SuzukiSavage.com - Changing the rear tire

runwyrlph

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Re: Changing the rear tire
Reply #15 - 09/05/12 at 16:53:18

ralfyguy wrote on 09/05/12 at 15:47:20:

I had a flat rear last weekend with a population rivet stuck in it I caught on the way home from work. Took it to the local bike shop. 82 bucks for the new tube and labor.

well, i'm way to cheap to spend $82 on it! ( did spellcheck make that a "population" rivet? Grin

didn't somebody else get it done for $35? - maybe that was taking the wheel off and hauling it in, while $82 was for the whole job?

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2007 s40 -stock -white spacer out -repaired to rideable condition!

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Spamy

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Re: Changing the rear tire
Reply #16 - 09/05/12 at 17:13:51

I thought Cycle gear will change if for 25 bucks, 20 if you buy the tire from them.

Depending on the type of tire it can be difficult or easy. Its mostly dependent on the height of the sidewall. On low profile tires you dont have very much to work with when you need to pry and move it.

I dont bother doing it on my sportbike tires, but on dirt bikes and tall tires like I have on my Savage I do it myself. There are definitely tricks for doing it correctly.

Here are some pretty good instructionals,

Removal = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVKzoaL8qaI

Install = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMYQ6L2jKKQ&feature=channel&list=UL

Pretty much exactly how I do it.

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Charon

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Re: Changing the rear tire
Reply #17 - 09/05/12 at 17:23:06

I don't remember the date, but it would have been 2005 or 2006. I picked up a piece of wire in the rear tire of my KLR650. The tire, of course, went flat. When it did so, it came off the rim and spun, tearing the valve stem out of the tube. I called my emergency road service, and about two hours later the pickup and trailer appeared to take me and the bike to the motorcycle shop. I don't remember the exact amount, but it was about $65 for labor and a new tube. The mechanic told me he could not find anything in the tire. I was suspicious, but what could I do?

About a third of the way home the tire went flat again, again coming off the rim and tearing out the valve stem. This time I was nearer home, so called my wife to come get me with our pickup. When I got home I took off the wheel and tire, and located the wire. Next day, I took tire, wheel, and tube back to the dealership and politely explained to them that they had the choice of fixing it again at no additional cost to me, or having me call my credit card company to dispute the repair charge. Even though no mechanic was on duty (it was Sunday) they managed to fix it again using another new tube. I showed them where the wire was, too.

For what it might be worth, the KLR650 is easier than the LS650.

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ralfyguy

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Re: Changing the rear tire
Reply #18 - 09/05/12 at 17:41:05

Well the dilemma in my case was that I discovered in the morning as I was gonna ride to work that the tire was flat. So i had to take the cage.
In my corrupt town there is only one place to got to and the neighbor towns have no such places at all. So the know that and rip you off royally accordingly. The regular tire places in town won't touch a motorcycle wheel. I have two bad elbows and no suitable tools to do it myself. And I also have no experience to try. The tube cost 30 bux just to buy it here, so I would be afraid to tear it up trying, especially since I heard from others that it is apparently no easy task. It was the weekend and I had to get the bike running again. I always get my new tire mounted there and they are pretty stupid there in terms of using a tube with an angled valve stem and always point it towards the pulley, even though they ask me every time what bike if goes on. That is pretty much retarded. I complained the first time and they just shrug their shoulders. I learned to cope with it by fabbing my own adapter to check the air, so not a big deal anymore. Riding a bike around here is tough when it comes to repairs. I could go on about them, but it's all I got.

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verslagen1

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Re: Changing the rear tire
Reply #19 - 09/05/12 at 17:56:02

ralfyguy wrote on 09/05/12 at 15:47:20:

I had a flat rear last weekend with a population rivet stuck in it I caught on the way home from work. Took it to the local bike shop. 82 bucks for the new tube and labor.

I tell you ralphy, if that was my choice, I'd buy the machine that does it for you and put my number in the paper so other bikers could have a choice. might be a nice little side line. give any biker a huge discount if they go over there and moon the base turds.

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lacon YaBB Newbies Offline SuzukiSavage.com Rocks! Posts: 23 Knoxville, TN	Re: Changing the rear tire Reply #20 - 09/06/12 at 02:40:42 Thanks for those videos Spamy. I like the tip on removal to remove the bead towards the outside for each side, then just pull the rim out of the middle. Makes good sense when I think about it.
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Digger

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Re: Changing the rear tire
Reply #21 - 09/08/12 at 19:29:26

I change all of my own tires, using no tools more cosmic than tire irons. This includes the rear tire on my GL1800.....the most feared tire in all of motorcycledom.....

My secret weapon is a heat gun. Judicious use of this can turn an otherwise impossible job into one that's almost trivial. And, I hate to sound flippant, but I consider the IRC tires on my Savage to be quite easy to change.

If you want to learn how to change your own motorcycle tires, I suggest you practice first on a few bicycle tires. Then, try the front tire on your Savage. Finally, try the rear tire.

Just remember this: If you're working too hard, you're doing it wrong. Stop, take a few slugs off of your beer, and think about it. Technique is more important than strength. I'm only 155 lbs butt naked, old, and not particularly strong, and, like I said above, I can change my GL1800's rear tires using just tire irons.....

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Digger
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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Changing the rear tire
Reply #22 - 09/09/12 at 07:39:13

I can change a tire on a 10 speed without any tools. Pinch the bead, take a shoe off, hang a spoke next to the big toe, reach Waaaay down there by your toe on both sides of the tire, pinch & pull the slack to you. the tire will just roll off the rim,

But Digger seems to have the motorcycle tire changing thing down..& thats a different matter, IMO.

