QuestionI guess this is a general tire question. Is it safe, or even possible, to change a motorcycle tire myself? Does the rim need balancing? What type of tire iron would I need, and how many? I have mechanical ability, so wheel removal and installation is no problem. I am familiar with proper jacking and jack stand support for my bike, I'm just wary of the on-road safety issues if this is done incorrectly. Thanks for the help.
AnswerHi Ron,
You can change and balance tire easily at home. It's safe when done properly. Follow the information below and check out the following link: www.xs11.com/faq/tirefaq.shtml
I prefer to use Motion Pro Extra Long Steel Tire Irons. I use 2 or 3 irons depnding on the task. See the tools here:
www.bikebandit.com/partsbandit/productlist.asp?pd_id=792278&sel_path=3
This is a very good price --->$15.72 MSRP: $18.49. They sell for between $18 and $25 each depending upon where you shop.
Respectfully,
Mark Shively
Changing and Balancing a Motorcycle Tire
V1.4, 6/15/98 © Mark Holbrook 1996-1998
Changing:
Equipment needed:
Air compresssor, stand, bead breaker, masking tape, chalk, stem valve wrench, rim protectors, three (two short and one long) tire irons, soapy wet sponge, ratcheting tie-down.
Instructions:
1) Make sure you know the direction of travel for your wheel. You may find direction of travel (or left side/right side) indicators stamped on the wheel and/or brake disk or it may be obvious from the construction of the wheel (e.g. the chain side of a typical rear wheel is a lot different than the other side. One side of a front wheel may have the speedometer pickoff). If you can't find a clue, explicitly mark the direction of travel on the wheel (not the tire - you're going to remove that) using a pointed piece of masking tape or a crayon or what-have-you.
2) Remove the stem valve completely, letting the air out.
3) Clamp the wheel firmly onto the stand. For a one-disk wheel, start with the disk side up so that it will be down and out of the way when you pry the tire off. Use the bead breaker to separate the tire's bead from the wheel's rim. Once you get it off in one spot, simple hand pressure will probably separate it the rest of the way around. Unclamp, flip the wheel over, reclamp and do the other side. If you're not doing this on a stand, be careful to avoid stressing the brake disk and/or knocking it out of alignment.
4) Make sure the wheel is clamped tightly and fit rim protectors over the edge of the rim. (Alternatively, you can try fitting plastic sheathing onto or wrapping strong tape around the end of the tire iron(s) to keep the rim from being scratched or dinged, but I highly recommend using rim protectors.)
5) Insert a long tire iron between the top-side bead and the rim protector. Sponge a film of soapy water onto the rim and edge of the tire. Push the bead on the opposite and adjacent sides down into the well of the rim to put some "slack" in the tire where the iron is (this is really important in making the job as easy as possible.) Flip the tire iron over the wheel, lifting an initial section of bead above the rim. Using the pipe on the threaded rod as a fulcrum and pushing down on the opposite side of the tire to keep that part in the well, pull horizontally on the tire iron to slide its head circumferentially around the wheel, progressively dragging the remaining bead off the rim until all of it comes off. While you're doing this, also try to push down on the end of the tire iron a bit to relieve pressure on the edge of the rim to help protect the paint. Don't let the iron slide off the rim protectors - either use multiple lengths of protection or slide the protector along with the iron. Be careful not to lever against brake disks. If the tire iron won't budge or the bead behind the iron pops back in as you pull, try starting with two irons inserted about eight inches apart. When you're done, remove the rim protector(s). If there's an inner tube, remove it.
6) Wipe soapy water onto the bottom bead that is still within the rim. Press that bead into the wheel's center well on the far side, then push up hard on the near side, forcing the bead off the rim at that spot. Typically, the tire will come off with just muscle power but you may have to use a tire iron (and rim protector!) to get it started. Work your way around the tire until it is completely off the rim.
7) Inspect the rim, especially where the bead seats. It should be free of corrosion, rust, pits, dirt, and old rubber. Clean it up if necessary using a wire brush and/or a ScotchBrite(tm) pad. If the wheel uses an inner tube, remove, clean and inspect the rubber band that protects the tube from the spoke nipples and replace it if it's worn.
8) If you're fixing a flat, do it now. Inspect the inside of the repaired or new tire, remove any foreign objects or material, and make sure it's clean.
9) Assembly is the reverse of disassembly! Ha! How I hate that phrase! Anyway, it's time to put the new tire on, one bead at a time. Lay the new tire on top of the still-clamped wheel and match the direction of rotation (some tires may not have a preferred direction.) Double-check it. If the tire has a balance mark on it (typically a yellow paint mark on the side of the tire), align it with the valve stem or hole. Wipe soapy water onto the top of the rim and the bottom bead of the tire. Work the bead down past the rim, starting in the back and working your way around to the front. Pull forward on the tire to keep the already-mounted part in the well to make the last unmounted front section as loose as possible. At the same time, force the last front section onto the rim. This step should be do-able with just muscle power, but if it seems too difficult, you can try using your wall-mounted bead breaker as a press to help (rotate the wheel/tire 180 degrees on the stand or start from the front in this case). Wipe up any excess water, especially from inside the tire.
