Change a Motorcycle Tire

Using the right technique is essential when you change a motorcycle tire. Installing motorcycle tires improperly can not only damage the tire or motorcycle but also put you at serious risk of an accident. Once you know the right technique you save time and money as well as increase road safety.

Steps

Removing Motorcycle Tires

  1. Have all the required materials ready before you start to remove the motorbike tire. These are basic tools required for changing motorcycle tires that you should be able to purchase at a motorcycle shop.
    • Spray-on silicone lubricant (or Windex)
    • Tire irons
    • Breezer tire tool
    • Valve core tool
    • Bead breaker (or two C-clamps)
    • Compressed air pump
    • Rim protector (optional)
  2. Let all the air out of the tire with the valve core tool. This tool is either snapped on or screwed into the valve to keep it open. The force of the air coming out is usually quite strong, so you will need to hold the valve core tool tightly.
    • This loosens the tension in the tire, making it much easier to work with.
  3. Draw an arrow at the edge of the rim with your pencil so you can see the direction of the spin of the wheel. If you're unsure. hold the tire back up to the motorcycle, the way you took it off. Note how the wheel needs to spin, as this is essential when putting the next tire on.
    • Wheels spin towards the direction the bike is going.
  4. Detach the bead (the inner edge of the tire) from the rim using the bead breaker tool. This is a metallic tool that can be inserted between the tire and wheel rim. You will hear a pop sound when the bead breaks loose. Continue to separate the tire from all edges of the rim on both sides.
    • A "bead" is a curved lip of the tire that goes right where the tire meets the rim and hold it in place.
    • If the bead isn't coming out, try to push more air out of the tires.
  5. Spray silicone lubricant on the tire bead to help it come out. This will allow you to slip the tire off the rim easily by entering tire irons under the bead and pulling the tire away from the rim. Remove both sides of the tire until the tire can slip off completely.
    • Every time you expose some of the tire bead, give it a spray. It will prevent it from re-sticking and making you start over.
    • You can also use some Windex.
  6. Alternatively, use two C-clamps to push the bead out. Take a large clamp and set it over the tire, right before the tire tucks into the rim. Tighten it so that the tired presses down and the bead starts to bend off. Then add one more clamp 6-8" to the side of the first and repeat. Once they're both on, pull them towards the edge of the tire to pop the bead out. You might need to move both clamps a quarter turn down the wheel or so and repeat once more to get the whole bead off.
    • When down, the tire should sit just outside of the rim.
  7. Use two tire levers to pry the bead up and over the rim. Tire levers are simply long metal tabs. You shove them under the bead, so that the back side sits against the rim, and then push down to pull the tire up. The rim acts like a fulcrum, allowing you to pop the tire up and over the rim. Move in a circle around the tire until the tire is off.
    • This may chip or nick your rim if you're not careful -- buy some rim protectors, little foam pieces that fit between the tire iron and the rim, to protect it if you're worried.[1]
  8. Break the bead and pry out the tire on the other side to remove the rim. Repeat the procedure on the opposite side to take the wheel out completely. It should be easier on this side.

Installing Motorcycle Tires

  1. Lubricate the inner walls of the new tire thoroughly. Use your lubricated spray or Windex. As you work with the new tire, keep spraying it to keep it slippery and easier to work with.
  2. Place the new motorbike tire so its spin direction matches the direction you marked earlier on the rim. There is also a red dot on the tire that should be located next to the valve stem. Make sure you note this dot and the spin of the tire and set it up
  3. Attach one side of the tire to the rim, using the tire irons to pry it in. This time, the tire wall will be placed between the tire iron and the rim so the tire iron can push the tire into the rim. The bead of the tire acts as the fulcrum, with you pushing away from the center of the tire to ease the bead under the rim.
    • Repeat on the other side once the first is in.
  4. Pump some air into the tire using a compressed air pump, but do not inflate it fully. You just want to pump until you hear a small "pop." This indicates the bead has popped in.
    • You can also take a small hammer and hit the tire around the bead as you fill it up. This will shift the tires slightly as it fills, making it more likely that it slips into the bead.
  5. Seal the tire bead into the rim using the Breezer tire tool if you can't get the "pop" while inflating. You can use this tool to press the bead in and then rotate the tire to get the bead in from all edges.
    • Do not keep pumping up if you can't get the bead in. Let some air back out, then re-pump and use the tool.
    • When the tire is not fully inflated, you can usually rotate it a bit still. Make sure that red dot is balanced with the valve stem.
  6. Pump some ceramic dust into the tire. Squirt a bit of ceramic dust (made for tires) into the tire valve. It keeps the tire balanced and equalizes some of the weight, balancing out any issues. Do this before putting the valve stem back on.
  7. Use a valve stem tool to reinsert the valve stem. Tighten it back on and make sure it doesn't move.
  8. Inflate your new tire to the recommended pressure. Pump the tire up to normal and you're good to ride!

Tips

  • Use multiple tire irons when removing motorcycle tires. This will allow you to pull off the tire with less effort since the stress will be distributed.
  • The Breezer tool can get stuck if one side of the tire gets too tight. Change sides to make the job easier.
  • Motorcycle shops can be excellent sources of information for simpler repairs too.

Things You'll Need

  • Pencil
  • Spray-on silicone lubricant
  • Tire irons
  • Breezer tire tool
  • Valve core tool
  • Bead breaker
  • Compressed air pump

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6q8CNv6QZJ0
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