changing your own tyres

[dandan 0]

Hi just wondered if anyone on here changes their own tyres?

Would like to start doing my own and just wondered if anyone had any tips on doing them.

I have to change tyres on the coaches at work so have experience doing them but obviously bike rims are much more delicate. And we dont balance big commercial wheels so have no accsess to a balancer.

I have seen these on ebay which seem like a good idea but will take ages to come from Germany

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/STW-Motorcycle-Wheel-Balancer-Adapter-w-Machined-Axle-/310228251542?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item483b0b7396

I have also read about dynabeads which go inside the tyre, but dont know how good these are, has anyone used them before?

Any tips would be appriciated.

[Bezzer 0]

Balancer looks OK for the money. You doing them at work and using their tools ?? reason being if you didn't already know is the bead breaker would work but you'd need a bike rim base for the changer otherwise you'll bugger the bike wheel. Neighbour owns a garage with a tyre changer and wrecked his mates bike wheel when he tried to do it .

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

Here you go Dan
/t705-wheel-balancer

[dandan 0]

Thanks dave looks like a good buy.

I already have a small bead breaker that is made for bike rims, the one at work is too heavey for small rims.

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

think alwaysonemore and trebor have changed there own tyres, sure they will post when they see this thread m8

[day101 0]

As the balancer i got one of him and cant rate it highly enough, got here bloody fast as well.

[dandan 0]

think i will go for one of them then, how long did it take to come? as my rear tyre really needs doing in the next 200 miles. It says 15 to 27 days?

[day101 0]

Think it took about a week. little tip as well if you wanted to know if you take the new tyre and wheel of the bike loose to ats euromaster they can do the tyre changing for you. but you will have to balance it. ( i work for ats thats how i know)

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

I always use these Dan
http://www.yell.com/b/Performance+Bike+Tyres-Motorcycle+Accessories+and+Parts-Leicester-LE26AN-1453401/index.html

and did you know that Thorntons tyres in syston do bike tyres too and have the kit

[dandan 0]

Yer i know i can get it done by a local bike shop but last time they charged me around £30 to change a pair and balance them, so i want to change my own.
Even if i have to pay £50 for a balancer and some weights after 2 tyre changes i will be changing them for free.

And i can do most other things on my bikes myself as im a mechanic i would like to have a go doing them myself. Also whilst they are off i can give the wheels a good clean and under the mud guards.

Im a bit sad like that when it comes to cleaning!

[day101 0]

Thats what its all about having a go by your self, its not rocket science.

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@dandan wrote:

Yer i know i can get it done by a local bike shop but last time they charged me around £30 to change a pair and balance them, so i want to change my own.
Even if i have to pay £50 for a balancer and some weights after 2 tyre changes i will be changing them for free.

And i can do most other things on my bikes myself as im a mechanic i would like to have a go doing them myself. Also whilst they are off i can give the wheels a good clean and under the mud guards.

Im a bit sad like that when it comes to cleaning!

[dandan 0]

Thanks dave, will pop in thorntons tommorow and get a price for michelin pilot power 2ct's fitted to see if its worth doing them myself.

[day101 0]

a balancer is always handy to have even if you dont change your own tyres

[trebor4460 0]

i always change my own tyres m8, done quite a few sets now.
all you need is a good set of levers and rim protectors, valve tool for removal of valve, tyre soap or fairy liquid, and a set of balance weights off ebay, cheap as chips... o yeh and a bit of muscle as the 180 rear on a 1200 can put up a bit of a fight,

the main prob is breaking the bead once the wheel is off, various contraptions around, but i used this method, done it on all the tyres no probs, here is me breaking the bead on the rear wheel of my Bandit



just dont run over the rim,


when fitting the new tyre just make sure you get the direction arrow right and the lightest part of the tyre, marked with a circle on the tyre wall, leval with the valve stem.

now i balanced mine with a couple of axle stands and the ebay weights, works every time.

[dandan 0]

Thanks for that mate.
I have made my own bead breaker from wood, works a treat just tried it on an old car rim and tyre.

Thought about balancing them that way but heard some people saying you need low friction bearings rather than using the wheel bearings.

