How many of you lads change your own tyres.

[BusterGonads]

Got the CG125 in May with a brand new pair of tyres and now the rear one is just about at the limit. I have a new one that I bought online and called at my local tyre place and asked him what he would charge to change the tyres if I brought the wheel and tyre in. He said he didn't do bike tyres. The nearest place likely to do tyres to me is twenty miles away.

I have three tyre levers for bikes, but haven't changed a bike tyre in about forty years. I know how to walk the tyre off the rim, so I'm not entirely clueless and I've changed dozens of bicycle tyres so I know about not nipping the tube.

Is it worth doing it DIY, or is it a stick it in the back of the car jobby and waiting to collect it?

[G]

Where's the can of worms emoticon?

After being charged £12.50 for a tyre change at a trackday I gave up and got a bead breaker (always done dirt bike tyres myself in the past, but sports bikes can be a bit more hassle to break the bead.)

CG125 should be pretty easy to do.
I'd get some proper tyre soap (though I've used all sorts without it) and consider some weights to balance it.

[MCN]

You should have ordered a box of Google with the tire. 😂

You'll need tyre lube.
Levers.
Maybe rim protectors.
And a balanced.
And sticky weights.
Compressor.
Gauge.
New valve.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[BusterGonads]

I've got levers, would plan to use washing up liquid soap and the tyre is a tubed type. To be honest these little tyres are almost mountain bike sized so it shouldn't be too hard. The walls are a lot thicker than bicycle tyres to be fair. I'm not overly fussed about the rims for a twenty year old commuter bike. I have two levers from my old BMW bike kit. They are only about five inches long, but are sturdy and I have another longer lever which is about 8 or 9 inches long.

I suppose I'll know if this is going to work easily when I try to get off the old one.

[ThatDippyTwat]

I do.

Motion pro levers (more than paid for themselves).

You can use an old cut up oil bottle as rim protectors.
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'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[Riejufixing]

[Confusion]

[BusterGonads]

Thanks for the advice lads. I'll have a go. Some of the points made about balancing probably don't apply to the slow little CG125 which mostly lives at about 55 mph and is absolutely flat out at 63 mph. I'll wait for a warmish day as I have to work outside in the garden and then I'll get to it. I have done it before about 1969, but all I can remember about it was swearing and hurting my hands with tiny tyre levers. It did get done though.

Cheers.

[G]

On my KTM which had horribly unbalanced wheels at points, thanks to the tubliss system, I only really noticed it above 60 to 65mph.

However - you don't need a fancy balancer to balance wheels generally - you can generally get a pretty decent result with a slightly smaller rod through the bearings. Rest your rod (a threaded rod will do if you have one around) between two chairs. I have now got a balancer kit that goes on a paddock stands now, but did okay before with the above.

So if you can, I probably would, though it shouldn't be too big an issue.

[Skudd]

Tubed tyres do myself, Tubeless get someone else to do it.
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Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[doggone]

I wouldn't worry about balancing, if it has weights stuck on try not to disturb them.
I've mostly done them myself but low-profile tyres nowadays are difficult to break the bead as there is almost no sidewall to work on with makeshift ways to get it in.
Tubelessness is nothing to be scared of except more care needed not to scratch the rim, and getting them to seal again is sometimes problematic.

[Pigeon]

Have done tubes + tubless. Even with protectors I chipped a couple of rims, so last 3 years, I leave the tubeless to tyre shop.

CG125 though, skinny tyres and presumably unpainted rims, would do myself.

[MCN]

[Teflon-Mike]

More like a push-bike tyre they are, ie big in diameter and skinny in section, easier they are to spoon on and off.

The regulation comp-trials tyre sizes are 21x2.85 front, 18x4.00 rear; pretty much the sort of size fitted to bikes of old....

Ownleeeee they started making trials 'slicks' un tubless, in the mid 90's... this was a 'bit' of a bugger, when I came to spoon one on the back.... "Yeah, just chuck a tuibe init... be fyne... 'sother way about wont work" Err... yeah... dont really work that way around! I think I gave up and drove to ATS with my fists, palming the gear-lever!

Tubless have a bloomin stiff carcas, and are best left to folk with a machine! Even in the smaller sizes.

Small and tubes, like a push bike? No Prob.... err.. well, yeah, must be the valve...... oh, no, a new valve hasn't fixed it.... oh buggah! Oh! look, there it is.....nipped the tube.... effinbludyleverthingawotsitcrappyindianrubberborrOX!

So given the choice..... I tend to take'm to ATS, or better still, since I have a really good tyre emporium, Central Wheels, at Coleshill, just round the corner from the Basset's pole dodge the quad-chav meet, I just get6 my tyres there, and get them to fit'em!

