Fitting your own tires

Blanchy

Blanchy

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Hi anybody else have trouble changing their rear tires? I did mine yesterday, the front was a piece of cake, easier than most dirt bike tires but the rear! What APITA! Took half the day to get the old one off and the rest of the day to get the new one on. The well in the wheel does not seem deep enough to make it easy combined with the stiffness of the tires make it really hard to get the levers in the right spot. The problem is I'm a tight A$$! Always changed my own tires.
 
Thought of that but then thought I'll have to install the new one. I just thought damn I'm getting old! Just get the damn thing off!!! Never had such a fight before.
 
Blanchy said:
Thought of that but then thought I'll have to install the new one. I just thought damn I'm getting old! Just get the damn thing off!!! Never had such a fight before.
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Isn't that the thing anymore... That old stuff does get in the way of stuff!!

Congrats on getting the job done!!
 
Sorry, changing tires is something I will gladly pay someone to do, I don't care if it costs $50, the time and hassle of doing it yourself is not worth it, imo.
 
The first tire I changed EVER was the rear a month or so ago. What a PITA it was. I ended up scratching my rim pretty good in a few spots but eventually got it. The front tire was much much easier and didn't scratch it, but I wasn't sure if it was the tire or I just learned from my mistakes from the rear. The first thing I learned was to throw away the rim protectors I had bought with my irons, what a piece of crap they were. They were the sole cause of my scratches and frustrations.
 
If you are serious & need to change a few, No Mar is the way to go. I bought all the tools & clamps from them & made my own stand, due to the cost of shipping to Oz. It is almost impossible to scratch the rims with their equipment, & once you have changed a few it is really easy.
 
Great video mikecb900, thanks. See Craig it's not that hard at all, however I think I'll stick to paying someone else to do it. :D
 
Evitzee said:
Sorry, changing tires is something I will gladly pay someone to do, I don't care if it costs $50, the time and hassle of doing it yourself is not worth it, imo.
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Well that is not always better, before I started changing my own tires I often got not right balanced wheels, scratched rims and lost much more time dropping the bike off and trying picking it up from the shop.

I change both tires in two hours (including balancing and cleaning of rim, brakes and adjusting the chain) I use a NoMar tire changer, using irons is a pain with wide hard tires. To get the new tire on I put it in the sun for 30 minutes so it heats up, helps a lot.
 
Thanks and good tip about heating the tire but it was about 36 Deg c anyway but it might have helped. Looking at all the videos again I might not have used enough lube or maybe I had a very tight tire?
 
I have alway been lucky, a guy we race with owns a shop and changes our tires for $10 each if they are off the bike. the rear looks like it would be a pain. I dont know what I will do if he ever closes.
 
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I also have a No-mar changer that I got a couple years ago. On most tires it makes the job a sinch but even with the No-mar, the back tire can be a real b--ch. Getting it warmed up is a must. I usually use tires with a harfer compound whch doesn't help matters. I use the stuff that nomar sends with the changer. it's a soft guey stuff that really makes the tire slide around the rim. Kinda like KY for tires. I try not to get stuff inside the tires because I use dyna beads for ballancing. In the video I suspect he either had some very soft compound tires, had heated them just below melting or perhaps both because it looked a hell of a lot easier than any of the ones I've done and that would be four sets.
 
Thanks and good tip about heating the tire but it was about 36 Deg c anyway but it might have helped.
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In the winter, bring the tire inside untill you have the old 1 off the rim.

I have the HF tire changer, but prefer to be on an old piece of carpet. I find it easier to keep my knees involved in holding the bead down. Plus, with the carpet, I can cover my azz with the wife.
 
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