10) If the tire uses an inner tube, reinstall the stem valve and partially inflate the tube until it just barely holds its shape - if you don't inflate it, it may develop folds - if you overinflate it, it will be difficult to remount the tire without puncturing the tube. Insert it into the tire, making sure the stem is aligned and straight in it's hole. Double-check that the balance mark (if there is one) is aligned with the valve stem.
11) Force all of the top bead of the tire onto the rim that will go on easily (i.e. all but the last third or so), by hand or with help from the bead breaker and/or tire irons. Wipe soapy water onto the tire bead and the rim. Insert two tire irons (and rim protectors!) between the rim and the unmounted section of bead twelve to fifteen inches apart. Press the part of the bead that is already on the rim into the wheel well to make the part remaining above the rim as loose as possible (again, this is important to make the job tractable.) Flip the irons over and hold them there. At this point, all the bead should be inside the rim except for the section between the two tire irons (and in fact, the whole bead may just slip on at this point if you're lucky). Insert a third (long, strong!) iron half-way between the first two (with a rim protector!) and pry the last remaining section of bead onto the rim while still holding the first two in place (an assistant helps.) If the tire uses a tube, be careful not to pinch it between the bead, rim, and/or tire irons. And again, don't stress brake disks in the process.
12) Wipe soapy water on the bead seating surfaces and begin filling the tire with air until it seats itself properly on the rim. If it's a tubeless tire and you're having difficulty getting the bead to sit firmly enough on the rim to hold air, try pushing on the tire where you hear or feel leaks or try bouncing the tire while you're filling it. If all else fails, wrap a ratcheting tie-down strap around the circumference of the tire and tighten it before starting to fill the tire. That will generally do the trick. (Be sure to remove the strap before you continue inflating the tire.) If there's a tube, bounce the tire several times as you fill it to insure that any wrinkles have a chance to unwind. You should use a high-volume air source limited to 50 psi for safety. For tubeless tires, you will very likely be startled by a "pop" as the bead on each side seats. After the second "pop," remove the air hose. If you're working on a tubeless tire, quickly reinstall the stem valve. Finally, fill the tire with air to the desired pressure for riding. Inspect the beads on both sides for bubbles from leaks and to see that they are seated uniformly all the way around. Don't forget to put a protective cap back on the valve stem.
13) Measure the tire pressure the next day to insure there are no slow leaks. (Of course, you should routinely check your tire pressure at regular intervals.)
Balancing:
Equipment needed:
Two long parallel level smooth metal straight-edges, a collection of weights, masking tape, waterproof double-sided foam mounting tape.
Instructions:
1) Set up the straight-edges, level and parallel and far enough apart that one end of the axle can rest on each edge without the tire or disk(s) rubbing on the setup. Clean the axle, insert it into the wheel, and set the combination on the straight-edges. (You will get better results if the axle is free to rotate on the surfaces of the straightedge since there may be some stiction in the wheel bearings that might prevent smooth rotation of the assembly if the axle is constrained.)
2) Gently set the wheel to rotating slowly and freely. When it stops, note the position. Do this repeatedly. A balanced wheel should not stop in any one position. Try it a few times, in both directions, until you're convinced that it doesn't have a heavy spot, then declare victory. If you're forced to declare defeat, remove any old balancing weights, clean off any glue that held them on with a solvent or Goo-Gone(tm) and continue.
3) An unbalanced wheel will behave like a slow-motion pendulum and come to rest with the heaviest side at the bottom. Rotate the wheel 90 degrees away from the rest position, release it, and verify that it stops swinging at the same final position. Do this a couple of times in each direction to make sure.
4) Using masking tape, temporarily fasten a small weight (or pair of weights, whatever works for your rim) on the inside of the rim at its top-most (lightest) position.
5) Repeat steps 3) and 4), adding or subtracting weights (or pairs of weights), until the wheel doesn't stop in any preferred position. Be patient for best results.
6) Mark the position of the temporary weights on the tire with chalk and remove them. Clean the area thoroughly. Line the temporary pieces up and cut off a single piece of lead (or pair of pieces) to be the permanent weight(s). Clean off the underside with a wire brush and press it into place so it's shape conforms to the curve of the wheel. Then attach it semipermanently to the rim with double-sided foam tape or hot glue.
Note: This method only corrects primary (fundamental) radial imbalance. If the axle and wheel have not been damaged or abused, this will generally be the most significant source of imbalance by far. If harmonic and/or lateral imbalances are of concern to you, measuring your wheel's radial and lateral runouts with a dial indicator (and finding them in spec) should make you reasonably comfortable, at least about the wheel. Using a good brand of tire and making sure that it is seated properly on both sides all the way around should remove most concerns about side-to-side imbalance due to the tire. Go for a ride. If you feel some pulsing that is periodic at twice the tire rotation rate and/or notice some side-to-side shuddering that is periodic at exactly the tire rotation rate, you may have harmonic and/or lateral imbalances. Check your rim runouts and if all seems OK, get a dynamic balancing job at a professional shop equipped to do one. Also monitor the tread on the tires as they wear. If the wear is not symmetric around the tire and/or varies across the tread at different points (as opposed to being simply uniformly worn more on one side than the other, indicating that you just take turns harder to that side or ride on crowned roads), you may still have some imbalances to get rid of (you may also have suspension, steering, and/or alignment problems - periodic variations are a key differentiator.)
