home mounting tire methods?

[amamet]

anyone have a good method of mounting tires at home?  have newly powdercoated rims for the lemans and a set of contis and tubes.  hard to find anyone near me to do this with what's going on.  I guess I can wait if need be or head to a Ducati shop an hour away that charges $50 per tire.
-Allen

[oldbike54]

 The zip tie method works well on tubeless installations .

 Dusty

[skippy]

Here is a good video that goes through the procedure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAKIuSjPXxA

I have been doing my own for a while now and have found it to be pretty easy.

Bias-ply tires are a chore but radials are a breeze.

Skippy

[Motormike]

I can tell you to think twice before you spend money on a NoMar (I did).  They work, sorta, but are very dependent on a specific technique.  If you don't have the technique down cold, it becomes a wrestling match...one that you will loose!  Soft super sport tires are pretty easy (that's almost all their videos use) but stiff sport-touring tires are a real PITA!  90% of the time I have to break out the tire irons, at which point the NoMar becomes an overpriced tire stand. 

[bigbikerrick]

I like those combo tire irons/bead breakers from motion pro. Looks like a clever.useful tool. I have done all my own tires for years, using a harbor freight tire machine with motorcycle adapter,and a couple of tire irons when needed.I also have the early NO-Mar tool,and I agree, its all about the "technique", having the tires warmed,and down into the drop center of the rim. The balancing is very easy, as shown in the above video that was posted.
Rick.

[blackcat]

In your case, with new tires and none to remove it's pretty easy.  I would just get a couple of cheap long tire irons and if you don't want spend the money on those nice Motion Pro rim protectors just buy some orange juice,etc. in a plastic bottle and cut them up for rim protectors. Usually good for a couple of tire changes and you can get two protectors out of a bottle.  When it comes to breaking the tire bead, I have a low deck in the back yard so I just use a 6' 2X4 with a shorter piece of lumber screwed into the long piece (experiment), place the tire close to the deck with the 2X4 underneath the deck and locate the short piece of wood close to the tire rim and just press down. And of course put your foot on the opposite side of the tire. 

Years ago I paid the local motorcycle shop to install tires on my 1000S and the inexperience kid scratched up my rims so that is when I learned how to install my own tires.  I got out most of the scratches on the rims, and most shops use a machine nowadays but why spend the money?

[Perazzimx14]

 Learnign to change tires with DIY methods on freshly refinished rims.....




 

[larrys]

I bought a nice pair of spoons 25 years ago. They work for any tire from lawn tractor to motorcycle to small truck tires. I have the plastic rim protector clips for cast/painted rims. For a stand I have a 15" truck tire on a rim that's placed on the floor. The wheel/tire being changed sets on top of it. Bead breaking is another story. For years I've used a bumper jack and the front bumper on my old pickup. Worked great on Harley rims, car and truck tires, too. May have to fabricate something when I do the tires on the Monster.
You ain't changed a tire by hand til you've done a semi truck split rim tire by hand. Breaking a bead with a tire maul is not fun... Giving blood while doing the job is mandatory.
Be well,
Larry

[amamet]

im so dropping them off, there's no way id not screw them up, plus after buying the tools id be out the same.  maybe ill practice on a different set of rims

[Guzzistajohn]

As far as I'm concerned, I'll let the dude at the local shop do his job, and I'll do mine. That's the last thing I want to do on a weekend when I could be riding. If I was retired, I might have a different point of view.

[john fish]

I gorilla them on with tire irons and lots of lube  I use Windex (the real stuff, not generic) as a lube.  Long tire irons and store bought tire protectors with strings on them.  I break the beads with an old vise in my shop.  Leave the tires in the sun to warm them up a bit.

I'm not particularly good at it but it gets done and it's not too hard to avoid scratches on the rims. 

If you don't do it on this pair, learn to do it on another,  It's a good thing to know how to do.

[john fish]

Oh, I learned to do it from my good friend Mark Dasher because 1) the BMW shop mounted the tire on my K75 backwards which entailed me making another 160 mile round trip to have them fix it and 2) the local Honda shop put a cheap tire on my V11 and charged me for the more expensive tire that I originally ordered.  I got my money back but that tried my temper.

