new tire time -TT250

[Wild Dog]

Originally Posted by flopsweat

Sounds like 3 is key, from what I've seen. Yes exactly that, looks simple, but potentially super frustrating. Hah one guy's comment was "he did it in 10 minutes, it took me 2hrs and I almost punched my friend in the face." Maybe I might find a friend with experience, as I REALLY want to get this process down properly in case I need to do it on the fly.



Are rim locks mostly for dirt bikes? I see them in many of these videos but don't remember seeing them on mine. I also hear about using a dedicated lube, but have heard of a little dish soap in water in a spray bottle, any pros/cons to those? And what's this I hear about using powder?

Like megadan said, it's mostly for motorcycles that are going to be used mostly off road and will be used with low psi.

For these motorcycles is not needed, but if you want to have rim locks, you will need to change the rims, for ones that take rim locks.

Don't forget to use rim strips.

[cheesy]

As a guy that does several tubed tire changes a year, +1 on the extra tube, cuz ya just never know. You WILL pinch a tube at least once. Swear loudly, pull the pinched tube out, and try again. Patch the pinched tube and keep it as a back up.

Plenty of lube on the tire beads to help slip things on. Soapy water is good. WD40 ain't. Lately, I've been having good luck with cooking spray, like Pam, but get the store brand. It's cheaper.

Don't cheap out on rim strips. If it looks dicey, get a new one.

A 'good' tire gauge. Under inflated tires can slide on the rim and rip the valve from the tube. It can be exciting when it happens but it's definitely no fun.

Lastly, and I swear by this, if you can afford it, a Baja No Pinch tire tool. https://www.bajanopinch.com/ If yer an old phart like me and can't muscle that last few inches of bead over the rim, this thing is a life saver. Tube saver, too, because this is when you can most likely pinch the tube.

Old phart out.

[flopsweat]

Rim strips! Funny how the four videos I saw never mentioned those, but I do remember reading about them elsewhere, and at least they're dirt cheap. So they basically just sit between the tube and the tire to protect against rubbing and the spoke-interior, if I'm getting it right. Definitely no need for a rim with locks, I was just asking about their use. Thanks as always everyone!

[cheesy]

The strip fits between the spoke heads, and the tube. An extra layer of protection for the tube.

I can walk you through this on an upcoming Saturday.

[flopsweat]

Originally Posted by cheesy

The strip fits between the spoke heads, and the tube. An extra layer of protection for the tube.

I can walk you through this on an upcoming Saturday.

Well hey I may take you up on that! I'm in no rush anyway, I'll check first with a couple people I know that might have experience, but I'll let you know, and thanks for the offer!

[Thumper]

Originally Posted by flopsweat

Well hey I may take you up on that! I'm in no rush anyway, I'll check first with a couple people I know that might have experience, but I'll let you know, and thanks for the offer!

You will find rim strips in there when you pry off the tire. You can use scotch tape to help them stay in place if they are loose. Find the stem hole and make sure it is lined up. I tape it there if it's loose, because you are going to need to push the valve stem through that hole AFTER you get the first bead in place (which can displace the rim strip).

The front tire will be easier, so do it first for practice.... Get the first bead over the rim. If the "other side" bead is in the trough of the wheel (on the rim strip, not up on the side), it makes it easier (possible!) to wrangle the last bit over the rim. Wiggle and work it by hand until it gets difficult, then the spoons come out!

Inflate the inner tube to just over half size. The tube flops around if ~75% "full" before you stuff it in there, but when inside there, it gets shape because the space is limited. This gives it shape when the space gets tighter in there, so that wrinkles do not develop. Most importantly, this keeps the tube shaped, away from the spoons. Pinching a tube means you start over when you discover you put a hole in it when you are done and airing it up (real disappointment!)

Now work the tube in there. You need to thread the stem through the rim and I wrap the stem with masking tape to keep it there if it wants to slip back into the void! Make sure the tube is not stressed at the stem. Get it centered as well as you can by moving the tire radially on the rim.

When you begin the second bead, it is best to start 90 degrees from the stem, because when you get the last difficult part of the bead with the spoons, you want the spoon 90 degrees away from the stem in the final push. You may need to let some air out of the tube when you are at the late stages. This is good, because the tube is snug and probably has no wrinkles. Go ahead and bleed air out as necessary to keep zero pressure, but shape.

