Who mounts there own tires?

So this is my first bike with tubed tires. I actually worked at a tire shop for a couple of years in college so know how the process of mounting tires works.

So I just want to know who mounts there own tires and what tools and technique are you using? Pics of your setup would be nice as well.

I've mounted all of my tires so far.

Follow this technique (neduro's tire changing class)
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50717

or this video
part I removing the old tire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw0B2gIwbBg

part II installing the new tire
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTatadVNA-c

Basically the same instructions, but one with text and pics the other with video. Ignore rimlock advice if you're not running rimlocks, obviously. I remove my tires the way the guy in the video does, not Neduro's method, but have used both and both work equally well.

For this bike, you need either a 27mm for the rear axle or 22mm+10mm for the front axle nut and pinch bolts, a 12mm for the valve stem nut, a valve stem tool or the like to remove the valve stem, and a couple tire irons or spoons. I prefer irons but have and use both. If you want to adjust the chain while you're at it, the 12/10mm combo wrench in the stock tool kit is very handy.

1) GO SLOW. If you're rushing, you're going to pinch a tube. Or three.
2) If its difficult, you're doing it wrong. Something is bound up somewhere. Take a step back, take a breath, and remember #1 (GO SLOW).
3) The dish in the rim is your friend. Keep the bead in the dish and the tire will go on like butta. If you try to force it, you'll break something. A bead, an iron, your hand, etc. GO SLOW.

At a casual, relaxed pace I can usually get both tires swapped in about an hour, maybe a little less. I could work faster if I practiced more probably, but changing tires every to every other month is enough for me.

I do all my own tires, street and dirt. I find the street ones easier, since I do not have to worry about pinching tubes, which I have done a time or two. I get heavy duty tubes now...life is better.

I use tire irons, rim savers and a can of pledge for the street ones, and tire irons, soapy water for the dirt ones.

I've mounted my own motorcycle tires, street and dirt, all my life.

skierd and DougZ's advice is right on!

I would like to add a couple of things. You have training and experience changing car tires so I trust you understand the terminolgy:

On conventional spoked rims I round file the rubber band and, after cleaning the drop center area of the rim I wrap the rim, covering the spoke nipples, with two layers of 3/4" wide plastic electrical tape. Each wrap is slightly offest to insure coverage of all spoke nipples. Electrical tape is lighter than the rubber band and I know it won't shift out of position. I cut out the needed hole(s) in the electrical tape with an Exacto knife.

I don't use a stand or plastic create. I lay the wheel flat on the floor on top a thin 3' x 3' sheet of closed cell foam (sleeping pad material.) I wear workpants with built in knee pads because I use my knees almost as much as I use my hands. The knees squeeze the tire so the tire bead can fully exploit the drop center space of the rim.

I use three medium length tire irons and LOADS OF PATIENCE! If patience is not one of your virtues this probably is not your task.

On tubed tires I use generous amounts of baby powder within the new tire to provide dry lubrication between the tube, tire and rim. (Intially anyway... until water gets in there.) I run only heavy duty tubes and use them over and over... within limits of course.

On tubless tires I too use Pledge on the rim and tire bead to help the tire slide on. This is kinda hard to describe but I also use Scotch Blue Masking tape in certain rim areas to prevent scratching the rim with the tire irons. (On the street bikes I always clean and rattle can the alloy rims at new tire time.) Because I want my street tires to have a "run flat" capability from speed to stop I don't use any kind of tire soap or rubber lube. Doing otherwise potentially defeats the "safety bead" on tubless rims.

Finally, tires and tubes are chemical products. They do dry out, harden and lose their design characteristics. For this reason I never purchase tires and tubes years in advance.

Best addition to my tire changes that I've ever found--I do 6-8 a year on my dual sports. Gets you up off the floor.

http://www.amazon.com/Moose-Racing-Portable-Tire-Changer/dp/B001TCQ2UU

Electrical tape instead of a rubber rim strip is a good idea, might borrow that one. I also only use short to medium irons (8"-11" motion pro's), as they're what I'm going to have trail side and you don't need all that much force to mount a dirt tire.

I forgot about the lube side of things. I usually use windex because it dries fast and when it dries, it acts like a glue to help keep the tire on. At the same time, you aren't going to have it with you out on the trail when you get a flat, so its good practice to mount without it. Some times I use baby powder, some times I don't.

