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Changing my own tires?

3K views 21 replies 15 participants last post by  ebeo1 
#1 ·
I plan on changing my own tires from here on out. I plan on using Shinko 804 805 and I know that they tend to wear out and around 5,000 miles on the rear. I simply can't afford to bring them in to the dealer so I'm going to pick up a bead breaker as well as a manual tire balancer. Is there anything that I should be aware of when changing the tires on my vstrom. I pulled plenty of rims on Harleys and I also see that there is an ABS ring going around the rim. Thoughts?
 
#8 ·
Save your money on the wheel balancer. Especially with tires like the 804/805 as they wear a bit funny and that would influence balance during the life of the tire. I have a complete tire balancing system. Once in a while I will use it, most of the time I don't. If there is a dot of color on the tire, locate that as near the valve stem as possible. If you do have a vibration, and you are sure it is the tire, it is more likely a problem with the tire being out of round or having a problem with a belt than being out of balance.

I know I will get instructed after this post about how important tire balancing is. How much improvement tire balancing beads give. So be it. I have learned better. I consider balancing aids put in through the valve stem to be snake oil and of no value beyond the placebo effect.
 
#9 ·
I recently bought the harbor freight motorcycle tire changer adapter and LOVE IT. It was on sale for less than $40 delivered and it is worth 4x that. I still use the spoons and just use the HF adapter as a means to hold the wheel, but it makes it so much easier than wrestling it on the 2x4's and such.
 
#11 ·
The Harbor Freight motorcycle "adaptor" is used in conjunction with the Harbor Freight tire changing stand for car and trailer tires. Sits on top of it. Works quite well to hold the tire, but I still use spoons to remove and replace the tires.
 
#12 ·
^^^^^ what he said...

I don't have the HF changing stand/base. I ended up welding a 2" post onto the motorcycle adapter so I could put it in my 2" receiver that I have in my floor. Also, the shaft that they supply to go through the center of the wheel doesn't fit. Like was mentioned, it works great to hold the wheel while you spoon a tire on and off, but thats about it.
 
#15 ·
This is all I use to break the bead (well, this and a rubber mallet). It's a Motion Pro Bead Popper. Lube up the sidewall with dish soap, then a few times around the rim with the wedge and the bead comes loose. Its more labor intensive than some of the other methods, but it's cheap (twenty bucks) and it doesn't take up any room in the garage.

I either set the wheel on the new tire when I'm changing it, or on a couple chunks of two by four, to keep the brake rotors from being damaged. The old tire came off and the new one went on just using spoons.

This is one of the better Youtube videos I watched on how to change the tire. I used the techniques in the video, and the process went very smoothly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAKIuSjPXxA

I was able to set the bead using 12 volt compressor (the kind you carry in your trunk to inflate your tires) that I've had since the 80's.

I balance mine because it seems like something you should do, but one of these days I'm just going to skip it and see how it works out. The only thing stopping me is that it can be a pain to remount the wheel on my Super Tenere (matching the splines up on the driveshaft while keeping the hub together can be a real acrobatic act), so I'd hate to do it twice in one day if it turned out that the unbalanced tire should have been balanced.
 

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#20 ·
I didn't bother with changing my own until recently, when I realized I was putting tires on my bike about three times a year. My local shop charged $35.00 to do it off the bike, plus the inconvenience of sometimes having to leave the wheel overnight. It seemed like one of those skills that, if you're going to ride a lot, you should know how to do, so I gave it a whirl. It wasn't as bad as I expected.
 
#21 ·
I have always changed my dirt tire so when I got the Wee I just went for it. It is actually easier than dirt tires.
Used a C clamp and wood blocks to break the bead.
Windex works great!
I just used jack stands and the axle to create a balancing stand.
Front wheel did not need any weights.
Rear needed 3.
 
#22 ·
I just did both tires on my bike its pretty easy as long as you're smarter than the tire. Here is my review of the tire levers I used, and all other tools needed.

http://www.stromtrooper.com/product-reviews/331242-motion-pro-t6-tire-lever-review.html

Soap (lubrication) and purpose made tools can make the changer easier but not needed. I took the front tire off my bike took pictures swapped rubber and put it back on in 1.5 hours with everything pictures in the post above.
 
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