Changing tires on a bike with TPMS

I'll be due a new set of tires on my 2016 GS in the next month or two. My garage is the local "tire change community" for a few of my friends, but I have yet to change tires on a bike with the Tire Pressure Monitor Sensor. Any precautions I should follow or other advice to prevent damage to these ungodly-expensive devices?

Howdy,
There should be a sticker on the rim identifying the location of the sending unit. Once you know where it is avoid hitting it with a tire iron or a tire bead.
Later,
Norm

I've changed the tires on both my and a friend's '16 GSAs. Just stay away from/be careful around the valve stem as that's where the TPMS sensor is located.


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Start the demount and mount procedures AT the TPMS sensor

I avoid going near the TPMS sensor. It's located at the valve stem.

Jay

Go to the NoMar tire changer site. Look at their FAQ; it addresses this issue. They say to view their video on changing a tire on a F650GS (single cylinder) and to follow the same procedure with TPMS.

Thanks for all the helpful replies! Ironically I just ordered some supplies from the No Mar site. I'll go back and check out that video as well.

Here is the cheat sheet I made for myself incorporating input from someone on one of the forums after I made a similar request to yours. Has worked well for me on several sets of tires now.

* TPM Tips:
* The sending unit is where the filler valve is. Look carefully at the r/s of the wheel and you'll see a label marking the spot. They are very narrow and mounted in the center of the wheel which leaves lots of room for your tools. I always break the bead away from the sending unit and use care when inserting my tire removal tool end so it only goes in far enough to grab the bead. Otherwise its far enough out of the way not to be a concern.
*I usually start and end mounting next to the TPM sender. That way you can get the opposite side of the bead fully in the drop zone. After I get the tire iron or demounting bar inserted, I work towards the TPM sender, i.e. the first bit of the bead that comes off is over the sender. When mounting I start next to the sender and then work away from it so that the last part of the bead to be mounted (the difficult part) is the last thing to go on.
Another tip is to check the torque on the sender bolt. They have been known to come loose.
*That torque is low, I believe 9Nm. If you have touched the unit with the tire bead while removing the tire, the sending unit will be out of alignment, not straight in the rim. I just gently grab it and give a wiggle. If it move even a little I get the torque wrench out. If there are any doubts, some soap bubbles on the stem when back together will let you know if you have to go back in. The rubber seals are available in a kit that also has the mounting hardware so it is $19. I mark the tire and as mentioned don't brake the bead over the unit, just near and the rest of the tire.

It sounds like you have changed a lot of tires. I doubt you will have any problems, however;

My 2014 RT has been somewhat of a nightmare to balance. BMW made no provision in the wheel design to counter balance the TPMS.

I can get them to balance but I'm using more weight than I ever have while using good tires.

dirtfarmer said:

It sounds like you have changed a lot of tires. I doubt you will have any problems, however;

My 2014 RT has been somewhat of a nightmare to balance. BMW made no provision in the wheel design to counter balance the TPMS.

I can get them to balance but I'm using more weight than I ever have while using good tires.

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Find the heavy spot on the tire if you feel you are using a lot of weight, rotate the tire, they aren't balanced. If tires where balanced you'd just balance the rim and never have to do that again. I recently put on a set of Metzler Roadtec 01 they have a dot for the heavy spot, I used very little weight on the rear. Keep tools and the tire away from the TPMS. I usually have the valve at about 4 o'clock and start my tire tool about 8 o'clock, rotate my tool clockwise. Before I start the tool I walk the tire back and put the "yellow thing" to the left of the valve before the TPMS. The "yellow thing" is https://www.nomartirechanger.com/YellowThing_Tire_Tool_p/ac-yellowthing.htm it's great.

Jay

strataj said:

Find the heavy spot on the tire if you feel you are using a lot of weight, rotate the tire, they aren't balanced. If tires where balanced you'd just balance the rim and never have to do that again. I recently put on a set of Metzler Roadtec 01 they have a dot for the heavy spot, I used very little weight on the rear. Keep tools and the tire away from the TPMS. I usually have the valve at about 4 o'clock and start my tire tool about 8 o'clock, rotate my tool clockwise. Before I start the tool I walk the tire back and put the "yellow thing" to the left of the valve before the TPMS. The "yellow thing" is https://www.nomartirechanger.com/YellowThing_Tire_Tool_p/ac-yellowthing.htm it's great.

Jay

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I guess it depends on the dot you are referring to but I thought the yellow dot indicated the light balance point on a tire. You would then align that with the heavy point on the wheel, which usually corresponds to the valve stem/TPMS sender location. If it's a red dot, then it indicates the high point on the tire. Either way, it gets aligned with the valve stem or the wheel low point if it is so marked.

The "yellow thing" does look like a nifty little helper ... always a challenge to not have the bead walk around the wheel when you're trying to seat it.

Wheels with a TPMS sensor installed are excellent candidates for permanetly balancing the wheels without a tire mounted.

