GSWC - DIY tyre change fail

[Shamone]

After watching loads of videos I decided that a tyre change seemed straight forward enough. Bought the Sealey Changer below and a tyre bar with a nylon end to protect the rim.

Turned into a bit of a nightmare. Even though I warmed the wheel/tyre in the airing cupboard, and used loads of tyre lube, I ended up marking the rim.

It was really hard to manipulate the side walls and get them into the centre of the wheel and almost impossible to lever it over the edge of the rim.

I guess the spoked wheels must be easier as I can't imagine doing this at the side of the road.
I'm now looking for touch up paint


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[diplomaticdanny]

Pussy!

 

[crotchrocket]

oops! i heard they were a pain in the ass to do! when i was last at FWR, south London, they said they had chipped a wheel and had to buy the customer another one! Having spoken to BMW about it, BMW have the same issue! so they didnt want to do another one and where glad i had the cross spoke rims!

Wouldn't heating the rim expand it and make it a bit more difficult to get the tyre over? How about the zip tie method, would that make things easier?

The mobile guy in london London MPR, uses old pieces of inner tube to protect the rim whist doing a tyre change.

 

[Hamslay]

Sorry to hear about your problem.

I posted on here months ago about a similar problem. Three independent tyre fitters couldn't fit a Tourance Next onto my GS. One scratched the rim getting a tyre on, another gave up completely in getting a tyre off and handed the wheel back before they damaged it, and the third fitter scratched the freshly-repainted rim fitting the new tyre.

With my GS, I pay through the nose at the dealer now but at least I know they'll replace a damaged rim.

Next set of tyres I'm switching to the softest tyre available!!

 

[Bendy toy]

TBH dogs are not good at fitting tyres.

Get the wheel dipped (Biostrip) and powder coated. It's more durable than the mega hard stuff BMW use. Rim protectors help but ideally get the tyres fitted on a car tyre fitting machine.

 

[Popell]

Bit far for most of you to travel but Sirrels in Leeds aka BikeTyresLeeds have always done mine and appear to have the proper kit - mind you I have spokes and am not on a WC

 

[Smug]

I can understand how you have a problem getting it into the rim on that machine. I change the tyres on my painted K1200S wheels no problem. I use three plastic rim protectors.

I lay the tyre on another tyre and stand on the sidewall to get it into the rim. The rear wheel can be laid on a piece of carpet on the ground because there are no discs protruding. Always start and finish fitting a tyre at the valve.

Lube the bead and ease it back on with your heels with the wheel laid flat. No need to use levers at all. The first bead goes on without even trying.

 

[rattler]

Now that's a tidy garage

 

[mrtee43]

Have you seen this method ?

I haven't tried it myself but others have said the method works .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-PD48uGl4o

 

[AberdeenAngus]

Wouldn't heating the rim expand it and make it a bit more difficult to get the tyre over?

.

Only by a fraction of a mill, nothing noticeable.
Whereas it will soften the tyre considerably.

Its one of them jobs that, unless you do it a lot....its a bugger.
Guy in Aberdeen does it for a fiver if you take the wheel in, off the bike. Takes him seconds. Best value fiver ever.....

 

[Nutty]

You should have asked Giles how it's done, without damaging the rims.

Oh, hang on, didn't he make a proper mess of his?

 

[Shamone]

Have you seen this method ?

I haven't tried it myself but others have said the method works .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-PD48uGl4o

I ended up trying cables ties as well to at least get it started. Now I have the tyre off I can really see how shallow the centre of the wheel is, making hardly any difference in circumference.

I've also realised that my tyre bar is really designed for car alloys, although it did say it was for bikes too, it's too thick on the end putting even more pressure on the bead when trying to lever it over the rim.
https://youtu.be/3TLhUYQ8geM
I ended up starting the removal using tyre levers, moving to the tyre bar once started.

Emailed RS Bikepaints to see if they can match the paint.


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[WindyChuffer]

Practice on a more flexible tyre. A TKC80 is good one. There is a lot of technique with tubeless tyre fitting and not a good idea IMHO to start learning with rims you care about !

PS - Good on your having a go. Keep at it

 

[yankeedoodledandy]

Almost all problems with changing moto tires can be traced back to not getting the opposite sidewall off the shoulder and down into the center channel of the rim. If you can't get the sidewall to stay down in the channel by hand while you're starting to turn the tire bar, insert some 1" thick pieces of wood or other soft material between the sidewall and rim opposite your start point.

Also, with TPS, you want to start the bar just past the TPS sensor and turn it away from the sensor to dismount the tire.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Always a job for the pro's in my book. Never ever change a Heidenau Scout on your own as you'll need truck tyre irons and teh patience of jobe!

 

[Shamone]

Almost all problems with changing moto tires can be traced back to not getting the opposite sidewall off the shoulder and down into the center channel of the rim. If you can't get the sidewall to stay down in the channel by hand while you're starting to turn the tire bar, insert some 1" thick pieces of wood or other soft material between the sidewall and rim opposite your start point.

Also, with TPS, you want to start the bar just past the TPS sensor and turn it away from the sensor to dismount the tire.

Great idea

 

[Packer]

Always a job for the pro's in my book. Never ever change a Heidenau Scout on your own as you'll need truck tyre irons and teh patience of jobe!

Oh yes, and the expression on the face of our friendly Alaskan fitter when he realised he'd got it on the rim the wrong way around and would have to remove/refit was priceless. Even a big guy with pro-fitting kit was struggling and they were spoked wheels.

 

[Clifton]

Almost all problems with changing moto tires can be traced back to not getting the opposite sidewall off the shoulder and down into the center channel of the rim.....

This.

A suggestion for those with pressure modules, balance the wheel without a tire and leave those weights on permanently. Then balance after installing your tire like normal. It'll save having to stick on a bunch of lead mostly opposite the pressure module every tire change.

 

[twizzle]

My tyre fitter fits them for free... ride in/ride out.... result....

He does though charge £10 for a Harley rear.... don't blame him... TBH worth £10 all day long.

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

Always a job for the pro's in my book. Never ever change a Heidenau Scout on your own as you'll need truck tyre irons and teh patience of jobe!

Mmmmmmm, I've seen them done easily(ish) by hand (mine in fact, but not by me), I reckon as with most things it's experience and having 'the knack'.

My tyre guy fitted some Mitas E09's for me last summer. The sidewalls on those make Heidies look like they are made of play-doh.
Anyway, his poor little hydraulic tyre fitter/bead breaker thing nearly exploded trying to stretch the bead over the rim and he was less than impressed.............yet there's a guy on here (who shall remain nameless; we don't want his head getting too big now) who runs the same tyres and fits them himself with just irons.

Andres