If you check the pup-post, I DID make Snowie suffer, spooning the new Mitchelin M45's on her Super-Dream during renovation.... why should I be the only one to suffer! And she wanted the 'experience'... no point missing chunks of it! And besides... I wanted to watch things jiggle as she jumped up and down on the side-wall trying to break/seat the bead!.... HEY that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!

But, if you DIY, decent levers, rim-tectors, lots of soap and old fashioned block soap you can use like grease 'helps'... make sure you dont get the valve cocked, and a little air, I mean a very little, can help as you work round the tyre making sure the tube's centered before tying to pop it on the bead.

Good luck....

PS.... the old tube is useful for cutting up to make short bungees, big rubber bands, fork-gaiters, shock gaiters, improvised side-stand springs etc... and motorbike sized repair patches.... lots of sanding needed to get a key on them though, and watch the ribs and edges..... they WILL likely come in handy when the tube gets pinched! lol.
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[BTTD]

I've used the zip tie method before (youtube it) with success, but the absolute best advice I can give you is to do it during a summer heatwave or indoors with the heating on. Warm rubber tyres flex and move an awful lot more when they are compared to mid winter in a freezing cold garage. Not to mention tools being nicer to use when they're not turning your hands numb.

[Evil Hans]

I do the skinny ones on the wife's 125 and the bairn's moped, but I leave the Bandit to the pros.

Too much like hard work for me!
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Triumph Sprint ST 1050. And it's Red.

[G]

Incidentally, for the OP - do check some youtube videos etc to remind yourself of the techniques.
Most importantly being too make sure the bead is in the dip in the rim where possible - otherwise you may discover how rubber can be stronger than metal!

[Teflon-Mike]

[bikenut]

me, car tyres also.......when i have to, like changing tyres from other wheels, but for new car tyres i let the supplier do them, new valve and balance in the price.

I take the old casing to the council recycle place rather than pay the fitters the £4 surcharge.......or grow spuds in them.
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nuts about bikes

[Fizzer Thou]

I change all of my tyres,the tubeless ones being the easiest.The tubed tyres on the enduro bike are a pain as locating the inner tube valve stem through the hole in the rim is not that easy due to the sidewall stiffness on new tyres.

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Workshop/2013-05-05184720_zpsd28e1d3d.jpg~original

As for balancing,it is far more important to be done on the front on the rear.I pay far more time and attention getting the front properly balanced than I do the rear,where I only go to the nearest 10g weight.For this I bought a rig from Hein Gerickes a few years ago when it was only about £30.I also reuse old weights,like a previous poster does,using strong double sided tape.

https://i666.photobucket.com/albums/vv23/WiNot_Rhencullen/Workshop/20170401_160527_zps5keoueyy.jpg~original

I used to change the tyres on my CB125S back in the '70s.Easy then.Could probably do the same work without levers nowadays,using plenty of tyre soap.Watered down washing up liquid is cheap and readily available.Just be sure to wipe the bottle before the other half goes to use it....
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[Nobby the Bastard]

Ain't got no time fo that shit....
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[Enduro Numpty]

I use my old mousse changer for breaking the bead on tyres and also for holding the wheel steady. I also Buzzetti levers (another throw back to changing mousses) and they are superb. The 50 litre compressor I bought a few years back is the best money I've ever spent. I wouldn't dream of paying someone to change tyres on my bikes.

[Enduro Numpty]

I use my old mousse changer for breaking the bead on tyres and also for holding the wheel steady. I also Buzzetti levers (another throw back to changing mousses) and they are superb. The 50 litre compressor I bought a few years back is the best money I've ever spent. I wouldn't dream of paying someone to change tyres on my bikes.

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

I thought about getting the kit to do this because it seems like a cool think to know about, but if I ordered tyres on-line I'd have to be in to receive them. Alternatively if I'm buying from the bike shop I might as well ride there or, in the case of a rebuild a few years ago, take the wheels down there in the car and get the professionals to do it. Probably less chance of paint chips, and they dispose of the old tyres.

[BusterGonads]

Was down in town today in the car and I had need to go to ATS about a slow puncture. While discussing the new tyre, I mentioned the little CG tyre thinking he would just say, 'drop it off and give 'us a tenner.'

No chance.

"Na - we don't do bike tyres anymore.' he said.

That's two out of two refusals at specialist tyre shops. I wasn't asking for it to be done for nowt or the price of a pint, but they won't do them at all.

What do they know that I don't - besides how to do the job efficiently?