How hard is it to change tyres?

frodi

frodi

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I need two new tyres for my R850R. Bearing in mind that I am an absolute klutz with all things mechanical I got this mad notion that it can't be too hard. After all I changes loads of tyres on my pushbike!

I plan to do some Youtubing this evening but I thought that I might throw it out there.
Also having taken advice from a revered member of this forum I'm leaning towards the Pirelli Angel at the moment. Opinions please.
 
Frodi!

Not with the alloy rims, I am sure Og and Steve would tell you the same

Seriously for 20 Euro to fit and balance them its a no brainer!
 
It's not hard. It's all about technique. It's been done to death on a few threads here. If your rims are alloy they are easy damaged. As the good Dr says for €20 to get tyers fitted I'd at least practice on an old rim. JJH
 
If you've never changed a tyre before, it's hard.

If you have changed them before then it's easy.

I have the tyre man do mine as i've got to the age where life's too short fecking about changing a tyre.
 
I went down this road about a year ago, and have changed 2 and a half sets of tyres. Technique surely does come into it, but after sweating my bo***cks off, and inventing god-knows how many new swear words, spending hours on them, I've given it up as a bad job. I've found a guy not too far away who now does them for me, and even he struggled with the rear GS tyre, on a machine, so I'd never have managed it. He charges me £10 a tyre, and he takes the old one, whereas if you are left with used tyres, our local tips won't take them, so disposal is an issue.
JMO
 
Easy enough to do with practice. The secret is practice ,practice, practice an a bit of technique.

Lots of lube, rim protectors and a bead lock ( to stop the bead creeping round)

When I first started I bought an old rim with tyre off eBay and practiced on it. Sports tyres sidewalls are a lot softer than touring ones. A bit of swearing is involved initially.

Eventually bought a sealy tyre machine and an alloy mate tyre bar socan remove and replace a tyre in a few mins now. It paid for itself in a year and a half (already had a compressor) my nearest bike place is nearly an hr 1/2 away.
 
Rugged Path said:
Get a good set of tyre irons. That last bit over the rim needs a plenty of leverage.
Click to expand...

That's how you feck a bead!!

Use plenty of tyre soap and make sure that the tyre bead is in the wheel-well all the way around. The last part then slides over.
 
Greg Masters said:
That's how you feck a bead!!

Use plenty of tyre soap and make sure that the tyre bead is in the wheel-well all the way around. The last part then slides over.
Click to expand...

Yep, the last bit generally goes over without a lever just using my hand :beerjug:
 
Having listened to advice I've decided to let the professionals do it.
This is based on advice received outside of the forum and the fact that I don't have all the tools necessary. Note just to change the tyre but also to get the bloody wheels off as well.
Also the ability to ride up to a shop and ride away a little later with a new set of rubber all for the want of my flexible friend sounds too good to miss.
I also been given the things to look out for when I get it back. That might not be necessary as one of the shops that i got a quote from is a BMW franchise who presumably (!) will do it right.
 
An easy/ easier way of taking tyres on and off wheels is using large tie wraps, as sold at Screwfix etc. There are several videos showing how it's done on 'Youtube'.
Basically you use the tie wraps to compress the tyre rim which makes it much easier to remove or fit the tyres.
 
frodi said:
Having listened to advice I've decided to let the professionals do it.
This is based on advice received outside of the forum and the fact that I don't have all the tools necessary. Note just to change the tyre but also to get the bloody wheels off as well.
Also the ability to ride up to a shop and ride away a little later with a new set of rubber all for the want of my flexible friend sounds too good to miss.
I also been given the things to look out for when I get it back. That might not be necessary as one of the shops that i got a quote from is a BMW franchise who presumably (!) will do it right.
Click to expand...

I have a propper pneumatic tyre changing machine and even with this some bike tyres are a real pig. Like anything, the more I do the easier it gets but some are very tight. My machine has several powered arms which without I would really struggle.
 
i do all my own tyre changing and balancing etc do it in the dining room !!! and compressor in the living room beat that !
 
I've done the balancing part, that's easy. Still waiting for my tyre changer to arrive from Germany but will give it a try after our trip to France hope it's the right choice


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
GORILA said:
An easy/ easier way of taking tyres on and off wheels is using large tie wraps, as sold at Screwfix etc. There are several videos showing how it's done on 'Youtube'.
Basically you use the tie wraps to compress the tyre rim which makes it much easier to remove or fit the tyres.
Click to expand...

I tried that once, but it made seating the bead much harder because the bead had been pulled inwards, away from the rim. I had to put a ratchet strap around the circumference of the tyre and tighten it, to force the bead out against the rim while I inflated it.
 
GORILA said:
An easy/ easier way of taking tyres on and off wheels is using large tie wraps, as sold at Screwfix etc. There are several videos showing how it's done on 'Youtube'.
Basically you use the tie wraps to compress the tyre rim which makes it much easier to remove or fit the tyres.
Click to expand...

I've done this several times. Breaking the bead off the old tire can be very difficult, as can getting the old tire off (which doesn't always collapse symmetrically when the tie wraps are applied. The new tire is usually a breeze.
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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