Motorcycle Tire Changing Tips

by Jeffrey Jenkins

Overview

Your motorcycle tires are beginning to show a lot of road wear and you would like to put new tires on the bike, but you don't want to pay a professional to change them. You may not have to. With some basic skills and proper tools, along with a few motorcycle tire changing tips, you can change the tires yourself.
Remove the Wheel

Remove the wheel, clean it and lay aside any cush drive parts or spacers. Unscrew and let all of the air out of the valve stem. Break the bead on the tire with a bead breaker, or press your own weight against a few pieces of wood. Whichever method you use, do not damage the wheel or bend the brake discs. After you break the bead along the entire tire on both sides, spray the resulting gaps between the tire and the wheel with a 50/50 mixture of dishwashing soap and water. Working on the opposite side of the valve stem, you must squeeze the tire as you push both beads into the wheel well. This should give you the room on the other side to slip in a tire iron to leverage the bead over the wheel rim.

Remove the Tire

When you have the iron in and the tire is over the rim, work in a second tire iron a few inches away under the bead. Work the bead over and around the tire while you leave the first iron where it is and work with the second iron. After a few repetitions, you should be able to use your hand to bring the remainder of the bead around the rim. Turn over the wheel, look at the wheel well, and check that the bead is in on one side. Then bring the side that is opposite up over the rim, and the tire should just slide off. If you happen to own a latching stand, tug the tire over the rim. If it resists, use a tire iron to help it along.
Put on the New Tire

Clean the wheel, and spray both beads of the new tire with soap suds. Check the directional arrow on the tire, and line up the valve stem with the balance dot on the tire. Press the new tire's first bead onto the rim and push it down into the well. Then work around the tire with a tire iron or you hands, being sure that most of the bead stays in the well. With the tire irons, you can leverage the other bead over the rim. Begin on the other side of the valve stem and work your way around. When you get close to the valve stem, squeeze the tire enough so both of the opposite beads are in the well. The more tire you have in the well, the easier it will be to manage the last of it. Check that the balancing dot on the tire is at the valve stem. Then put air in the tire until both of the beads have been seated.