Rule of thumb... always keep the spoons only as deep as necessary (don't pinch the tube). For the second bead, start by hand (90 degrees), wiggle/squeeze so that the second wire bead is in the trough again. This is a crucial maneuver. You will probably need to bleed the tube while you do this. Getting the bead as deep into the groove makes it easier (possible) to get the last part over the rim on the opposite side in final steps. This is where the amount of air in the inner tube may need to be allowed to escape again. Do that to allow the tube to relax in there, and make it easier to spoon the second bead.

The rear tire will be the same but a bigger challenge.

Good luck!

[KenTaoyan]

The videos on YouTube don't really show how to they get that last 5 inches of bead on the second bead. The absolute critical part of the process. I had two fails and left it to a bike shop. Don't forget to upgrade the Tube to heavy duty and a nice thick rim strip.

[Texas Pete]

Here is a video to help put with the words above. There are multiple, each probably with a nugget of wisdom not in the other, so read as much as you can, watch different videos then take a crack at it.

[Megadan]

Originally Posted by KenTaoyan

The videos on YouTube don't really show how to they get that last 5 inches of bead on the second bead. The absolute critical part of the process. I had two fails and left it to a bike shop. Don't forget to upgrade the Tube to heavy duty and a nice thick rim strip.

there are a couple if you dig, but yeah, most don't go over every little detail. Some of them won't be dirt bike related either, but it applies across the board.

If all else fails, anger always helped me with that last bit of the bead. Leaving the tire in the sun for a while also helps a ton. lol

[Boatguy]

Here’s a little thread I started when I got stuck the first time.

I think Megadan has it right when he says the anger helps. Ha ha.

You just have to kind of really put your all into it at the end to get that bead on.

https://www.chinariders.net/showthread.php?t=31064


What I found was it’s easier to take small bites out of the last part. Rather than trying to put it all on at once. Just an inch at a time maybe 2 inches. And just keep working your way around and it eventually stretches and goes right on.

Just watch out you don’t slice the tube like I did in that thread.

It was such a bummer to lose my really good Michelin tube. And then have to put on some piece of junk no-name brand tube in. However, the no name brand piece of junk is doing just fine. Haven’t had any problems with it.

I think unless you air your tires down a lot when riding, you really don’t put the tubes under much stress. My stock tubes from China did 5000 miles just fine and when I pulled them out they didn’t even look bad. They look like they could go thousands more. You can see the old ones coming out in the link below.

If you scroll down this thread, you can see me doing the whole tire change.

https://www.chinariders.net/showthre...t=30222&page=4

[XLsior]

I pinched 2 new HD tubes before I found a small piece of cracked macadamia nut shell inside the tire (Aussie issues) that was puncturing the tubes every time I inflated...So my piece of advice is check for foreign objects inside the tire before installing and do it in a clean work space.

As for lube ive used a bit of talcum powder for the tubes, but ive also seen a person mix a pinch of talc in isopropyl alcohol to help with tire fitment over the rim so it evaporates dry, but I think that was more for tubeless...

helps to warm up the tires in the sun for a bit more flex during fitment.

[Boatguy]

^food in the tire! I got a good laugh out of that one. But sorry it caused all the hassles

[Texas Pete]

There is a deep channel in the middle of each rim for a purpose. You are supposed to keep the bead ends of already inserted tire sides inside the deep channel to assist in getting the tire on fully at the final end. Once on, you inflate the tire to pop it up onto the bead wall and out of the deep installation channel. If you don’t use the deep center channel to your advantage you are going to have one hell of a time getting tires on a rim.

[XLsior]

Originally Posted by Boatguy

^food in the tire! I got a good laugh out of that one. But sorry it caused all the hassles

I ate the nut, it was a piece if discarded husk/shell that was popping tubes. Some new tires come wrapped but others are open to the elements, so depending on how long and where they are stored just something to be mindful of before fitting.

[Boatguy]

Originally Posted by Texas Pete

There is a deep channel in the middle of each rim for a purpose. You are supposed to keep the bead ends of already inserted tire sides inside the deep channel to assist in getting the tire on fully at the final end. Once on, you inflate the tire to pop it up onto the bead wall and out of the deep installation channel. If you don’t use the deep center channel to your advantage you are going to have one hell of a time getting tires on a rim.

this is a good point. I noticed it when I was doing the tire.

I don’t know if you are talking about the same thing I used to, but I just put the beads where the spokes are on one side. right in the middle of the rim. On the narrowest part.

That let me pull the other side up and over the outer edges of the rim.

Wasn’t really easy, but I didn’t even use tire juice.