Changing Tires?
 

does anyone here change their own tires?

I dont have the money for a no-mar and just have a set of tire irons.
I know that i need to cut some old garden hose and cover the irons so i dont scratch the shit out of my rims, but other then that i was thinking of using that method of 2x4's and the side of my car to break the beads, but other then the beads how hard is it to change your tires? i got a guy here that does it for $12.50 a tire, would it be worth my time to just pay him to do it?

I did the 2x4 method to break a bead to put in the dyna beads. It was super simple once you figure out how tall to make the 2x4 that goes "into the tire". That depends on tire width to car height? But it works very well.

I do my own tires, but I use a C clamp instead of anythin else to break beads on rims. works very well.

Yes.

please save those rims and pay him to do it, it's only $25 total

Seriously.

Thats prety damn cheap, most places up here charge 30 and up a tire and thats provided its off the bike.

Tom

I paid a guy $15 just the other day to change my front tire on the R6. I took the wheel/tire off of the bike and reinstalled it but I had him take the tire off of the wheel and install/balance it.

He's also a racer and needed the $$ and lives close by.

I've always taken the wheels off myself and took them to have the tires mounted and balanced. I think I paid $25 per last time...and that was at a Honda dealer.

It's nice not to have to worry about this as much.

What do tires for the GS cost versus sport tires?

are the gs tires tubed or tubeless?

about the same

tubeless

Are there modern-ish bikes that still even use tubes?

Well the rear on the GS is done like a car tire..

But he's only 50% saved.. front is still all mc

allot of spoked wheels use tubes. Any tubeless tire can take a tube into it if it has some wierd slice or somin.

Right on.

Just about every offroad bike. The DRZ uses tubes. I am sure some GS guys that do a lot of offroad run tubes. Too easy to get a cut off asphalt.

Word.

$12.50? That's cheap cpnsidering the hassle of changing tires. I'd pay him.

Chaining tires is pretty easy if you know how. We do it at the track all the time with the supermoto bikes. Coming up short on a jump can pinch a bead so every one keeps spare tubes and replaces them if they get pinched.

A big guy can break a motorcycle bead just steping on the side wall but don't do this with the rotors on or you will bend them. I have also seen guys use a folding ramp and put the tire near the folding part and and step on the ends.

Don't use your car you will just bend your rims.

Get the harbor feight tire changer that was posted about before it pays for it self after a few changes.

Get some lube it makes the job sooooooo much easier.

http://www.twowheelfix.com/showthread.php?t=9228

Read up lots of info.

also lots of you-tube videos with instructions.

Man, next house I own will have a giant garage and will have a tire changer in it.

$30 each off the bike at the HD place. Neither the Zuke/Kawi dealer or the Honda/Yami dealer will touch a Buell rim. :idk:

You will never regret it, got mine all set up now :dthumb:

Tom

Yep, I just changed my tire yesterday and put on a new chain.

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/kdk_0850.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/kdk_0851.jpg

Oh and here's the mods I did to the tire iron, Tommy;

Piece of lotion bottle on the mounting side,

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/kdk_0854.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/kdk_0855.jpg

and a strip of bottle and some electrical tape on the demount side,

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/kdk_0852.jpg

http://i289.photobucket.com/albums/l...r/kdk_0853.jpg

I warmed it up a little with a hair dryer and wrapped it right around. Once, I eliminated the fear of scratching my rims, I knocked my tire change time down 2/3s! I've looked at the aftermarket bars and they look great but this works and even if I had to redo it every tire change, which I don't (5th tire so far!), it would still be worth the $100 they want for a bar! Shit, I only paid $80 for the machine!

Those are some great ideas for the hf set up. I like the demount bar for the hf better than the no mar one. There is a bit of a learning curve at first but after doing a set of 2 it will be much easier :dthumb:

Oh yea, it gets easier and easier every time I do it. Mainly, for me and also for you, it's not a question of physical strength but technique and concern for the rims that was slowing me down.

A few guys around here have Harbor Freight units that will change your tires for 20 a piece, unless you are best friends with em and then you get free tire changes and use of their shop lift. Talk about glorious.

The technique def takes some time. I wasnt too concerned if I dinged my own rims but want to make sure I dont scratch anyonbe elses. Wiht the no mar now that is a non factor unless I drop the rim on the floor :lol:

Tom

I have the HF tire changer but I don't use the bar any more I have 3 MP levers and lots of the MP rim protectors. MP=motion pro.

The link I put up talks about them. Way easier on the rims and crazy simple. The problem I had with the HF tire changer was with the rim moving in the clamps and scratching the rim. But that will never happen with the 3 levers cause you do not move them side to side like you do with the HF lever.

