Tire Change

[COOL TOM]

Could someone tell me the procedure to get the rear tire off the wheel on a Standard? I changed the tires on my XJ, but i haven't had any experience with the tire locks that are on the Standard wheel. Do i shove them all the way into the tire or turn them sideways. Then how do i get them back into the wheel when i put the new tire on?


Thanks Tom
82 XJ DAILY RIDE
78 XS1100E FIXING UP
79 XS1100F PARTS BIKE
82 XJ IN THE ROUGH

[Pat Kelly]

I push them all the way in to remove the tire.
As for reinstalling them...........good luck. I have done it with lots of sweat, cussing, giving-up, more sweat and cussing, pinched fingers. Eventualy they got back in and everything was fine, but I don't know any advise on doing it.

[Ken Talbot]

My technique, never failed me yet:
- take to a shop with tire changing equipment and an experienced tire guy
- pay whatever price they ask and avoid the sweat, cussing, throwing of tools, etc, etc...

[prometheus578]

"Tired of rim locks!"

Ken's solution is the best.
One rimlock is a pain... two, is just ... well I can't print it here.
No matter how many times I tried, I could not get that damned tire to seat. Once the tube pushed the rimlock against the bead, she stuck there and wouldn't seat any further up on the rim.
Damned "Continentals". I yanked it off and put on a Dunlop. Beaded right up.

[sleazybear]

I have changed tires on just about everything but a jumbo jet, if it was on a rim, and had rubber on it, I have prob changed it, they key is lots and lots of lube. If the tired wont seat (tire smaller than the rim and dont touch the sides) they make a special tire grease (compound) its sticky and goopy and slick. Do not use the starter fluid trick. I have seen rims bent from that one.. If you dont have tire lube, use lots and lots of dishwashing soap, remember the easyest way for a tire to come off is to make the bead as slick as snot on a doorknob, the way to get it back on is lots of soap, if it binds you dont have enough lube. if it binds when your airing it up, STOP let the air out and lube it some more. never force it, it should slide, if it dont slide USE MORE LUBE!!!!

If you cant get the tire to seat because it doesnt touch the rim, take out the valve stem, use maximum air presure, 120psi stand the tire up, and push down rolling slowly, where the bubbles are comming out, have someone push with there hands, it may take 2 or 3 pairs of hands.

One key thing with all tires if it sounds like a guitar strings breaking, remove the air hose, if you cant get it loose bust the airline, or pull the valve stem just yank hard on the hose something will give. whats happening is the steal belts are breaking, and that tire is going to explode. just get away from it.

I have had two do that, one bent the steel beams in the tire shop, the other one went about 100 feet in the air and they was brand new tires..

Screw drivers are not tire irons, they will work but you risk breaking the bead, tire irons are not that expensive.. you wouldnt try to use a hammer to remove a headlight, so dont use a screw driver on a tire..

[sleazybear]

I knew I would forget something, if you get a tire mail order, and its flat, use a tube air it up to where the tire looks normal, but dont try to get presure, you just want the tire to go to its normal shape, then lay it out in the sun for a couple of hours.. the tire will soften a bit from the heat and take the shape of the tube..

[COOL TOM]

tire change

Now come on guys, first you tell us not to take bike to shop to be worked on, work on it yourself and do the job right and be PROUD that you did it yourself. Now you tell us to take it to the shop to be fixed. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE. Because of your advise i now have 5 of these bikes, and i like to work on them myself. I have the tire tools and tire lube to do the job. Could someone copy the tire change section out of the owners manual for the Standard and e-mail it to me? The clymers doesn't cover the tire locks.

Thanks Tom
82 XJ DAILY RIDE
78 XS1100E FIXING UP
79 XS1100F PARTS BIKE
82 XJ IN THE ROUGH

[DiverRay]

Tom,
I also take my tire to a SHOP and have them put it on. The last rear tire I hade done, the shop took almost two hours to get the tire on properly. The rim locks on the standard are HARD for ANYBODY, and there is no "secret". If you have the tire machine, it is easier but NOT foolproof.
You need to push the rim locks up into the tire and then try to let the tire slide down around them onto the rim. The biggest part of the rim locks are the fact they are rubber, and 25+ years old. They don't give like they did when new, and are MUCH harder to use because of that.
You have two choices with them.
1. buy NEW rim locks, and use them.
2. throw them away, and don't use any rim locks. You can put in short meatal screws through the rim to hold the tire on. I think there is a thread about that, or it may be in the "Tech Tips"
Ray

[Pat Kelly]

I personally don't think the rimlocks are needed to keep the tire from spinning on the rim.
Not to rekindle arguements about tubetype/tubeless, I see no problem with not using the rimlocks.
I would seal the holes where the rimlocks were and run a tube. I know, some think you don't need a tube. Don't put one in if you don't want to, I'm not going there.
One way to seal the holes could be using a couple of tubless valvestems and mark them so you dont try to air the tire with them. JB Weld the holes. Cover the inside of the holes with several layers of duct tape. Lots of options.
I swapped the rear rim on my E with a newer rim marked "tubeless".

[prometheus578]

Sleazybear... very good tips. I had never thought about the "inner tube/sun" trick.
For tires that have gotten skinny from sitting on the shelf too long, (and I'm sure you've done this, too), is to wrap a ratcheting tie-down strap around the outer diameter. Tightening the strap squeezes the tire, and brings the bead closer to the rim so it can seal when trying to inflate the tire.

[xswilly]

tried the rachet strap idea, normally works good, but every once in awhile, you end up having to buy a new strap. oops

take it to a shop, well the shops around here charge 35 dollars to mount a tire plus 15.00 per rimlock, yes thats 65 dollars to mount a tire for an xs11
yamarobbers!!