Any Ideas On How To Change Tires?

So...I have new tires ( ) that I need to install on my bike. I have done a little research on how I should do it, looking on here, on Youtube, etc. But don't know how i should exactly do it, and you guys are so helpful! So i was wondering how i should go about taking off the whole wheel, (how i should keep the bike up), take off the tires, the whole deal. Any help will be helpful!

 

If you look in my gallery you'll see a sequence of pictures of my homemade tire machine and how to use it.

 

How are you going to balance them? Or are you going to let someone do it? Just curious.

 

Give yourself a break from what might turn-out to be an A-Number-1, swearing and cursing, mental-health threatening, medieval castle torture-chamber-like experience which, ... YOU can avoid ... by having your new tires Mounted and Balanced by letting a Motorcycle Shop do the job.

Do the Prep.
Remove the Wheel(s).
Do an exceptionally fine job of removing the wheels and bring them to a Pro with a Tire Machine and High-speed Balancing Machine.

If you have the need to be involved; bring two sheets of ScotchBrite Pad and scrub the Rims clean before the New Tires are mounted.

Take-home both of your New Tires, ... Mounted, balanced, ready-to-go, ... without enduring Mental Cruelty and enjoy having those tires on the rims without raising your blood-pressure to a point approaching critical mass.

 

i used
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pfp2Z9k0n0
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AerHAYs4 ... re=related
to do mine, needed a couple a spoons, some 2x4, and an empty one quart oil jug.
i used a dynabeads like product called counteract beads to balance, and honestly i love it... the wheels look better, and there is no difference cornering etc.
any questions, pm me and i can answer, i am really happy i did my own tire change. it saved a bundle of money on tires and mounting through a shop and it gave me a whole new level of confidence with my bike. it actually handles better now than it did, but there were really bad tires on it initially.

 

It was a very easy and frankly, fun project for me... it took under an hour to do both and i would do it again in a heart beat. no blood pressure spike for me, rick hahah

 

Now that's DIY. I'm impressed with that level of self sufficiency. I must admit I'm always frustrated with owners who will jump to take their bike in to have it worked on, when it's something they can do. But tire mounting I always take to the shop-just the way Rick showed. I am paranoid I will screw up the wheel, the bead, or not get the balance right. My strategy is always to find a tire at $25 cheaper than it normally would be, so the savings pay to have it mounted. Of course if I worked at a motorcycle shop I would do it.

Saving the money is great though. Of course I also get to know the guys in the shop which leads to riding buddies, free advice, and even free promotional stuff. Which is cool.

Wouldn't having a tire tool (metal pry bar) be easier than spoons?

 

"Spoons" are spoon shaped "motorcycle" tire irons. At least I hope that's what was being referred to.

 

Here's another link for "do it yourself" tire change.....way to go for me up in the north [snow today] as the LBS charges premium $$ for a new tire and $ to fit and balance.....I get my tires shipped to the border freepost and fit them myself.....saving >$75-100 per tire.........

http://www.howcast.com/videos/188745-Ho ... cycle-Tire

An additional tip: use a 4' x 4' sheet of 1/2 in ply and tack the 2 x 4's in place - gives a stable clean and safe work surface..

 

Yeah my tire spoons are types of tire irons, sorry i should have clarified...
its really not even hard to deal with balancing with wheel weights, i have done car tires with a diy gravity static balancer, (basically a bar that holds the rim steady, even, and spins freely so the heaviest side rotates to the bottom.
but i really like the balancing beads.

 

thanks for all the ideas! I had another question though, is there a way to pry the tire off the rim, without using a motorcycle iron? any ideas?

 

[I had another question though, is there a way to pry the tire off the rim, without using a motorcycle iron? any ideas]

In a word.....no....

 

You go at it with anything that has a sharp edge and one slip will keep your bead from ever sealing.

 

why? its possible to cut thru with a hack saw or a similar cutting tool, but it is more trouble than it is worth. its not that the tire would be much easier to get off, unless you cut it on opposite sides, but if its a situation that you dont want to buy them, you need them for the remount of the tire anyhow... and spoons for a two pack are about ten dollars... use a standard tire iron that comes with a car if you have one and feel adventurous, but im rather risk-averse when i deal with my bike....

