So i'm mounting my own tires!!!

4848 Views 72 Replies 27 Participants Last post by game, Feb 11, 2009

HispanicPanic

Discussion Starter · Feb 4, 2009

So i'm removing and mounting my own tires on my SV! I got the front done, took me about 2 hours to do.. The next day i take off my rear. Everything is going fine, i broke the bead, i removed the first lip of the tire from the rim, so its halfway off!!

Now i'm stuck.... I cant get the remaining lip of the tire off of the rim... I pry and pry and pry... i pull and tug and stick extra tire spoons in places they probably shouldn't go.... but it just won't budge.... i used This link ---->

http://video.google.com/videoplay?d...ok4GyBQ&q=how+to+change+your+motorcycle+tires

As an instruction on how to do it myself.... When removing the last lip he kinda just pulls it off the rim... Which is ******* impossible with my tires... The front tire was small enough for me to stick an iron in here and there and pry it up, but the rear is too wide for me to do that.

What do i do???

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LSCYCLING

· #2 · Feb 4, 2009

Put a little soap on the tire iron so it'll slip over the iron. That sounds like the same problem I had then I realized that was my problem.

yashuone

· #3 · Feb 4, 2009

had the same problem,...

dremel with the cutting wheel made quick work of the bead, just watch the rim. i put a piece of scrap metal behind it just to be sure i didn't put a nice gouge in the aluminum rim.

HispanicPanic

Discussion Starter · #4 · Feb 4, 2009

i've looked up a few vidio's... and it seems that its sooo easy for people to just slide a tire right off the rim....

I'm using soapy water for my lube btw...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0s2NzImDhA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anyY0UO5gqk&feature=related

Its easy as hell for every single vidio i've seen....

yashuone

· #5 · Feb 4, 2009

that's because people don't like to show themselves screwing sh!t up

silversx80

· #6 · Feb 4, 2009

It's a major pain in the ass. It took my dad and I a few hours to do it. Those videos are of guys using soft tires with soft beads. Trust me, it isn't that easy.

dmmcd

· #7 · Feb 4, 2009

Make sure the bead opposite where you are pulling on is down in the center of the rim on both sides.

I like the 3 iron method, just work slowly a few inches at a time.

yashuone

· #8 · Feb 4, 2009

i think i was too impatient and a bit fearful of damaging my rim. i have the old style steel irons not the polymer ones. the dremel cut that biotch in 10 seconds though!

MBIKEN

· #9 · Feb 4, 2009

+1 on the pain in the ass.

i like the give the guy 30 bucks, look around the bike shop for 20 minutes poof all done. and i always come out with a wish list.

yashuone

· #10 · Feb 4, 2009

...and out 30 bones

not only am i impatient but i'm a cheap bastage too.

SpeedisaVirus

· #11 · Feb 4, 2009

I just soaped the wheel, put it on my improvised stand, stood on the wheel and pulled on one side and it pulled off. I think what you need to make sure is that you want the bead to sit in the deepest valley of the wheel on one side while you try and get the other side over the rim.

LSCYCLING

· #12 · Feb 4, 2009

yashuone said:
...and out 30 bones

not only am i impatient but i'm a cheap bastage too.

Ha

I like to call it frugal.

MBIKEN

· #13 · Feb 4, 2009

half a day of not cussing and throwing **** is worth my 30 bones. plus i hate bleeding on my bike

Gerard7aa

· #14 · Feb 4, 2009

MikeB

· #15 · Feb 4, 2009

I know where you're coming from. I did my first set a few weeks ago and got stuck on the 2nd bead for the rear. Took me about an hour until I came across a trick that worked like a charm. I wish I could show you because it's a little difficult to explain. I'll try to explain....

I had a piece of clear, flexible, tubing I was using as a rim protector when I came up with this. The tubing was about 1.5 feet long which gave me good leverage. I ran the tubing over the lip of the rim and under the bead of the tire. I tugged on the tubing from the inside of the tire using it like a lever to get part of the bead over the lip. Then with one hand on the inside of the tire, and the other on the outside, I pulled the tubing along the rim of the wheel all the way around. It unseated the bead as it made it's way around the rim. It literally came off in 20 seconds once I figured this out.

It helps if you have a tire iron on hand so when you get the intial part of the bead off you can stick an iron is so it won't pop back on. Also, I was seated on the ground and had the wheel standing upright. Picture yourself sitting behind the wheel of your motorcycle while it's mounded....as if you are installing tire warmers or adjusting chain tension. In this position you can pull the tubing towards you with better leverage.

I only had trouble with the 2nd bead on the rear tire. I think its because the D220s are so stiff. I literally swapped the front in about 5 minutes. Mounting the new rear, Michelin 2CT, took all of a minute because it's so soft.

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silversx80

· #16 · Feb 4, 2009

Gerard7aa said:
remove
install

The dude is such a liar.

yashuone

· #17 · Feb 4, 2009

it's always the last bead on the rear tire...

never had an issue with any other, the front always comes off no problem.

*edit*
it's not just the dunlops either, had the same issue with my pilots as well.

MikeB

· #18 · Feb 4, 2009

MBIKEN said:
half a day of not cussing and throwing **** is worth my 30 bones. plus i hate bleeding on my bike

You know I was of the same opinion until friends of mine, that mount their own, convinced me to give it a try. I bought a Harbor Freight static balancer, tire irons, and weights for a total of $60. I saved $$$ on shop labor and even more $$$ buying tires online. Plus, I own the tools for future use. It really isn't that bad after you get the first tire done and get the hang of it. My rear took me about a little over an hour (learning curve plus stiff D200 tire). Old front tire was off and new one installed in less than 5 minutes.

Now that I know what I'm doing I can swap out two tires in less time than it'd take me to drive to the dealer and back. Factor in internet tire prices there is no way I'd go back to paying someone.

yashuone

· #19 · Feb 4, 2009

MikeB said:
Now that I know what I'm doing I can swap out two tires in less time than it'd take me to drive to the dealer and back. Factor in internet tire prices there is no way I'd go back to paying someone.

+1 on that!

MikeB

· #20 · Feb 4, 2009

yashuone said:
it's always the last bead on the rear tire...

never had an issue with any other, the front always comes off no problem.

*edit*
it's not just the dunlops either, had the same issue with my pilots as well.

Yeah, I can see how other rears would be trouble as well. But once you figure out what works it's not so bad.

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