Changing your own tires....?

I have always changed my own tires on my bikes since my first motorcycle (over 38 years). Also have helped several other friends change theirs. I like doing my own maintenance for the satisfaction of it as well as knowing it was done properly. Sometimes the shops will take shortcuts and not do things the way I want and leave grease and fingerprints all over. I don't like shoddy work. The tire irons I have are pretty short also, probably around 7-8 inches. Some longer ones would be nice but I have never bought any because I can make out with the ones I have. You just have to bear down on them to force the tire on the rim.
Another advantage with doing the work yourself is you get to know the bike well and how to take things off to get to various parts that may need work. Handy to know if you are broke down on the side of the road.

Hey Pony! I do my own tires,too. It is gonna kick your butt a tad, but it's do-able. I used a piece of polyethylene tubing that I got at Home depot, about 1" dia., and I slit it carefully down its length, so I could slip that on the edge of my rim, so I would'nt scar the aluminum with the spoons. Use lots of liquid soap water to lube the rubber, and it's not too bad. I used a piece of nylon tow strap wrapped around the tire, and twisted that with some giant ViceGrips to get the tire to seal enough to get it to "POP" on the rim with air. I was told to never use more than about 10 pounds more than the PSI rating for this, or you could stretch the plys and ruin the tire. I used a home-made balancer with a big bench vice, and a wooden dowel. Got pretty darned close (1/4 oz off when I put the Counter Act beads in) The beads did the rest, since it took 2 oz of beads. I did cheat at first, and bought a cheapo tire buster from Harbor Frieght. All it is for is breaking the seal/bead loose. Before that, I used a big old C-clamp. Good luck with it, and be prepared for a cuss word or two, and to get worn out!LOL jimsjinx

I have been changing my own tires for over 20 years. The 1st time will take you about 2-3 hours. After you get the hang of it, you can do a tire in under 30 min. Breaking the bead is the hardest part, if you don't have a bead breaker. Never have tried a big C-clamp. Got a bead breaker from JCWhitney for $30, 30 years ago. Best money I ever spent. I now use 3 big spoones. When I first started, I used the short ones. Use a milk carton or a 5 gallon bucket to put the wheel on when you take the tire on and off, if the rotor will fit inside the bucket or carton. This makes it a little easier. When you put the new tire on look for a dot on the tire and line up the dot with the value stem. Most tires you don't need to balance the tire if you line the dot up and keep your speed under 70. I now use Dyna Beads in the tire just in case the dot is off some.

I do my own tires also and prefer the short spoons instead of the larger irons.
The trick is to keep the tires bead in the center of the rim where the rim is smaller dia.
Often that tire bead tries to climb onto the rims bead and that makes a little fight as that's why it gets so tight and hard to get the last 1/4 or so of tire on.
If you need large irons and leverage to force it on and are stretching the tire much then your not doing it right.

Be careful using soaps and detergent as some can attack aluminum over time and you don't want the rim to eat away or bead to get pitted. I use Armoral on the tire bead to slicken it up.

If you slicken the first bead you should not even need any tool to put it on, just start pressing it over the rim in one area and work around the rim keeping the bead in the smaller center of the rim, it pops right on most the time.
Doing the second bead get it started and press it on as far as it goes keeping the bead in center of rim, should only need spoons for about 1/4-1/2 the tire.

Taking the tire off is almost as easy, not quite though. Keep bead in center of rim and start one side with a spoon and work in the second spoon a bit away from the first. This is the only time I use my larger irons, sometimes I'll stick one in to hold the gap open as I remove a spoon to get a new bite. I could just use a ratchet handle or such also if I did not have an iron or 3rd spoon.
Then just work around the rim and tire pops over.
Getting the second bead off the rim can be a bit more trouble, I'm still looking for a bit better way.
I get on the back side of the tire and insert a spoon and lift the bead over the rim then insert a spoon from front side and work from there.

It is always a matter of have the bead nice and slick to make it slide over rim better and keep the tire bead in rims center smaller dia. area.

If using Dyna beads in the tire don't over do slickening the beads, you don't want anything wet in tire to make beads clumps together.

I did my first 4 tires with larger irons, 2 rear 1100 and 1 front, 1 front 1500. I was not having such a good time but I could do them.
I had got a bad NEW tire and ended up taking it to the shop to be checked. I saw how fast and easy he took it off and back on with spoons and I bought a set of chrome spoons from him that day before I left! He did not charge me for checking out my bad tire so I figured I should by something. He did not sell me that tire either. Spoons have worked well for me for about 4 changes now on 1500's. 3 rear and at least 1 front.

Do some searching on youtube for videos to change bike tires, there are a few good ones, and few junk ones, at least one good one that shows the first bead just pushes on by hand with no tools needed.

To seat the bead on my tires I remove the valve core and use a cheapo lock on air chuck which I have removed the center from so air just blows straight through it.
When tire is ready to be aired up I kink the air line and couple on the air chuck, lock chuck onto valve and let the airline un-kink to blow air to tire, once beads pop I kink air line and remove the chuck. I let the air blow out of tire a bit, install the core then air back up as needed.

If the valve core is in the valve then normally not enough air will flow fast enough to seal beads as it just leaks out faster than it goes in. If core is in center of air chuck there is nothing to press it once you remove the valve core from wheel so the center needs to come out of the air chuck also. I think it cost me $5 for the lock on chuck I got which I unscrewed the face and removed the center and put face back on to hold the lock in place.

If your not replacing the valve stems then the cores are probably already out from removing the old tire, but if using new stems the cores need to be taken out when seating the bead.

Chromo,

thanks for the very detailed and helpful description. I have to re-read the whole thing and esp. the part about the air/valve stem etc. - I'm likin it! I forgot about you tube. Getting closer to doing this - after I clean my tank - electrolysis method ( so far so good ).

I have this spoon http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/08-0007/


and this one - I like the handle
http://www.motosport.com/dirtbike/ZIP-TY-RACING-MIGHTY-TIRE-IRON



I have one of these somewhere hiding in my shop....http://www.motosport.com/dirtbike/BIKEMASTER-3PIECE-TIRE-IRON-SET

you think maybe a set of the former and the big dog with the nice handle?

I did get the bead to break on one side standing on it.

Kimswang: been there done that - the bike shops near me aren't so near anymore after a few have closed up shop. I reserve the right to do that too - if after I beat myself up trying....... I relent, cave in, give in, concede/change my mind! :shock: