Tire change and balance at home

[frogy]

Now that I have two bikes (02 R1150RT and  K100Naked) I am thinking of changing and balancing my own tires. What is best bang for the buck wheel balancer and tire removal tools to use. So I know how many changes/balances I need to do to break even.Thanks

[CRASH]

I got a Cycle Hill and have never regretted it.   It is basically the "hobbiest" version of the No Mar. 
http://www.nomartirechanger.com/category_s/37.htm

I bought this:
http://www.nomartirechanger.com/product_p/tc-cycle%20hill%20standard.htm

Added:
http://www.nomartirechanger.com/product_p/ac-yellowthing.htm
http://www.nomartirechanger.com/product_p/ac-eh-clamp.htm (I am going to get at least one and probably two more of these.)
http://www.nomartirechanger.com/product_p/ac-toolcollar%20blue.htm
http://www.nomartirechanger.com/product_p/ac-sb-21%20blue.htm  Times 2 ... do not question, just get em.
http://www.nomartirechanger.com/product_p/tc-deluxe%20upper%20arm.htm
http://www.nomartirechanger.com/product_p/ac-breaker-blue.htm (it has paid for itself)

So over the period of a year, $780 or so.  And I actually got the main unit on sale at one more for I think $365 (what made me finally do it) so a little less than $700.  In the past 3 years I have had it, I have changed probably 40 sets of tires (me and my friends - I earn free beer this way :D ) It is awesome.  I have not mastered putting the entire bead on with the pull bar, why I say get the long spoons, I usually just leave one of those in the right spot, pull the bar around and pop the bead over with the spoon. Dismounting is silly easy.  I do stiff sport touring radials (I just put ME880s on my bike ... pretty stiff, but not the hardest I have done ... that was a Harley and I think the tires the guy brought over were made of stone. I have a few chips on my wheels here and there, but I have changed the tires on these wheels over 15 times ... shit happens.  Most of the dings are road debris and not changing tires.

The yellow thing?  meh ... it turned into a black thing pretty quick and it doesn't seem to help much. You could pass on that.

I also have a balancer a friend made, but Marc Parnes are the way to go there if I did not have this one.  I use Dynabeads off and on as well.  Like them, should use them more.  Local shops around here charge $25 for a wheel off the bike for a change and balance.  So it took me at about 5 personal sets of tires a year about 2.5 years to pay it off.  Plus I hate other people working on my stuff.

I tried a friends Harbor Freight set up once ... had him come to my place and try mine ... he bought one like mine the next day.  There are MOJO BLOCKS and MOJO BARS out there for the HF stuff, if you go HF, go get the MOJO stuff too.  I may buy one of his bars, very well engineered.

I may have a picture of mine someplace, if I find it I will post it.

[CRASH]

Not a great picture, but in the background it is there with the arm in the UP position.

[frogy]

Wow,that's a lotta bring you purchased. I guess it starts adding up. Thanks.

[frogy]

...um that was supposed to say bling not bring :giggles

[Scott_]

Keep your eyes open on CR and elsewhere.
I picked up a No-Mar basic setup for $200 out of California.
I spent about 100 for some accessories that honestly, I probably didn't need for bike tires.
I've only used about 1/2 of what I bought so far.

[BobZ(IL)]

My riding buddies do tires on a No-Mar unit to save money.

I watched them do a couple of sets for me and was distressed to see how hard they had to work.

Now I pay another friend with an automatic changer a few bucks to mount and balance almost without effort.

[frogy]

Where do they live, I want to feel distressed too :giggles...sorry couldn't help myself.
I feel I can build my own support to change my tire ( heck I built a lift out of wood which has been holding my K100 project floating in mid-air for 3months now), I'm just trying to find a quality and yet cost efficient wheel balancer.
I would also like to hear from everyone what are good spoons and rim protectors to purchase.

[CRASH]

I watched them do a couple of sets for me and was distressed to see how hard they had to work.

FYI, if they have a NO MAR and are working hard at it .. they are doing something wrong.  It I spend more than a minute to get a tire off and 2 to get one back on ... it is because I stopped to have a beer.

