Ok I need a new tires. And after checking the stealerships, I'm going to do it myself. I refuse to pay the price of a rear tire so they can spend 20 mins swapping my tires.

So can people post up the things I will absolutely need, the things I might want and the things it'd might be a good idea to have? One thing I'm wondering about is breaking the bead. I prefer using a tool since I have 0 2x4s or other assorted pieces of wood to do it using a vehicle

 

I've changed 2 or 3 tires myself without proper equipment. It's not an easy task. If you have a large "C" clamp, you could use that to break the bead. But I can tell you from personal experience that getting the tire off is not the hard part. Getting it back on is.

Did you check your local Cyclegear ?
160 Baltimore Pike
Springfield, PA 19064

 

Didn't know they we so close. They want $20 per tire if i buy from them. But i have to bring them the rim only. Might just replace the rear this month and the front later. Also cyclegear isn't as cheap as Revzilla.

Either way, I'd still like to know everything i would need short of a tire changer. I can start buying the tools one at a time till i have everything. Tire changer would be ideal, even the cheap HF one. But that really needs to be mounted and i don't have the space for that.

 

I've changed plenty of dirtbike tires and one on an old yamaha xs1100. The yamaha was the easiest one to do.

Now I have NOT changed a tubeless tire. I have no clue how to set the bead on that (would it set itself?).

Regardless, there are some great videos out there for changing tires. I'll give you the basics:

You'll need three tire irons and maybe a friend. Break the bead how you wish (2x4 will work). Do what you can to keep the rotor off the ground so it doesn't get bent. Get one tire iron between the rim and tire, then do the same 4 inches down the rim. pop both irons up at the same time. then stick your third iron between the rim and tire four inches down from either iron that's already being used. pop it up like the other two. Remove your middle iron, and keep going four inches at a time (or however much you deem appropriate). Then use this process to get the other side off. DO NOT take the second side off in a manner that will scratch your wheel! put the iron in from the side you are taking the tire off of...aka all the force of the iron will be on the inside of the wheel where no one can see it. Same process as the first side.

To install: Same idea as removal. The real hard part is the last 1/4 of the tire, it will look like a D compared to the wheel. You have to go little by little on that part.

 

i just replaced the valve stem on my front tire so i didnt take the tire all the way off but i did have to break the bead and reseat it. I made a crazy looking bead contraption out of spare would i had lying around (meant to do a write up school just got me a little busy). Honda said exactly how to get tire off and on as for reseating the bead all you need to do is fill it with air. Spraying some kind of lube windex, tire lube, whatever not water based lube will work and just fill with air to the bead reseats back in an your done

 

Any specific tools y'all have used, ect? I mean I know how and generally what tools I'd need. But, for example, the $5 HF Special Tire Tool prolly would bend round my little finger. And the bead breaker tool I found on Rezilla wouldn't fit our tires

 

Disclaimer: changing your own tires with hand tools isn't hard, but it's definitely an acquired skill. The first one will likely have you hating your life. It gets much, much easier with practice, and the freedom to buy tires wherever you like and not be raped for installation is sweet indeed.

Alrighty: first, look at Scudman's videos on youtube. Fantastic resource for changing and balancing tires with minimal equipment. He does it the normal old-school way, with 2 tire irons (and rim protectors made from juice cartons!)

First step: let the air out and remove the valve core. Leaving the valve core in will definitely make your life difficult. Should be obvious, but better safe than sorry. A valve core wrench is only a few bucks at Harbor Freight, Canadian Tire or wherever.

Next, breaking the bead. It's pretty simple, you just have to apply sufficient leverage to the side of the tire. There's no good ready-made tool for it short of a tire changer IMO. The most common way is using a 2x4 propped under the side of a vehicle, but you indicated you didn't want to do that. I'd reconsider; suck it up and get some scrap lumber, save yourself a lot of trouble. You'll need some blocks anyway to support the rim so the brake rotors aren't taking any weight. I've tried big clamps and a vise, and like the lever method better. Of course if you're going to throw the tire out anyway you could just cut it off.

Once you have the bead broken, the old tires come off easily with tire irons. Often you can just get it started a bit with the irons, then stand on the tire and pull the wheel out.

For mounting, all you need are a handful of zipties and a spray bottle of windex or some other lubricant. Plain old water with a bit of dish soap will do the job nicely.

Scudman's video shows a very simple and effective static balancing method. I've only changed rear tires so far (first front tire change will be today or tomorrow), and I've had great results with bead balancing. 2 oz (56g) of high-density .20 gram airsoft pellets worked perfectly on my Blackbird. The Bird is famous for its turbine-like smoothness and new vibrations are easy to detect. There's no tire vibration at all with the beads so far, and that includes a 300km stretch cruising at 180+ the whole way.

The reason I make it clear I've only done this on rear tires is that some people have had issues with dynamic-balancing the front tire, especially if their riding style includes high speed wheelies. I'll be using the beads in the new fronts on my VFR and XX and I'll let you know how it works . . . though I admit I only do wheelies on purpose with my gf's Speed Triple. And only a few times by accident on the XX at highway speeds; that's the Blackbird's way of telling you you've just made a perfect 1-2 shift

So anyway, here's the minimum equipment list:

- youtube for Scudman's vids
- valve core wrench
- pair of tire irons
- rim protectors (he uses juice cartons, I use plastic from an ice cream pail)
- some method to break the bead (scrap lumber ftw)
- a couple more boards to set the rim on to keep the rotors from being bent
- spray bottle of windex
- can of high density airsoft pellets for balancing

Optional:

- pack of large zipties if you want to try that method
- pair of small bearings and a rod plus some adhesive weights for static balancing
- a rubber mallet can be very handy as well

Also, I HIGHLY recommend installing a metal, 90 degree valve stem if you don't have them already. They don't need to be replaced and the 90 degree fitting will make it much easier to check and adjust tire pressure. Most of the 90 degree valve stems out there are very nice and grotesquely expensive; I got a bunch of utilitarian looking but perfectly functional ones from a scooter parts vendor on ebay for a fraction of the price. With 6 bikes in the household even valve stems can add up

And my final tip: when you're getting ready to change tires take your rims with the old tire still on, and your new tires, and put them in a vehicle parked in the sun with the windows rolled up for a few hours. They'll be nice and soft and that much easier to work with.