DON’T KNOW HOW TO CHANGE A MOTORCYCLE TIRE? HERE IS WHAT YOU ENED TO KNOW

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(1) Proper tools. You’ll want to have a tire-changing stand, tire spoons, tire paste, gloves, Motion Pro Bead Buddy, valve-core remover, 12mm or 13mm wrench, air compressor and baby powder. Dunlop recommends using Hunter Engineering tire paste, but there are several other good brands and even recipes for making your own tire paste on the internet.

(2) Air out. With the wheel on the stand and the sprocket side up, remove the valve cap and nut. Then remove the air-valve core. Set it aside to allow all of the air to come out of the tube. Loosen the rim lock completely without removing the rim-lock nut. Now, with all of the air out of the tube, begin to knock the tire off the bead. 

(3) Break the bead. Start a quarter of the way from the rim lock. Grab your tire spoon and lodge the lip side of the spoon underneath the rim and then push down. Without any air in the tire, you should be able to push the tire off the rim. Continue this step around the tire until one side of the tire is completely off the bead. Then flip it over and repeat these steps on the other side.

(4) Get a grip. After the bead is broken, you’ll want to turn over your tire spoon so that the lip is facing towards the rubber to scoop it up and get it over the rim. At this point, you’ll want to be positioned so your arms are reaching across the wheel to have the most leverage. Start about a quarter of the way around the tire from the rim lock and lodge your spoon between the tire and rim. Once you’re set, pull back on the tire spoon until the tire comes up and over the rim. Then slide the handle of your spoon underneath the rear brake rotor and leave it there. 

(5) Removing the tire. Grab your second tire spoon and lodge it in between the tire and rim 2 inches away from your first spoon; pull back and put it underneath the rotor next to your first spoon. If you have a third tire spoon, it’s time to use it. Take another 2-inch bite and pull. After using the third spoon, you will only need one spoon to complete the removal process. Repeat these steps all the way around the tire on both sides until the tire is off and you can pull the wheel out of the tire. 

(6) Preparing. While the new tire is still on the ground, add baby powder to the inside. The powder keeps the tube from galling up on the tire by allowing it to move freely. This allows the tube to last longer and helps prevent pinch flats. Put the valve core back into the tube. Add a very small amount of air to the tube so that it doesn’t get pinched by the tire irons. The pressure needed to be less than 2 psi. Then place the tube in the tire. Check to see if the tire is directional and adjust accordingly. Also, wipe the tire paste onto the inner lip of both sides of the tire to help it slip on easier.  

(7) Valve stem. Set the tire on top of the wheel and stick the valve stem into the rim. Put the nut back onto the stem, but only tighten the nut down halfway. Often times the tube will shift inside the rim if the nut is locked down tightly and the valve stem won’t be able to lean, which can cause the valve stem to tear.

(8) Mounting. Push with your waist and hands to get the bottom lip of the tire on to the rim. It will go on about two thirds of the way with your hands. Then, with your tire spoon, grab the remaining part of the tire and pry it onto the rim. Most of the tire will go smoothly, but a small section of it will be caught by the rim lock. Flip the wheel over and grab the tire with two spoons, one on either side of the rim lock, and walk it over the rim lock. Next, push the rim lock out into the tire to position it before you remove your spoons. 

(9) Bead buddy. Flip your wheel over and start with two tire spoons lodged between the tire and the rim to get the bead of the tire engaged in one section. Leave enough room between the spoons to put your Bead Buddy in. The Bead Buddy will sit with one edge in between the rim and tire while the other end latches onto a spoke to keep it in position. The next step is to lodge the spoon under the tire again with the lip facing the rim and pull back to mount it. Keep pushing it down with your hands so that the tire remains loose on the rim until the tire is fully on. For the last bite, don’t stick your spoon straight in the remaining gap. Push the spoon in between the tire and rim at an angle, using your hand to pull up on the tire to help get the spoon in. Grab the tire closer to one side. Pull on the spoon and use your other arm to press down on the rest of the tire to mount it completely on. Then push down again with the spoon to allow space for the bead buddy to come out.

(10) Beading the tire. Once the tire is fully mounted, fill up the tube with an air compressor until you see and hear the tire bead snap into place. You may need to put as much as 40 psi into the tube. Check to make sure that the tire bead has popped up on both sides. Check the tire pressure and lower it to your preferred air pressure (typically from 11.5 to 13.5 psi) before you hit the track.