Changing Tires

[Rocket]

I use baby powder on the tube, with a little bit of air in the tube.  I also spray the tire bead with plenty of WD40, use long tire irons and a rubber hammer.  Usually goes pretty good.

[wfopete]

Go to You Tube for some good hints, like using 3-5 tire irons instead of just two.  I'm going to invest in a nice tire changing stand soon.  I've been doing this tire changing on the ground for too long.

I think foam tubes and tire balls are not vintage legal!  

Pete Petrick
175 Jackpiner
Slow but Good

[JCHubbard]

Besides using the proverbial stomp method,  multiple large tire irons (including one 17 inch Tusk tire iron and the K&L Tire tamer both from Rockymountainatvmc.com) the three most important tools/aids in my arsenal for changing tires at home in the garage or basement in the dead of winter are a pair of pit crew gloves, a heat gun, and WD40.  

I cautiously heat the bead of the tire until I can smell hot rubber, and use copious amount of WD 40 on the rim and tire bead, and then I get to work.  

The pit gloves save your hands and give you a much better grip....I go through 3-4 pair a year -- and you can get them at any local auto store.

If I'm changing tires in the summer, I just put the tire outside in the heat a for a couple of hours, WD 40 etc...

[Paul Danik]

Mic,

Are you dealing with any rim locks? If so it is important to make sure the tube is not pinched by the rim lock and that the rim lock is UP into the tire enough to not block any progress.

Richard Terry's advise about the bead in VERY, VERY important and will give you room to work the tire on without the use of tire irons. That piece of advise is very critical in my eyes and is often overlooked by  folks who have a hard time mounting tires.

 I never use a tire iron except possibly at the very end to help get the last lip over the rim, I have a soft mallet that usually does the trick. I use my heals a lot during the process to hold the bead that is already in place from working its way back out as I work on the other side. I only use a little bit of water on the bead to help it slip on but mostly to help the bead pop into place when the tire is aired up. I never, never use anything on the tire to help with instillation that might lead to slippage later on.

Hope this helps...
Paul

[Dale Fisher]

This photo of Jack Penton was taken by Jerry West at the 1972 ISDT in Czechoslovakia. - Paul Danik



Dale Fisher
Penton Owners Group - Memberships
Facebook - Cheney Twinshock Racing Group - Administrator

'70 Six-Day 125 - V2017
'71 Six-Day 125 (Dave Fisher's) - V5553
'72 Mudlark - W257
'73 Jackpiner - 175 21159727
'74 Berkshire 100 - 40171056
And some silly other bikes...

[Dale Fisher]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GEkrDivTzs


Dale Fisher
Penton Owners Group - Memberships
Facebook - Cheney Twinshock Racing Group - Administrator

'70 Six-Day 125 - V2017
'71 Six-Day 125 (Dave Fisher's) - V5553
'72 Mudlark - W257
'73 Jackpiner - 175 21159727
'74 Berkshire 100 - 40171056
And some silly other bikes...

[Paul Danik]

Thanks Dale for posting that picture...

Mic, I hope you don't mind a little trip down memory lane in your thread

In 1974, Trophy Team manager Larry Maiers decided to hold a training session to test everyone's ability to change tires and do other common ISDT related maintenance before we headed to Camerino.  We met at the Amherst Meadowlarks race track and started to just circulate around the woods trails on our Pentons. Larry would walk the trail and without warning tell you what your problem was and start to time your actions. Such as, you have a flat rear tire, CLICK....and away you went changing the tire, or taking the chain off and replacing it,, but it was mostly the tire changing he was checking.

During the event, I had a rear tire issue on day 4, slow leak and no time to make a change as the time schedule was brutal. I told Larry at a check what my problem was, and that I was out of the air- bottles tire sealant that we carried in our tank bags.
As I crossed a bridge on a country road and made a left turn onto another road and accelerated up to speed, I heard a noise from behind. I looked back just as a rider on a 400 Penton in a plain black jacket and red helmet pulled up along side, it was Rod Bush. Rod had retired from the event and now was riding "missions", at speed Rod opened his jacket and handed me two air canisters with tire sealant, into my jacket they went, just about then a turn arrow appeared and I slowed for the turn as Rod sped off down the road... The tire lasted till the final check for day and was changed in the impound work area...and the next morning it was still holding air

Paul

[brian kirby]

The kind of tire makes a BIG difference. The Pirelli MT16s are super easy to change, but the hardest modern tire I have changed is Kenda and Maxxis, for some reason those tires are really really hard to change.

Brian

[Paul Danik]

" back in the day", we were supplied with Metzler tires that were very heavy duty and had Six-Day on the side of them.  I don't know just what rating they were, but they were a harder compound for longer wear. If any of you guys have one of those tires or knows more info on them please post it, I know I always look at old Metzlers in the hopes of finding one.

Paul

[[email protected]]

Paul that was a great story !!! Thanks for sharing it I am still smiling :-)
Paul

[JCHubbard]

quote:Originally posted by brian kirby

The kind of tire makes a BIG difference. The Pirelli MT16s are super easy to change, but the hardest modern tire I have changed is Kenda and Maxxis, for some reason those tires are really really hard to change.

Brian

Brian, I agree with the Kenda/Maxxis statement completely...The easiest tires I ever installed were the Dunlop 756 and the soft compound IRC tires.  I use windex for installation of the soft compound.

Paul,

Appreciate the tips, and the great story!

Paul, I also forgot to mention that prior to putting air in the tire and in order to lessen the possibility of tire slippage, I wipe down the rim and tire bead with windex.  So far, so good.

Regards,

John

[skiracer]

Mick,  Not tire balls, but a mousse insert.  A bit pricey, yes, but you will never worry about a flat tire, or pinching the tube.  What is that worth?  Jl

quote:Originally posted by Mick Milakovic

Skiracer, by Mousse, do you mean tire balls?  Those things are pretty expensive and out of my league.

Gary, what are you coming over for?  I'll call you tonight.

Mick

1976 MC 5 Original Owner
1976 Hercules 250 GS
1982 Suzuki PE 175
2002 KTM 200 EXC
1976 Penton 175 GS

[Mick Milakovic]

OK, I'm getting courage and will try another tire tonight.  Thanks for all the tips!

Skiracer, what is the exact name of the insert?  I'd like to look one up on eBay, but "Mousse Tire Insert" didn't bring it up.

Brian, I do believe these two particular tires are EXTREMELY hard compound:  Vee Rubber 6-ply and Michelin Starcross.

Paul, I've got a used Hi-Point at home with a red dot on the sidewall.  Is that an old ISDT tire?  I'm saving it for a '73 Jackpiner restoration I plan to show.

Mick

[brian kirby]

Mick, you think changing a tire is hard with a deflated tube, you dont even want to THINK about doing it with a mousse.

Brian

[johnborn]

Paul, I have the Metzler 6-day tires on my Berkshire.VERY hard to mount. I pinched 2 front tubes AND 2 rear tubes trying to mount them. finally gave up and took them to Penton Honda to get them mounted.Al laughed at me when I told him how much trouble I had. He then asked me what kind of tires they were. I told him Metzler 6-day tires.He immediately stopped laughing,and said "do you know why they call them 6- day tires? It takes 6-days to put one on."