Avoid a tire changer (Am I out of my mind ?)

[Fred W]

Yes indeedy. A split garden hose (or the equivalent) goes on the steel car rim to protect the bike's wheel from that...

...but the cut-up plastic bottles are thin, so while protecting the rim from the tire irons, don't add too much thickness to have to lever the bead over:

Extra hands are always welcome.

By the way, a 14" steel car rim is the perfect size to fit inside of the 17" FJR wheels.

 

[El Toro]

I always liked the Coats, but we had a No-Mar in the lab, and it was pretty decent on motorcycle tires. We used it primarily for 10" cart tires, and it was more of a challenge. One of the students who had worked as a professional mechanic before returning to get an engineering degree said he liked the Coats better. Cycle World gives their comparison at the link below. It appears that the No-Mar wins in their comparo.

In any event, IMHO, the best tire changer is that other guy who is willing to change the tires for you, especially if he's got a good spin balancer.

We're lucky ... around here, if you take the wheels in, you will probably pay less than $10/tire for the tire change. If you bring the bike in, you'll probably pay something on the order of $100 for the pair if you let them sell you the tires ... and they will do tire price matching with internet vendors, so the only negative is the sales tax, which the internet vendor doesn't typically charge.

https://www.cycleworld.com/2015/02/16/cw-evaluation-no-mar-classic-tire-changer-and-wheel-balancer-motorcycle-tool-review/

 

[Wlfman]

Just use Zip Ties for removal and install

 

[FJRay]

What Tony said. I didn't really NEED a changer, but I got hosed twice on trips. Albuquerque is so far from all if our meets that even with low miles on a tire, I would switch out to new before a trip. The two times I didn't do that, it cost me...Taking my bike back and forth to the dealer was a hassle, and they are not open on Sunday or Monday.
So I bought a Cycle Hill from one of our local members. He had all kinds of upgrades, so basically a really nice NoMar changer. The price was made up during the IBR when a couple guys and I got their bikes lined out in an afternoon.

For $100/tire, I'd agree with you that three or four hundred is easily justifiable.

Oops...I meant $100/tire change...

I need to raise my prices. I recall doing tires for you and Tom at the first Reuben and didn't see any Franklin's passed around. After that you spooned with Barry and Don on my living room floor and ate my food.

The power machine really helps but it isn't the perfect solution. I probably do around 60 tires a year and I still mount a lot of tires with spoons but at least the machine hold onto it. For spoons I like the Motion Pro curved ones.

 

[Niehart]

YellowThing® Bead Keeper Tool is worth its weight in gold. Just don't forget to grease it so you don't tear the protective yellow cover.

https://www.nomartirechanger.com/YellowThing_Tire_Tool_p/ac-yellowthing.htm

JSNS

 

[Shane]

Before spending any money, do yourself a favor and check this site out: https://www.clarity.net/~adam/tire-changing.html

I've been using parts and techniques from this site now for over 12 years, with hundreds of successful tire-changing events to date.

I don't like having a bunch of big items taking up garage floor space, so this approach works well for me, YMMV.

All the best,

Shane

 

[NTXFJR]

Just some food for thought. I've had great luck using a local tire shop to break my old tires down and mount the new ones using their automotive shop tire machine. A good tire tech can do it easily without damaging the alloy wheels. The shop I use can't balance them, but breaking them down is most of the battle. Their tire machine takes up a lot less of my shed space that I already don't have. They charge $30 here for both tires including tire disposal.

 

[FJRPittsburgh]

This stuff sure does make the job easierhttps://www.nomartirechanger.com/Tire_Lube_Paste_1_Pint_Jar_p/sp-lube-paste.htm

Hey Madmudder, this is supposed to be a family oriented forum.

 

[Madmudder]

This stuff sure does make the job easierhttps://www.nomartirechanger.com/Tire_Lube_Paste_1_Pint_Jar_p/sp-lube-paste.htm

Hey Madmudder, this is supposed to be a family oriented forum.

How did you start your family ?

 

[1911]

I'm waiting for the street version of the Rabaconda

 

[redzgrider]

I run the T30 on the front. I have an HF machine with Mojo blocks and lever -- but that sidewall proved much too stiff for me. Other makes worked fine, particularly with zip ties. Ended up paying Cycle Gear $30 to get it on the rim...

 

[escapefjrtist]

YellowThing® Bead Keeper Tool is worth its weight in gold. Just don't forget to grease it so you don't tear wear out the protective yellow cover.
https://www.nomartirechanger.com/YellowThing_Tire_Tool_p/ac-yellowthing.htm

JSNS

Phixed!

