Look up. Look down. You're changing your own tires. Photo: Kate Murphy

If you own more than one motorcycle, and you ride a lot (like I do), it can be cost-effective to own your own tire machine. Or, like I did, go in “halfsies” with a friend. He’s an awesome host, he has the garage space and doesn’t mind hosting the machine, so I pull my wheels and drive them there to swap out tires.

Note that a tire machine is most useful for tubeless tires. A machine will help you with tubed tires, but only by holding the wheel steady for you. The machine is very good at putting holes in tubes. If you’re replacing tubed tires, it’s best to do so by hand with tire irons and lots of finesse and patience.

Today’s patient is a 2013 Super Tenere, and the new tires are Michelin Anakee 3s. When you change your own tires, you learn which tires are a giant pain to mount and which ones are super easy. In my experience, Michelins are generally easy to mount and need very few wheel weights. The tires I’m pulling off these wheels are Shinko 705s. While I didn’t mind them, and they’re only about halfway worn, I have a big trip coming up and I don’t trust they have enough tread left to get me all the way there and all the way home again.

Centerstand, scissor jack under the engine, nobody breathe. Photo: Kate Murphy

And there’s one of the advantages of owning a tire machine: you can swap out your tires whenever you need to, without committing to trashing the tires that are on your bike. Need to put the old ones back on? You can do that.

In order to make a tire machine work, you will need a pretty beefy air compressor to run it, and of course be able to commit the space to it; they’re not small. They are, however, fairly easy to find used. You’ll need to make sure the machine you buy has the clamp capacity for your largest wheel (some tire machines can’t accept a 21” wheel). If you own a bunch of bikes, ride a lot, and go in on a used machine with one or more trusted friends. It pays for itself in very little time. Other Supplies

You’ll also need a few tire irons to help the machine along. If your rims aren’t already beat up, some rim protectors will help keep them that way. A supply of new tire valve stems is good to have, as well as a valve core remover, and a stem puller (I use a 2-in-one tool there). Some folks use soapy water, but I’ve found that actual tire lube (like Ruglyde) does a much better job. Either way, as in so many of life’s situations, proper lubrication is key to making things work. You’ll find a rag and brush or wire wheel helpful for cleaning the inside of your rim. And afterwards, a balancing stand (they’re not expensive) and some sticky wheel weights. What Not To Do

You may find, like I did, that the “gimmicky” tire supplies like balancing beads and any kind of tire sealant make way more of a mess than they’re worth. Those beads get absolutely everywhere when you pull a tire off a rim. Tire sealant is a giant, smelly mess. I don’t use either, and won’t work on a tire that contains them, unless the owner is there to clean it up. Yuck. Pull the Wheels Off

Pulling the wheels off your bike is a basic maintenance task every rider should know how to do. The Super Tenere, unlike my old oilhead, does not have a single-side swingarm, so when I yank that rear wheel, I need to keep very careful track of the cush drive rubbers. The hub that houses the cush drive can slide out, wedging the entire assembly in the swingarm. Every bike has its own “gotchas”; learn yours and you’ll be ok! Hang the brakes, lube the splines, clean the axle… Photo: Kate Murphy

Hang the brakes, lube the splines, clean the axle… Photo: Kate Murphy

If you have a dual-disc front wheel, it’ll help if you draw some arrows on your brake calipers, so you remember what direction the wheel turns. It may seem obvious, but the arrows will make it brainless later. Most (but not all) motorcycle tires are directional, and have an arrow on the sidewall. You’ll want to make sure to mount the tire in the correct direction. I use a sharpie on the disc, since that will be worn off in the first ½ mile of braking. I’ve seen a lot of tires get mounted backwards, by shade-trees and pros alike. Draw the arrows.

