Raise your hand if you love changing tires! (not)

373 Views 15 Replies 7 Participants Last post by po18guy, 2 d ago

po18guy

Well, I was browsing CL looking for something else when I saw "Motorcycle Tire Changer" pop up. Posted a few hours before. Hmmm. Better go have a look. It is a No-Mar "Cycle Hill" tire changer. Used twice by a guy with a VFR800.

Machine Auto part Electric blue Carmine Composite material

They are $450+ new. He asked $100. I have never moved that fast. Now on to mounting it to the platform I made for my Motion-Pro changer.

Wheel Tire Automotive tire Bicycle tire Motor vehicle

Since some amount of leverage is used, am thinking a steel disc atop the plywood. We will see.

See less See more

Save

Reactions: 3

1 - 16 of 16 Posts

Apriliarider

· #2 · 15 d ago

I lag bolted mine to the floor in the corner of my garage. In hind sight, I should have left more room between the machine & the wall.

$100 is an amazing deal. Well worth twice that. We got mine at a race day deal from the No-Mar folks at Laguna Seca. I forget what we paid now…..it’s been nearly 20 years.

What ever it was, it’s paid for itself in spades by now.

Save

Reactions: 1

bpe

· #3 · 15 d ago

Nice find.

Save

Reactions: 1

po18guy

Discussion Starter · #4 · 15 d ago

bpe said:
Nice find.

Thanks. Some things ya' gotta jump on.

Save

Reactions: 1

ducatiman

· #5 · 15 d ago

$450? ......no way
$100 .........all the way

nice find PO

Save

Reactions: 1

po18guy

Discussion Starter · #6 · 15 d ago

ducatiman said:
$450? ......no way
$100 .........all the way

nice find PO

A little bit of memory lane. It was in my old neighborhood, one block over from the house I grew up in.

Save

Davenay67

· #7 · 15 d ago

Looks like a (much) nicer version of the HF tire changer I have. They work really well, and my sport bike tires (even the 180/55-17 tires) were not too much trouble.

Now, the extra stiff Goldwing tires were a bit of a fight. Actually, the front wasn't too bad, but the rear was a major PITA.

Save

Reactions: 1

Cincinnatikid

· #8 · 3 d ago

I started changing tires at a Moto co-op spot (MotoGuild) that had a pneumatic changer and it was awesome, but then they went out of business so I got myself a harbor freight version of the nomar unit, and made a steel pallet to mount it on, and went thru a lot of trouble, and got a “mojo bar” to help with leverage etc, and changed some tires with it, but mostly just struggled a lot, expecting it to be a lot easier than it was.

bit eventually I did figure it out, but it wasn’t the machine, so much as good technique about where to apply pressure and when, like making sure the opposite side of the tire is sitting in the deep part of the wheel when you’re leveraging on your side. Etc etc.

then once out of haste I used a set of spoons on the floor of the shop to change a rear tire and it was actually easier than using the machine and I never ever used the machine again and regret spending $350+ For all that nonsense!!!

just my experience!! Glad you got a killer deal on a very nice looking model! If I had a shop space to bolt it to the floor, that may have made a difference, I had to use a forklift to store my steel pallet changer above some warehouse storage lockers when not in use.

See less See more

Save

yorkie

· #9 · 3 d ago

Cincinnatikid said:
then once out of haste I used a set of spoons on the floor of the shop to change a rear tire and it was actually easier than using the machine and I never ever used the machine again and regret spending $350+ For all that nonsense!!!

my first job after leaving school was as a tyre fitter in a auto shop (in order to apply for an engineering apprenticeship you had to have job in the industry) the techniques learn in those first years I never forget, in all the years of having motorcycles I have never needed a machine to change tyres, the hardest job is breaking the seal once you crack that the rest is easy because the side walls on bike tyres are so pliable.

Save

ducatiman

· #10 · 3 d ago

ever supplement tire changing using a "tire lube" ? Awesome stuff, I've actually mounted tires by hand using this slippery stuff!

See less See more

Save

Reactions: 1

po18guy

Discussion Starter · #11 · 3 d ago

So far, I have Ru-Glyde and the dilutable paste that comes with the changer.

Save

Cincinnatikid

· #12 · 3 d ago

Yes indeed, another huge learning point was using the right products to help. I thought I could cheap my way through it using dawn soap and water in a spray bottle.

now i will never attempt a tire without a lubricsting compound. I have this one, but I’m sure they all work equally well

https://beadbuster.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/ACC-TML.jpg

Save

yorkie

· #13 · 3 d ago

Cincinnatikid said:
I thought I could cheap my way through it using dawn soap and water in a spray bottle.

that's actually not a good idea, not only are you adding water inside the tyre but the raw soap dries out on the inside of the rim gluing it to the tyre. so it's harder to break the seal next time not all bike rims are alloy also but some are chromed steel this mixture corrodes the chrome and rust the steel.
use proper lubricant it's not that expensive and a tin lasts for years at the rate your likely to need it.

Save

po18guy

Discussion Starter · #14 · 2 d ago (Edited)

Reason I bought this thing is the MotionPro changer I have is for skinny dirt bike tires. And, it has no real clamping mechanism. Plus, I 've had two lumbar spine surgeries, a knee surgery and broke my shoulder. Other than that, I'm fine. Plus, I had already made a platform, so it is now a matter of bolting it down.

EDIT: Breaking the bead is easy. I just drive a Honda Element over it, turning the front wheel to follow the bead. Plywood and cardboard cushion any rim trauma.

Save

Apriliarider

· #15 · 2 d ago

I spent years changing tires with spoons and a 5 gal pail. Used a big C-Clamp to break the bead. It worked. But it sucked. I can still do it but it still sucks.

I demo’s the No-Mar at Laguna Seca and it was such a breeze I thought if I had one it would make life so much easier. It does that in spades. Soooo much easier than the tire spoons & 5 gal pail routine.

Save

po18guy

Discussion Starter · #16 · 2 d ago

Apriliarider said:
I spent years changing tires with spoons and a 5 gal pail. Used a big C-Clamp to break the bead. It worked. But it sucked. I can still do it but it still sucks.

I demo’s the No-Mar at Laguna Seca and it was such a breeze I thought if I had one it would make life so much easier. It does that in spades. Soooo much easier than the tire spoons & 5 gal pail routine.

And friends makeing jokes about how you got those calluses on your knees.

Save

1 - 16 of 16 Posts

Top Contributors this Month