.
 
+1 on the Marc Parnes balancer

I also have the HF changer with mo-jo blocks and a big +1 on that combo too!

I had a mo-jo bar but have now gone to the nomar bar. No comparison, the nomar bar wins hands down.

For me, the trick to getting the bead to set is to remove the valve stem. Once the bead is set, you can put the valve stem in and re-inflate. You need air volume more than air pressure!
 
I'm not even going to attempt a tubeless motorcycle tire.

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.

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.

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!
 
here's that site for the tape weights, as promised.

Tape weights need only be purchased once. When removed the old adhesive comes off with some alcohol or goo gone. 3M permanent double sided tape can then be attached to use the weights over, and over, and over again.
 
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