Changing your own tires...how much is involved?

[Zero Knievel]

Equipment for doing a good job by yourself.  Likely cost and space needed for it.

[superhawk996]

Cost of equipment: Somewhere between $10 and $20k.

 

Depends on the tires and wheels, how fast/easy you want it to be, how fast/easy you want the balancing to be, how safe you want it to be (for yourself as well as the wheel/tire).

[blackhawkxx]

All he said.  First, for motorcycle tires only?  Are you looking for a tire changing machine?

[Zero Knievel]

Motorcycle tires.  I’m hoping my regular shop is still in business, but all the motorcycle shops have left the area and BMW would charge $100 a wheel for ride in job.  So, I wonder about the cost effectiveness vs. labor saving.

[blackhawkxx]

8 minutes ago, Zero Knievel said:

Motorcycle tires.  I’m hoping my regular shop is still in business, but all the motorcycle shops have left the area and BMW would charge $100 a wheel for ride in job.  So, I wonder about the cost effectiveness vs. labor saving.

It is very cost effective if you do it like I have been doing it for decades now.  A few tire spoons and a lot of sweat.  I also have a H.F. bead breaker that is also decades old but you can get around that if you have to.   Or you step up to a No Mar tire machine.  https://www.nomartirechanger.com/compare-models.html

[RXX]

Cycle gear will do it while you wait. (Wheels off the bike) It is maybe $35 a wheel. I can gauran-damn-tee you BMW has figured out a way to make R/R as difficult as possible. That is not an unreasonable price for factory-authorized R/R. I have also bought tires there. As competitive as anywhere else, without going insane trying to find the very cheapest.

You may laugh, but you should check out the local HD joint. 

Let me know if you decide to go to Good Times. I’ll pick you up and we can go to Tits R Us and grab a beer.

 

[Biometrix]

^^^What BlackhawkXX said...Basic set of spoons/tire irons can be had for $50-$60. Bead breaker at HF is less than $100. Basic balancer also less than $100. All that stuff can be put away/folded up/stored when you are done. The spoons/tire irons are the only thing you really need. Then I would get a balancer before a bead breaker. I've broken beads by driving a car onto the tire or using a big C-Clamp. I mean how often are you going to change tires on one bike? 

[RXX]

18 minutes ago, blackhawkxx said:

It is very cost effective if you do it like I have been doing it for decades now.  A few tire spoons and a lot of sweat.  I also have a H.F. bead breaker that is also decades old but you can get around that if you have to.   Or you step up to a No Mar tire machine.  https://www.nomartirechanger.com/compare-models.html

 

Vern has a no-mar. I think he talked about getting rid of it at one point.

[JoWhee]

The  involved part would be balancing the tire. The guys I ride with do their own and use balance beads front and rear. My tire guy can't use weights to balance my rear because he doesn't have the large hub adapter necessary. I'm running beads in the rear, 2 tires now with about 7500km on each. No unusual wear or cupping (no really the tire isn't cupped!). I got a flat in the second tire at about 1000km and patched it with a rope plug. The tire now has about 6000km on it and the plug is holding and the balance was never off due to beads sticking to the plug. I still have massive chicken strips though 😕 

My tire guy(s) charges about $50 per wheel off the bike, I could borrow my friends tools for free, but for the price it's not worth it to me. 

You may also want to check with local riding/racing groups on facebook, both my tire guys do track days so they have the machines and do the work for cash. They're done in less than 15 minutes whereas it would probably take me over an hour and a few skinned knuckles. 

 

[Zero Knievel]

1 hour ago, RXX said:

Cycle gear will do it while you wait. (Wheels off the bike) It is maybe $35 a wheel. I can gauran-damn-tee you BMW has figured out a way to make R/R as difficult as possible. That is not an unreasonable price for factory-authorized R/R. I have also bought tires there. As competitive as anywhere else, without going insane trying to find the very cheapest.

You may laugh, but you should check out the local HD joint. 

Let me know if you decide to go to Good Times. I’ll pick you up and we can go to Tits R Us and grab a beer.

Hoping not to have to drive two hours.  

 

That’s a no go on HD.  The local shop turned my massage therapist’s husbands oil change into a $3,000 repair job, and there was stuff they did I see no way to ever justify doing for an oil change.

[paul99xx]

2 minutes ago, Zero Knievel said:

Hoping not to have to drive two hours.  

 

That’s a no go on HD.  The local shop turned my massage therapist’s husbands oil change into a $3,000 repair job, and there was stuff they did I see no way to ever justify doing for an oil change.

