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How many of you change your own tires

  • Thread starter Thread starter WesV
  • Start date Start date
my story

my story

Got quotes of 40 dollars a wheel and three days wait to change mine so I did it my self

I mounted a 17 inch 120/70 on the rear of my 650G. It's an IRC duotour 320. I did not cut the tire off, the steel belts are a real Hillary to cut through and their sharp. I used quick clamps to squeeze the tire to break the bread, then I used bicycle tire irons to pry it off, with a 1/2 inch box wrench for more leverage. The steel bicycle tire irons were perfect.

Fo installation I soaped the hell out of the tire for the second bead, the first one is easy ( just make sure the direction of the tire is correct, my first mistake) and I used 2 pieces of 3/16 steel flat stock, 1 inch wide and 8 inches long , that was smoothed and deburred to pry it on.

To protect the rim I placed a piece of mahogony about 3/4 inch thick under the flat stock . This wood is real hard and was tougher than plastic. 60 PSI from the compressor popped it on, but I used a nylon belt clamp to squeeze out the tire. this picture frame clamp was perfect for radially pressuring the tire so it sealed the bead.

3 hours start to finish and I rode it the next day. I saved enough for almost two new tires
 
NOT ON A BET! The $20 I spend on having some other poor slob do it is worth it. I have done too many in my life and won't do it anymore. JMHO.
 
20 a wheel?

20 a wheel?

have your "poor slob" visit my neighborhood.


Everyone I know does tires themselves because the shops won't change rubber you bring in without buying it from them unless they charge a fortune for " electronic computerized spin balancing" and standard shop rates to pull the wheels.

Justifies 39.99 a wheel in labor I guess.
 
I, too am a big fan of paying someone else to mount tires. It just sucks.

If you're paying more than $15 or $20, or waiting more than 15 minutes, find another shop. With a proper tire mounting machine, it only takes one or two minutes to mount a tire. If they just have a monkey with tire irons, go elsewhere before he damages your wheels.

If you are going to mount your own tires anyway, DO NOT use dish soap, shampoo, or anything else you might already have in your home. Household soaps range from relatively benign to murderously corrosive. Do not let these near your expensive tires and irreplaceable aluminum wheels. Soap residue will also become slippery and extremely dangerous the next time you ride in the rain.

Instead, spend $7 or so for a lifetime supply of the Real Deal -- Tire Mounting Lubricant. It's available in any auto parts store that caters to professionals (NAPA, CarQuest, not AutoZone or Advance) or in any off-road motorcycle/ATV shop.

This stuff will ease mounting and then dry to a tacky film that helps seal the tire and lets it stick to the rim without slipping. Most importantly, any residue will not become a slippery, soapy hazard to your life the next time you ride through a puddle. And, of course, it won't corrode steel or aluminum wheels.
 
Man, all this talk about tire changing. I go to a shop in Manchester NH called Motorcycles of Manchester. They are strictly a used motorcycle shop and usually have 2-300 used bikes in stock. They have decent prices on parts, even if they have to order. Any tire you buy from them and they will mount and balance it for free, as long as you take the wheels off the bike. And they will usually do it while you wait. You guys are getting ripped off!
 
Local shop..............$40 and wait a week.
Thats why I do my own.

Earl


bwringer said:
If you're paying more than $15 or $20, or waiting more than 15 minutes, find another shop. With a proper tire mounting machine, it only takes one or two minutes to mount a tire. If they just have a monkey with tire irons, go elsewhere before he damages your wheels.
Click to expand...
 
Earlfor, you must not be in the bad part of town. Or maybe your town doesn't have a bad part... :lol: :lol:

You want a rathole of a shop that's been there forever. Weeds and a motorcycle junkyard out back are good signs. A slightly greasy but friendly shop cat and/or dog wandering around is even better. These people will understand how much your bike means to you and why you're spending all this money on a bike old enough to drink.

If they're a new bike dealer, you're going to pay out the nose both for the tires and the mounting, and they'll give you a lot of lip in the bargain. If you get Skippy the brand-new mechanic, they might even mangle your wheels.

Maybe the cost of living and riding is just higher in your area.

Also, maybe we're not comparing apples to apples. Everyone charges $40 and up if you ride the whole bike in. That's entirely justifiable due to the time it takes to remove and replace the wheels properly.
 
