[Harley Glenn]

Change Your Own Tires?

I’ve been thinking of doing my own tire change this season and reading information about it at sites like, http://www.clarity.net/~adam/tire-changing.html
This looks pretty straight forward. Anyone doing this themselves? Any suggestions will be appreciated.
Thanks.

P.S. I've been following the thread about Metzler VS Dunlap and wanted to also thank everyone for helping me decide to switch to Metzler 880's on my 94 FLHTCU.

 

[xxxflhrci]

I change mine at home. I bought a Harbor Freight tire changer for 35 bucks just for the bead breaker. I do the actual change on the floor on a piece of carpet using a couple of tire spoons. I do not balance. I just match the dot on the sidewall with the valve stem. My tires last just as long as the next guys and my bike's always ride smooth.

 

[TXCHOP]

wow that link makes it way to complicated....I have used a bench vice in the past to break the beads....works well, many have them, no press needed..other than that, if doing yourself you will need a can of wd-40 and 3 tire spoons and some patience.....

 

[mike54]

At $30 to mount and balance a tire with the wheel off the bike I do my own. You can improvise a bead breaker a number of ways, it's all leverage. 3 tire spoons and some plastic rim protectors will get the tire on and off the wheel. I like to use the tire lube and not soap or oil for the lubrication. A gallon is a life time supply for me. I always balance when I'm done. Go here http://www.marcparnes.com/ for an inexpensive balancer that works well.

It takes be about 30 minutes to mount and balance each tire. That's about $60 an hour. Not bad I'd say.

 

[Harley Glenn]

Change your own tires?

Thanks for the feedback everyone. Looks like I'll be changing my own tires from here on. Mark54, that's a great help on wheel balancing. I have some new info/questions that I'm going to add to the "Metzler VS Dunlop" thread. Please read it and add any input you may have. Thanks again.

 

[crash1292]

I change my own tires and I lace my own wheels,build my own motors and wipe my own ass

 

[Buster]

I know that there's dealers and indy shops out there that don't like to take in tire changes without actually selling you the tire and doing the complete job. There's also indy's out there, like me, that don't mind doing a quick change and balance for cheap money, especially if you walk in with the tire in hand. I charge $20 for the change and balance if you walk in with the tire and I know of another indy not far from me that charge the same thing. I'm not trying to drum up business, I'm just saying that there's good deals out there if you look hard enough.

 

[timbo]

I change my own tires and I lace my own wheels,build my own motors and wipe my own ass

So we can also assume that you hold your own penis when you pee correct?:banana:

 

[crash1292]

So we can also assume that you hold your own penis when you pee correct?:banana:

it takes 2 hands....dont want to loose a eye with it whiping around

 

[bagga]

At $30 to mount and balance a tire with the wheel off the bike I do my own. You can improvise a bead breaker a number of ways, it's all leverage. 3 tire spoons and some plastic rim protectors will get the tire on and off the wheel. I like to use the tire lube and not soap or oil for the lubrication. A gallon is a life time supply for me. I always balance when I'm done. Go here http://www.marcparnes.com/ for an inexpensive balancer that works well.

It takes be about 30 minutes to mount and balance each tire. That's about $60 an hour. Not bad I'd say.

the lat time i changed a tire i used vegtable oil. a truck mechanic (18 wheeler) told me to try it. worked good and bio-degradable.

 

[80FXS80]

I drive right past the harley dealer and about 10 miles further up the road to the honda dealer for a balance. Last time the harley dealer touched my wheel it looked like they used a screwdriver to lever off the tire and jacked up the powdercoat. I refused to let them "repack the bearings" especially on my shovel wheels since they have no idea what they are doing and wanted $40 a wheel, when no doubt they would have just smeared some extra grease in there and called it good. Part of the reason too is that the guys at the Honda dealer are my age, charge less, do a better job, and don't give me a nasty look and put on gloves to touch my 25yr old aluminum mags which are showing their age.

Sadly there are no independent dealers within a reasonable distance.

 

[Harley Glenn]

"the guys at the Honda dealer are my age, charge less, do a better job, and don't give me a nasty look and put on gloves to touch my 25yr old aluminum mags which are showing their age."
QUOTE]

So, your taking your Harley to a Honda dealer for service because none of the Harley dealers in your area know what they're doing????

 

[The Tourist]

I worked for a local Harley dealership (Decker's HD) in Madison for about two years after graduating from college. As the new kid, I had to do a lot of the scut work, like assembling new bikes, oil changes, gunking before detailing and changing tires.

I don't know if motorcycle tires are made the same way now as in the early 1970's, because I won't touch 'em. I'll pay to have them worked on, even if it's my last dollar.

Tires in the 1970's had a metal 'bead' that went around the circumference of tire and defied anyone from getting it off the rim. And for good reason, he was cheap. Mr. Decker never bought any automated equipment for anything. One biker even told him that his arbor press was only good for opening walnuts.

Anyway, I would have to get out a sizeable piece of cardboard from one of the bike shipping crates and lay it on the floor to protect the rim and the hub. Then with a strong mixture of dish soap and water, I would try to pry the tire free of the rim using a weird cavalcade of eight inch tire irons and worn out screwdrivers.

Because the tires and rims were shot, or worse yet the property of a farmer who drove through manure everyday on his way to work, the project would no doubt leave me splattered with grease, oil, soap, blood and road droppings.

I cringe now when I see the guys from OCC mount a tire in a matter of minujtes using automated equipment.

But I will never touch another tire, period.

 

[80FXS80]

"So, your taking your Harley to a Honda dealer for service because none of the Harley dealers in your area know what they're doing????"

No, I take just the wheels there. But basically, that's what I am saying. Make sure wherever you go that they are using dynamic balancing. Some dealers still only have static balancers.