Getting the tire to sit even on the rim - Help

[stetracer]

I have had some that took more, I have always been surprised there isn't a limit printed on the tire.

I know if you air it up to the maximum pressure cold, it will go a lot higher when it gets hot. The tire companies say that's OK.

Have also heard on the news when I was a kid in Huntsville, Alabama, a tractor tire exploded while being mounted at a shop in town, a chunk of it killed someone a mile away.

Very interesting stuff.

I know you would think that they would put a seating pressure limit on the tires.
The cold to hot pressure increase is not as great as you would think around 10% to 15%
A lot of racers use nitrogen now because it dose not increase or decrease in pressure with temperature change

[Kiwi Canuck]

Tire pressures

Bridgestone recommends 57 PSI max to seat the bead on their M/C tires.

http://www.bridgestone.com/products/motorcycle_tires/products/note/index.html

Dunlop recommends 40PSI max to seat the bead.

http://www.dunlop.eu/dunlop_euen/mc/tyres/tyre_care.jsp

Interesting, never knew that, I will be more careful as I've used up to 60PSI before to seat the bead.

[tkent02]

You don't want to be holding the tire when the bead pops. That stings!

[Sci85]

Bridgestone recommends 57 PSI max to seat the bead on their M/C tires.

http://www.bridgestone.com/products/motorcycle_tires/products/note/index.html

Dunlop recommends 40PSI max to seat the bead.

http://www.dunlop.eu/dunlop_euen/mc/tyres/tyre_care.jsp

Interesting, never knew that, I will be more careful as I've used up to 60PSI before to seat the bead.

That's great info KC. Thanks for finding that. I think I went to 50psi before losing my nerve to go higher. One thing I noticed. On these older bikes, the tires are really a tight fit diameter wise. On my dirtbikes, I can literally push the tire over the rims with my bare hands. No tire irons needed or sometimes just one to sqeak it over. To get this tire on the 82 rim took 3 tire irons and 30m of sweat induced wrangling. I wish the old stuff was as easy as the my dirtbikes. Are newer street bikes hard or easy to fit the tires over the rims?

[tkent02]

That's great info KC. Thanks for finding that. I think I went to 50psi before losing my nerve to go higher. One thing I noticed. On these older bikes, the tires are really a tight fit diameter wise. On my dirtbikes, I can literally push the tire over the rims with my bare hands. No tire irons needed or sometimes just one to sqeak it over. To get this tire on the 82 rim took 3 tire irons and 30m of sweat induced wrangling. I wish the old stuff was as easy as the my dirtbikes. Are newer street bikes hard or easy to fit the tires over the rims?

Wider modern tires go on much much easier than the old skinny ones.

[salty_monk]

Ru-Glyde from Napa works great... Make sure the rim is clean before you spoon the tyre on - that helps.

I will generally go up to about 50 PSI or so if necessary. Bouncing them around a bit can help sometimes. Worst case let it down, re-lube & try again.

[Kiwi Canuck]

That's great info KC. Thanks for finding that. I think I went to 50psi before losing my nerve to go higher. One thing I noticed. On these older bikes, the tires are really a tight fit diameter wise. On my dirtbikes, I can literally push the tire over the rims with my bare hands. No tire irons needed or sometimes just one to sqeak it over. To get this tire on the 82 rim took 3 tire irons and 30m of sweat induced wrangling. I wish the old stuff was as easy as the my dirtbikes. Are newer street bikes hard or easy to fit the tires over the rims?

I have been able to put Avon Road Riders on with my hands and boot heal, no tire spoons required.
I took a few photos and described it here, starting at post # 245

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=209217&page=7

Also another trick is to use a rubber mallet and hit the tire right near the spot where you want to bead to pop out, as close to the rim as possible without hitting the rim, that usually helps.

[Sci85]

Thats pretty amazing KC. I'm not sure I have the weight or strength to use that method but I am impressed. I think it will turn out to be not enough lube and the fact the tire is not hot and flexible like in the summer.

