Change Tires at Home

I have decided that I have carried my last tire to the shop to be mounted and balanced, maybe. I recently changed both front and rear on my Thunderbird Sport and with a set of proper spoons and a static balancer, it was a breeze. Of course there have been some pinched tubes through the years but I have gotten better as time went on. I am going to spring for a Harbor Freight tire changer with the motorcycle tire attachment along with a MoJo tool, it all totals out less than $250.00. Shops around here are charging anywhere from 50 to 75 bucks per wheel for a mount and balance so with three bikes, I should see my investment returned in a year or two. (I also try to flip one or two old Japanese bikes yearly, just to bring them back and sometimes make a dollar or two.) I am not worried about the tires on my Moto Guzzi Touring which is next in line and due, but I do have concerns with the Rocket rear. As we all know that is a big arse tire and I was wondering if anyone here has wrestled one on at home?

K&T Shield

Motorcycle Tire Changer Attachment

Manual Tire Changer

Give it a go, but if you find it too hard then take the wheel to your local car tyre place and pay them $20 to change it.

I may be interested in your activity myself. I just live 20 miles away. I just had the tires changed on Brahma so I won't need another change for 6-7 months.

I truly believe the Rocket rear tire can not easily be done at home without heavy duty professional type equipment. I have had motorcycle shops with that kind of stuff not able to do it. It takes a really good tech and a really good machine to do it. The HF tools are probably great for the smaller wheels but I think it will be an epic struggle at best for the Rocket rear tire. Might want to consider taking the Rocket rear tire to the dealer who can do it.

I did mine at home with just tire spoons. Sweating like a hostage when I was done!! I only had to handle a 180.

Getting the 240 off once the bead is broke is a 5 minute job with the right two tools. Breaking the bead might be a little work as well as putting one on the rim so I'm not so sure.

@britman from one Thunderbird Sport (98) owner to another- hello!

I've could have written the same post several months back, but have since learned a couple of things that might be of help. I successfully removed the rear tire on my Roadster after an epic battle (and luckily only very small blemishes to the rim), but threw in the towel trying to get the new tire on. I took it in to the shop and have decided, at least for the rear, to let a shop wrestle that from now on with the correct tools.

Balancing- no one in my area can balance the rear because of the size. I tried the Harbor Freight route, but just as many people report in the reviews, the axles are often bent ever so slightly so that you can't get a true balance. The bend can be barely perceptible in the rod- not as obvious as it sounds. The way I found to check was to find the heavy spot on the tire, then rotate the tire on the axle and find the heavy spot again- it moves because the axle isn't perfectly straight.

So, I ordered an axle and cones from Marc Parnes to use on the HF stand.Problem was that the tighten screws on the cones would hit the rollers on the HF stand. It's just not wide enough for that massive rear wheel with his design. Finally, I ordered the entire "kit" from Marc that included the axle, bearing blocks, and cones that can be used on jack stands. Because of the problem with the shorter axle length I requested that the axle be 16" to make sure I had enough room for the oversized wheel and Marc obliged. If you go this route I'd contact him to make sure you get what you need and don't forget to request the longer axle. I have used his gear and it was extremely accurate and buttery smooth.


Dressed a bit dandy for the Distinguished Gentleman's Ride

Get some rideon tire sealant/balancer.
Works like a charm.

warp9.9 said:

Getting the 240 off once the bead is broke is a 5 minute job with the right two tools. Breaking the bead might be a little work as well as putting one on the rim so I'm not so sure.

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So, are you going to let us in on the proper way?? Or let us hang??

Jag said:

So, are you going to let us in on the proper way?? Or let us hang??

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i understand it is top secret.