Hard to remove tyres

OK, the bike is almost 37 years old and so are the tyres. I've tried to lever off the tyres but to no avail so far. Does old rubber get so stiff that I won't be able to to conventionally remove them from the wheels or am I not trying hard enough?

Have you applied lots of soapy water and leverage?

If you keep at it, it should go!

Next stop is silicone spray!

When they get that hard I normally hacksaw them off, they are rubbish anyway and it saves a lot of time.

I'd like to do it conventially, I thought about the hacksaw, but I want to practice for the eventual re-tyring.

Yes they do get harder to remove, if that's possible.
It's probably too late now, but an old trick was to have a short ride (around the block) with only a few pounds of pressure
say about 5 psi, which will loosen them up abit.
Make sure you get the opposite side bead (to where you're starting) well into the rim (by standing on it),to give as much freeplay as possible.
Also use a piece of cardboard or canvas or truck tube, between the lever and the rim to help protect it.
Long narrow levers are the go.
I use a bit of talcum powder on the tyre and tube when fitting the new ones, it helps them slide on but not detrementel
once they're on.
The powder on the tube helps to stop it getting caught between the rim and the tyre.
A couple of pumps of air in the tube will stop it from getting twisted.
AC.

Apply a heat gun on the tire bead portion to soften and use the lever spoons?

OH yeah man I vote ride on no air both for the safety practice as well as loosening the rusted on bead bond. Don't think about keeping old inner tubes that old so so what if they get chewed up. Likely too late for heat or lube to do much good so likely only brutish cutting, which ain't that easy and a bit dangerous, as can't get no hack saw teeth onto the steel bead until its already over the rim edge and just slicing a tire all round lengthwise still leaves levering or cutting the steel bead wires. I altered cable and bolt cutters to take off used fatso race tires but have not had to on our skinny tires once I started using these gasket scrapper babies with the sharp corners rounded a bit. Get 3 if not using a screw driver for the 3rd to get the bead started off and not slip back. I am not strong tough enough to slip a thick blunt traditional spoon in the bead seam on a average tough tire let alone ones in rigamortis state. Pry each bead to outside the rim then tip and fight rim out of the tire will be less hassle than try to lever off both beads on same side of rim and not scratch up rim. Hehe best wishes using anything to shield rim but good aim of the levers.

There was a post on here a year or 2 ago where they wrapped a rope around the tread and made a tourniquet with a long bar and then tightened the rope which apparently loosened the bead and the tire practically falls off. I've never tried it but a couple people swore by the method. The post had pictures too.

Powerdoc, the technique required for putting new tyres on will not be learned or enhanced by taking off tyres that have fossilised, you may end up damaging the rims.

I agree with AC; most important part of technique is to make sure the bead opposite from where you're attempting to lever the tire up and over the rim is fully in the drop center of the rim. This is important for even new tires; for old stiff ones it's imperative though sometimes takes help to accomplish. After you get your first lever done, you'll need to hold that while you start the next one a short distance from the first and may have to make sure the opposite bead continues to be pulled into the drop center as you continue around. At a certain point of course, it will get much easier. It goes without saying that you need to be careful not to mar the rim.

If you are concerned about learning to do this so you can mount the new tires/tubes without damage, make sure you consider where the tube's valve is relative to where you will be levering off or on. When coming off, you want the valve at the same place you are starting to lever so the valve will not interfere with the opposite bead getting into the drop center. (Also it doesn't harm the tube if you need to reuse it - I don't recommend that btw). When you're going on, again I agree with AC - we always use a little talc powder on the tube - and then make sure your valve is opposite where you are beginning to pull the bead of the new tire into the drop center so there is no chance of ruining the new tube.

Make sure you don't twist the tube as you insert it, lube the beads again after the tire is on and inflate til both beads seat. At this point I always release the pressure again to allow the tube to adjust, just in case it was pulled or "stuck". The talc should prevent that but I take no chances.

Poerdoc ,for god's sake try harder .This is Jurassic Park level so let the scientists deal with petrification. Or ship the wheels with rubberrock to Hobot C.O.D. for burnout videos. But seriously that level of hardage /no budge might need a dremel cutter wheel right through stopping well before the rim. Betcha the internal rim is full of rustage too.