 

There is a Tool you can get.
I don't know if they make them anymore.
It's called: "Breezer"
Supposed to make the job a "Breeze"

http://www.dansmc.com/breezer.jpg

Try not to lose it.
Don't rip the New Tire's bead.
Don't fracture the Rim.
When you're pounding on the Tire Iron trying to get the Old Tire off; don't listen to those people who are standing there, whispering: "He's almost got it."
Those people aren't real.

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man.
It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity.
It is the middle ground between light and shadow!
Between science and superstition.
And, it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination.
It is an area which we call:
The Twilight Zone.

http://timetravelispossible.com/files/T ... t_Zone.mp3

 

If the tire is old & really stuck on the beads, I use a stanley knife with a carpet blade & cut all round on both sides, in the thin part of the wall, about 1/2' from the rim.

 

Nice Rick, channeling Rod Serling!

I remember watching the TZone in re-runs when I was a kid-great show. Saw one with Will Shatner (Cpt. Kirk) before Star Trek, he was pumping money into a fortune-telling machine at a booth in a diner and getting super paranoid. It's funny that's what happens to me when I contemplate changing my own tires!

How do those beads work to balance a tire? Do they melt and evenly distribute?

 

Motor Cycle News took the issue to a Physics Lab for their scathing editorial that placed them in the same category as Snake Oil.
-- Motorcycle Consumer News
-- October 2006 pg. 48 (Tested)
-- February 2010 / Product Testing Editorial

" MCN evaluated the Dyna Beads on a reader's suggestion back in October of 2006. Although the tiny white ceramic beads have apparently found favor with long-haul truckers, we tested them in a Honda 599. Using a shop's spin balancer, we checked the bike's rear wheel, which had 1.6 oz. of balance weights in place.

The balancer agreed with the amount and location of the weights. After installing the specified two ounces of beads in the rear tire and then removing the rim weights, the balancer found an out of balance condition.

This test was repeated five times and the balancer continued to call for the replacement of the 1.6 oz. of rim weights in the same location.

Over-the-road testing was next. Without the rim weights, the rear wheel produced noticeable vibration and the installation of the beads gave a barely perceptible improvement. Also, the weight of the beads added so close to the tire tread gave a noticeable increase in gyro stability, making the steering heavier. We also tried them on a car and were disappointed.
Bottom line: Save your money for a proper spin balance."

The debate between Motorcycle Consumer News and Dyna Beads appears in the June 2010 Issue on pages 4 & 5.
<><><><><><>

Dyna Beads Responds:
Having read your initial review of our Dyna Beads product in October 2006 and your subsequent response to a reader in the February 2010 issue, I am troubled by your failure to perform a proper analysis of our product and your inaccurate reporting of its performance. As our www.innovativebalancing.com website confirms, and our dealers appreciate, Dyna Beads cannot be tested on an electronic spin balancing machine or any other balancer with a fixed mount. Fixed mount balancers negate the ability of our product to react to imbalance caused by road conditions, the latter being necessary for proper and effective performance of the Dyna Beads. The science behind our product and its benefits and effectiveness are fully explained in our website which also includes testimonials from a small percentage of our many satisfied motorcycle customers.

One of our dealers commented that the motorcycle you tested in 2006 had known vibration problems, and vibrations generated by the motorcycle interfere with the proper operation of our product. The Dyna Beads try to damp the vibrations. Unfortunately, the only solution for this problem is to fix the mechanical issue causing this harmonic vibration. However, for the vast majority of motorcycles, our products provide outstanding results. That is why we request you retest our product and use several different motorcycles. We and our dealers would be happy to help you properly install our product and perform the test.

However, we still believe you failed to properly research our product. You should have spoken with us or to any of our dealers prior to restating your earlier flawed report. Your failure was a disservice not only to us but also to your readers. While we appreciate the initial interest in our product from you and your readers, we see it as necessary to set the record straight about our exceptional product. Accordingly, we invite you, and anyone else interested in learning how our product works, to review our website or to contact us directly.
Robert Krueger, President
Innovative Balancing, LLC

MCN Responds:
Mr. Krueger, we purchased your product just as any other customer would. We didn't ask for a free sample and we are not beholden to you or your company for approval of our evaluation.

The anecdotal evidence offered on your website is not proof of its performance. The Honda 599 used/or the motorcycle portion of the testing does, indeed, vibrate noticeably at certain engine speeds, just as the great majority of motorcycles do. If your product cannot be used on a motorcycle that vibrates, it can be used on very few motorcycles.