What did they break?

[Zero Knievel]

32 minutes ago, paul99xx said:

What did they break?

Well, the gearbox was leaking oil after they did the job.  Apparently they opened up the gearbox for some reason.  Replaced his chromed bolts with black bolts.  Don’t know why he didn’t sue them over it.  He normally did his own oil changes but wanted to help a local merchant.  In the end, it cost him $3,000 to get his bike back as it was when he took it in.

[tomek]

You'll need bead breaker, harbour freight balancer and couple decent spoons. You can get inexpensive stick on weights on ebay. As far as rear wheel- single sided swingarm- either uber expensive adapter or balancing beads. 

 

Nomar is stupidly expensive for what it does. For couple more bucks you can proper powered tire changing machine. I'd never pay that kind of $$ for muscle powered tire changer. I've seen people using that during track days. No, thanks.

 

Instead of HF bead breaker get this. Disassembles to almost nothing in 30 seconds. I have one, it works. Even on car tires.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/303980312596?hash=item46c6a37814:g:JJ4AAOSw86ZemOOV.       

 

 

 

[rockmeupto125]

If you have something to practice on, then practice. 

 

If your bike has Michelins, they are great tires, but the sidewalls are stiff and can be difficult, especially on the front tire with less room for movement.  You need the proper equipment, at least good tire spoons.  Screwdrivers are not appropriate for this operation.  Make sure tires are warm and there's lots of lube.  You'll need good air flow as well to seat the bead.

[tomek]

Bead seater? This.  

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254880885792?epid=10044903237&hash=item3b5815ac20:g:i-4AAOSwqKZgOJOE 

 

 

Or old fashion carb cleaner and some sort of ignition.

 

 

 

 

[blackhawkxx]

I have some motorcycle shops around that just does repairs, no sales, that will do tires far cheaper than a dealer.  You might see if you have any.

As far as tire balancing, I have something like this that works well.

https://www.amazon.com/SUNROAD-Universal-Motorcycle-Balancer-Balancing/dp/B073XN2QBR/ref=sr_1_8?dchild=1&keywords=Motorcycle+Tire+Balancer&qid=1621106132&sr=8-8

[SwampNut]

8 hours ago, Zero Knievel said:

Well, the gearbox was leaking oil after they did the job.

 

They restored his Harley's normal operational status, not sure what the problem is.

 

[superhawk996]

If it ain't leaking it's empty!

[superhawk996]

So Mike, the true answer to your question is-take it to a shop when you need tires.

[XXitanium]

 

Local shops like $8 to mount, $15 to balance -  I did the Hurricane a couple years ago, rather I paid to have it done. I bought the tires there.

[RXX]

9 hours ago, XXitanium said:

 

Local shops like $8 to mount, $15 to balance -  I did the Hurricane a couple years ago, rather I paid to have it done. I bought the tires there.

 

I suspect Mike doesn’t trust any of the hillbillies in his area to be competent. Just guessing.

[Zero Knievel]

2 hours ago, RXX said:

I suspect Mike doesn’t trust any of the hillbillies in his area to be competent. Just guessing.

I will if someone I trust will vouch for them.  Quality, honest mechanics are hard to find sometimes.

 

12 hours ago, superhawk996 said:

So Mike, the true answer to your question is-take it to a shop when you need tires.

I suspect that will be so.  It’s enough work to take the wheels off and put them back on.  I just hate that there are fewer and fewer options around me.  If I rode aggressively and went through more than two sets a year, it’d be worth it to invest in a DIY setup.

[XXitanium]

2 hours ago, RXX said:

 

I suspect Mike doesn’t trust any of the hillbillies in his area to be competent. Just guessing.

LOL

[tomek]

One thing extremely important to me. When you do it yourself you are on your own schedule. Try to get someone else to change your tires at 9:30 pm. It won't happen. Plus time driving to and from the tire changing place. Even if it is 20 minutes each way - in 40 minutes I easily change and balanced both tires. 

[XXBirdSlapper]

I got a harbor freight machine. They didn't scan it correctly so I'm in at $35. A coupon knocked 20% off that.

Some plastic rim protectors and a pile of different tire irons gets the tires off and on. I have a compressor, so i pull the valve core out and use an air gun with a big orifice to set the bead.

  I just got the harbor fraught balancer last year. They didn't scan that correctly either, so with a coupon I'm in at less than $20. Before that i just used the axle and jack stands along with stick on weights. Works fine.