DIY Tire mounting
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 180
Likes: 16
From: Lake Havasu City AZ
DIY Tire mounting
Trying to save money by mounting and balancing my tires myself. I can buy the tools, tire irons, weights, and a tire balancer for 110 bucks off of Amazon all the tools have good reviews so the should be good enough for DIY use. I’ve done all the work on my bike my self, new bars including a longer front brake line, windscreen, seat, signal relocation and a stage 1 kit including the tuner Power Vision. So I do have some basic mechanical skills. Is this worth my time and effort ? I don’t want to over pay for something I can do myself.
$330.00, ouch
get a $60 lift and pull the wheels and drop the new tires and the wheels with old tires off at a indy shop. should be about 40-50, total, to have them mounted (and balance if you are into that)
get a $60 lift and pull the wheels and drop the new tires and the wheels with old tires off at a indy shop. should be about 40-50, total, to have them mounted (and balance if you are into that)
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 10,135
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From: Sandpoint, Idaho
Actually breaking the bead is a cinch. I bolted something similar to this to my garage wall stud.
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2017
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From: Madill, OK
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
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From: Bedford UK
Having been riding for over fifty years I've done my time changing tyres, also repairing punctured tubes on the road side, many times. What made me change my mind is two things: tubeless tyres; also the much larger cross-section tyres that are now popular. Using normal hand tools the darned things started putting up more of a fight, especially to get the old one off, also there is increased risk of damaging the bead when putting a new one on. 
A further consideration is that having a tyre replaced became cheaper, especially when taking the wheel to a shop and buying the tyre from them. I have a local Yamaha dealer close by and have had them supply and fit my Harley tyres for many years now. Indeed their head mechanic is a Harley owner.
So an alternative approach is to foster favours with a local shop. I may pay a little over the odds for my tyres, but they are still discounted and fitting charges are modest. Plus I get coffee while I wait! I leave the butch stuff to the younger generation now.....
A further consideration is that having a tyre replaced became cheaper, especially when taking the wheel to a shop and buying the tyre from them. I have a local Yamaha dealer close by and have had them supply and fit my Harley tyres for many years now. Indeed their head mechanic is a Harley owner.
So an alternative approach is to foster favours with a local shop. I may pay a little over the odds for my tyres, but they are still discounted and fitting charges are modest. Plus I get coffee while I wait! I leave the butch stuff to the younger generation now.....
Last edited by grbrown; Apr 29, 2018 at 06:13 AM.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: May 2010
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From: SWMO
If you're serious about changing your own tires, get the right tool and make it easy on yourself. I've changed a lot of tires on this one.
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From: Niagara Falls, Canada.
You're going to buy all the gear and change a tire maybe every 2-3 years ? You know sometimes you just have to 'bite the bullet' and pay to have a job 'professionally' done. Are you gonna change your car tires too ?...b.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 180
Likes: 16
From: Lake Havasu City AZ
Look’s like I’m leanining towards the pulling the tires off and taking them to a small shop we have a shop in town I’ll see what he’s asking to mount them. Wasn’t sure what the going rate was figured Harley shop would charge an arm and a leg. I’m pushing 10,000 miles on the stock tires the bike came with thought I might make this seasons riding but don’t think I’ll get another 5,000 miles out of them before winter. cvaria you said something about balancing the tire ? I know that it’s not a high speed sport bike but I would think it still needs to be balanced? No ?