Better to have the arrows and not need them… Photo: Kate Murphy Get It Hot

Step zero in the tire-changing process is putting the shiny new tire somewhere it can warm up. That might be you or a friend pointing a heat gun at it, letting it rest in the sun on asphalt on a hot summer day, or setting it up inside your tire warmer. A hot tire is a friendly tire, and trying to spoon a cold tire onto a rim is a nasty job. Asphalt in full sun on a hot summer day will do it. Photo: J. Bendonis Remove the Air, Break the Bead

Asphalt in full sun on a hot summer day will do it. Photo: J. Bendonis

Now, unscrew and remove the valve stem core. It’ll be noisy, but you want the tire absolutely airless. Next, the tire machine has a side clamp that pushes the tire off the bead. Set the tire down into that mechanism, make sure you keep that arm just away from the rim edge so it doesn’t mar your pretty rims. Fully remove the valve stem core, and line up the bead breaker so it doesn’t touch your rim. Photos: J. Bendonis

Fully remove the valve stem core, and line up the bead breaker so it doesn’t touch your rim. Photos: J. Bendonis

Push down on the pedal, so the clamp compresses against the tire sidewall. You’ll feel it “pop” off the bead. I spin the rim and do this three times per side, to make sure it’s all the way off, all the way around. Push the pedal and feel the power. Photos: J. Bendonis Let the Machine Hold the Wheel

Push the pedal and feel the power. Photos: J. Bendonis

Next, pick up the wheel, place it flat on the machine, and push the rim onto the clamps. The clamps should be out at the periphery of the machine’s “stage.” Line up the rim onto the rear two clamps, then weight the rim (not the tire) and push down on the clamp pedal. The machine’s clamp-fingers compress toward the center, and firmly grab the rim. Yank on the rim and make sure it’s totally secure. Now you’re ready to pull that old tire off. Lube it up! With the tire bead unseated, the clamps have plenty of room to grab the rim. Photos: J. Bendonis Line Up the Duck Head

With the tire bead unseated, the clamps have plenty of room to grab the rim. Photos: J. Bendonis

The “arm” of the tire machine has an end that’s generally referred to as the “duck head” because … you guessed it. It looks like a duck head. Line that duck-head up: use the arm’s adjuster at the top to make sure it’s just outside the edge of the rim. Now push down so the end touches the rim, and then use the lever at the top to secure its location. It is designed to back off just enough that it will not touch the rim. Drop your tire iron down the outside of the beak, into the rim, and grab the bead of the tire. It helps if you push the opposite-side tire bead into the center of the rim on the other side, to give yourself some slack. Use the heel of your hand and don’t reach your fingers into the tire. Through this whole process, keep your hand flat and never stick your fingers down into the tire. It’s all about the duck head. Photos: J. Bendonis

It’s all about the duck head. Photos: J. Bendonis

With the tire iron, pry the bead up and over the duck head. Blob some tire lube onto the tire bead and push down on the pedal that rotates the tire machine’s pedestal. The duck-head arm now does all the work for you, pulling the top bead of the tire off the rim. Now Do It Again, Only Deeper

Next, repeat the process, but this time, get that tire iron in deep to grab the lower bead of the tire. You’re pulling the whole tire up and off the rim. Put your hand on the outside of the tire, underneath, to feel for the end of the tire iron. Never reach into the tire. Remember, lube will make the process easier. And again, throughout this entire endeavor, to keep your hands flat, and keep your fingers out of all the holes. Pry the bottom bead up and over the duck-head, press the “rotate” pedal on the machine and the tire will pop completely off. Proper lubrication is the key to a lot of things in life. Photos: J. Bendonis

Proper lubrication is the key to a lot of things in life. Photos: J. Bendonis

Now, your tire is sitting on top of your rim, yay! Push the machine’s arm out of the way, and put that old tire in the burn pile. (Kidding. Your local transfer station will take it.) While You’re In There

Here’s a “while you’re in there” side job: how are your tire stems? Are they as old as the bike? Have you ever replaced them? Getting a flat from a rubber tire stem that cracked because it aged out is a bummer of a way to interrupt a trip. Cutting the old stem out and pulling a new stem in, is quick and easy when your rim is naked. Tire lube makes it easy, too. A new tire stem costs less than a dollar. Cheap insurance. Replace it. Photos: J. Bendonis Clean Your Wheel

A new tire stem costs less than a dollar. Cheap insurance. Replace it. Photos: J. Bendonis

