Dons 1911
Well-Known Member
If I could get it done for $25 I wouldn't have bought the Rabaconda!!!
Yes, I did watch that video several times and I do have the Motion ProTools. Obviously, it was my lack technique but, that was some stiff tire.I've been doing my own tires for a few years now. This video is a good tutorial for how to get started.
I use fairly standard hand tools. Three Motion Pro tire levers, six Motion Pro rim protectors, a longer tire spoon to help lever the tire all the way off the rim, and a Motion Pro Bead Popper to break the bead. These aren't available any more, but Motion Pro also makes a set of tire levers that also function as bead breakers.
I've never needed anything more substantial to set the bead on a tire than a standard 12 volt compressor.
Use a lot of tire lube when you change tires. I use RuGlyde, which is available at places like NAPA auto.
I think at last count, I've changed about 25 tires, all using pretty much the method shown in that video I attached. And that includes allegedly hard to mount thick walled bias ply tires.
yes I was doing that however, I felt that I was exerting so much force against the rim and the tire, without movement. I thought if I keep trying, I might bend the rim.Always change my own tires, have for years. The key technique to remember is to keep the bead opposite of where you’re working down into the drop center of the wheel. In your case you would apply your clamp 180 degrees from the point where you’re trying to insert your lever. You constantly have to monitor that opposite bead as you work around to make sure it stays down off the rim and remains in the drop center area.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
I have always changed my own too. There are lots of good DIY videos out there to show you the proper technique and some tricks to make it easier. Here's a good one to start with.
Nice set up and I like the bead breaking tool!I always change and balance my own tires. 3-Long tire irons, an old trans fluid drum sets the tire at a perfect working height and a homemade bead breaker do the trick. I had a homemade balancer for 15 or so years, but broke down and picked up a decent static balancer from princess Auto when they were on sale. There is no need for any expensive change machines to do the job. Although as I get older I do like the look of the No Mar and other manual machines that are available.
Practice , keeping the opposite bead in the dropcenter and a little lube is the key.
Hahaha, A good full review you shall have!Great comments and tips in this thread.
We expect a full review of those sneakers Kruzzin5.
I have changed my own tires in the past but they were mostly tube tires on dirt bikes. A lot easier imho.
Now, I don't even bother taking the tires off and taking them to the shop. I order tires from shop, they call when they are in and we set up a time. They are installed while I wait and I shoot the shit with like minded people. Met a lot of very unique individuals this way. I have stories and pics to back it up.
Shops appreciate the business especially in todays uncertain times. And to be completely honest, between work, family and other interest, i just do not have the time. To those that do....all the power to ya.
That’s an incredible price from a Harley dealer! No Harley dealer up here would do it for anywhere near that price. HD=Hundred of Dollars.I take mine to the independent Harley guy. For $25 he'll install and never leaves a scratch.
And believe me, my first attempt (on a Harley Road King) was a total failure; I couldn't even break the bead on the tire. But I knew it was possible because I'd seen other people do it, so I kept trying.This may irrevocably mark me as a psychopath, but I honestly don't mind changing tires on the bike. If I had a shop do it, I'd still have to either:
1) Take off the tire myself and then drive it for 50 minutes to my nearest shop and have them change it. Hopefully they could get to it while I waited; otherwise it would involve two trips to the shop. If I take the wheel off myself, I'm halfway to changing it myself anyway.
2) Take the bike to the shop, where they'd charge me about a hundred bucks to take the wheel off and change the tire for me. Once again, if they can't get to it right away, I have to find someone to follow me down to the shop so I can get a ride back, and then someone to take me back to the shop later on to pick up the bike.
Both of those are pretty time-intensive, based on how far I have to go to reach a shop. When I do it at home by myself, it usually takes about an hour and a half or two hours to change a rear, and a little quicker to do the front. It used to drive me nuts to have to take the bike to a shop and leave it there overnight for something as simple as a tire change; that's what spurred me into trying to do it myself. And believe me, my first attempt (on a Harley Road King) was a total failure; I couldn't even break the bead on the tire. But I knew it was possible because I'd seen other people do it, so I kept trying. That video I posted is what made it click for me; after that, I've never had a motorcycle tire that couldn't be changed by hand. For an initial investment of about $75.00-$100.00 worth of hand tools (including a compressor), I never have to pay someone else to do it, or have to be on their schedule to get it done. I even taught a buddy who rides a 1250 GS how to do it himself, since his commute to a BMW dealer is even further than mine.
I put about 12,000-15,000 miles a year on a bike; that ends up being about three rear tires and one front every year. That could end up being $400 or more a year just to change tires (not counting the price of a tire). I'd rather spend a couple hours doing it myself.
One of the tougher parts of changing a tire can be trying to keep the bead down in the bead channel when you're prying on the tire. When I watch a Youtube video of someone struggling with a tire and trying to use brute force to mount it, that's usually the problem. Some guys try that method where you zip tie the sidewalls of the tire to compress them together, which forces the bead to stay in the bead channel. I tried it myself once, but the effort needed to try and squeeze the sidewalls together with a big zip tie was actually way greater than just kneeling on the tire while you're working on it. Even the Mitas E07 yielded to being knelt on. It does help to be able to warm the tire up in the sun, but I've changed tires in the winter and just left the tire in the house for a while before changing it.Yes, I did watch that video several times and I do have the Motion ProTools. Obviously, it was my lack technique but, that was some stiff tire.
RC here are a few pics of my bead breaker. You could very easily make one of bolted sections or even 2x4's if you wanted. Nothing really special or that critical measurements wise. The only thing that really matters is the width. You want something around 16.5 inches across so the rim sits on the support. Also there should be support across the front near the tower section, but it doesn't need to be raised like on mine. Also the tower portion should be around 24" tall. The pivot point should be adjustable so it will accommodate front or rear wheels.That's a nice bead breaker, jrusell. If I could weld, I think I'd put together something like that. Maybe I'll try that design using mechanical fasteners. Any chance you could post some additional photos of it with the dimensions?
This, plus a dead blow hammer, is how I've been breaking the beads on my tires:
It works really well, though it takes some effort to use it. I don't know why Motion Pro stopped making it; it comes in handy, and you could even carry it with you and use it on the road (provided you carried a hammer, or could find a rock to hit it with).
RuGlyde is the best lubricant I've used for changing tires, since that's what it was designed for. Safe for aluminum rims. And at 16 bucks for a gallon of it, it's probably cheaper by volume than dish soap. Over several years of changing motorcycle tires, I haven't even finished my original gallon of it.
My snootiest tire changing tool is a Marc Parnes static balancer, but you could buy the one from Harbor Freight for forty bucks that would serve almost as well.