But if it works for you i will give it a shot

[trebor4460 0]

Worked for me, rear being heavier was easy, front was a bit slow to settle but it works,
The balancers ive seen off ebay are defo a gud investment and are the way to go if you are gonna do your tyres regularly,
Pity im such a tight Ars@

[day101 0]

@trebor4460 wrote:

Worked for me, rear being heavier was easy, front was a bit slow to settle but it works,
The balancers ive seen off ebay are defo a gud investment and are the way to go if you are gonna do your tyres regularly,
Pity im such a tight Ars@

i thought he was wearing sidi's when he turned up at quatford but saw he wasnt lol

[dandan 0]

I will try your axle stand method, whats the worst that can happen? I have to buy a balancer and take the wheels off again. Might save me a few quid though!

[trebor4460 0]

@day101 wrote:

@trebor4460 wrote:

Worked for me, rear being heavier was easy, front was a bit slow to settle but it works,
The balancers ive seen off ebay are defo a gud investment and are the way to go if you are gonna do your tyres regularly,
Pity im such a tight Ars@

i thought he was wearing sidi's when he turned up at quatford but saw he wasnt lol

[Stue11 0]

@trebor4460 wrote:

@day101 wrote:

@trebor4460 wrote:

Worked for me, rear being heavier was easy, front was a bit slow to settle but it works,
The balancers ive seen off ebay are defo a gud investment and are the way to go if you are gonna do your tyres regularly,
Pity im such a tight Ars@

i thought he was wearing sidi's when he turned up at quatford but saw he wasnt lol

Your brave Luke, he may be a very young 51 but did you remember the size of his arms id smack him one Rob

[day101 0]

[Guest Guest]

I don't think I would have the balls to roll over my wheel in the car...would really shit me up but like the idea of doing my own. Thinking of a balancer anyway as I have a set of wheels I want to clean and swap

[trebor4460 0]

@day101 wrote:

Im coming for ya boy and i gonna make u squeal like a little piggy,

U gotta see the film... Deliverence, you tube it and run for the hills...

[trebor4460 0]

Hawki wrote:

I don't think I would have the balls to roll over my wheel in the car...would really shit me up but like the idea of doing my own. Thinking of a balancer anyway as I have a set of wheels I want to clean and swap

You dont want them nice polished wheels andy...... Give em to me....

[Guest Guest]

@trebor4460 wrote:

Hawki wrote:

I don't think I would have the balls to roll over my wheel in the car...would really shit me up but like the idea of doing my own. Thinking of a balancer anyway as I have a set of wheels I want to clean and swap

You dont want them nice polished wheels andy...... Give em to me....

No I want to get those polished ones on the bike (after a clean) and then run them till tyres need changing...then pop the old wheels back on until those boys are dead giving me time to put new tyres on the polished ones...

...its all very complicated but makes sense to me (but I'll need to balance them)

So in the end I'll have new tyres on the nice wheels and a spare pair just incase

[dandan 0]

Thanks for all your advice guys.
Just finnished fitting my new tyres, now just got to scrub them in!

[day101 0]

tidy mate, how did it go and did you manage to balance them after?

[Stue11 0]

Well done Dan

[dandan 0]

Went really well, easier than i thought it would be and managed to balance them, just done 20 miles and the bike feels ok.

[Stue11 0]

@dandan wrote:

Went really well, easier than i thought it would be and managed to balance them, just done 20 miles and the bike feels ok.

Good lad i fit hundreds a month sick of em

[trebor4460 0]

Nice1, take it easy till they are scrubbed in.

[dick65 0]

nice one,did you replace the valves as well?

[dandan 0]

Only replaced the valve cores, the tyres came with new valves but they were differant to the ones on my rims.

[Guest Guest]

Nice one

[dick65 0]

@dandan wrote:

Only replaced the valve cores, the tyres came with new valves but they were differant to the ones on my rims.

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

Nice 1 dan , i know where to come now only joking m8 glad ou got on ok

[dandan 0]

Thanks Dave, would be really worried doing someone elses lol

[Davehutch-hutchs 0]

@dandan wrote:

Thanks Dave, would be really worried doing someone elses lol

was only joking m8 just glad you done it and got on ok