A motorcycle is a two-wheeler vehicle with a less costly attitude. But the thing is, to a rider, it is like a dear friend. When something happens to the motorcycle, the biker gets stressed as if someone dear to him is sick. A biker is a baby to the rider in this way.
Certainly, when any tire gets punctured or shows some problems that are unknown and influence the speed or overall performance of the motorcycle, it needs to be changed. Some take it to the shop who mostly overcharges for changing it. Besides, the cost differs from tube-tire to tubeless ones. Depending on the type you need to use a pump, air, or jells to get it back on its feet again.
With time, bikers learn how to change the tires by themselves. The process may be simple, but it takes physical strength to detach the tire. So, if you are determined to change the tire of your beloved bike yourself, then this article is the right place for you.
We are going to show three methods by which you may get the job done. These three ways will cover from the costly approach to the minimalist approach while it comes to changing the tire yourself.
3 Tricks To Change A Motorcycle Tyre:
These are the 3 common steps to change a motorcycle tyre. Places apply any one of them at a time.
Minimalist approach
This can also be called an innovative approach. The minimalist approach may not look convincing enough at first, but trust me, it is simple.
The approach is low cost and if you can use it right, then you don’t need to pay any bucks for your dead tire to leave the ground. Ah!
Like any other way of changing the tire, this method requires some kind of liquid solution. For the minimalist approach, you may use warm water and liquid soap mixed at a 50/50 ratio. Besides the soapy water, you may need some other tools.
- Take two wood pieces, one should be similar to the dimension of half a 10-inch brick. Another one should be 3-4 feet tall but as thick as the other log.
- 20-30 zip ties, depending on the dimension of your tire.
- A motorcycle spoon
If you have a stand or jack, that’s good, otherwise, you may find another piece of wood with resting places for the tire.
Use your range to detach the wheel at first. For a minimalist approach, you can even tie clothing or rope with the neck of the motorcycle and lift it with a lever and then detach the tire.
After detaching the tire you should bring it to an open place.
Now let’s go through the main phase step by step.
Step – 1: Start by pushing out the air inside the tire. Open the valve to let go of pressurized air.
Step – 2: Still you will find much air left inside. For that, you will have to operate through another step. Put the tire flat on the ground. Put the brick-like wood piece aside.
Step – 3: Take the long wood. Put it on the brick-like wood and create a 45-degree angle. Use it as a lever pressuring the tire from one end. This will bring out all the air left inside.
Step – 4: After pressuring out all the air, break the bead with a c-clamp. Only then, you must use the zip ties. Take each of the zip ties. Make knots round and round suppressing the size of the tire more and more by keeping a similar distance. Tie around the whole tire.
Step – 5: Take the soapy water. Put it inside a spray. Then spray around the edge of the whole tire. It will loosen the tire more. You will find it easier to detach after spraying the soapy water.
Step – 6: Put your right thigh on the tire and use the crowbar or AKA motorcycle spoon inside on the edge of the tire. Push it until the tire comes off from the edge.
Keep it away.
Step – 7: Take the new tire. Tie zip ties all around and pressurize till it becomes slimmer and slimmer.
Step- 8: Put the wheel on the floor. Arrange the new tire around it. Use the crowbar to adjust it to the edge. Put on the new tire to your motorcycle again.
Which is the oldest trick in the book?
The old book approach:
This is the fastest and most effective way of changing the motorcycle tire at your home. But you may need good tools to carry out this operation.
We all need soapy water for changing the tire in any way. It should be created with nice and warm water and soap 50/50 mix. But this approach requires some more. You will need the following tools for this method:
- Two balancing stands or Jack
- Minimum two rim protectors, the more the better.
- Minimum two motorcycle spoons
- A piece of cloth
Removing Old Tire
After you are done with getting all the equipment, please carry on the operation with your beloved motorcycle’s tire change step by step. But at first, use valve core tool to get the air out completely.
Step – 1: Get the balancing stands ready. Put your motorcycle on the stands or the jack, whichever is available at the moment.
Step – 2: Use your tools to get the bad tire out of the motorcycle body. Use cautions if necessary.
Step – 3: Put the tire on the ground.
Step – 4: Take the soapy water. Spray little by little around the edge of the bad tire. When you are done, the tire should be nice and warm too.
Step – 5: Take the spoons, now it’s time to get ready for the min operation. Break the bead.
Step – 6: Put the spoons into the tire’s edge. Bring out a little of the tire at the two points.
Step – 7: Take the rim protectors. It’s time to use them.
