| Author | Message | ||
     Trevd |
So, after 24 years of paying other people to change my tires, I've decided that this is the year that I will do it myself. In researching what I need, I've found there are a ton of options. For those of you that change your own tires - what tools do you use? Which have you used that you would not use again? Any tips I should know? Thanks, Trevor | ||
| 7873jake |
I've pretty much used the same things in this video for more than a decade with no real issues. Before I had rim protectors, I just used cut up milk cartons or oil containers to protect the rim. The biggest help for me is just having a bench large enough and sturdy enough to do the work on. I'm over doing a lot of this work on the floor of the garage. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQZM402U2x4&feature =player_embedded#at=19 Notice the type of wheel they use in their video. | ||
| Crusty |
When I worked as a mechanic in a motorcycle shop, I almost always beat the flat rate on tire changes. But that was back in the '70s, before powered machines. After many years of changing tires on the floor of my garage, I bought a NoMar Tire Changer. My back is a lot happier, and so is my wallet. The way I look at it is that the dealer I bought my XT from charges $75.00/wheel to change a tire (dismount, mount & balance). Since there were three riders in my family, and we all put on serious mileage, the NoMar would pay for itself quickly. It did. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
A friend of mine uses a No-Mar but other than breaking the bead and using it to hold the tire he uses these to do most of the work. They work slick as snot. Takes three of them when he does my tire. He uses the 21 inch long ones. http://www.nomar-secure.com/product_p/ac-sb-21.htm | ||
| Uly_man |
Yes you CAN change the rubber on your own wheels by hand. But unless you are "stone cold poor" the best option is to take the wheels to a tyre/tire place, with your own new rubber, for them to change out. It is not a bad idea to get the front wheel balanced but the rear is less of a problem. Both is better. The main thing is that some tyre/tire fitters do not understand the Buell belt system setup and can damage the belt and or bearings. That is the only reason I do my own with the Uly. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Most places I've gone to in the past get pissed if you bring in an internet bought tire. They want to sell the tire also. | ||
| Hughesatron |
I do it by hand. Tire levers and soap. The first time it took me about 3 hours for one wheel. Now I can take the wheel off the bike, remove the tire, install a new tire, balance it and reinstall it in 1 hour if I don't have any distractions. | ||
| Wbrisett |
I recommend using the Cycle Hill Tire Changer. http://www.nomartirechanger.com/products/4 I have four bikes, so it makes sense for me to change my own, I find the Cycle Hill (really made by NoMar and now sold through them) to be the best value for the money. You can balance and everything. Take me longer to jack up the Uly, and get the tire off the bike than it does to balance and change it out. Wayne | ||
| Jandj_davis |
I use a HarborFreight tire changing rack, combined with MojoBlocks and and NoMar tire changing bar. I also picked up a static balancer on ebay for about $35. Harbor Freight no longer sells the motorcycle tire changer, so I would recommend going with the Cycle Hill changer as sold by NoMar. It is the same concept, and nearly the same price, but is way better built. I have yet to find a tire I couldn't change, but I haven't tried a goldwing tire yet. I hear those are REALLY nasty. Soft sportbike tires are easy though. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I use a harbor freight changer we welded up on a mount we can put in the trailer hitch on the neighbors F150. Works pretty well. Breaking the bead is the really tricky bit. After that, its just blood and sweat, and some days with some tires its a dream, and others its a nightmare. Lots of soap is a big help. And doing it when it is stinking hot (or getting the tire really hot) makes a huge difference also. If working when it is cold, I put the tire under a welding blanket with a space heater blowing into it and let it get good and warm for 20 minutes or so. Cut up 2 liter or plastic milk jugs work fine as rim protecters, and are less of an issue when you accidentally leave them in the tire.  | ||
| Scooter808484 |
I wrestled with the rear wheel on my Harley like the darn think was an alligator and decided that paying a little extra to a local Indy was a better use of my time. I don't change tires enough to justify buying proper equipment. The guy here quoted me a price of $360 for PR3s installed on my rims. More than the cheapest internet price, but not bad all the same. | ||
| Skifastbadly |
Here, read this: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39 9312 Then I suggest the Harbor Freight bead breaker and perhaps a motorcycle jack from there. Don't forget the beer | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
When I've done my own tires, I break the bead with my bench mounted vice or a large C-clamp. 2 C-clamps would probably work even better. | ||