[c&c]

Yes I know it an old thread but my question is if you absolutely need to hear the popping sound when it gets seated?
I'v tried it 4 times and I never hear the pop. The rim is slippery so I know it's not sticking and visually it looks perfect all around once inflated.
Max pressure is 41 cold and got it to 50 with valve stem out.
Measured from the rim to the edge of the tire and it's the same on both sides all round.
It's the first tire I change.

[lurch12_2000]

Yes I know it an old thread but my question is if you absolutely need to hear the popping sound when it gets seated?
I'v tried it 4 times and I never hear the pop. The rim is slippery so I know it's not sticking and visually it looks perfect all around once inflated.
Max pressure is 41 cold and got it to 50 with valve stem out.
Measured from the rim to the edge of the tire and it's the same on both sides all round.
It's the first tire I change.

No you don't always hear a pop. If it's well lubed and the line on tire looks even all around on both sides then you're good. The last few tires I've changed did not pop. You'll see a line on the tire by the bead that the manufacturers provide on tire. You can lay tire on its side and pour a little soapy water around rim to check for any air bubbles and leaks.

[bwringer]

You won't hear a pop on a tubed tire, or with a rim converted to tubeless. They sort of ooze into place.

[c&c]

Thanks for the info. No pop for me and the lines on both sides are perfect around the circumference.
I used Armorall protectant because soap is alkaline and can react to aluminium and alloy stuff. Soap also leaves a sticky residue and since I used Dynabeads ( airsoft pellets ), 2oz for rear and 1oz for front. I needed the internal to be absolutely sticky free.
The tires performs like a dream.
Of course don't put Armorall on the surface of the tire.

[lurch12_2000]

Thanks for the info. No pop for me and the lines on both sides are perfect around the circumference.
I used Armorall protectant because soap is alkaline and can react to aluminium and alloy stuff. Soap also leaves a sticky residue and since I used Dynabeads ( airsoft pellets ), 2oz for rear and 1oz for front. I needed the internal to be absolutely sticky free.
The tires performs like a dream.
Of course don't put Armorall on the surface of the tire.

I wouldn't use Armorall for anything around the tire. I use Murphy's oil soap diluted because it's very mild, a good lubricant for seating the bead and then will dry NOT leaving a slippery surface. Even if you didn't get any Armorall on the tread surface I wouldn't feel comfortable that the bead will stay slippery and possibly shift on the rim under hard cornering. It leaves a silicone coating. BTW, are your rims marked tubeless? I assume it's on the '81 GS1100E?

[JamesWhut?]

I second this, you are probably pinching the tube with the tire. Insult to injury, you've probably also probably holed the tube too. Sorry.

[bwringer]

Please, please don't use Armor-All as a tire mounting lubricant.

Or WD-40.

Or Windex.

Or dish soap -- that stuff is remarkably corrosive to aluminum.

Or bear grease.

Or antifreeze.

Or saliva.

Or silicone spray.

Or KY Jelly.

Or any of the 1,001 other hillbilly substitutes I've seen.


What should you use? Surprisingly, the answer is to use tire mounting lubricant.

RuGlyde is about $15 for a gallon (pretty much a lifetime supply for most people -- my first jug lasted 10 years) at any Napa auto parts store, and it's wonderful stuff. Plenty slippery, non-corrosive, and it stays slippery just long enough before turning a little bit tacky. There are several others, such as the paste sold by No-Mar, or this spray.

In a pinch, you could also use a solution of a pure, mild vegetable soap such as Murphy's Oil Soap (Murphy's actually makes a tire mounting lube based on their famous soap). However, plain Murphy's won't have the anti-corrosion additives of a proper tire mounting lube, and may not be the correct solution strength to stay slippery long enough.

Mounting motorcycle tires needs to be taken seriously -- get it wrong, you die.

Use the right stuff. It's cheap and it works better.


I've never figured out why the compulsion to squirt wildly inappropriate substances onto new motorcycle tires is so freakishly strong.