revtothelimit - motorbike forum

I've ordered some new tyres for my 500x and would like to fit them myself.
But, do motorcycle wheels need balancing after fitting tyres? If yes, can it be done by a home mechanic?

I do my own, not had to get them balanced yet. A beak breaker makes life much easier. liquid soap is pretty much essential.

Thanks chillitt. I don’t have a bead breaker, was hoping that standing on the sidewalls would pop them into the well. ??
To inflate after fitting do you need a sudden blast of air to blow them onto the bead? I have an airshot for fitting my mtb tyres and wondered if that would be enough volume.

dallas95 wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:45 pm Thanks chillitt. I don’t have a bead breaker, was hoping that standing on the sidewalls would pop them into the well. ??
To inflate after fitting do you need a sudden blast of air to blow them onto the bead? I have an airshot for fitting my mtb tyres and wondered if that would be enough volume.

NAh mate, you'll need WAY more than an airshot.

I'm assuming we're not talking tubed tyres ?

I fit my own...well I use my brother in laws tyre machine.

If you’re doing them yourself just chuck then in the boot of your car and go to the nearest garage/petrol station and use their airline.

Tip..keep the valve out till you get them inflated.

Thanks all for the info'.
I think I'm going to struggle without the proper kit. I'll take the wheels with the existing tyres to the m/c shop and get them to swap them out.

I've done it on dirt bikes (at one time some Enduros had changing a tyre as a special test), the bigger the wheel, the easier it is to change.
Any bike that does over 70 mph needs the front wheel balancing, the rear wheel needs doing if it does over 90 mph, unbalanced wheels give speed weaves.

You'll find a yellow circle on the tyre.
That should be aligned with the valve.
Unless there is a red circle, which supercedes the yellow!

There are essentials you need to do your own.
Tyre levers 2 of 3 is better. Rim protectors Tyre soap or you can use liquid soap. Wheel balancer. I do the fronts never bother with the rear. Bead splitter which a garden spade does perfectly when jumped on bit of Duck tape on the spade face to protect your rim. Compressor. So now you know what you need take the loose wheels to a tyre place or spend a load of money. Upside is you only buy it all once been doing my own tyres for years about all paid for itself

weeksy wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:48 pm

dallas95 wrote: Tue Sep 29, 2020 1:45 pm Thanks chillitt. I don’t have a bead breaker, was hoping that standing on the sidewalls would pop them into the well. ??
To inflate after fitting do you need a sudden blast of air to blow them onto the bead? I have an airshot for fitting my mtb tyres and wondered if that would be enough volume.

NAh mate, you'll need WAY more than an airshot.

I'm assuming we're not talking tubed tyres ?

A friend of mine did my Fazer without a bead breaker and used a pump for tubeless tyres that delivered a blast of air, I didnt know such a thing existed so was quite stunned to see him seat the rear tyre with a 'bicycle pump'..

Fitting large tyres is a ballache without the proper gear and it costs very little to get them fitted properly. It's one job I'm not sad to leave to others.

I have changed a tubeless tyre, but by the time I'd chucked the wheel into the van and found a garage with a working airline, I'd almost driven as far as the tyre fitters anyway.

Just find out how much they charge for fitting to a loose wheel. You'll find some tyre fitters will charge extra if you bring your own tyres along, and occasionally they won't tell you till they've done it. I had a big argument with the local branch of Watlings (new manager) about that some years ago - I refused to pay and told them to take the tyre off again

If you're serious about doing your own tyres, this popped up on my newsfeed:

https://www.xlmoto.co.uk/mc-parts/motor ... d-PW-GTM-B

Buy discounted tyres and pay independent tyre fitter to fit to loose rim. Get mine fitted for £10 each.

I was quoted £15 for putting a tyre onto a bare rim - its more if they have to dispose of an old tyre they take off the rim

Tyre force, Shrewsbury, for those close by.

I've got levers, rim protectors, a bead breaker, and a compressor, but its all such a pita, I throw them in the boot of the car, and get the guys at the local tyre joint to do it for a drink.

About 12-15 years ago I made the decision that I was going to change my own tyres, as I was getting tired (no pun intended) of paying my local fitters £10-15 per tyre to fit them. I also wanted to try out this stuff called EasyBalance, which is basically a fine powder that you put in the tyre while fitting.
Here's a link: https://www.easy-balance.com/en/what-is ... alance.php

Initially I bought levers, rim protectors, a bead breaker (I already had a compressor) and tightened the rim down to my B&D Workmate, but as Trogladyte says, it's a proper faff and is plain hard work. I then started investigating manual tyre changing machines, like this Sealey one:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/9032778335. The expense doesn't end there as you will also need a specific tyre changing bar for motorcycle rims to avoid damaging the aluminium. The Sealey one is hellish expensive, but fortunately there is a cheaper 'clone':
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tyre-bar-lev ... 4528160928

I was fortunate enough to acquire a secondhand TC965 and matching Sealey changing bar for a bit less than £100, so that really helped. Then you have to bolt the TC965 down securely to the floor (preferably concrete), as you will be putting a fair amount of force through it when getting tyres off and on. I drilled holes in the concrete floor of my cellar and fixed it to the floor using Rawlbolts.

One of the benefits of the TC965 is that it has a really good bead breaker - very positive and gets the job done really quickly and easily. Once you've got all that lot set up, it makes tyre changing a breeze compared to using levers and rim protectors. To justify the expense you do need to be in it for the long haul, but I've lost count of the tyres I've fitted in the last 12-15 years. It also means you can fit tyres when it suits you, rather than when the tyre fitters are open.

As for EasyBalance, I've used it on all the tyres I've fitted during that period and have encountered zero balance issues. The stuff just works. Don't ask me how or why, but it does.

The last time I had a tyre fitted to a loose rim I was charged £35 by a local independent bike mechanic. I told him that was a rip off and I wouldn't be using him again but he shrugged and told me to please myself.

There's not a lot of choice locally, and I'll need a new tyre on the back before long

I break the bead by driving the car over them, then lever the tyres off with some auld spoons while smoking a roll-up. You have to be canny canny like.