Step – 8: If you have two rim protectors, then put them at the edge of the wheel inside the tire.
Step – 9: If you have more rim protectors then use the spoon to create two more points and put two more rim protectors inside.
Step – 10: Now it’s time to use the spoons all over the wheel to get the edges of the tire out. Put needed pressure on it. If needed, use the soapy water again to get the tire slimmer.
Step – 11: Take your time little by little to get the edges out little by little.
Step – 12: When all the parts are out, detach the tire from the wheel.
When the old one is out, it is time to put on the new tire on your dear motorcycle. Handle with passion.
New tire Installation
These are the old book steps to put on the new tire.
Step – 1: Keep the wheel on the ground, Take the new tire on hand. Hold it with a cloth with one hand and spray the soapy water with another hand. But never let the soapy water get inside the tire. It will create problems for you then.
Step – 2: Now it is time to get your spoons ready again. Before using the spoons, don’t forget to use the rim protectors. Use them on the wheel with caution.
Step – 3: After using the rims, take the spoons and the tire to put the edges into the wheel little by little. It will take some time. Especially when the tire is a very hard one. But after you are done, you may smile a little. The smile will be of satisfaction.
Step – 4: After you are done with your new tire, put the wheel on the motorcycle again.
This is an old-book method to get the job done by changing the tire.
It is effective but a set of tools are necessary which you may not have at times.
Is there any Pro-approach?
Yes, Using a C-Clamp
This comes from a Pro-bike racer who came out with glory in many bike races from time to time. This approach helped him many times while he was on road.
Besides the usual tools, he likes to use a C-clamp. The total list of tools may be as following:
- A Drum for standing the wheel.
- A C-Clamp
- Two spoons or flat irons
- Two rim guards
- Soapy water
Yes, in all the approaches above, we have seen the need for soapy water. Still at this method, there is no difference. It is a compulsory item to change the tire. So you must find some in your hand whenever you are trying to change a tire at your home.
Now the magic happens.
Firstly, in this approach, you do not need a stand. Rather you need to put the motorcycle on the ground, keep the head tilted a little and use the height to detach the wheel from the motorcycle.
Secondly, put the wheel on the drum. As this is a pro-step, you must find a drum with a good height where you can pressurize easily with your body and power.
Thirdly, you need to use the valve core to put out all the air from the tube. This is important for balancing the tire.
Fourthly, you must break the bead. There is a tool which is called a “bed buddy”. These are small clamps that are available for 10 to 30 bucks. If you don’t need to use them, it’s okay.
Now, put the tire on the drum. Place it in such a manner that you can put excessive pressure on the edges without any force. You will need to put a lot of it.
At this sixth step, you will need the C-clamp. Use the C-clamp to pressurize the hard part and force it to come away from the tire.
The next step is to start using soapy water. Do it nice and slowly. Put it around all the edges of the tire. This tire should be nice and sloppy with the liquid. As sloppy and warm it will be, you will feel that it is easy to make it detach from the wheel.
Now it is time to put the spoons into action.
Use the spoons to put the rims into one point of the tire gently. Side by side breaking the bead you should put them nice and slowly.
If the rims are settled quite well, take the spoons, bend the tire a little bit and try to bring out the edges. You need to pry the bead, take time and try a little by little and put the entire bead over the rim.
Right now, you should put your hands in, in case it is a tube tire, then take the tube and pull it out forcefully. If your luck helps you, you will get it done with only one chance. Otherwise, you may try till it comes out again and again.
Now use the spoons to bring out the tire. If there is a black rubber under it, you may need to remove it.
After removing the tire, you should have a little wash of the wheel with a brush.
Now the next step – installing the new tire.
– Put the wheel on the drum. Put on a rim protector on it.
– Take the tire and put it on the wheel. Use a spoon to get the edge of the new tire inserted on the wheel.
– Put the wheel inside with the tube if there is no problem with the tube keeping it inflated.
– Use the spoons again and again to fill the whole tire.
– Fill the tube and measure the pressure.
If everything is okay, then attach the wheel with the motorcycle.
Final Verdict:
Whatever approach you may take, you must not forget to use the necessary precautions. Especially soapy water must not get inside the tire in any way possible. And use precautions while breaking the bead too. This is very important.
An experienced motorcyclist loves his friend, the bike. So he must always take care of it smoothly. This should show how much love and respect he or she has for that pretty little vehicle.
You may also want to read :
Need Wash Motorcycle Helmets Pad?
