Tires - Mount and Balance your own

[HispanicSlammer]

Changing Your Own Tires

By Miguel Mayo

Reason

Most Motorcycle Shops are closed on the days that I take off, and I end up paying $370 for a set of tires when I take my bike to a shop. I am what you call a cheap skate, so I do it myself. I buy the tires either off the internet or the cheapest I can get at the local dealer, they are very competitive when it comes to tire prices.

The Bike is a 1998 VFR that just clicked over 12k miles, the original tires were still on (Dunlops), the front tire was cupped awfully, a condition that caused the handle bars to wobble at slow speeds, It was unnerving to go around a corner when the front tire shakes. I decided to put on new Bridgstone BT 010 Battalax sport touring tires as a set. They are a very good tire and a very good price $210 for the set from the local dealer Apex Sports.

I have changed 7 or 8 sets of tires on my old bike using a homemade system that I copied off the net from a guy named Adam Glass, this time I decided to buy a tire changing tool from Harbor Freight Tools, a 2 piece system on the advice of BigBike, much easier


Harbor Freight Tools



Getting Started

I used a masonry bit and some concrete anchors to set the unit in place.





Remove the rear wheel, move the pipe out of the way, remove the lugs and take it off



Set the wheel on the bead breaker, now this is so easy compared to using a c-clamp!



Turn the tire and be careful not to scratch the rim, turn it over and do the other side




Set the rim into the jaws like so, tighten the clamps down.



The tool has a screw type clamp to tighten clamp the tire



You must lubricate the rubber, I used some left over antifreeze, it works great.



I used some duct tape to protect the rim when starting to pull the tire, you must take the bar using the flat end and dig it behind the bead then pry it up, then use the center pole to provide leverage and go around the tire till you get that side off.



The tool came with a bar that has a flat part for dismounting and a cupped side for mounting







Lift up the tire in the jig to do the other side while the wheel is clamped down.





Mounting the tire make sure that the tire is in the right direction, the arrow must match the arrow on the wheel (direction of spin), there is a dot on the tire that indicates the light spot from the factory, that is lined up with the valve stem, (usually the heavy spot on the wheel). you use the cupped end of the tool to mount the tire the opposite of dismounting the tire, The hardest part is getting the last bead mounted, after mounting the other bead, the last stretch is the hardest to get onto the wheel. One tip is to push the tire down so that the bead stays toward the middle of the wheel where the diameter is smallest, its a snap that way, if you leave the tire on the outside edge where it is the biggest diameter you are going to have one hell of a time.



Remove the stickers Doh!



I used a tie down to help keep the bead from slipping around the tire, making sure to push down on the tire to keep it in the center of the wheel well.



View Full Message more! Its a big post!

One down one to go, when you fill up the tire you will hear 2 loud pops that is the bead seating, don't worry about it, just keep clear fingers and such. Remount the wheel to the bike!





Removing the Front Tire

I Don't have a front stand anymore so I used a block of wood and a sissor jack, just let the block rest on the header pipes, that is how it is described in the owners manual. Before you lift the bike, Remove the Calipers from the forks first, Left side has 2 hex key bolts, the right has 2 10mm bolts. remove them then loosen the 4 fork pinch bolts. Unscrew the axle bolt, mine was on like a Mutha, It was too tight, but I managed to get it off by getting a pipe for leverage, I almost lifted the bike off the center stand so be carful when loosening that bolt. Once you have that done raise up the front end, then remove the axle, if you have a rod you might have to pound it out, just don't go crazy or damage the treads where the bolt screws in. Remove the wheel. Do not squeeze the brake lever while the caliper is off!







Be carful with the front tire it has 2 brake disks on it that can be damaged if bent, I used the old tire from the back wheel and a rag while breaking the bead so that the disk would not contact the ground. I just put the old tire underneath the wheel to cushion the front wheel, see how it got smashed breaking the bead!





Getting the front tire mounted was much easier, it went on very quickly





To balance the tire I used my handy dandy Miguel balance, 2 jack stands and gravity, I spin the wheel several times to find the heavy spot then move the clip on weight to balance it. Came out fine!



When remounting the front wheel you must insert the axle carefully, reinstall the 2 calipers, then spread the forks to make sure that the brake disks have clearance and spin freely before you tighten the 4 fork clamp bolts and tighten the axle bolt and your done!