Tire changer

Thats amazing, completely new to me. I’d love to get ride of the balance weights on my polished rims. Have you any personal experience of their use?
I have used balancing beads on cars and motorcycles. Eliminates the ugly wheel weights and also eliminates them flying off.
 
Looks really useful but what about balancing the wheel afterwards?
I bought one of these years ago after realising that most tyre shops attitude to balancing is utter shite…

 
The problem with this design is you are using on of the spokes as your hold point. Wouldn't do that with carbon or even lightweight mag wheels. I love these "videos" no tire soap or any other product used. Lubrication is half the battle and then you many times need a bead holder or the tire will come back up.

Its cool for sure but I've lost count on the tires I have installed and even with the best tire machines things don't always go as easy as shown here.

For that price I would use a No-Mar. More clamping options and tools

Also, our customers that do track days, etc, they have a set of wheel with slicks mounted so they just change wheels.
 
The problem with this design is you are using on of the spokes as your hold point. Wouldn't do that with carbon or even lightweight mag wheels. I love these "videos" no tire soap or any other product used. Lubrication is half the battle and then you many times need a bead holder or the tire will come back up.

Its cool for sure but I've lost count on the tires I have installed and even with the best tire machines things don't always go as easy as shown here.

For that price I would use a No-Mar. More clamping options and tools

Also, our customers that do track days, etc, they have a set of wheel with slicks mounted so they just change wheels.
Is it straightforward changing tyres with carbon wheels? Or is special skill / technique required?

I‘m considering carbon wheels on one of my bikes, I don’t fit my own tyres, so rely on dealers for this and don’t want to create new issues for myself!
 
The problem with this design is you are using on of the spokes as your hold point. Wouldn't do that with carbon or even lightweight mag wheels. I love these "videos" no tire soap or any other product used. Lubrication is half the battle and then you many times need a bead holder or the tire will come back up.

Its cool for sure but I've lost count on the tires I have installed and even with the best tire machines things don't always go as easy as shown here.

For that price I would use a No-Mar. More clamping options and tools

Also, our customers that do track days, etc, they have a set of wheel with slicks mounted so they just change wheels.
Good catch.
A better idea would of been to use the sprocket bolt holes with a pin to prevent the wheel from turning.
Then the use of a large wing nut and threaded shaft through the axle hole to keep the the wheel from lifting turning tire service.

That’s how my 1950s Coats manual auto tire changer is.

Found this one as well.
Those wheel clamps make me cringe.
And those wheels, they’re the ugliest wheels I ever seen.

 
Both the Rabaconda and No Mar changers look great, compared to the way we used to do it by hand at the races. This is our high tech mounting system in action in our pit at the AHRMA race at Barber in 2004. That's Jay Wright of Bare Bones Racing showing us how it's done. Note the indoor/outdoor carpet, and the two tire irons and plastic mallet behind Jay, who is fitting the new slick on the rim. Those were all the tools needed, along with some hand cleaner for lube. In deference to my ageing knees, I now use a stand to hold the wheel at a more comfortable height. I also use plastic rim protectors when mounting to mag and carbon fiber wheels, and they require a lot of careful maneuvering to avoid dinging the rims. It's definitely not my favorite task. I'm considering the Rabaconda as a future purchase, but the $600+ cost in the US, as well as the need to find space for yet another gadget in the shop, are giving me some pause.

Tire changer


Ken
 
Is it straightforward changing tyres with carbon wheels? Or is special skill / technique required?

I‘m considering carbon wheels on one of my bikes, I don’t fit my own tyres, so rely on dealers for this and don’t want to create new issues for myself!
Its really the same but there is a pucker factor just because the edges tend to weaker than aluminum or steel. You need to be careful of the pressure as the bead goes down
 
One of the best "field" tire changers we have used is one from Mikes Racing http://www.mikesracingproducts.com/mrp_web_site_002.htm

ifs made for the dirt bike world but we found with a minor tweak it will do sport bike tries with a No Mar bar super easy. The only bad thing is that you need to mount it to a hitch or something to keep the whole thing from turning when using a bar on it. The built in breaker bar is kind of cool too.
 
I bought this device a few years ago. It's a very common cheapie chinese item. It's rugged enough, but a bit crude here and there.
Add UHMW Mojo blocks to clamp the wheel without damage, a No Scuff tool bar, some tire paste and it works very well.
In 2017 the Thruxton R was in at the dealer having the ecu reflashed for some factory upgrade. I had purchased pair of new Pirelli Angels elsewhere and asked if they would mount them as at that time I had no good way to change a 160 + sized tire. I was doing all of the 100-120 sized tires on my shop bench, but much sweating and swearing was required.
The cost to change the two tires was a bit over $300 which got me thinking about purchasing a tire changing device.
I spent about the same amount on the stand and accessories so it paid for itself very quickly.
I use it on the big modern tires as well as on the skinny vintage bike tires. Those just about fall onto the rims with this rig.
Even the big tires go on pretty easily as long as they are warm and plenty of tire lube is used.
I can't do them in 3 minutes, more like 15 or 20. That's not so bad as it used to kill a whole half day to drive the wheels to the dealer, wait around then drive home.
So it's a time saver and a money saver.

Glen

IMG_20220703_134845.jpg
 
Last edited:
My son used an old tire under the wheel on the floor to keep the newly gold painted wheels (period Suzuki racer colour) scratch free. Fitting rain tires.
Worked well to have two sets of wheels, because all races in Norway last weekend was dry. In Finland a month ago, we had to change from slicks to rain tyres and then back in the Icrken method he described in his post.
 
I bought this device a few years ago. It's a very common cheapie chinese item. It's rugged enough, but a bit crude here and there.
Add UHMW Mojo blocks to clamp the wheel without damage, a No Scuff tool bar, some tire paste and it works very well.
In 2017 the Thruxton R was in at the dealer having the ecu reflashed for some factory upgrade. I had purchased pair of new Pirelli Angels elsewhere and asked if they would mount them as at that time I had no good way to change a 160 + sized tire. I was doing all of the 100-120 sized tires on my shop bench, but much sweating and swearing was required.
The cost to change the two tires was a bit over $300 which got me thinking about purchasing a tire changing device.
I spent about the same amount on the stand and accessories so it paid for itself very quickly.
I use it on the big modern tires as well as on the skinny vintage bike tires. Those just about fall onto the rims with this rig.
Even the big tires go on pretty easily as long as they are warm and plenty of tire lube is used.
I can't do them in 3 minutes, more like 15 or 20. That's not so bad as it used to kill a whole half day to drive the wheels to the dealer, wait around then drive home.
So it's a time saver and a money saver.

Glen

View attachment 96426

Glad you got it to work for you. It looks a lot like the one I bought from Harbor Freight, complete with motorcycle tire accessories. I had so much trouble using it that I cut it up for scrap metal. Now I kind of wish I still had it so I could make the same mods you did. The No Scuff tool bar looks like a huge improvement. Too bad I didn't think of that.

Ken
 
Back
Top