Changing tires without scratching rims?

Is there any way to change the tires on these rims without scratching them? Getting my new X today, Skinko 705's should arrive tomorrow, and the bike shop wants $15-20 each to change tires for me. I'd like to change my own tires on this bike , even though I suck at it. Maybe scratching is inevitable if I drive it off-road? What about wrapping my tire irons in electrical tape?

Get some rim guards. I've seen someone use old socks over the tire irons.

$15 - 20 per wheel is a decent price, some stealers want $50.

As said, 15-20 bucks per tire is cheap. Worth it in my opinion.

Scratching rims is a concern, but destroying tube is a bigger concern of mine.

Tubes for radials are almost 20 bucks alone.

I don't go through tires real quick so paying to have it done was not something I thought about to hard. At least not the first time I needed tires on motorcycle that comes with inner tubes.

I'm a tight a@@ and won't pay the $35/tire they charge around here. I can easily do it quicker then it would take to bring them somewhere and wait around for someone else to do it. (thou i totally see someone else's time being worth it to have someone else do it)

Anyway I have never popped a tube nor nicked/scratched the rim. Just cut up an empty shampoo bottle into 2pc of appro. 3x4inches and used those as rim guards. They also go in my backpack along with all my tools and spare tube when riding. Had to use them twice.

You can buy Rim Savers, a little tool designed to protect your rims from scratches. In the past, I've carried a tire plug kit and electric air pump. But this is only good for tubeless tires. Now that I'm going off highway with tubed tires, I need a different kit, spare tubes, and enough practice to change a tube in the field. I'm not there yet, but it's a goal. Rim savers are on my tire kit list, along with a combo 27mm/tire iron. I'd like to find another tire iron that will accommodate the 14mm hex front axle. Haven't found that yet.

The best thing I have found is some clear, (polyurethane?) hosing from the plumbing isle in home depot. The bigger hosing has thicker walls. On particularly tough tires, I have split rim protectors and scrap leather, but not the hose. I assume an old garden hose may work just as well, but have not tested, though most are braided so they should be tough.

Now I use the hose on any tire I am changing, its cheap and you can cut it to whatever length you want and have a bunch of different pieces. It also seems to stay in place pretty well, on just about any rim.

Those rim protectors may be adequate for the WR tires and wheels, but its not worth the risk of splitting them, specially if you are not that experienced with changing tires.

I did change the tires myself. Way easier than my WR-F. Only 1 little scratch on the front rim, and that only happened from trying to slide the spoon between the bead and lip to get the last "bite" of tire over. I just cut up a plastic container from my recycling box and used those pieces to protect the rim. Easy Peasy. In fact, the first bead on each rim I got over just by pushing it on, didn't need to use any levers at all.

I saw a video on YouTube that they cut up a gallon milk jug and used pieces between the rim and tire irons. It worked good on the video. Search changing motorcross tire.

Bigbisley wrote:

I saw a video on YouTube that they cut up a gallon milk jug and used pieces between the rim and tire irons. It worked good on the video. Search changing motorcross tire.

I thought about that, good idea. I'll try that next time.

ye ol bondo spreader,slip under tire above rim for that last little bite.
moose tire irons and rimsavers,last forever.

cut up pieces of milk jug, or antifreeze, windshield washer, etc bottle.

Harbour Freight style tire changer with motorcycle tire attachment, NoMar tire changer bar, Mojo blocks = scratch-free changes every time

If I had the money and space I would've just got the whole NoMar kit...

For dirt/dualsport and street.

No-Mar.

Expensive, but works great!

http://www.nomar-secure.com/product_p/ac-rimclampset.htm