While the theory behind your product was intriguing enough that we were willing to test its effectiveness, as doc flash likes to say, "In theory, there's no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is." Your website's explanations of how it works requires that the tire must not be out of round, that the beads will only react to tire imbalance and that they will not redistribute their weight when the tire impacts road irregularities. Of course, in stop and go conditions, they will constantly be falling to the bottom of the tire and then rearranging their positions as speeds increase.

Our testing indicated that the beads are not as effective as fixed rim weights located by a spin balancer. And the amount required for a motorcycle (two ounces) is enough to noticeably affect gyroscopic inertia.

I also tested the beads in the rear wheels of my car for thousands of miles, the recommended four ounces in each and it has a very smooth running engine: The vibration from the rear wheels was constantly changing, occasionally smooth, but most often not. The lack of a consistent balancing action by the beads was obvious and unsatisfying.

Be happy that you are selling a product that relies on anecdotal claims. Rather than retest your product, we challenge you to provide hard evidence from an independent testing lab of your claim that motorcycle tires will last "as much as 100% longer" with Dyna Beads vs. wheel weights.
--Dave Searle

 

No, they don't melt. And they DON'T WORK to balance a tire; read the above article.

Once introduced into the tire, the beads rattle about, constantly rearranging themselves in response to all sorts of inertial input. Supposedly they continually find the "light spots" and "dynamically" balance the wheel. (Hence the name.) There are all sorts of holes in this concept; you can try them if you want.

I gotta go with Rick on this one though... snake oil.

 

i just take mine to a shop. $30.00 and I'm done, pick them up after running other errands and go home to put them back on.

Dave

 

" vibrations generated by the motorcycle interfere with the proper operation of our product."
i hope it doesn't vibrate the wrong way passing a semi at rush hour on a bend !
"or any other balancer with a fixed mount"
last time i checked my front and rear axle were fixed pretty good.
i tried these once and they made vibrations worse, sorry, snake oil

 

and well just to add, i have had great results in my car and motorcycle.....
idk i havent had a problem

 

I've used Dyna Beads once.......then I removed the wheel / tire, dumped the beads and went to get my wheel balanced......If a wheel needs to be balanced, it is typically due to a light spot / uneven weight. Logic would suggest putting on a counterweight. How can a fluctuating weight system possibly compare with a fixed counter weight? $20 per wheel....tire shop balance.....good to go...

 

Thanks for the info Rick. No plans to use them, I was just curious about the concept. As I mentioned in the post - I will fix almost anything I can on a bike, but always use a shop to mount & balance tires. It helps me sleep at night.

That is a pitiful statement from the manufacturer about the bike used and the vibrations preventing it from being effective. If it works it should work regardless of the bike or vibrations - cause that's the whole idea behind balancing-preventing vibrations. Wonder if they are selling any other products or swamp land in Florida?

 

I have to snicker at the need for the tire to be "Out-of-round".

I watched a TV show about how tires are made.
After they get popped-out of the mold, ... a laser beam checks each tire for quality control.
If the tire's not within specs, ... it's rejected and recycled.

Hey, ... People will buy ---> anything!
Somebody got rich selling rocks once.
Put them in a orange box and called 'em:
"Pet Rocks"

 

Blinker fluid, adjustable power bands and other hard-to-find items: http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_pa ... ducts_id=6

 

The Round Tuit is my favorite.

I also need one of those 710 caps.

 

I've got a bunch of 710 caps. After seeing the picture I see installed all of them upside down.

 

blinker fluid.....now that's funny. Reminds me of the bottle of headlight juice that I have.

I take "offense" to the 'get rich selling rocks' statement. I resemble that remark. Well, selling rocks is fun but I won't get rich on it. Really. Seriously. My biggest hobby is rock/mineral collecting and am a dealer at a couple registered shows each year. Yup, motorcycles and parts pay for rock collecting trips, car parts, etc..... and they all help pay for motorcycle parts, etc...... I try to let one hobby support another. So far, it's working.

Dave Fox

 

That was good for a long laugh! Thanks bigfitz

The pilot wrench is way under used - designed to fix loose nuts behind the wheel.

 

xxxxxxxxx

 

Just makes me think of office space
"you think the pet rock was a good idea?"
"the man made a million dollars!"

 

How about sky hook, chain stretcher and my favorite key to the V door every worm on a drilling rig has ben sent to look for theses items

 

I just take my wheels into the shop and get them mounted and balanced. And that's after I bought the HF tire changer setup and yelled and cursed at the old tires the first time. Local place was $20 I think and 15 minutes.