Before you pop a new tire on, make sure the inside of your wheel is as clean as possible. Any old blobs of anything along where the beads seat, can make the new tire leak. Use brake cleaner, or a brass wire brush, or a wire wheel on a drill, or just a rag, or all of the above, and make sure the inside of your rim is totally smooth. Check for chipping paint, or peeling chrome. Any inconsistencies in the inside surface can result in a maddening slow leak. Go Get That New Hotness

Now, your new tire should be nice and warm from sitting in the sun. Find the directional arrow on the tire and make sure it agrees with the wheel direction, or the arrow you drew on your brake disc. Remember, most tires are directional and will have an arrow. Sometimes it’s only printed on one side, but, very rarely, you’ll have a tire that’s not directional. Be very sure about this. Lube up the opposite side around the bead, and push it down onto the rim. Most tires are built to roll in one direction. Photo: J. Bendonis Some Tires Put Up a Fight

Most tires are built to roll in one direction. Photo: J. Bendonis

Sometimes, if the tire is agreeable and nice and hot, you can just push the bottom bead down onto the rim with your hands, and it will pop on. Sometimes you’ll need to use the machine. Every tire is different. You’ll learn to appreciate the tires that mount easily. You’ll also learn which ones are invariably a long fight, and if a friend asks for your help with one of those, you’re busy that week. Sometimes, with luck and lube, you can just push the first bead right over the rim. Photo: J. Bendonis Don’t Fight the Tire; Use the Machine

Sometimes, with luck and lube, you can just push the first bead right over the rim. Photo: J. Bendonis

Once the “bottom” bead is on the rim, push the “top” bead down onto the rim as far around the rim as you can, starting with the duck-head. Get that duck-head situated so that the front (with the beak) is on top of the tire’s  bead, the bead is on the rim, and the back of the duck-head, which is sort of a wedge shape, is underneath the bead, on top of the rim. Hold part of the tire that’s under the rim, down, as much as you can, make sure everything is lubed well, and push the rotate pedal. Ideally, the machine does all the work, and pops the tire right onto the wheel. On this step, I use rim protectors and, in small bites, a tire iron to flip the tire bead down onto the wheel as far around as I can. The more you can get situated into the wheel the better. Use lots of tire lube. Keeping those rims unmarred… Photo: J. Bendonis It’s a Learning Process

Keeping those rims unmarred… Photo: J. Bendonis

The more you do this, the more you know what to look out for when the job is going south. Sometimes a tire puts up a fight and doesn’t want to go onto that wheel, but you’ll learn how to weight the tire’s sidewall to help the machine along. it is safest to do this with your elbows; keep those fingers away from your rim! Note that during said struggle, it is possible to damage a tire’s bead. There’s metal in there that can break or pop out and that will ruin your new tire. Air It Up and Grit Your Teeth

Now that the tire is entirely on the rim, remove the new tire stem’s core, and inflate the tire, little by little, until you hear both beads seat with a BANG! No matter how often I mount a tire, this part always gives me the heebie-jeebies. Sometimes it takes a lot of pressure to seat the beads. Sometimes they don’t make much noise, and sometimes they are very loud. Some tires seat very easily, loud or not, and some take a lot of lube, some ratchet straps, perhaps a dead-blow hammer… It can be a struggle. You’ll learn here, too, with practice, how to escalate the situation. Happily, these Anakees popped right on. Air it up and listen for the BANG!! Photo: J. Bendonis Balance the Whole Business

Air it up and listen for the BANG!! Photo: J. Bendonis

Your balancing rig is the next step—put the rig’s axle through your wheel, secure the cones, and spin it in quarter-turns until you find the heavy spot. This is a zen practice. I generally temporarily duct-tape wheel weights, a 1/4 oz at a time, to the top, “light” side of the wheel, until I can set it still at any point in its rotation and it doesn’t move at all. This is more important for the front wheel than the rear, but I still balance both. Don’t rush this step. Photo: J. Bendonis Reinstall and Ride

Don’t rush this step. Photo: J. Bendonis

After mounting and balancing your new tires, it’s time to reinstall them on the bike! Clean everything up, regrease your axles and splines, find your torque spec tables. Check your bearings, retorque your spokes, take a look at your brake pads, don’t forget to correctly torque your pinch bolts, pump your brakes back up, check your tire pressure one last time and get out for a shakedown ride to scrub in those slippery new shoes.