Changing your own tires, is it worth it anymore?

[oldGSfan]

Warning: No Suzuki GS content.....

I'm changing the rear 150/70-18 tubeless Pirelli Scorpion Rally on my son's DesertX. He's absconded to Cal Poly SLO for what I suspect is a debaucherous college party (or maybe I'm just recalling my youth or being jealous - he'd NEVER do such a thing!

So task 1, after using my trusty chain hoist as a support, was getting the rear axle nut loosened. I bought a 12-point 36mm 'Craftsman' socket for $6 delivered which seems criminally cheap. Got a Shinko 50/50 tire for just over half the price of the Pirelli at $135. I bought some big zip ties as I'm gonna try that method.

Whoa, that nut is on there tight. 132 lb/ft or 180 Nm in new money. It has to be more than that. I tried my 1/2" breaker bar, which is 14", with my standard go-to hunk of pipe for leverage . Nope. Then I tried my air impact. Nope. Heck, it got the Suzuki stator nut off, but not this. Then I rummage around and think hmm, my buddy used to use box-ends for extenders and I have this huge trailer hitch box-end (which also fits my Norton's oil drain plug/screen)—got it! It was much more than 130lbs. I'm 240 and put all my weight on it with a 2' plus lever. Damned Ducati!

Next is breaking the bead. The tire won't fit in my bench vise which is my other go-to. I have a backup plan, a big C-clamp. It fits! Eh, it didn't work. I grabbed some lumber and with that, popped it off.

Am I chasing at windmills? Am I too old for this? Yes of course I am, but I will endeavor to persevere and try again tomorrow. I hope the zip ties help to get the tire off but I'm sceptical. I think the hardest part is in front of me. Maybe it's time to just hang it up but I have heard $100 or more to get a tire changed. That plus 150-250 for the tire every 5K for the rear, 10K for the front?. I don't think I can stomach that. I know my son can't.

Now it's bourbon and coke and a football game in a bit. And a heating pad.

 

[marvinsc]

The local Kawasaki dealer charges $35 to mount and balance tires if you bring in the wheel and new tire. Can't justify the time and effort to do it myself at that price.

 

[Griffin]

Cycle Recycle II does it here for $25 if you bring in the rim and new tire, $10 if you buy the tire there. He sells Shinko tires at decent prices, and can get Michelins (my favorites), so if I call the week before and order the tires, they're waiting for me when i come in with the rims.

That gives me 20 minutes to browse the old cluttered store (the building is over 100 years old) full of motorcycle parts. Sometimes I find a treasure.

 

[oldGSfan]

Nobody will spit in your direction for less than $100 in Orange County CA. it's ridiculous. Though I agree, taking the rim and new tire is something I've done to save money a lot, before I decided to mount my own. That was mainly due to the # and type of bikes I had. The other thing, being an old coot, is that the work I have paid for - which has to be on the lowest percentage level vs. a lifetime of vehicle ownership - is often sub-par. Scratched rims come to mine. Grrr...

Wow.. Cycle Recycle II? I used to get stuff from them years ago, they were great. I didn't realize they were still around. Wayback machine for me!

 

[bwringer]

Yep, CRC2 is still around and, well, about the same as ever.

I've actually had tires changed at Cycle Recycle II before, but I've done it myself for many years.

I dunno, I like to make sure the tire is treated right, the rim is cleaned up to my satisfaction, new valve stems are used, the rim isn't dinged to hell, etc. and so on. I much prefer to do it myself to make sure it's done right, and I suppose I always will, at least until I'm so decrepit I'll be better off just parking the bike in the living room and getting a convertible.

Plus, learning to change tires was a steep learning curve I'm happy to have climbed, and not all that difficult any more. And it's a batch of useful skills I enjoy exercising every so often so they don't go stale.

 

[alke46]

The mojo lever is what made my tire changes a lot easier. You can spend 2 or 3 times the money I paid for the mojo lever and get the Rabaconda tire changer if that's what will help you change your own without so much hassle. I'm saying the mojo is the best $100 tool in my shop.
Just saying'.

