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Hi Folks
I see that most XS11's in the USA use tubeless tyres (in the UK, the XS11's have tubed tyres usually). I recently bought new tyres for my XJR1300 and decided to try and change them myself and then balance the wheels. The local bike place charges about $50 for two wheels. So, in these difficult times, I thought I'd try and save by doing it all myself. In the UK, most XS1100's have tubed tyres and I was slightly daunted by the prospect of doing two tubeless ones but it all worked out really well. This was the first time I had done this.
Here's a link to a video I found of someone breaking the bead with only two pieces of wood (and a truck...). I did exactly this and it is so simple.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grunCumm8go
I used rim protectors and two tyre levers and was surprised at how easy it is to change the tyres.
This then left wheel balancing. Continuing the mediaeval timber approach, I made my own wheel balancer using bits of wood, two metal L brackets off an old cupboard, four allen bolts with nuts and washers and four new bearings meant for the little wheels on skateboards. The bearings cost $10 for a pack of ten and the rest of the stuff was lying around in the workshop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1VzYybb_P8
The final result..ie a perfectly balanced wheel... is shown here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Q097oFuPM
The balancer I made is good enough to keep and use in the future. Over here, a metal wheel balancer costs $90 or so and I doubt it would be any easier to use or any more effective. The best thing about doing it yourself is that you aren't dependent on anyone else and I'm sure most people will be more careful of their own rims than the average mechanic....
I see that most XS11's in the USA use tubeless tyres (in the UK, the XS11's have tubed tyres usually). I recently bought new tyres for my XJR1300 and decided to try and change them myself and then balance the wheels. The local bike place charges about $50 for two wheels. So, in these difficult times, I thought I'd try and save by doing it all myself. In the UK, most XS1100's have tubed tyres and I was slightly daunted by the prospect of doing two tubeless ones but it all worked out really well. This was the first time I had done this.
Here's a link to a video I found of someone breaking the bead with only two pieces of wood (and a truck...). I did exactly this and it is so simple.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grunCumm8go
I used rim protectors and two tyre levers and was surprised at how easy it is to change the tyres.
This then left wheel balancing. Continuing the mediaeval timber approach, I made my own wheel balancer using bits of wood, two metal L brackets off an old cupboard, four allen bolts with nuts and washers and four new bearings meant for the little wheels on skateboards. The bearings cost $10 for a pack of ten and the rest of the stuff was lying around in the workshop.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1VzYybb_P8
The final result..ie a perfectly balanced wheel... is shown here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Q097oFuPM
The balancer I made is good enough to keep and use in the future. Over here, a metal wheel balancer costs $90 or so and I doubt it would be any easier to use or any more effective. The best thing about doing it yourself is that you aren't dependent on anyone else and I'm sure most people will be more careful of their own rims than the average mechanic....
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