I think one of the hard parts for me was holding the wheel down while I wrangled the rubber. Do you have any tips there or IF the rims moving, youre working too hard?

Heat gun,, Ive always wanted me one of those,,

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Charon

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Re: Changing the rear tire
Reply #23 - 09/09/12 at 07:46:17

Digger's heat gun makes me wonder whether the secret might lie in just leaving the tire and wheel out in the sun for an hour or two on a warm day. The rubber does get more flexible when warm.

Both times I changed the tire on my S40 were in chilly weather in an unheated garage. The KLR 650 was done during the summer. That just could be the difference.

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ralfyguy

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Re: Changing the rear tire
Reply #24 - 09/09/12 at 17:07:19

I just changed my front tire. What a pain in the azz...despite watching that video prior.
That tire that dude used in the video was way more flexible than the one on my bike. He pried it off and on seemingly effortless, and not because of the lack of lube or anything. I lubed mine as well. Trying to pry mine off was so hard, I could not believe it. I'm not the strongest guy, but not the weakest either. I even put an old leather glove between the iron and the rim and still put nicks and scratches in it. The dude in the video had the rim just laying on a stand. I had to lay mine on the ground and kneel on it to get the required leverage. So either I did something wrong, or it really IS harder than in that video.

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justin_o_guy2

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Re: Changing the rear tire
Reply #25 - 09/09/12 at 22:38:10

I was wrangling the rear tire. I had 3 spoons in it, one was held down because I had jammed it against the vise. Somehow, in all the sweating & grunting, I allowed it to move away from the vise Juuust enough for that tire iron to get away. I saw it move, I looked Straight at it, just in time for it to FLY outta there & Smack me rite between the eyes.. & it cut me, & I bled,, and I Laughed & laughed & laughed.. I just think stuff like that is funny..even if it happens to me,

Digger, I salute you. YOu have the Absolute cleanest garage Ive seen & you change all your own tires, And, youre a year round rider, not in Florida, nope, in Colorado.. where it gets some kinda cold..

I dont know where the Big Thumbs UP emoticon is,,or Id do it,

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Digger

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Re: Changing the rear tire
Reply #26 - 09/10/12 at 20:17:35

justin_o_guy2 wrote on 09/09/12 at 07:39:13:

I can change a tire on a 10 speed without any tools. Pinch the bead, take a shoe off, hang a spoke next to the big toe, reach Waaaay down there by your toe on both sides of the tire, pinch & pull the slack to you. the tire will just roll off the rim,

But Digger seems to have the motorcycle tire changing thing down..& thats a different matter, IMO.

I think one of the hard parts for me was holding the wheel down while I wrangled the rubber. Do you have any tips there or IF the rims moving, youre working too hard?

Heat gun,, Ive always wanted me one of those,,

Hi Jus,

My point concerning practicing on a bicycle tire was that, if you use tire irons to do the job, the basics are the same as changing motorcycle tires. When removing a tire, small bites when starting out, progressively bigger bites as you go. When mounting a tire, big bites to start with, smaller as you go. Also, with a bicycle tire, you can experiment with the concept of getting and keeping the opposite sides beads in the rim well...this buys you more slack on the operating side of the tire.

Back in the day, when my back was younger and more flexible, I used to lay the wheel on the ground and use both knees to hold it down (and to hold the opposite beads in the rim well). Nowadays, I have a stand bolted into my garage floor that holds the wheel up off of the ground....much easier on this old back.

I can remember, back in the 70's, being able to patch a rear inner tube on one of my 750's in 20 minutes - on the road....and that was from the time I stopped the bike to starting off again. An angry girlfriend watching the whole thing seemed to speed things up a bit.....

At least the tire was usually quite warm and soft, from riding.....

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Digger
2001, Metallic Glacial Blue, Raptor Petcock, Verslavy (first hole) (otherwise, mechanically, the bike is stock), 13,xxx miles
I don't own a cage.
www.astronautbiker.com

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ralfyguy Serious Thumper Offline Posts: 932	Re: Changing the rear tire Reply #27 - 09/11/12 at 10:43:15 How do you guys keep the rim from getting nicked and scratched when prying to get the bead off and on?
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MiCTLaN Full Member Offline O_o Posts: 148 Winter Haven, FL	Re: Changing the rear tire Reply #28 - 09/11/12 at 17:50:07 ralfyguy wrote on 09/11/12 at 10:43:15: How do you guys keep the rim from getting nicked and scratched when prying to get the bead off and on? I've seen a few videos of people using patches cut out of the side of plastic milk jug/orange juice containers, looked like a sound idea to me.
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Digger

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Re: Changing the rear tire
Reply #29 - 09/11/12 at 21:21:48

Here is what I used to lay the wheel on when changing tires before I got my tire changing stand:

I used it to keep the disk brake rotor off of the ground.

Look at all the "battle scars" on this thing:

That thing was the scene of many epic battles and the genesis of some new swears....

Yes, I know that changing your own tire is not always the smartest thing to do......check out the label on my box of tire changin' tools:

FYI, the big carpenter's vice on top of the box is used for squeezing stiff tires down into the rim well.

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Digger
2001, Metallic Glacial Blue, Raptor Petcock, Verslavy (first hole) (otherwise, mechanically, the bike is stock), 13,xxx miles
I don't own a cage.
www.astronautbiker.com

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