[blackcat]

I'd just order a pair of tire irons from Cycle Gear for $28 bucks and free shipping. You can buy the Motion Pro rim guards for $17 bucks or just use the cut up orange juice bottles.  I just installed a set of tires on my LeMans project on newly powder coated rims without any rim protector's and no scratches but I've been doing this for awhile.

https://www.cyclegear.com/accessories/motion-pro-extra-long-steel-tire-iron

One of these days I'm going to get some Ru-Glyde as that is suppose to be the best tire lube:

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/BK_7100000

[malik]

I use the BeadBrkr kit from BestRest Products. Usually lives in my luggage, but get it out to change tyres at home, as practice makes doing it at the side of the road much less daunting. I think BestRest still have the video on their site. Recommended. It seems it's not so much strength needed as technique. In the past, I've had a couple of different shops use oversize tubes, and another pinch the tube, with the predicable result, so I'm happier doing it myself.

I use 3 short levers, some 8 in long (the BestRest ones are excellent, come with a groove on the pointed end that catches a little on the rim when mounting the tyre, so encourages you not to spear the tube), cheap canola oil spray (the only thing it's actually any good for) to lube the bead, baby power on the tube to encourage slip, and a valve tool on a wire that's sometimes useful to get the valve through the hole in the rim.

Balancing? I use DynaBeads in the tube instead. I first got them to fix the wear problem when changing the tube out in the donga, unbalanced tyres can wear rapidly. Found they work, never mind the theory, and I seem to get longer wearing tyres as a result. For the home practitioner, and roadside flats, it's much more convenient as well.

The biggest bonus of doing it yourself - if/when you do get a flat in the middle of nowhere, it's not such a big deal. Back in the '70's, when weekends were sacred, a flat on a Friday afternoon would maroon you until Monday morning. Never again.

[Perazzimx14]

Windex, furniture polish, WD40, dish soap, PAM cooking oil etc. have all been at one time or another been listed as adequate tire lubes. It also told time and time again use lots and lots of whatever. The more the merrier. You can't use enough. More is better

When you hear these home tire lube elixirs and advise on how you should glob on as much as possible and use 24" long tire irons, run away.

If you use the right product in the right quantities in the right places it take no more than a teaspoon of tire/rubber lube misted on to the tire and wheel to sufficiently lubricate it for mounting.  You do not need to get ye ole' swab out a mop a bunch of dish soap everywhere. Over lubing simply traps moisture in the tire and stuff like Windex has ammonia in it that can react to the wheel. Also over lubing can allow the wheel to slip in the tire.

Its also easier to rip or tear a tire with improper technique and long tire irons. When mounting tires if you are using excessive force you are doing something wrong. Since your not installing tires on you Alice Chalmers 6080 tractor  9" tire lever is all you need.


All you DIY'er do what you want but ther is no substitute for the right tool, right lubricants and right techniques.

[malik]

  what he said.

[John A]

all good advise,  I'll  add that care is needed to not put a load on the brake discs, they wont stand that.  I use a weighted five gallon pail to set the assembly on and work on it there. I use a c clamp style bead breaker, its slow but it works.  non pumice go jo hand cleaner makes a good tire lube, its slippery as puppy snot and doesn't hurt the rubber . make sure you pay attention to the advise given to have the opposite side of the tire  down in the middle of the rim when levering it on or off. that gives you the most slack.

[travelingbyguzzi]

Breaking the bead is the hardest part. As far as mounting goes-and dismounting- always make sure that the opposite side of the tire-opposite as in opposite side of the circle- is in the drop center of the wheel. The drop center is the valley between the edges of the rim.

[Motormike]

I've found there is a substantial difference between tire types and manufacturers.  Michelin super sport tires, like Pilot Powers, go on easy.  Most sport touring tires like the Pirelli Angel GT's are much stiffer.  I'm worn out trying to mount a 190 Angel GT rear tire.   I've heard Gold Wing rear tires can be a challenge as well.

