Anybody Change Their Own Tyres?

my local shop only charges me £15 to change so its a lot less buggering about and peace of mind that I haven't made a horlicks of it!

and the coffee's not bad either......

 

Yes, but it says KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN, so not for you
(those bristles would make your eyes water anyway)

 

My local tyre fitter is only a 5 min walk from my house, If i had all the proper tools I'd possibly do it myself. As for balancing the tyres, I remember being told that even if you have your tyres balanced, as soon as they are fitted onto your bike they become unbalanced, whether there is any truth in that i don't know. i do wonder what difference those tiny weights do, they must do something i guess!

 

@andyc1 when you get to actually play with the idea, there’s usually a coloured dot on new tyres and I can’t remember which but it’s marked as the heavy side of the tyre and usually goes opposite the valve

 

I have one of these ...

https://dirtyprotools.co.uk/product...MI5Z7Qo9rk8QIVU4BQBh1LqwWaEAQYASABEgJDuvD_BwE

.... albeit still in its box waiting for me to sort out my life, and my workshop!

I also have one of these ...



also still unused - - yet! It doesn't guarantee scratch free rims but will go some way towards that ultimate goal.

I'm aware that tyres can be changed reasonably (!) easily using the zip-tie method but prefer the idea of mechanical advantage!

I will buy a balancer to complete the set and, hopefully, then will start to change my own tyres.

Owning a number of bikes makes the prospect of changing tyres for myself - and, inevitably, I suppose, my mates - a bit self-satisfying and economically sound .... eventually. Maybe I'll write something up when I dive in and get started - just don't hold your breath while you wait for the report!

 

I've also seen several places people pointing out that 'salt' is a generic term for a class of chemicals, and that the salts in things like washing-up liquid aren't like the sodium chloride that we find in the sea and put on our roads and food.

Latest I heard this was a Bennets Bike review of bike cleaners where washing up liquid was pretty well rated, and included a quote from a boffin they checked with about salt. I'd recommend that vid generally for anyone who cleans their bike

 

Hi all I changed tyres myself for years, used a bead breaker like the sealy one which works well. Also use fitting tyre lube which is a must and washes off the tyre after (prevents wallet opening later). At a push for a bead breaker you can use another bikes side stand which works just as well. The static balancer in the pics above i also use (you will see the same thing in the BSB paddock) and they work so well to the point where you can cut the smallest weights for fine balancing. You can save a few quid as you go along by buying whichever tyres are a bargain at the time (BT016, pirelli diablo) and ride more or pay for a b&b and have 2 days out.

 

I have a large bench vice which I use to break beads by squashing both tyre walls together. It wouldn't fit the rear tyre of the Z but I wouldn't attempt tyre changes on such a wide tubeless rim anyway. I use one of the static wheel balancers pictured above. For rim protection while fitting I use pieces cut from plastic milk cartons, tough enough to do the job and thin/flexible enough to easily slip between tyre and rim and easy to pull out when the tyre is on.

 

I'm in the Ozark Mountain area of southern Missouri, USA. We have a manufacturer in St. Louis of tire changers, No-Mar. I bought their "Cycle Hill" model changer, mounted it to my garage floor and it has been sweeeeeet. I have had in the past a cheap chinese pos from Harbor Freight that was so bad I used it just to hold the wheel while I used ordinary tire changing tools to remove and install the tires. The result was a lot more work and boogered rims even with "rim savers".
Enter the No-Mar with delrin super plastic tool ends and rim holders that eliminate the scratching and make things sooooo much easier. It's built like a tank, works like a charm and, yes, cost 3 times as much as the china pos but is worth it!!

 

Between me and my girlfriend, we have 5 bikes. That's a lot of tires. Just 2 days ago I decided to buy a new tire changer. With our 5 bikes, and a couple of friends that like to pay in beer or Rum, it should pay for itself in a few years.
Here's a link to the one I purchased. Should be here next week.

https://jmcautomotiveequipment.com/...ers/tuxedo-tc-400m-b-motorcycle-tire-changer/

 

I barely have room for a spare tyre iron in my garage...

 

I love this system. Have a plywood base in garage and need to bring the rest from attic and bolt down when I need a change: Classic HD<br>Motorcycle Tire Changer-TC-CLASSIC (nomartirechanger.com)