--G

 

[rickysnickers]

I've been reading this thread. Along with another poster, I had an HF tire changer. I had the Mojo blocks on it too. I could never got it to work right. I ended up getting rid of it, after being excited that I could do my own tire changes. I watched the videos too, but I was never able to get it right.

 

[MCRIDER007]

Tire changes are about 90 percent technique, 10 percent equipment. I started with the HF in 2006, glued rubber to the holders to avoid scratching rims, bought a mojo lever, and crossed my fingers I could make it work. The first set was a challenge but it was downhill after that. I quit counting after 100 tires but probably have done 160-170 to date. It would be nice to have a No-Mar but I don't have a place to mount it so I will keep using the HF until something breaks....besides, the actual tire mount/dismount is the easiest part of a tire change.

 

[escapefjrtist]

I run the T30 on the front. I have an HF machine with Mojo blocks and lever -- but that sidewall proved much too stiff for me. Other makes worked fine, particularly with zip ties. Ended up paying Cycle Gear $30 to get it on the rim...

Echoing '007. Technique my friend, technique! I have the same set-up and once you get the hang of it, stiffer sidewalls aren't much more difficult than say, a PR2-3-4.

What you must do is keep the bead pushed deep into the valley of the rim. If you try to fight it, it's a loosing proposition, even with the best of equipment.

--G

 

[TomInPA]

Speaking of technique, on my HF changer, I use a couple HF bar-clamps to keep the bead in the rim, and the No Mar Paste is essential. Once that stuff in on the rim centers, you just push tires on by hand and finish the second bead with the lever. Even the T30 goes on easy-peazy. I had the dealer rip the bead off a T30 on a pneumatic machine. I have done 3 T30 changes already. the Michelins go on like butter. Very soft, and they practically jump on the rim. I have no complaints about my HF changer, but I wouldn't turn down a Cycle Hill or No Mar.

 

[Pterodactyl]

The No Mar and several other brand named lubricants are essentially Murphy's Soap. Cheap stuff.

KY Jelly is also quite effective on stiff tires.

 

[TripperMike]

I'm a spoons kinda guy. A machine just cuts into the gas budget. Would I like to have a machine? Heck yeah. But since I only have to change out a few sets a year, I'm ok without.

 

[Fred W]

+1 on the Pieman's recco of the Yellow Thing from No Mar. It is a great little tool for mounting the second tire bead, no matter whether you are spooning or levering on with one of the wunder-bars. One of those and two spoons is all you need.

Also +1 to the earlier recco from FJRay of the MotionPro curved tire irons. That is what I have and they work very well. You can buy them from almost any bike shop.

I have never had any problem getting the first bead on the wheel, whether using the NoMar paste or just soapy water. If you hold the tire at about a 30 degree angle to the wheel and sort of shove it at the wheel it just about pops on there by itself. It's getting the second bead on that is always the challenge, especially on a stiffer tire that wants to fight you in keeping the opposite side in the center valley of the wheel. You can use wood blocks or the NoMar third hand tool to try and keep it in the valley, but when using the tire irons I just use my knee to push it down. That was particularly tough when mounting a car tire.

When using irons I find that the No Mar paste can actually be too slippery and makes it harder to use the irons as they slip on everything so easily. The spray bottle of soapy water works fine there, and it you spray the entire bead before inflating it will help the bead to seat evenly on the rim. Just don't go crazy with the spray as you don't want a bunch of liquid being trapped inside the tire/wheel

 

[FJReady]

I've never seen that yellow thing before. Learn something new here every day! Regarding soapy water as lubricant. I read somewhere that the alkali present in some detergents can attack aluminum. Same source recommended Armor-all protectant as a tire mounting lube IIRC.

Me? I use some 'tire mounting lubricant' I bought at NAPA a few years ago. A gallon was less than $10 and it will last me years. I apply it where needed using a repurposed Windex spay bottle.

I don't have space for a machine for tire mounting/dismounting. I have a 14" diameter rolled aluminum ring (1/8" x 4" stock) with a slit garden hose on one edge that I use to support the wheel. The wheel gets through bolted via axle hole to my work bench, then I go at it with a set of spoons I bought from Motorcycle Superstore some years ago. It sometimes involves some huffing and puffing and maybe a few choice words but it always works out fine.

How much does that yellow thing cost? Looks like a good idea for when I'm doing tire changes solo.