For the beads.... I have not used them in my bike tires. I do currently have them in my truck tires and they do work and quite well. There's 8ozs in each one. 37x12.5r16.5 Goodyear military MTR's. 20,000 miles of no tire vibration upto any speed a 6,500 pound truck needs to go. No other weights.

So either I got a perfectly matched set of used military tires and new wheels or the beads work for this application.

I don't think I want them on a bike as I bet the side loading on the tires would mess with them quite a bit.

 

DynaBead test

This video clearly shows the dynabeads working.

another similar product demo

I've never used them, but it does seem like they would work.

 

This may sound like a stupid question, but does it really matter if the tire tread is put with the rotation of the wheel? Does the arrow on the tire need to go with the rotation of the wheel?

 

Yes.

 

Here is a helpful bit of info for those who have never removed the rear wheel from your shaft driven XJ 650 & 750, when it's all ready to pull out, leave the brake backing plate inside the drum. Before I knew better, I scratched my backing plate up trying to take it out before the wheel.
Ammoeller, the reason for the arrow has to do with the way the cords and plies inside the tire are oriented.

 

It also has a whole LOT to do with the direction of the TREAD PATTERN on most tires these days. That's why there aren't that many "universal fitment" tires left anymore. Those that are still around have two arrows, one for front mounting and one for rear, for the reasons you pointed out.

 

Yes, go to a local tyre fitment shop - they have all the gear and will balance your wheel too!!! Though we can do a lot of work on our bikes ourselves there comes a point when it's so much easier to let someone with the specialist kit do the work for us...

I've just had some new tyres fitted to my Bonnie - I'm all for saving a couple of quid by taking the wheels off myself, but really, £7.50 a wheel/tyre for having them remove the tyre, fit the new one and balance it - money well spent methinks!

Nige

 

I've no idea of the relative importance of the cords/tread arguments as I learnt about tyres a long while ago.

The general view about the tread was that it was all marketing and makes little difference to the handling. If you have tyres fiited the 'wrong' way you can decide for youself if you can stop in the wet etc.

The way that tyres are constructed used to be - and may still be - that the way the cords overlay each other will be reinforced by rotation, not more likely to unravel. (Similar idea to the clip on a split link I suppose). As the result of failure could be the tyre unravelling, that seems to be the greater concern, so if you use a rear tyre on the front, the arrow should be reversed, because the loading (under braking) is reversed. That's the explanation anyway.

So far as I'm concerned, it only matters on the front wheel of a bike and sidecar, otherwise why would you bother.

I have a local place that has tools for you to remove the wheel yourself and they do the business on the loose wheel. Otherwise I do it myself with short levers and a vice to break the bead if necessary.

 

BTW ammoeller, why would you fit the tyres the wrong way round when you have a choice not to ???

 

Just a note... a few years ago I had a try at removing an old tyre from an XJ650 rim. I ended up sawing the tyre to get it off, even though I had levers and had lubed the rim etc. It's just not worth the trouble - take the wheel to someone who can do it in seconds, because that's what they do.

 

Not only do it in seconds, but not scratch the crap out of the rim, something I managed to do every time I ever did one myself.

Plus if you have them high-speed spin balanced you don't need beads or any other tomfoolery and you'll know it's right.

 

Great information - I heard somewhere that motorcycle tires have some kind of mark on them ( painted colour dot on sidewall or molded into the rubber tread ? ) that shows the light spot ? that should be mounted opposite the valve ( this is in addition to the arrow showing direction of rotation ) - most videos never mention it - is this true ?

 

I was told the dot should go next to the valve... so only one of our informants is 100% wrong! But which one?

 

Depending on the quality of the tire and its manufacturer, ... there is a Locating Dot.

I don't worry about it.
I bring the Wheels to a place that has a Tire Machine and High-speed Balancing.

There are some things in life that absolutely worth paying to have done for you.

Mounting and Balancing New Tires is definitely on my list.

 

So, the dot is theoretical anyway - if you have your wheels balanced (which I always do).

 

You would use less weight when lining up the DOT with the STEM, so it would be a good practice.

I've statically balanced my tires at home - to within 1/4 OZ - of course I didn't then take them to a shop and double-check my work, but they go down the road smoothly. The front tire on my V-Star was 3 1/2 OZ out and noticably shook.