Tire removal/which tire irons?

It's been a while since I posted here. I've got the carb issues on my 77 kz1000 sorted out. Some of you may remember my post awhile back. Many good suggestions. Although it turned out not to be an ignition problem, it was good to go through the diagnostic process.

Back to this post. A friend of mine had a flat tire on his Guzzi when we were on our way to the Vancouver motorcycle show. Fortunately the other fellow we were riding with had a plug kit and electric pump. That's all well and good for those guys that have tubeless tires. With my old Kaws it's a different story.

I have never changed a tire. Sad but true. I have a couple of old dry tires/wheels from a 77 kz650 that I would like to practice tire removal with.

Which tire irons do you guys recommend? How many? Any tips?

I've always rolled the dice, and have never had a flat out on the road. This season however, I'll be carrying a more comprehensive tool kit when I'm out on the road which will include flat repair stuff.

Sheers,
Ross

hello, sounds like a good idea but to be honest a can of fix a flat may be more usefull. taking a modern tire off a wheel with irons and pry bars is a wrestling match like you won't believe! sidewall thickness, bead technology has changed. usually you go at it for a while, get mad/stressed, tear your wheel up and end up taking it to a shop anyway. Don't get me wrong it can be done, but you can get hurt also. I've seen people get smacked in face pretty good when an iron slipped. Get some irons (the longer the better)and practice on your spare rims I think you'll see what I'm talking about real quick. not trying to discourage you, I usually just pony up the $25 to have a shop do it and move on. The most valuable thing to have sometimes is a good friend with a truck!

I did a little write up on changing tires a while back. Now your procedure is a little different since you have tubes, but the process is about the same. kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&...ew&catid=5&id=357807

The fourth picture shows the type of tire iron that is the most useful. You want at least one of those for the initial prying. You probably need at least three irons, but it never hurts to have more.

I had completely missed that tire-changing thread...well done! Nice to see it and know a tutorial exists (however, I'm a bit of a weenie...it is one of the few procedures I won't tackle so my local motorcycle shop gets my business).

im doing a set soon on the MKII and i believe there are tubes so i may tag in on one of these with a few pics myself...i have rim locks...just another added fun...

anyways ...Hey Ross......where are our ski pics this year buddy....

any tire irons will work the longer ones can be to long to be able to tuck under a spoke while you search for a third hand.....but they sell em at most shops and a pair is all you need....the third one can be that big ass craftsman screwdriver that everyone seems to own one of, just to have something to not loose what you have fought out while swapping the set for the next bite.....

baby/powder talcom powder sprayed inside in the new tire,later helps the tube move freely as you re-install and not pinch or bind if you rotate the new tire before inflating...lets you wiggle the the stem straight and the tube will flow on the little talc...ect....takers a lot of air the first time with with tubes to seat the bead so i put way too much in and even spray with a tiny shot of water or (dont tell anyone WD-40) before adding the air...some folsk say the wd-400 can eat rubber...but not before i have shredded a summer tire set imo.....plus i only use a quick spray around the rims lip and tire bead so it will op and seat even.....

pics soon as i tear my front end off for a re-do...peace

it has been my experience that the yellow dot on new tire is to go where the valve stem is....line up ect...

saves time trying to balance too much weight imo...

Theres some good vids on youtube, i like the one by transworld mx, uses 3 irons. I have the Tusk irons with rubber handles, too big to carry on board but nice to use. On spoke wheels, use duct tape instead of those worthless rim strips.

Two long Motion Pro tire irons (15"), 2 sets of rim protectors, RuGlyde.

interesting...

The red or yellow dot on the tire denotes its lightest section, suggested to align with the heaviest section of the wheel rim (which may be but isn't necessarily at the valve stem location).

Good Fortune!

I've been changing my own tires since I was 14 years old so this is 36 yrs of changing, most recently a GL1800 with huge radial tire everyone said was not possible without a machine. Wasn't all that hard. The best tire irons I've ever used are the 10 1/2" sold through pitposse.com They are about $12 each and worth every penny. Get your cheap rim protectors on ebay or whatever and use at least 3 irons.

Thanks for all of the info, you guys are the best! In the past I too have always just gone to the bike shop for repair/replacement.

The small amount of $ is worth it if you are near a shop. But I do a LOT of my riding well away from civilization. And will do a lot more touring over the next few years. My long term plan had been to retire in 2020. But I've decided to put it off to 2022 or 2023 so I can take more time now for travel and motorcycling.

It was my friend's flat tire out on the highway that brought the issue into focus. I am the type of guy that is usually well prepared for problems. Flat tires are one problem that I have ignored due to the difficulty and infrequent occurrence.

On future rides further afield from home I intend to be better prepared for flats. I hate to think if I had a flat last summer out on the prairie on some of the secondary highways I was riding on. Only saw a few other cars all day.

Tri, I've only gone skiing once this year. I've lost the ski bug, It could be a function of age. in my spare time I've mostly been working on, or riding my kz1000. Feeling guilty about leaving the kz900 in the corner of the garage since October. May have to sell her to help my son buy a house. That's life.

Keep the faith,
Ross

the kid needs to aim lower...keep the 90 it's soooooo cool ... Galactica wrote:

Thanks for all of the info, you guys are the best! In the past I too have always just gone to the bike shop for repair/replacement.

The small amount of $ is worth it if you are near a shop. But I do a LOT of my riding well away from civilization. And will do a lot more touring over the next few years. My long term plan had been to retire in 2020. But I've decided to put it off to 2022 or 2023 so I can take more time now for travel and motorcycling.

It was my friend's flat tire out on the highway that brought the issue into focus. I am the type of guy that is usually well prepared for problems. Flat tires are one problem that I have ignored due to the difficulty and infrequent occurrence.

On future rides further afield from home I intend to be better prepared for flats. I hate to think if I had a flat last summer out on the prairie on some of the secondary highways I was riding on. Only saw a few other cars all day.

Tri, I've only gone skiing once this year. I've lost the ski bug, It could be a function of age. in my spare time I've mostly been working on, or riding my kz1000. Feeling guilty about leaving the kz900 in the corner of the garage since October. May have to sell her to help my son buy a house. That's life.

Keep the faith,
Ross