I was wondering how many of forum members changed their own tires.

It's a good way to save money and time if you don't live close to a dealer.
It only take me about two hours to change a tire and that includes the time to break out the tools. change the tire, pickup tools and clean up the mess.
It would take over 4 hours to take the bike to a dealer, wait for the change and return home. Plus the ride there and back isn't that great.

A good link for info is
http://www.clarity.net/~adam/tire-changing.html
Actually the best link that I ever found for tire maint.

I change the tires on both the 599 and the 1100 Shadow. The info and pictures helped me with general problems and techinques. I didn't make the jigs outlined on his page but did make jigs from scrap lumber. One bead breaker I used was like the one from this photo that some one posted. I bought the tire irons from JCWhitney
http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o39/tomacana/breaking-bead.jpg

After I get the tire off the rim I like to use the honda cleaner/polish to clean the inside of the rims. The rims are then slick and then just a litte water to help coax the new tire on the rim.

One other thing that I do to balance my tire is to place the tire and axle on the top of two chair backs or crates that I have around the shed.

One other tip. As soon as you remove the wheel, insert a piece of wood the thickness of the disk brake between the brake pads. This in case you (or someone else) accidently applies the brake.

I change my own tires. So far, my bikes have all had wire spoke rims and tube type tires, so it was really easy, no beads to break loose. Although I did just convert my old CL350 to run CM450 alloys and forks. I took the rear wheel, which needed new meat, to work with me and swapped the tire on an automotive rim-clamp style tire machine. I'm an instructor at a tech school, so I have access to all the toys. Prior to a year and a half ago, I was a mechanic for 9 years, and I figured out how to use a car machine to do a bike wheel. The bead breaker works fine for the narrow wheels, and the trick is to use the rim clamps on the outside of the rim, rather than internally like on a car wheel. If you know someone at a local service station, they will probably do it for you really cheap (after you show 'em how :lol: ). Once I need tires for the 599, I'll do it myself too.

I did just have my first experience with beadlocks, though... :x I got some new tires for my old SL350 for Christmas, and I must say, beadlocks SUCK!! Not fun trying to get that stupid thing into the tire, lined up in the hole in the rim, and then feed in a tube, without pinching anything. Then work the other bead on, fighting the beadlock and still trying to not pinch the tube. PITA!

I don't change my own tires, but someday I might try it. What I do is take the wheels off the bike then give them to the shop along with the new tires. It saves me $40 opposed to just taking the bike there.

This is something I haven't really thought about - price wise anyway. How much should one expect for a tire change? For front and rear at the dealership or mechanic's shop, new tires included.

I changed the rear tire on my cruiser 3 times one year. Once in early spring, 6K miles later and then once more at 12K miles. My cost per tire was appox $90 dollars per tire. A local dealer had quoted me a sale price of $130 dollars for the tire and $60 dollars to change it.
The dealer costs for the rear would have run me around $540 plus tax, plus gas to and from, plus a considerable amount of time.

The actual three tire changes that year cost me roughly a total of $270. I didn't use the Dunlop OEM tire. They're more expensive and not necessarily any better. Plus, I don't like the OEM front tire. With at least one front tire change that year, the tire costs was $340.


The dealer price could be reduced if you shopped for a different tire other than the OEM tire. The Dunlop K555 they had offered at a sale price of $130, was online at MAW for $105 plus shipping or one other place for $115 with free shipping.

Tire price range alot from brands and Motoecycle warehouses. A rear tire for my 599 costs $110 plus shipping for the front and $85 +shipping for the rear. If you buy a set of tires from many warehouses, the shipping is free. You can go with some cheaper brands and save even more. I try to get tires with hopes of extended milage, not to save money but frequency of tire changes. If I have to pay a few dollars more on a tire and get 20 percent more milage, that's a priority with me. You can get the more expensive tires for the 599 at about $130 (Rear) and $100 (Front)

Bottom line, you can cut your cost easily in half by doing the job yourself.
There are some of you out there that might put only 500 to 1000 miles per year on your bike. Dry rot will be the main factor for you. Shame shame, tsk tsk

It cost me the same over here. $60 per tire if on the bike or $40 per tire off the bike. I just drop off my wheels with the rubber, go eat a hamburger, then come back and they are mounted and ballanced. I don't think it's a bad deal.

I've ordered tires from different online stores. The latest was from
http://www.parts411.com/

Their prices for Pirelli was much lower than the places that I've used previously. I've used MAW, Ron Ayers, TiresUnlimited and AmericanMoto.
These sites have all been good and one may have lower prices on one brand than another. MAW has good prices on Dunlop. Someone in this forum found Michelin at a good price from Ron Ayers. It's good to look thru these four to get a good comparsion.

Links
http://www.ronayers.com/index.cfm
http://www.mawonline.com/
http://www.americanmototire.com/index.html
http://www.tiresunlimited.com/default.htm