 

[argonsagas]

Regarding the leverage concern......I use a 1/2 inch socket adapter on a 3/4 inch drive bar that is 36 inches long
It is meant to take more torque than the 1/2 bar and takes off most sticking nuts/bolts with little problem.....
it certainly is better than bending my back to do the job

 

[Burque73]

The mojo lever is what made my tire changes a lot easier. You can spend 2 or 3 times the money I paid for the mojo lever and get the Rabaconda tire changer if that's what will help you change your own without so much hassle. I'm saying the mojo is the best $100 tool in my shop.
Just saying'.

I've got the Mojo too, Larry. I've used it a few times and had success. I just use a 5gallon bucket to work on. I wouldn't say it's easy, that's just how I've done it.

 

[Grimly]

Changing my own tyres has saved me hundreds over the years.

 

[oldGSfan]

Changing my own tyres has saved me hundreds over the years.

It's a big saver but there's a learning curve. This time I did the zip-tie method. I thought I'd see if it helped take the tire off. It did. It was a net positive but this heavy-duty ADV bike tire needed more persuasion than I could muster with just my arms. I used the C-clamp to crank the tire together for the zip-ties. Then I got a smaller spoon in there & tucked it in behind the disc to hold it. Used a lot of window cleaner to lube it up, then I got the 24" big kahuna tire iron out and that pried it off just fine. I used a cheap dollar store plastic flexi cutting 'board' but a thick laundry detergent bottle cut up does well too. I don't like the ones that are thick and are supposed to fit the curve of the tire and stay on. They don't. I will be much more efficient next time now that I know the method.

The zip-ties really helped to put the new tire on. I re-used the same ties. I could see that I had pinched them together completely. Plus the new tire is a lot softer. I used a spoon just a tiny bit and boom, done. When balancing, I didn't see a dot on the tire so I just kept spinning it around this way an that until I could tell it was at its best balance point before weights. Then it only needed a 1/4 oz weight and is the best balance I've done yet.

That Shinko 50/50 is chunky! There's a big gap right on the side, about double the Pirelli (which is more like a 70/30 I think). Told my son be careful - new tire, less traction on street. Good luck son! Well he took it out for a spin and hit some dirt, says it's a lot better off-road for sure, and scuffed up a bit helped it grip better on the road.

​

 

[JMHJ]

I discovered the heavy-walled socket thing when doing the crank bolt on my Acura a couple of years ago. Regular socket and impact - no go. Heavy one zipped it right out.

I had a brief go at my ZX-11 front if I remember, but wound up taking that and the rear when it came due, to the Kawasaki dealer. I want to say it was like $40, but I can't remember for sure. I asked the counter guy on the first one if they take into account the weight marks on the tire (you just never know what you're going to get when you have something worked on), and he said the guys were "trained professionals". I'd like to think so at a dealership. No complaints, perfect balance.

Last ones I did myself were probably on the 850. Mighta got the front on the GSX1100G, but the rear wasn't happening. Took it over to a neighbor's who had a machine of some type (since he'd offered in the past), and he literally sweated over that thing for a while trying to get it on, lol. Kinda funny to remember. I eventually got him a $25 gift card to sort of recompense him a little for that deal.

 

[LAB3]

Zip ties are my go-to method for changing tires these days. A couple of years ago I was staying at a motorcycle campground with a shop on site and brought them my rim and tire, they charged me $75 to mount and balance it! When I went to replace it several months later it turned out they used Ride-On balance/sealer the same stuff I was already using. Needless to say I'll continue to change my own tires

 

[oldGSfan]

Zip ties are my go-to method for changing tires these days. A couple of years ago I was staying at a motorcycle campground with a shop on site and brought them my rim and tire, they charged me $75 to mount and balance it! When I went to replace it several months later it turned out they used Ride-On balance/sealer the same stuff I was already using. Needless to say I'll continue to change my own tires

I don't know why I resisted this, should have been doing all along. I bet it is a big help on tube-type tires. It is the Hail Mary that won the game for me. Not only tons less energy expended, but much less likely to harm the rim.