If you decide to have a MC dealer change your tire, make sure they know how! I took my rear wheel to a local non BMW franchise and they ended up buying me a new wheel!

dirtfarmer said:

It sounds like you have changed a lot of tires. I doubt you will have any problems, however;

My 2014 RT has been somewhat of a nightmare to balance. BMW made no provision in the wheel design to counter balance the TPMS.

I can get them to balance but I'm using more weight than I ever have while using good tires.

Click to expand...

1) Balance the wheels after removing old tire, but before mounting new one.
2)Mark the heavy and light spots on inside of rim (i used a white paint stick marker). On my rear wheel, the TPMS/valve was quite clearly the heavy spot. On the front, the heavy spot was 120 degs off from the TPMS/valve.
3) Determine if the red dot on your tire marks the heavy or light spot (I asked a volume tire seller about my Pirellis- said that red dot = light spot), as they do seem to vary.
4) Mount tire accordingly, based on step 3.

Doing it this way (2nd tire change for my 2016 3B GS), I ended up using FAR fewer weights than the first time I did it (without having balanced a naked wheel). This time I used 1 oz (4 weights) on one wheel, and only 3/4 oz on the other... WELL within the recommended limits.

Yesterday I attempted to mount a set of Continental Road Attacks on my GSA rims. Unfortunately, with that beefy "lip" on the spoked wheels, my old Coats 200 Cycler manual tire machine from the 1970s was not up to the job (it could not grab this type of rim properly). I did manage to get the front tire on, but the back tire will be impossible with my current tire changing rig. For those of you that have done tire changes on these monster GS wheels, what are you using? I'm looking at the mid-priced No-Mar on their website, so I was considering that. Tomorrow I'll take it to the local non-BMW shop, and I'll tell them to be mindful of the tire pressure sensor on the wheel. First time I've had to have someone else change a tire in a long time!

beemermyke said:

Yesterday I attempted to mount a set of Continental Road Attacks on my GSA rims. Unfortunately, with that beefy "lip" on the spoked wheels, my old Coats 200 Cycler manual tire machine from the 1970s was not up to the job (it could not grab this type of rim properly). I did manage to get the front tire on, but the back tire will be impossible with my current tire changing rig. For those of you that have done tire changes on these monster GS wheels, what are you using? I'm looking at the mid-priced No-Mar on their website, so I was considering that. Tomorrow I'll take it to the local non-BMW shop, and I'll tell them to be mindful of the tire pressure sensor on the wheel. First time I've had to have someone else change a tire in a long time!

Click to expand...

I've been using a NoMar Classic for six years and recently changed the tires on my 2017 GSA with TPMS for the first time; had no difficulties. If you go the No Mar route, then I recomend getting the optional Posi-Clamp system for clamping the rim. I've been using the same standard sized spools on the Posi-Clamps since I got the machine. When the time comes to replace them I will likely try the tall spools to accommodate the GSA rims a bit better. The standard size worked well enough once the rim was in place, but it was a bit fiddley getting the rim clamped. I also recommend getting the NoMar Yellowthing Bead Keeper. I use two and find they make installing tires much easier. And lastly, I use a set of tire warmers designed for road racers to preheat the tires. The warmers get the tires too hot to handle without gloves, much warmer than the put them in the sunlight technique, and they go on much easier.

akbeemer has it dead on. I've been using a No-Mar Classic for about 10 years. When I got my GSA, I had to buy a set of Posi-Clamps with tall spools to accommodate the spoked rim and knobby tires. They work very well at holding the rim. I've been swapping back and forth between Anakee IIIs for long road trips and TKC80s for local "playing" in gravel, dirt, etc. The Yellowthing is a game change when it comes to keeping the bead in place. I had No-Mar build me a "show plate" (30"x50" steel plate with 4 nuts welded to it) that I mount the pedestal on for changing/swapping tires. It's a great way to quickly set up and take down the changer. I also park on top of it (without the pedestal) to protect the garage floor from chipping when I use the center stand. Preheating the tire is a great tactic. Some of these rear tires with their stiff sidewalls are a beast. The guys at No-Mar (they're only a few miles from me) told me the Anakee III are one of their least favorites to mount because the sidewall is so stiff. I use a few pieces of 1"x2" as levers to push the sidewall down into the whe enough to get the bead over the rim when mounting the Anakee IIIs. I don't have near as much "trouble" with the TKC80s.


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I've been using the No Mar tire changer for about 12 years and agree it works well and couldn't live without the Yellow Thing. But don't care for the installation tool, it takes a lot of width (tire to rim) making it hard to install. I've become a fan of the Mojo Lever https://www.mojotiretools.com/mojoweb.htm . Need to look into tire warmers, warm tires make all the difference IMHO.

Jay

I too do not use the mount/demount tool to mount tires; more trouble than it is worth. With a hot tire and two Yellowthings I can generally get the second bead to the point that it goes on with just a few uses of a lever.

Excellent advice all around! I know how much easier it is to change tires on a hot day, vs. a cold day, but I didn't even consider the tire warmers. I do have on of those yellow things... they're invaluable. I'll let the bike shop deal with it tomorrow, but I'll have a No-Mar setup the next time around. Maybe I'll put my old tire changer in a museum...