I use the new tire to support the rim and old tire, then use the old tire to support the new one being mounted.

RuGlyde tire lube from NAPA is great stuff; a jug costs $10-$15 and will last you a lifetime. We pack a tiny bottle of it in our repair kits.

The Motion Pro T-6 combo irons are pricey but offer good leverage, easy on rims, and so handy for travelling.

Sarah


https://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?R=BK_7651338_0282470264

http://motionpro.com/motorcycle/tools/category/t_6_combo_lever/

Another fan of the Motion Pro combos sized for front and rear axles, along with the rachet adaptor. Nice tools to start with, and helps downsize the toolkit as well.

Windex and talc ride along in two little leakproof bottles from Sinclair Precision. Works just as well for that stuff as it does for gun cleaning solvents. Rim protectors are sliced up milk jugs handles.

Never thought about using electrical tape, but I bet gun tape would be one step mo' betta.

Akasy wrote:

Best addition to my tire changes that I've ever found--I do 6-8 a year on my dual sports. Gets you up off the floor.

http://www.amazon.com/Moose-Racing-Portable-Tire-Changer/dp/B001TCQ2UU

I've been looking at those. I do up to 8 tire changes a year also. Could save me a lot of time.

Is it important to be able to walk completely around the tire changer? Or can you do the task standing in one spot? The reason I ask is I'm a little more interested in getting the table top version.

skierd wrote:

...usually use windex because it dries fast and when it dries, it acts like a glue to help keep the tire on.

I need to give Windex a try. I have tried a spray on glass cleaner but it didn't work well. Maybe 'cause it wasn't genuine Windex?

I also like the motion pro wrenches.. i have them in both front & back axle nut sizes, plus the 12/13mm combo one. I store them under my seat with other tire stuff. I also like to use glass cleaner.. but in moderation. just enough to lightly lube it. I put baby powder inside the tires to allow movement between the tire & tube.. some flexing is inevitable. I've tried it with & without slime.. i think i prefer without.. cleaner & easier to take off. The shinko 244's i run are very stiff & tough tires. I've not had a flat on them (both will go flat tomorrow).

Like many things with motorcycles & life in general, there are many ways to accomplish something. The good thing about advice on the forums is it is worth exactly what you pay for it.

I end up walking around it several times in the process of changing a tire. Mine is not hard mounted to the floor so I have to use some foot pressure as I work on the tire. I had been using a five gallon plastic pail for years then swapped to this to get higher up. It does hold the tire in place and gets it to the right level--I just store it in the corner of the garage.

greenfire6 wrote:

Akasy wrote:

Best addition to my tire changes that I've ever found--I do 6-8 a year on my dual sports. Gets you up off the floor.

http://www.amazon.com/Moose-Racing-Portable-Tire-Changer/dp/B001TCQ2UU

I've been looking at those. I do up to 8 tire changes a year also. Could save me a lot of time.

Is it important to be able to walk completely around the tire changer? Or can you do the task standing in one spot? The reason I ask is I'm a little more interested in getting the table top version.

Do it.

I mounted my own tires for the first time last year. Its a little intimidating at first, but after the third tire, you're pretty much aquainted with the process. The rear is the more difficult one, the front is easy peesy. Bead breaker is nice, but not absolutely necessary. It would make your life easier if you have an adventure bike with a monster rear 140/80 tire, though.

Process. Take it slow. Be patient. If you are physically exhausted after installing your tire, you're doing it wrong. Don't force it too much. Remember to keep the opposite side bead tucked as much into the centerwell as possible.

For home use, I like the moose tire spoons (the ones with the red plastic handles. They feel like scalpels compared to the KTM long tire irons I also own. You'll need 3 irons to make it easy. I use a milk crate as the stand. That way, I can physically straddle the opposite bead into the centerwell of the rim. Use baby powder on the tubes to avoid pinching and and windex on the bead for lube/seating the bead.

A valve core remover/ valve fishing tool works to avoid the bloody knuckle.

Its a good feeling mounting your own tires. I love that I save money and time.

Akasy wrote:

I end up walking around it several times in the process of changing a tire. Mine is not hard mounted to the floor so I have to use some foot pressure as I work on the tire.