With the 3 levers you can do them on a small peice of carpet on the ground with no problem. You just put them at 10 12 and 2 and fold them to you. I can put on the first side with just lube and no levers when the rim is clamped on the HF stand.

I also use the MP rim protectors on the rim clamps.

Yep, I also use the rim savers on the rim clamps. I don't have a problem with the rim moving but I fucking crank that bitch down!!!:lol:

I'm thinking about getting the Mojo blocks for $30... :idk:

http://home.comcast.net/~prestondrake/mojoblocks.htm

save on balancing
 

Now that I use Dyna Beads no need for the balance cost and I take the wheels and new rubbers to a local place "The Shop" cost me like $25 to have the tires mounted no balance.

Caveman

so they save the beads and put them in the next tire? I tried Dynabeads and didn't like them but I know quite a few people that do.

What didnt you like about them? Derf and I were talking to the tire guy at that shop by TWO when we were at the rally and he was saying guys seemed happy with them, but hasnt realy herd a lot yet to say theyre the be all end all.

Tom

Disclaimer; I am not stating this to cause an argument about the benefits and/or problems with Dynabeads.

Well, first they couldn't be loaded into my bike thru the valves because I have the right angle type. So we waited until I was putting on new tires to use them. Now, I fully admit that this was probably a procedure problem on my part but it was a bit of a hassle. Then, my dumb ass and the dealer's dumb ass (he sold them to me) didn't put in enough at the rear, so my bike never lost it's imbalance. So I had to crack the bead again and put more in. Not the end of the world but a pain.

After that, yes my tires did self balance but only after a mile or so. Now that's not a big deal but I couldn't not notice it. Obviously, my riding style is a factor in this, but it always felt "funny" after hard braking/hard acceleration. I totally admit that it may have all been in my head. I also admit that I am a overly sensitive "feel" type rider who adjusts his tire pressure if it's off by over a pound!:lol: I just never liked the way it "felt".

Now my other problem seemed to be recovering the beads to re-use them in the next tire. First off, I kind of forgot about them and ended up with about half of them on the ground. If you've never seen these buggers... they're quite small and go everywhere when they are dropped!:lol: I'm sure that there is a great way to remove your tires and retain these damn things but I don't know it!:lol: Anyway, I paid $40 for a leveler and $10 for 30 6'' lead strips which should last... oh about 20+ sets of tires.:lol: I just paint the lead strips white and forget about it!:lol:

I think that Dynabeads are great for certain types of bikes/riders but I also think that there's a reason why race teams don't use them and why after over a decade on the market, they are not the preferred method of tire balancing.:idk: Heck, I just read their website and it totally makes me want to try them again!!! There is nothing better than the feel of a perfectly balanced, new tire tire IMHO!!!:rockwoot:

Oh here's their website FYI for anyone interested. Despite my "negative" opinion of them, I encourage anyone on the fence to try them. I've heard so many people rant and rave about these things that I'm almost certain that I'll try them again at some point just to be sure that my bad experience wasn't a fluke.:lol:

http://www.innovativebalancing.com/index.html

I'm not sure about your results Tigger. But I tell ya this.. I have put them in more tires than I can count now. Granted they have all been cruisers but they are awesome. I will always run them.

You can't re-use them. You simply have to buy more and replace them. But at like $5 for front & rear its way cheaper and simply better than standard balencing.

So it would be about $10 for me per change... one 1oz and one 2oz pack. That explains why they haven't replaced standard balancing. :lol: After equipment costs are recovered, I'll be paying about $0.35 per balance.:idk:

They claim to eliminate cupping in the front... I'm not sure how though...

No... I mean $5 for both front and rear. the stuff is cheap...

Hey Drewpy is that Mike down in LaVergne you are talking about? I have never asked him what he charges.

For you maybe, it's $10 here for the beads and another $10 for the kit.

Just checked pricing... it actually is $5 per 2 oz bag... so yeah $10. I do get a slight discount off that though...

Yea no offense but if I had known that you couldn't re-use the beads, I wouldn't have even tried them in the first place.:idk:

Well techincally I think you can re-use them if you think you can regather them after pouring them out of a old tire.

You can...... but it's not easy.:lol: Although, maybe a cheap car vac might do the trick?:lol:

I don't know. They are a great idea but considering the frequency that I change tires... I'm glad that I bought my balancer!

you know mike? yeah thats oneof the guys, how you know about him? and i totally forgot you lived so close, we need to ride sometime

Well, now I know where I fucked up... I hose my tire down with soapy water when I do a change.... hmmm...

I have been riding with Mike since I started riding back in 2004. Good Guy. I knew he was changing tires for people after he picked up the NoMar and wasn't sure what he was charging.

Yeah you should definitely come out and ride sometime. I plan most rides on Cycleforums Nashville and on Meetup.com (Nashville sportbike enthusiests)