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[ltank]

I removed/replaced tires/ balanced on a stand for 6 rear tires and 3 front tires using hand tire tools and a balancing stand that has two disc on each side of the axle.  When I turned 60, I started removing the tires from bike and reinstall  but I let a shop change and balance them now. Front tire not so bad, rear tires suck.

[Road Dad]

Three tire irons is all that is needed. A bedbreaker is nice to especially since its difficult to use the side stand to break the bead on a HD.

But as I get older and lazier the next tirechange will probably be done at a dealer ship.

[TN]

Hard to imagine life without my no-mar tire machine. I use dyna beads for balancing


 



TN

[guppytrash]

Harbor Freight tire changer, mojo blocks and bar, Yellow tire thing and Dyna beads. 
Works great.  Used it on the CVO a couple times and the BMW GSA with knobbies to street I have done the front and back a bunch of times.
A couple of friends Harleys. 
It is easy to do solo if you do it correct, pain in the rear if you try and muscle it. 
Keep the bead of the tire in the lowest portion of the rim and use some sort of tire lube!
Also helps to leave the tire in the sun, but not necessary.
Lots of videos on youtube to help.

[J.D.]

Thanks for all of the replies.  I have the confidence to do my own tire changes now and am willing to struggle through it and figure it out, with keen attention to not damaging the wheels.  I think I have everything identified that I need except I haven't decided yet on the bead breaker.  I am very space constrained so I really cannot go with a proper tire changing machine or even a larger lever-style bead breaker.  What is the next best thing from a bead breaker perspective?  The Motion Pro combo tire levers / bead breaker?  The motion Pro plastic "wedge" tool that gets tapped in with a deadblow hammer?  The "claw" looking bead breakers that use either screw or lever force to sort of "pinch" the opposing beads together?  I will only be doing "standard" tires and not more modern low-profile and/or x-large diameter wheels.

[J.D.]

Revisiting an older thread...

Finally have the wheels removed and have been working on my "DIY on the cheap" strategy.  Ended up using a 6" C-clamp I had in the toolbox with Windex and a block of wood to break the beads.  That couldn't have been any easier and didn't leave even the slightest mark on the wheels.

Here's what I have so far:

• 5-gallon pail with rubber tubing around the lip to safely hold the wheel
• Windex and C-Clamp for breaking beads
• Tire valve tools (core remover, stem tool)
• Wheel bearing remover/installation tool (if needed)
• A good set of balls

Here's what I think I need to buy for removal and installation of the tires:

• 3x of Ken-Tool 32116 16" Tire Irons for tire removal and installation
• 2x (4 total) of Motion Pro 08-0546 RimShield II
• No-Mar drop center positioning tool
• No-Mar yellow claw
• No-Mar tire bead lube
• Pit Posse PP2903 Motorcycle Wheel Balancer Portable Tire Balancing Kit (set on top of jack stands)
• Chrome adhesive wheel weights (decided against the beads - just personal preference)

Any flaws in this plan?

[CVODON]

Although I seldom pay any attention to young bike techs but a local shop here known for Saturday tire mounting for a small amount used to be $15 each and has grown to $40 but that includes remove from bike, mounting and balancing and reinstall. I was in there last Saturday and they will NOT put Dyna beads in a bike that has a tire pressure monitor system. If you demand them they will turn you away. They do recommend Dyna for everything else. They said everytime they used them it resulted in later having to remove them (at there expense) due to complaints with inconsistent readings of the tire pressure system. FYI

[Twolanerider]

Revisiting an older thread...


Any flaws in this plan?

With some of the stiff sidewall and low profile tires you're still going to find it very difficult if not impossible to get the tires off the wheels.  Even more so to do it without damaging the wheels.  I've got a manual tire machine that allows good leverage.  Even with it getting some of the tires off the wheels is a very difficult task. 

For all the items you're collecting and the expense you're going to you are still somewhat just half-assing the job.  Good luck with it but be careful.  Breaking the bead from the wheel is not close to half the battle so be careful as you work forward.  If you're working with a low profile tire on a late model bike you have many many bad words in utterance ahead of you.  If it's the 2002 vintage you username suggests it's a do-able task though.  Have done many many of those size/type with typical spoons, leverage and only the occasional foul language to get the job done.

[J.D.]

Roger that 

I ordered some of those levers and rim shields.  Not very expensive.  If I can get the tires off I'll order the rest of the stuff to install the new ones.  If not, I'm not going to risk damage to the wheels and will just take them over to the dealer and pay the (gulp) $80-100.

I see on the No-Mar website that they DON'T recommend that drop center tool for Harley wheels, so I didn't order it.  I'll see of I can use a knee on the bottom of the tire to hold it low then use the levers and shields on the opposite side.

In about a week or two I'll report back if this was a good idea or not LOL.

[iski]

On the newer, stiffer tires, it helps to have 2 people when doing a manual tire change.  It can resemble wrestling a bear at times. Good luck.

[J.D.]

Nope, not running them new fangdangled fancy pants low profile tires and big rims.  1960s technology at best 

[guppytrash]

Although I seldom pay any attention to young bike techs but a local shop here known for Saturday tire mounting for a small amount used to be $15 each and has grown to $40 but that includes remove from bike, mounting and balancing and reinstall. I was in there last Saturday and they will NOT put Dyna beads in a bike that has a tire pressure monitor system. If you demand them they will turn you away. They do recommend Dyna for everything else. They said everytime they used them it resulted in later having to remove them (at there expense) due to complaints with inconsistent readings of the tire pressure system. FYI

I used to be concerned about this... but I now have personally used dyna beads on three different front and rear sets on my BMW GSA with tire pressure read outs and have not personally experienced any problems.  Not saying I won't in the future or someone else will not have a problem...but so far 3 different sets of tires and not one problem using dyna beads.

[J.D.]

I'm really hoping it's as easy as this guy makes it look:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DjQZM402U2x4&ved=0ahUKEwi9u_fX8rvXAhWm3oMKHShsCnMQtwIIOzAH&usg=AOvVaw0C1Tg2Wva7odU4YPdmxVCW

[J.D.]

Who has the best online pricing for current stock major brand (Michelin, Avon) tires?  Last couple sets I ordered from J&P but it's been awhile since I looked at other vendors.

[havenolife]

eBay chaperell not sure on the spelling is one motorcycle tire wherehouse is another