Hmmm... This requires a bit of careful thought... something I don't have much of.

The problem being... were to put it during all those months you don't need it!

Thanks for all the great advice guys, I look forward to mounting my new set of tires next week! Wish me luck!

Best wishes!

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned...

Many motorcycle tires are not only front wheel and rear wheel specific but also direction of rotation specific. Due to sizes diffrences the front/rear thing is usually a mute point. BUT! check the sidewalls to find out if your tires are direction of rotation specific. There will be an arrow showing you which way to mount the tire for forward travel.

*I always mount my own new tires, to stay in practice for the kneeling in the cactus, 110 degree days by the trail.
*Heavy duty tubes won't hold a patch, perhaps because of extra silicon? I use regular duty
*Motion Pro combination wrenches/tire irons are great.
*Make sure you keep the bead down in the channel in the middle of the wheel, so you don't damage the bead. I learned this by nearly crashing at 60 mph when the broken bead came off the tire.
*a little compressor is the best way to air them up, also handy for daily adjustments.
*contrary to popular belief, a front tube may not work in a rear tire. A friend of mine has tried this numerous times, and it never worked.
*Rubber patch cement dries out in the tube even if it's never opened.
*90% of flats occur in the last 10% of tire. I don't know if the actual percentages are true, but change your tires before you really start taking stupid chances, flats are a pain in the as*

I have seen the front tube in a rear tire trick work once, for about 50 miles before it popped due to friction and being twisted to hell (It was a 21" front in a 17" SM rim on a DR650). That 50 miles more or less got him back to civilization however. Definitely not a long term solution...

My old DT I did that with; got me 56 miles back to the pavement and then home. Haven't had to do that yet with my Monster, hopefully never will, but at least i know it works. I just have to watch the next time I go to spoon on the tires I don't break a finger.

Dave Bell wrote:

*I always mount my own new tires, to stay in practice for the kneeling in the cactus, 110 degree days by the trail.
*Heavy duty tubes won't hold a patch, perhaps because of extra silicon? I use regular duty
*Motion Pro combination wrenches/tire irons are great.
*Make sure you keep the bead down in the channel in the middle of the wheel, so you don't damage the bead. I learned this by nearly crashing at 60 mph when the broken bead came off the tire.
*a little compressor is the best way to air them up, also handy for daily adjustments.
*contrary to popular belief, a front tube may not work in a rear tire. A friend of mine has tried this numerous times, and it never worked.
*Rubber patch cement dries out in the tube even if it's never opened.
*90% of flats occur in the last 10% of tire. I don't know if the actual percentages are true, but change your tires before you really start taking stupid chances, flats are a pain in the as*

Better yet, go ahead and throw the new tire around your waist and go out to the nearest dirt and use your carry tools to put it on. Make sure to be somewhere that no one will come by to offer help. 100 deg temps and no water helps too.

Actually I just used my 21" front tube in my 18" rear last week. The sizes were not that different though. 90/90-21 front and 120/80-18 rear. I was on the Transamerica Trail out in the boonies and had a spike in my rear that went through both sides of the tube and put about a hundred holes in the rim side. Found those after I patched the tire side. I've really gotta learn to look at the whole tube before patching. I then pulled out my spare 18" tube and got the valve stem in and was stuffuing the last inch of tube in and saw a 1" split in it. Oh yeah, I forgot about giving my tube to that guy on that last ride! In went the 21" and it got me to the nearest dealer who was only 40mi away. The guy changing the tire was laughing at whoever the dummy was that put the totally wrong sized tube in that tire, hehehe. Bought front and rear spare tubes and on I went. With all the screwing around it took me nearly 2 hours to get it changed. I can say this though, the WR250R has all the tools you need to get the rear wheel off of the motorcycle, more than I can say for my F800GS.

Rick

FWIW......Slime brand patches WILL hold on heavy duty tubes.

Who mounts there own tires?

I do, and have for eons.

Mounted the tyres on every Trail bike I ever owned...

Only thing I am not sure about is the lovely black painted rims on my lovely X... how do not get any scratches? What do I use between the lever and the rim? (or can you get plastic coated spoons/levers?)

Motion Pro (and other companies) sell rim protectors made for this concern.