Hi John!
The weather just turned steamy the very next day after my return from the GA Rally. May 11, 2010. Lucky for me as I got to ride home from Silver Spring, Maryland through the Shenandoah Valley then on the Blue Ridge Parkway down into Bedford VA then dropping down through Dixie to Florida without hitting any slabs and not even breaking a sweat. I digress.
Check out this
thread.. The links might still work.
Bead Breaker, wheel holder I wrote the total tool up cost was $56.61. However $109.00 for a Wheel Balancer & Weights were also needed which was obtained from
Marc Parnes. That brought the total to $165.61.
Tooled up April 2009. Since then have changed out 6 tires. Had to buy some rim protectors for Tom Vance's Tiger's alloy rims.
Six tire changes and each had a unique circumstance. The last change was a rear skin on Vera Lynn. For the life of me I could not get the last bead off the rim, i.e. the tire off the wheel! Usually that is the easiest. grrr. However, the tube's valve stem was a breeze, I cleaned up the rim, sprayed the wheel well where the nipples seat with Amsoil metal protector, installed a new oem rim strip, and mounted the tire in under 15 minutes after that 'last bead' snafu. And 10 minutes of those 15 were spent wire wheel cleaning the rim well.
Time before that I had a real hard time getting the 90 degree valve stem in the hole. If only Tiger had that problem... (Cinnamon Girl's rear ME880).
Seems like every time something that was once easy gets difficult. Luck of the draw?
In hindsight, after Tom's tiger I realized that my cager wheel rim was a 14". ooops. Should be a 15" rim. Tom used his friend's bead breaker then we changed out both his tires.
When spooning the tires on and off, take small bites. Three levers are needed even though you only use two, leap frogging one with the other all the while with that third iron remaining stationary. My knee holds it while I wrestle with those leaping frogs. I say wrestle but that is not the case. Using the third iron and leap frogging in small increment (with an occasional dab of soapy water) gets the last bead on fine and dandy.
You have to keep the bead in the wheel well for sure. Use a small block of under the tire to help keep the lower bead in the wheel well. After you get the skin on, remember to leave the inner tube valve stem's core out, as you seat the beads. POP POP then reinstall that little bugger and inflate the tire to spec.
Tire changing is easier each time, or so I thought (see above)
Truly is it a breeze. The primary issue being holding the wheel while you spoon. Thus the primitive cager wheel technique.
Now then. Having bored you with all that gibberish, this is
ticket!
Now back to your issues. Scratching the rims is always a concern. Steel rims don't scratch easily. You have to try to scratch them almost! Alloy rims are another matter. Rim protectors are the ticket in those cases.
Here are the irons I use. [url=http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/9/205/4456/ITEM/Motion-Pro-Assorted-Tire-Iron-Set.aspx]Motion Pro's
Assorted Tire Iron Set[/url]
You have the link to the balancer above.
You'll need a way to remove the
valve core.
rim protectors This
Valve Stem Fishing tool is tempting but I have passed on it up to this point so...
Regarding messing up the speedo cable, Even if you don't tool up for tire changing, you can remove your front wheel yourself, thus ensuring that it is reinstalled correctly and torqued to specs. The only time someone other than I removes my wheel(s) is when I flat out on the road. That brings to mind an essential item: A motorsickle lift!
Good luck with it!
