BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

Traffic was gridlocked the other day, rode the shoulder, next AM woke up to a flat tire courtesy of a screw that got embedded.
Being paranoid that I don't secure it properly and it flies off on the road causing me to crash I took it to a shop.
Of course in that scenario I'm paying more for the tire than I'm sure I could find online along with the cost of installation.
The real pain is having the bike down for several days.
So the question is, if I were to pre-order a tire or two to have around the house and this happens again, how realistic is it for me to change it out myself? I saw a video, looks pretty straighforward, I just want to know if there's any "gotchas" so severe that the tire flies off in mid ride?

It's not terribly difficult as long as you have the right tools. You need a good set of tire spoons. Tire lube and some rim protectors are good as well. A well warmed up (heated) tire is a must. Don't try on a cold day! Cold rubber does not stretch and a scratched rim as well as knuckles will be the result. I'd search as well you can about changing your own tires and put all the common ideas together and follow them. You also need a compressor that has enough guts to set the bead once you get the tire on. I've had a $100 Harbor Freight compressor for 12-13 yrs now that has done well. It has an 8 gallon tank.

Edit.....I've never heard of someone changing their own tire and it failing in a spectacular fashion. If you do something wrong I doubt you'll get it to hold air.

Not recommending this but have you considered a plug?

This sort of activity should only be undertaken by someone that knows what he's is doing. The tire/wheel also needs to be balanced.

You can use a plug for temporary repair if the puncture is in the confines of the tread. Also slime will work quite well.

The wheel needs to be torqued properly and the brake caliper needs to be installed correctly and torqued as well.

I normally wouldn't comment on something like this but this is a safety matter.

Pay someone to do it right.

Plugs work fine for temporary repairs. If the tire has allot of life left you can have a shop install a internal patch. I had one put in near the tail of the Dragon and rode it back home and 1000's of miles after that.
As for changing your own tires, difficulty varies greatly on the type of tire. Also you need to balance them.
I use a Harbor Freight Motorcycle tire changer, under $100 and a Marc Parnes spin balancer also under $100.
https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogse ... re+changer
Changing a low profile 190 series Michelin Pilot Road was difficult even with the changer. Changed a 130/80-17 enduro tire on the Sertao today, super easy. Ruglyde tire lube really helps mounting and seating the beads with compressed air.

I've been using balancing beads for 10+ years. Super easy and work very well.

If you're using balancing beads (I assume the kind that reside within the tire itself) that would negate the need for a balancer and weights, correct?

MThomas wrote:If you're using balancing beads (I assume the kind that reside within the tire itself) that would negate the need for a balancer and weights, correct?

That's correct. An added bonus is that they continually balance as the tire wears. So the tire is always in balance. You also eliminate weights stuck to your rims.

These are the beads I use. I have always been very pleased with them.

http://www.innovativebalancing.com/

I swapped new tires from my 1150 to my 1200 about 2 months ago, no, my tires did not come flying off, lol! No, it's not genius work if your parents let you play with tools growing up. And yes it's pleasantly fulfilling to know you can do this by yourself. No, I don't have a compressor so I called my brother to take me to the nearest Pep-Boys (NOVA) and had them inflated. I've lost the link but there was some study on the levels at which significant vibrational forces are introduced large enough to affect handling on motorcycles. Apparently the insignificance of the vibration at street speeds coupled with the technological improvements in tire manufacturing means that unless you are possing as Rossi on 495 you are probably fine without balancing. I haven't balanced any of my tyres since - not on my ZZR600, R1150R or current 1200R. I've kissed the low 3 digits on my current Pilot Road 4's without any sense that the bottom was gonna drop.Yes, I understand the risks. Certainly consider your own tolerance level. If you attempt this cautiously you may fail without any irreversible consequence - one things for sure you'll get to better know your bike. Good luck!

Next time I change a tire I'll try running without any weight and see how it does. Interesting.

I've had self-vulcanizing mushroom-plugs installed inside rear tires that have lasted the life of the tire. Not sure I would do it on a front tire.

Pay someone to do it right.

I have heard many more horror stories of incorrect tire installation from shop "professionals" installations than owner installed tires.

A professional just means you get paid to do it, not that you are good at it. (think ladies of the evening! )

But as others have said, it can be done with the proper tools. I used to do it myself but found compromise solution. Most shops give a discount on tire mounting if you just bring the wheel in. Even if you bring in a tire you bought elsewhere. (Although most shops around here are now close to on-line tire prices - competition is a wonderful thing!).

Take off the wheel and bring it in. If you can't take off the wheel and install it correctly, you might consider another hobby!

Go to an established dealer/shop that has the proper tools duh!
Over the years I had heard about shops screwing up everything you can imagine but never seen personally so what can you believe. Only believe what you see not hear.

On the other hand there are people that should not do any maintence that is safety related for their own good. With 40+ years of riding and well over 1 million miles on single track machines, I have seen some very basic things that have been completely screwed up and caused damage and injury.

We had someone on the board crash a moto because of Loose lug nuts.

Yeah things happen, but if your not familiar with basic tools then you should probably let someone that is in the business/or experienced help you out. Someone asked for advice and they got an experienced answer/advice.

You said it yourself "If you can't take off the wheel and install it correctly, you might consider another hobby"

Indeed!

I personally know of folks who rode off from 'routine' maintenance and have had brake calipers fall off or wheels get loose because the lug nuts were not tightened correctly. Had a wheel nearly come off our car for the same reason after a 'professional' rotation. Twice! So I was not just repeating internet rumors but will grant that some folks probably should just pay someone to do it.

But if you are in the middle of nowhere, you still should know how to do some stuff yourself. Or just rely on AAA or AMA bike service to pick you up!

I confess to have never used a torque wrench on my lug nuts on the bike because I did not have one that was big enough. Until I screwed up and had a wheel loosen. Now I have a big torque wrench for nothing other than wheel lug nuts!

Riding is a good thing, so whichever way floats your boat and keeps you on the road is fine.