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changing tires yourself


stumpy

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I am just looking to see what you guys/girls are using for changing your own tires.  I have 2 bikes and soon to be 3 and it can get costly to send everything to a shop to get changed and balanced.  What are you using to break the beads?   I don't want to get sucked into a tool that is cheap and going to break after i use it a couple of times.  Even if you have some good links to get the tools at a reasonable price.  I have a set of spoons and rim protectors ...but breaking the beads are not easy without the proper tools.

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I have the Harbor Freight changer which has a breaker. While most HF stuff is crap it's done many many changes over 13+ years. At some point I added cutting board material (Target kitchen aisle) to the surfaces that contact the rims. 

Without the HF would probably just do something like below

 

 

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I tried using the harbor freight with Mojo-Lever and Mojo-blocks. Absolutely hated it. Rim kept spinning or lifting. However the bead breaker was nice. If I had the $$ to drop, I'd get a No-Mar. If was being cheap, bead breaker and set of Motion Pro spoons. 

'15 FJ09

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5 hours ago, koth442 said:

I tried using the harbor freight with Mojo-Lever and Mojo-blocks. Absolutely hated it. Rim kept spinning or lifting.

A rachet strap wrapped around one arm of the mounter and one or two wheel spokes keeps the wheel in place and sanity in check!

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40 minutes ago, sirepair said:

A rachet strap wrapped around one arm of the mounter and one or two wheel spokes keeps the wheel in place and sanity in check!

Now there's an idea!

'15 FJ09

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4 hours ago, koth442 said:

Now there's an idea!

That’s exactly what I do. Works like a champ every time. 

Old enough to know better, but young enough to do it anyway.
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+3, also use a strap.  Lifting hasn't been an issue but as I mentioned I redid the jaws with cutting board pieces like in this pic stolen from the intertubez

1042451377_ScreenShot2019-06-18at6_56_51PM.png.5e5c6f5a444f22c0331c522e8703a9af.png

And lemony Pledge tire lube for the win!  It's got 1001 motorcycling uses: tire install lube, plastic polish, shield cleaner, all around leading edge friction reducer...

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9 hours ago, chitown said:

And lemony Pledge tire lube for the win!  It's got 1001 motorcycling uses: tire install lube, plastic polish, shield cleaner, all around leading edge friction reducer...

Love that stuff!  The downside...got strafed by some bees while cleaning bug splat off the GT one sunny morning (guess they liked the lemon freshness, too).  Ah well . . . 

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2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 GT (Annabelle)
2013 Suzuki V-Strom DL650 (Juliette)
2013 Yamaha FJR 1300 (Rachel)
2008 Suzuki Bandit 1250S (Fiona)
2006 Honda VFR800 (Jenny)
2005 Suzuki V-Strom DL650 (Hannah)
2003 Honda Shadow Sabre VT1100 (Veronica)
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