[Perazzimx14]

I've found there is a substantial difference between tire types and manufacturers.  Michelin super sport tires, like Pilot Powers, go on easy.  Most sport touring tires like the Pirelli Angel GT's are much stiffer.  I'm worn out trying to mount a 190 Angel GT rear tire.   I've heard Gold Wing rear tires can be a challenge as well.

Tire types certainly. Manufacturer specific IDK. A 180 series super soft race compound tire can just about be put on by hand. I always liked when I was changing tire to help pay off my machine and someone would bring me a 180 sport bike tire. Not only are they easy to change they do not last so repeat business is good.

Worst tires are small diameter scooter tires like on a Burgman. Heavy walled cruiser/touring tires or narrow tube tires. Just no room for tubes hands and valve stems.

[SmithSwede]

Learnign to change tires with DIY methods on freshly refinished rims.....

X 100

[Lesman]

Been changing my tires for 10 years . Not hard. Being so infrequent.  It's  either really easy or somewhat harder.
My record is removal of the old tire and install of my new tire right at 3 minutes.  Problem  install 45 minutes. That one I had a pinched nerve in my right arm. No strength.
I use ruglide. It's  the best. Pledge causes in some case oxidation. Tubeless sometimes develop a leaks when using Pledge  as tire lubricant.
It happened  twice. 3 times it didn't. Another skill is practice fixing tires with plugs. Super easy. Can be stressful.

[ken farr]

Ruglide makes all the difference.
Ditch the pam, dish soap, etc.
I bought the smallest container of Ruglide at NAPA, my great grandchildren's grand kids will have some. 

kjf

[Scout63]

Also spring for a valve stem fishing tool. Threads into the valve stem and pulls it through the rim. Very handy if using tubes.

[Kiwi_Roy]

I saw a demo of breaking the bead at the last Deep Forest Campout.
Lay the tire on the ground, grab another bike and use the prop stand to unseat the bead.
Of course it helps to have several guys to use the second bike as a lever.

[ray bear]

I agree with  motormike, I also spent a lot of money on a NoMar and yes they work but there demount bar iS a POS,It takes up too much space between tire and rim I bought a Mojo mount bar which is far superior , very slim in construction and your not having to fight with it but yes it is a very expensive stand to hold a wheel . Yes they work but not good enough for the money. some tire brands fall off and on but some especially ones that have been on a while are a pain

[Perazzimx14]

RuGlide is good stuff especially if you put it in a spray bottle and mist the tire bead and wheel with it. I do like the MoMar tire lube/paste better but I bought a gallon of Ruglide that will last me a 1000 tires and there wil still be a 1/2 gallon left at my estate sale.

The NoMar dismount end of the bar I've never been able to poke it in between the bead and tire like NoMar shows. My fix is to simply use a 9" tire iron pull the tire away from the wheel then insert the dismount bar and lay it over to the wheel as you normally would to start to dismount the bead. Never really had a problem with the mount side. I do give the bobbins on the end a quick spritz of lube to give it just a little extra slip. Sometimes on really heavy walled tires the mount bar will get very hard to push. While it will go with enough force I'll push until I get a good amount of resistence then stop and reach for 9" lever to pop the last few inches of tire bead over the rim.

[greer]

A jug of Ru-Glyde will last dang near forever and handy to have around:

"RU-GLYDE® Tire Mounting Lube Lubrication is an essential part of tire mounting and dismounting service. Always lubricate with the industry-approved RU-GLYDE® to protect against bead damage and to help seat tire beads properly on the rim. Will not cause rust or tires to slip after mounting and balancing. Removes rubber squeals in bushing and grommets. Restores new look to floor mats, tires, and upholstery."

Sarah

[s1120]

I started cutting my teeth mounting tires with car tires on a old Coats 110 machine back in the 70's..  over the year mounting thousands of tires, and spending a ton of time on the ground with screw drivers and other pry tools doing L&G tires, and bike tires.. Ill say once you learn how it all works, and you get a system down, its really not that hard. That being said.. not sure I would want my first time on a new set of powder coated wheels....  Watch a few vids, and kinda mentally go over the procedure. SOme rim protectors are a good idea.

[larrys]

That Ru-Glyde stuff sounds like good stuff. A strong dish detergent/water mix has been my mainstay.
Be well
Larry