| Strokizator |
+1 on the No-Mar for all the reasons Crusty mentioned. I went 50/50 with my brother who does track days so he changes tires often and with the dirt bikes and ATV's I've got it gets a regular workout. Bought the tire balancer too. | ||
| Buellerxt |
+1 Scooter. | ||
| Wbrisett |
Looking at the results of this thread, it really falls into two camps. Those of us who own multiple bikes and those who don't. For multiple bike owner's, it's worth our time to do our own tires. For single bike owners, it's really a matter of two things. Do you have somebody local who can give you a fair price on both tires and mounting services? If not, then getting a tire changer might be an option. Do you mind getting dirty? If you enjoy riding more than wrenching then going to local vendor is probably a better choice. It's really how much time you want to invest in your bike and if you enjoy working on it. If you do, look for a tire changer, if not, find a good and reliable dealer. Wayne | ||
| Trevd |
My HD dealer charges something like $65 to replace the vastly over-priced tire that I buy from them, so I figure in the long run it will be much, much cheaper to order internet tires, and replace them myself. I like the look of those No Mar tire changers, but they're pretty pricey. But maybe it will make it easier and not turn me off doing my own tires right away. That Jake Wilson video makes it look pretty easy though... | ||
| Froggy |
They start at $465 for the basic Cycle Hill changer, but I recommend you get the $655 package with the balancer and other doodads. Should pay for itself within a few months of owning it vs getting the wheels changed at a HD dealer. Plus, you can make a few bucks off your friends by changing their tires too. | ||
| 7873jake |
I like to change my own because when I say I'm going out to change tires, the girls all grimace and go "Dad's going out to cuss the garage blue." Then no one bothers me for hours. Its a tenuous peace under false pretenses but a peace nonetheless. I highly recommend it. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Even when I had a shop that would do the $20 mount, having the bike on stands in the garage while I drove around to get it mounted (which inevitably had me making two trips, or waiting 30+ minutes) still wasn't worth the trouble. Less grief to do it myself. Sportibike tires generally aren't that bad. Dirt bike rears, the tera-flex in particular, is the ugly one. | ||
| Trevd |
Has anyone used the Marc Parnes balancer? http://www.marcparnes.com/index.html | ||
| Scooter808484 |
For the record, I do have two bikes and still let someone else to the work, but the total miles is probably the same one bike or two, so the number of tire changes more or less equals one bike. I'll also have to admit I never tried one on the Buell. The one I changed on the Road King was a Dunlop E3 and that thing was as stiff and thick as a 2x4. I took the front back later and my guy with the machine had a rough time with it. So maybe I got a bad first impression!! Buying local is always nice, too, if you can find someone that will at least be reasonable. | ||
| Hughlysses |
I've got a Harbor Freight tire changer with Mojo Blocks and a Mojo bar, which works pretty good. There was a thread here somewhere (maybe on the Quickboard) recently about a supposedly very easy technique to dismount and mount tires using zip ties. You put zip ties around the tire in several locations and since them tight, drawing both beads together. Apparently the tire can be put on with no tools with very little effort if you do this first. This also works for removing the old tire. You still need a way to break the beads to dismount the old tire. | ||
| Nobuell |
I checked Harbor Freight. I cannot find the tire changer, only the wheel balancer. | ||
| Trevd |
Buying local is always nice, too, if you can find someone that will at least be reasonable. I agree - buying local is nice, but when I got my rear tire replaced last year at the HD dealer, it ended up costing me about $400. That was for 1 tire. $65 for the install, $50 taxes (I'm in Tax-Canada), and $285 for the tire - 1 tire! I could get the tires from one of the multi-line dealers here for cheaper, but they don't want to take my wheels off my Buell, so I'd have to bring the wheels in, and either make 2 trips, or wait around for 45 minutes to an hour while it gets done. So I ordered 2 tires online for the cost of buying just 1 here, and figure that if I install them myself, I'll have saved a ton. | ||
| Gamdh |
Zip tie tire change tread http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/406 2/592151.html | ||
| Panhead_dan |
I tried the zip tie method once, out of curiosity and it did not work for me. yrmv | ||
| Teeps |
I would pay to have them changed, if I didn't have access to one of these:  (Message edited by teeps on March 03, 2011) | ||
| Wbrisett |
I tried the zip tie method once After watching that video, that's way too much work. | ||
| Blasterd |
I had my front Sync changed out today for 20.00 at a local shop, very good guy and good mechanic. I threw a D616 on there this time, stock sync lasted 14,000 miles. |