[Scott_]

I watched them do a couple of sets for me and was distressed to see how hard they had to work.

FYI, if they have a NO MAR and are working hard at it .. they are doing something wrong.  It I spend more than a minute to get a tire off and 2 to get one back on ... it is because I stopped to have a beer.

Agreed....... I spend more time removing and installing the wheel on the bike than I do actually changing the tire.

[BobZ(IL)]

FYI, if they have a NO MAR and are working hard at it .. they are doing something wrong.  It I spend more than a minute to get a tire off and 2 to get one back on ... it is because I stopped to have a beer.

I can drink a beer in the time it takes them just to center up the wheel on the blocks.  :dunno2: Actually the old soft tire coming off doesn't go too badly, but getting the cold, stiff new one on is the hard part. And yes, they they lube everything up pretty good.

They must need lessons.

[frankenduck]

Get some decent tire irons and use Ride-On TPS.  Problem solved.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/14/71/995/4456/ITEM/Motion-Pro-Assorted-Tire-Iron-Set.aspx?SiteID=SLI|Motorcycle%20Tire%20Irons&WT.MC_ID=10010

http://www.ride-on.com/motorcycles.html

[frogy]

Well thats no fun.

[Roy S.]

Any balancing tricks?

[frogy]

Yep,I can take all my clothes off standing on one leg. :neener:

[Roy S.]

Yep,I can take all my clothes off standing on one leg. :neener:

Pictures?

[Chaos]

I started changing my own tires many years ago with nothing more than tire irons and plastic rim protectors. And, I hate to say, have not bothered to balance them at all and have not had any problems, front or rear, several sets of tires   :riding:  Maybe I've just been lucky, I have heard that MC tires are not as sensitive to imbalance as auto tires, something about rotating mass and moon phases.  If you're worried about it, there's always balance beads, but that's another can of worms that's been beaten to death elsewhere.

[frodef]

And, I hate to say, have not bothered to balance them at all and have not had any problems, front or rear, several sets of tires   :riding: 

You know... below 50 I don't have balancing issues either  :giggles

[frogy]

And, I hate to say, have not bothered to balance them at all and have not had any problems, front or rear, several sets of tires   :riding: 

You know... below 50 I don't have balancing issues either  :giggles

  Would that be age or mph?

[Chaos]

And, I hate to say, have not bothered to balance them at all and have not had any problems, front or rear, several sets of tires   :riding: 

You know... below 50 I don't have balancing issues either  :giggles

  Would that be age or mph?

Well over 50 on both counts  :eek: Not suggesting going balance-less, just sayin what's worked for me.  To balance the rear wheel I believe you need an adaptor that fits the bolt pattern, the center hole is not necessarily true.  I could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time :giggles

[Roy S.]

I started changing my own tires many years ago with nothing more than tire irons and plastic rim protectors. And, I hate to say, have not bothered to balance them at all and have not had any problems, front or rear, several sets of tires   :riding:  Maybe I've just been lucky, I have heard that MC tires are not as sensitive to imbalance as auto tires, something about rotating mass and moon phases.  If you're worried about it, there's always balance beads, but that's another can of worms that's been beaten to death elsewhere.

Thank You 

[frogy]

Yep,I can take all my clothes off standing on one leg. :neener:

Pictures?

   Nope, I'm shy. :embarass:

[frankenduck]

Nope, I'm shy. :embarass:

But your profile indicates you're from the "Show Me" state.  :neener:

[frodef]

And, I hate to say, have not bothered to balance them at all and have not had any problems, front or rear, several sets of tires   :riding: 

You know... below 50 I don't have balancing issues either  :giggles

  Would that be age or mph?

Km/h obviously  :deal:  BTW I did home balancing of my tires last time, and had no problems with it, even using a ridiculous "adapter" for the rear wheel. I suspect the margins for error are pretty big.

[frogy]

Nope, I'm shy. :embarass:

But your profile indicates you're from the "Show Me" state.  :neener:

     :giggles :hehehe :loco: