dgraver

Member
May 8, 2010
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So I'm gettin back into bikes and picked up a kdx200 for 800. It needed a new tire so I figured I would get familiar with changing them. Bought the 3 pack motion pro tire irons and went to work. Took the old one off and changed the tube and began mounting the new one. Got towards the end of the second side and heard a huge snap bc I had to much pressure. Went to ride and the back wheel wables and bulges a little where it happens. Would you advise me 100 percent to get a new one now?
 

Ol'89r

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Jan 27, 2000
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dgraver said:
Went to ride and the back wheel wables and bulges a little where it happens. Would you advise me 100 percent to get a new one now?

Yes. It's the bead that keeps the tire on the rim. If you broke the bead, the tire could possibly come off of the rim. If it does come off of the rim, according to Murphys Law, you will be miles from your truck. :whoa:

It takes a heck of a lot of pressure to break the bead on your tire. Do a search on the proper way to change a tire.
 

dgraver

Member
May 8, 2010
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well honestly it was this site that gave me the balls to do it. i read a lot fo tutorials and that kinda stuff and figured it wouldnt be too hard.. and it wasnt.. just didnt do it the right way i guess.

im just reluctant to spend another 105 on a new tire..
 

IndyMX

Crash Test Dummy
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Jul 18, 2006
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Amo, IN
I'd suggest having someone with a bit more knowledge take a look at it.. It's possible that you didn't break the bead, just either don't have it seated properly or something along those lines.

And really 105?? You seriously need to find a new tire supplier.
 

rmc_olderthandirt

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Apr 18, 2006
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How big were the tire irons you were using?

I have 12" irons and I really don't think that I could apply enough force with those irons to break the bead on a tire. I have never even heard of that happening. After it snapped, was it really easy to get it the rest of the way on, or did it still take a bit of work?

Let me define a few terms so we are talking the same language, or you can at least translate. Note that these terms my not be technically correct, just how I refer to them:

Rim: The largest diameter of the wheel. This is what you need to pry the tire over.
Bead: The smallest diameter of tire. This is what you are prying over the rim
Bead Seat: The part of the wheel where the tire eventually sits. About a 1/4" or so smaller in radius than the rim.


One thing that is somewhat essential for getting the tire over the rim is to keep the opposite side bead OFF the bead seat. If the tire is off the seat then there is an extra 1/2" or so that it can slide in the direction you need it to go. There is a little tool called the "Bead Buddy" that is useful for this, although just giving the tire an appropriate squeeze now and then will accomplish the same thing.

I am thinking that the "snap" you heard was actually the bead popping off the bead seat, where it needed to be in the first place.

Once you have both beads of the tire inside the rim of the wheel you will need to get the bead onto the bead seat. This is referred to as "seating the bead". The easiest way to do this is to over inflate the tire and let the air pressure force it up on the seat. Many tires will have a maximum air pressure specified for the purpose of seating the bead. I would expect a bead seating maximum pressure to be around 45 PSI.

it is common to have the bead NOT fully seat, which can have your tire be 1/4" out of round and not symmetric side to side. This would be very noticeable when you rode. If it won't seat with the maximum pressure then there are two courses of action:

1) deflate the tire, push the bead away from the seat and apply a generous amount of soapy water. Inflate, and hopefully the lubrication will allow the bead to slip into the bead seat.

2) With the tire inflate to maximum pressure, bounce it. I will bounce the tire like it is a basketball, getting the section that isn't seated to hit the ground. A motorcycle wheel will bounce pretty good when it is inflated to 45 PSI! It generally doesn't take very much, just a few bounces and the flexing finishes the job.

Just be sure to drop the air pressure down to normal operating pressure as soon as you are done. I have made the mistake of leaving the tires at 45 PSI and going for a ride. It didn't go well......

And like Indy said, $105 for a tire is a lot! The last tire I bought was $80 and that include mounting and disposal of the old tire.

Rod
 

Patman

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I would almost be inclined to think you could bend or crack the rim before breaking the bead.

BTW did it ever cross you mind to stop when it got that difficult? Maybe watch a youtube video of how to do it?
 

dgraver

Member
May 8, 2010
12
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i used the 12" black tire iron and torqued the **** out of it.. i knew pretty well that i shouldnt be cranking that hard but i really wanted to ride, and did, just didnt know if i was going to hit a bump and blow out.. the one thing you mentioned that could be of a lot of help is get the bead off the seat and down into the center or the rim.

and i live in hawaii so to get a tire shipped out here it is easily $30.. so $60 tire, shipping -- pretty much the same except now waiting.
 

Patman

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Well I bet you know what NOT to do now.

Check out some of the online videos they may help alot. It's pretty amazing how many people think it's all about brute force.
 

dgraver

Member
May 8, 2010
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yeah, i think i got it down pretty good now.. i read a bunch of posts about how to do it and they kept mentioning rim lock.. found that out what it was after about 3 hours of the tire not being seated proper. i just really cannot pay some one else $40 to do a 3 minute job on a machine.. pisses me off enough to spend that kinda money on a tire..
 

dirt bike dave

Sponsoring Member
May 3, 2000
5,349
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To ease installation, set the new tire out in the hot sun for a few hours to soften it up.

In winter, put it under the hood of your car/truck with the motor warm. Bake for at least 30 minutes.

Makes it a lot easier to work with a soft tire.
 

dgraver

Member
May 8, 2010
12
0
thanks for the advice... found rockymountainatvmc.com and they ship second day air ups for around $30. think i gotta order one from there.

but as far as riding/not riding on it? i just spent 105 on a new tire, please tell me someone would ride with it????
 

IndyMX

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Jul 18, 2006
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Amo, IN
dgraver said:
thanks for the advice... found rockymountainatvmc.com and they ship second day air ups for around $30. think i gotta order one from there.

but as far as riding/not riding on it? i just spent 105 on a new tire, please tell me someone would ride with it????

Until you show us the tire, we can't be sure...

How about a picture of the thing?
 

dgraver

Member
May 8, 2010
12
0
will do, im at work right now so pics will be later.. buddy said he was scared riding behind me when we had to get onto the rode for a little 1/4 mile stretch.
 

Ol'89r

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Jan 27, 2000
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You probably don't want to hear this but, if it were mine, I would remove the tire and inspect the bead. If the bead is broken (which is unlikely) it will be obvious. It's more likely that the tire is not seated on the rim properly or is hanging up on the tube or rim lock. As mentioned, it is very hard to break your bead with a tire iron. But, if the bead is broken, the tire should be replaced.
 

rmc_olderthandirt

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Apr 18, 2006
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dgraver said:
i read a bunch of posts about how to do it and they kept mentioning rim lock.. found that out what it was after about 3 hours of the tire not being seated proper.


If the rim lock was tightened down I would have thought you would never have gotten the old tire off!

The biggest issue I have with the rim lock is to make sure that it doesn't pinch the tube. Here is how I put a tire on:

I start by putting the wheel inside the tire. There is a bit of a trick about squashing the tire just right to make the beads open wide and then you can slide the wheel into the tire and with a little pushing it can just slide right in. Now you have the wheel inside the tire, both beads outside the rim.

Now put one bead inside the rim. On the front I will put the rotor side on first and on the rear I will put the sprocket side on first. This is because the other side is less of knuckle buster which will be appreciated when the harder bead is slipped over the rim

With one bead still out I will slip the tube in. I will but just enough air into the tube so that it doesn't want to lie flat. Work the valve stem in first, then poke the tube the rest of the way around, making sure it doesn't have any twists in it. Many of the tubes have some sort of line running around the tube and you can use this to make sure there is no twist.

Now give the rim lock a push up. It will be a little springy because you are pushing against the tube. Make sure that the rim lock moves fairly easily and that it is inside the tire, not trapped against the rim by the bead.

I generally start mounting the final bead just a little ways away from the rim lock. You do NOT want to be completing forcing the bead over the rim next to the rim lock, that is for sure!

Once you have the second bead on give the rim lock a push again. It should move freely.

Inflate the tire, seat the bead, and then tighten down the rim lock.


Rod
 

dgraver

Member
May 8, 2010
12
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thanks for all the advice/info... buuut i am kinda thick headed and went for a ride last night after work anyways, and the tire blew out. luckily i wasnt going way to hard when it did blow (if it wouldve happened 5 mins earlier i wouldnt be writing this from work but from a hospital room)...

so all in all im broke, wasted 150 or so, and my bike isnt rideable. BUT i did learn in the process and im not hurt so i guess i have to look at the positives.
 

Patman

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I would LOVE to see a pic of that!
 

dgraver

Member
May 8, 2010
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so i think blew out was bad discriptive words cause it isnt that bad.. the tube popped and the tire is off the rim a little.
 

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