I always take the rims off the bike. The shop only had to mount tires onto the rims. New bike dealer with the attitude that if youre not spending 10K, they dont have time for you to be bothering them. Problem is, the Harley shop only works on Harleys, nope, wont mount a tire. The dirt bike shop will do NO work on any streetbike and there is only one streetbike shop/dealer and it is all brands. You can count on "Skippy" being the one to change your tire. THE mechanic doesnt lower himself to do such things.

Earl

bwringer said:
Earlfor, you must not be in the bad part of town. Or maybe your town doesn't have a bad part... :lol: :lol:

You want a rathole of a shop that's been there forever. Weeds and a motorcycle junkyard out back are good signs. A slightly greasy but friendly shop cat and/or dog wandering around is even better. These people will understand how much your bike means to you and why you're spending all this money on a bike old enough to drink.

If they're a new bike dealer, you're going to pay out the nose both for the tires and the mounting, and they'll give you a lot of lip in the bargain. If you get Skippy the brand-new mechanic, they might even mangle your wheels.

Maybe the cost of living and riding is just higher in your area.

Also, maybe we're not comparing apples to apples. Everyone charges $40 and up if you ride the whole bike in. That's entirely justifiable due to the time it takes to remove and replace the wheels properly.
Click to expand...
 
The shop I go to at home is the Suzi/Kawa dealer, but I get treated like a king there because dad went to High School with the owner and my bike was bought off him when it was brand new. I get them mounted and balanced while I wait for $10, doesn't matter if I order from them or not.

Now the shop I deal with down here in Blacksburg while I am at school is a nice little small shop with 2 people working the front and 1.5 people working in the shop. They still charge me $30 to mount and balance a tire I bought from them and I bring the wheel in. They charge $45 if I brought the bike in and if I brought them a tire I bought else where, $60.
 
Fifteen years ago I figured I'd pay to have the shop do it instead of doing it myself.

When I got home I realized he had put the tire on backwards. Big arrow on it indicating direction...and he had the bike too, so how do you make THAT mistake?


Been doing them myself ever since. Good tire irons help.
 
Probably thought the arrow was an advertising gimmick like raised white letters. LOL

Earl


BillC said:
Fifteen years ago I figured I'd pay to have the shop do it instead of doing it myself.

When I got home I realized he had put the tire on backwards. Big arrow on it indicating direction...and he had the bike too, so how do you make THAT mistake?


Been doing them myself ever since. Good tire irons help.
Click to expand...
 
BillC said:
Fifteen years ago I figured I'd pay to have the shop do it instead of doing it myself.

When I got home I realized he had put the tire on backwards. Big arrow on it indicating direction...and he had the bike too, so how do you make THAT mistake?


Been doing them myself ever since. Good tire irons help.
Click to expand...


I checked the direction of the tread after the first bead and caught my mistake when I did mine, can't believe someone would go all the way with installing it without looking.

A good friend bought a Honda from me and had a new tire mounted at a dealer. Problem was they did not properly torque the wheel nut, even put the king pin in it, and 80 miles later the wheel jacked loose and he crashed at 55 mph. I felt almost as bad as he did
 
last summer I needed 2 tires on my GK. I had never changed motorcycle tires before. The shops were charging 40 to 60 dollars for mounting since I did not buy tires from them. I called one of my brothers (I have 6), who agreed to help.

I found a instructions on line, I built the box, used a C clamp and picked up some tire tools. All went very smooth. I had the front tire done before my bro showed up.

A task I will do again. If I found someone to do the job for 15.00 I may consider paying them.

RG
 
Well the whole balancing platform and tire changing station is nice but considering I live in a apartment, it is hard enough to keep my big Craftsman toolbox full of tools in here. Might consider it when I get home and have the shop to work in, but I was just particularly worried about the mag wheels and the whole balancing thing.
 
Been changing my own and those of my friends for years. Even did my VW Beetle wheel when $$$ were tight years ago. ATVs are pretty tough to do by hand; Harleys can be tough too.

All I use are two tire irons, but they are special. Available as OEM tools from Kawasaki, but they've changed hundreds of tires and show no signs of wear. Rim damage is not an issue either, providing you do it right. But I have pinched a tube or two in my day, and dinged one new Mitchell Chicane front rim once.....almost made me cry (BTW, there is a shop that straightens and trues them!).

Never bothered to balance my own, even when working in a shop with a SanpOn spin balancer. Never had a wobble or saw the need. I did balance them for all of the customers that had to have it done, but only because they asked.

Its a skill to learn and you may break a sweat, but its worth $$$ in the bank.
 
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