My last post assumed the beads were broken free of the rim - that is the case, right? If it is, the tires will come off if it's done correctly. If your problem is getting the beads free of their hold on the rim, that's doable too.

dave M said:

Powerdoc, the technique required for putting new tyres on will not be learned or enhanced by taking off tyres that have fossilised, you may end up damaging the rims.

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+1 Cut them off. If you have original Dunlop rims in decent shape they are worth taking care with them. Hacksaw, boltcutter, grinder, whatever. Pick your battles. Like fitting the head with the engine in the frame, replacing the horn, fitting the centerstand spring, ect..... You'll have plenty of chances to prove your tenacity.

DITTO .

Removeing ancient car tyres by hand takes forever , and blood blisters welts etc , and ruins rims .A tyre machine is easier .
The horrible cracking and tearing sounds of the hard brittle rubbe are agoniseing . Thats all itll ' learn ' you .

A Gas Torch is easiest .ANYTHING rubber in winter is a chore , if not impossable .Disc Grinder if youve a steady hand and nerves of steel.And Goggles .
Hot molten rubber is good for blisters too , gloves arnt a bad idea .

Chop it across 6 in apart in two places , then along . ABOVE THE RIM . then youve acess to THE BEAD .Nother cup of tea , then :| DONT NICK THE RIM .

Would making a cut in the tire along the middle of the circumference of the tyre aid in removal rather than cutting at the radius?

powerdoc said:

Would making a cut in the tire along the middle of the circumference of the tyre aid in removal rather than cutting at the radius?

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Unlikely, but I have never tried.
Use long 12’’ type car tyre levers, starting at the valve end, keeping one foot (Tip; You should be wearing steel toe capped workmens boots!) pressing the tyre bead into the well at the opposite end you are removing the tyre off. Have both levers into tyre bead at start about 2 inch gap between levers, or you will never get the second lever in at the right place, & take small bites of tyre bead at first.
Riding around slowly with 5psi in tyre to soften it sounds like a good idea, as old tyres with age become hard as old bootnails, another method is to pour boiling hot water onto it, allowing it to cool down first before working on it.
You can cut the tyre/bead with a hacksaw, but you need to get someone else to hold two tyre levers to get the metal tyre bead proud above the rim and insert a piece of sheet metal between wheel rim and bead before cutting. (to protect the rim)
Then repeat on the other side you just cut, finally cutting the whole outer rubber off.
Incidentally, an section of a old car tyre about 15-18 inch long with two wire hooks (old coat hangers)makes a great outdoor clothes line holder for clothes pegs for ‘er indoors!
All one of the wonderful joys of motorcycling! (whoever coined that phase obviously had a sense of humour!)

Once beads are free I just use knees to hold them down in valley opposite side the levers are working on. I can't tell ya how much nicer easier tire handling has become for me once I gave up on blunt spoons and started using the gasket scrappers with thin edges to slip in the seam. I set a hair dryer inside tires to blow hot air all the way around inside till hot to touch then put on rim w/o near the swearing sweating scratching straining of traditional joys. I have a Tubliss tire shoe horn that is against tradition too but makes for more ease on a tough job. Cutting a whole tire length wise is a waste of effort as does nothing to ease bead over rim edge, only cuting in half across releases them and that can't be done with hack saw only jaws that get behind bead to cut through the steel. Dremal can do it but rather dangerous it one slips up which is very easy d/t the cutting wheel snagging and zipping into flesh or chrome finish. RTV can glue down the rim strap to not shift or buckle on install, unless already nicely rusted in place. With my new method/tools I find no need/use for wet lubes or powder.

http://www.nuetech.com/

I always used 3 tire irons and I learned from the older riders to file the edges of 2 of them down to about 1/32" soft tips. I had the original 70's Norton type that had a black powder finish and a raised ridge all the way around. That ridge was bad and needed to be taken off. My third one was an old old one for cars that was about 14" long with wide ends. All 3 were spoon shaped with one flat end and one curved end. I hope my fingers are still up to this task when it's my turn next.

Any personal disaster storys concerning petrified tyre removals?