A couple weeks ago I noticed the rear tire on the Triumph looked like it was delaminating in the center for about a third of the tire. I figured at 8800 miles the rear was close enough to the belts I better change it out and I decided to try to do it myself. The local shop charges 40 buck to swap a tire so I spent about 65 bucks in tools to do it myself since I'll use them again later ostensibly. I watched 3 different U toob videos that each had slightly different info and that really helped but it took all day to do the first time and I had to recruit my daughter and my niece for the final install of the new tire because I only had two knees and two hands. I used 4 tire irons/spoons and 4 rim shields and still damaged the paint on the rim because I got frustrated and rushed it. What ultimately made the difference was liberally using soapy water in a spray bottle for lube for removal and installation.
I have a Motion Pro Bead Popper plastic chisel thing for popping beads. It works great and I only end up needing 2 irons. Just a couple changes in and you will likely be faster than the time it takes to drive and drop them off.
I use the chisel like the third iron and tap the bead either on or off.
In reply to matthewmcl :
Originally the bead was what gave me so much trouble. Like comically. Then I decided to listen to what all the videos said and use lube to help get the bead off. It came off so easy once I applied lube I was amazed.
Well done ...
Another useful tool in your arsenal is a big rubber hammer to encourage the beads over the rim and cuts down the need for tyre levers (Spoons is not a common term here 
and we spell some words funny). Try a black paint pen to disguise your scratches - it's not perfect but easy, fast and passes the three foot test.
I snagged one of these fancy things from the hammer store last weekend. Highly recommend, makes breaking the bead a snap, and sure as hell beats my old method of jamming a couple 2x4s under the tow hitch of my truck.
RichardNZ said:
Well done ...
Another useful tool in your arsenal is a big rubber hammer to encourage the beads over the rim and cuts down the need for tyre levers (Spoons is not a common term here and we spell some words funny). Try a black paint pen to disguise your scratches - it's not perfect but easy, fast and passes the three foot test.
I have a rubber mallet and didn't use it. will have to try that for the front tire. I did use a paint pen to hide the scratches so great minds think alike. LOL
In reply to Furious_E (Forum Supporter) :
I like that. I was expecting it a little cheaper from the hammer store. I'll have to wait till the end of year bonus to add that to the garage if I do so. Thanks for posting it though. I did not know that existed.
How did you break the bead without something like that harbor freight doo dad?
In reply to jfryjfry :
I have used a C-clamp. I have used the bead popper edge thing. I have also used the sidestand on a different bike.
The plastic bead popper is what I try first, as it is on hand for mounting and dismounting the tire anyway.
Motion Pro Bead Popper. Sorry, no linky as my phone skills suck.
Bead breaking is (usually) easy. Furious_E alluded to it. Remove air from tire. Put a short piece of wood on the tire, against the rim. This becomes your fulcrum. Lay a 2X4 across it, with the front under something unmovable. Press down. I use a pin sticking out of my 4 post lift about 4" off the ground.
Just changed out a 180/55-17 on my track bike this w/e. I use 2 irons and a pair of rim protectors. I tried something a little different this time. A little windex on the tire to easily get the first bead on. I kept it completely dry for the second bead. My reasoning was that I often find the bead slipping back as I struggle to move the irons. It's much easier to keep in place when dry.
Pro tip: warm up the tire. If it was shipped in a box, I throw a hair dryer in there on low for 20 minutes or so. On Saturday, I left it out in the sun for about 20 minutes. Surface temp of the tire was about 110F. Racers often use their tire warmers. The flexibility also helps when airing up to set the bead.
Mr. Lee
PowerDork
7/17/23 9:43 p.m.
Just did 2 on my dirt bike. Nothing more than an old bath mat under the wheel to protect the bearings/disk/sprocket, 4 short irons, and a bead buddy. Threw both tires out in the sun in the driveway. Pull valve nut, core, and rimlock nut. break bead. (front was cake, I just squeezed it together and pop) powdered up the tires, and rolled them around and popped both on. Granted Tubes and MX tires are a fair bit easier than tubeless and a fair bit wider.
Yup, exactly like mfennell said. Works perfectly well, just tricky to keep the fulcrum from slipping out of place sometimes. I've done the c-clamp thing too, although my experience there is it wants to walk towards the center and can be easy to mar the rim if you're not careful.
And yeah, getting the tires good and warm makes the job 1000% easier! It's amazing how much more pliable they are at 110F vs say 80F.
Speaking as a person who started changing tires at my family's tire business when I was 13:
Soapy water is your friend. It lubricates removal/installation and makes finding punctures in tires or tubes a lot easier.
jharry3 said:
Speaking as a person who started changing tires at my family's tire business when I was 13:
Soapy water is your friend. It lubricates removal/installation and makes finding punctures in tires or tubes a lot easier.
Yup. When I finally got frustrated trying to remove the bead and got out the soapy water bottle I already had for finding leaks the bead slid right off with using my hands. That was the game changer. I also found a trick where you use 1x2x2 cuts of wood strung together with a nylon string (4 or 5 of them together) to take the place of extra hands to hold the tire down when installing it (it was actually a construct that someone was selling for 30 bucks) and it can't slip back off the rim. I figured out I have the materials to make it for free so I'll test that out on the front tire when its time to do that.
