I just got done installing a 110-90-19 rear tire on my RM250. I had some trouble the first time and popped the tube (which was the old tube).....but before I attempted it again with a brand new tube I searched this site for some help. Since it went much smoother, I thought I would offer what I did that helped out for others who may be looking for tips.
Only special tools I have are two tire spoons (about 12 inches long) and a couple short bicycle tire spoons. Getting the tire off isn't usually very difficult as it doesn't usually matter if you pop the tube or damage the tire. But there are some things you'll need to know if you have never done this before.
The rim is a smaller diameter in the middle than it is on the extreme outside bead area. Therefore, it is critical that you squish the tire into the center of the wheel when removing and installing. To do this, you remove the shraeder valve in the inner tube so it deflates. Also loosen the tire lock nut and inner tube lock nuts Then lay the rim flat on the ground and use your heel to squish the tire away from the bead all the way around the wheel. You'll visibly see a separation from the rim by about 1/8-1/4 inch. You have to do this on both sides so that the tire is "free" and can wiggle around a little.
Then use the spoons to start prying the tire over the lip of the rim. I use both good spoons about 4 inches apart from each other. Then I stick the small bicycle spoon in place of my good one so that I can remove the good one and use it a few inches down from the tire. If you just pull one out, the tire might pop back inside the rim. So you continue to walk around the tire until one side is totally over the lip of the rim. At this point, you can reach inside and start pulling the inner tube out.
Then you use the same method again to get the other side of the tire walking over the lip of the rim. This side is a little more awkward since you are now working over the valley of the rim. Just remember to keep the area of the tire that you ARE NOT prying on in the middle of the rim. The smaller diameter will allow you to shift the tire lip even closer to coming over the lip of the rim.
Now everything is off. This is a good time to replace the rubber band that covers the spokes if your's is trashed. Remember to run the band OVER the rim lock so it stays in place.
To reinstall, I sprayed the new inner tube very generously with Simple Green. Getting it extra soaked will also help tranfer the liquid solution to the lip of the tire as you install the tube. This will make the tire lip slide on easier. You could use Windex or any other watery/soapy solution that won't dry immediately. Just avoid slick stuff like armor all as it might not dry and could allow the tube and tire to slip around on the wheel.
Getting a new tire started on the rim can be awkward....so use whatever method is best for you. But with the tire in your hands and trying to force it over the wheel lip you have a lot of flexibility to manipulate the tire. I could set it halfway over the lip and then used the spoons to pull it over the rest of the way.
Once you get one entire side over the wheel lip, you can start to feed the tube into the tire cavity. Start by lining the valve stem up with the hole. You can either install the stem through the wheel first, before walking the tube into the rest of the tire.....or just set the whole valve stem portion of the tube inside the wheel, then walk the tube in around the rest of the wheel and finally poke around with your fingers to get the stem through the hole in the wheel. Remember, the tire is flexible and you can move it back and forth at this point to give you more or less room to get your hand in there. Once the stem is through, put the nut on most of the way so it doesn't come back off.
Now is the hard part. Getting the remaining exposed tire lip over the lip of the wheel without pinching the tube. Before starting on this side, make sure the underside of the already installed tire lip is located between the wheel and rim lock. That part of the tire will stay firmly located by the wheel lip, but the rest of the tire should be able to be manipulated back to the center of the wheel (again, the smallest diameter section of the wheel). Also pump some air into the tube. You'll want enough air to get most of the folds out of the tube, but not enough air to register any pressure with a gauge and definitely not enough to cause the tube to expand at all.
Working with the wheel flat on the ground, start opposite the rim lock and carefully poke the tire spoon into the wheel lip. You can use one hand to push the spoon in and the other to feel out the tube location so that you aren't prying it against the rim. Once you feel like you have a good spot, pry the tire lip over the wheel lip. Move 4 inches or so down and repeat. I used my smaller bicycle spoon again to put between my good spoons, so that I can remove the good spoon and use it a few more inches down.
Once you get the tire halfway on....you'll run into two issues. One, you don't have room to stick your fingers inside the rim and feel for tube location anymore and two, the tire lip will be getting much harder to pull over the wheel lip. You should also be able to remove all spoons and have the installed portion of tire remain in place. At this point, I stand up and hold the wheel/tire assembly virticle between my legs. Put the halfway installed portion between your legs so that your ankles, calfs, and knees can all sqeeze on this section of the tire.
Then get your good spoon and squeeze away with your legs while prying on the rest of the section. If you have enough air in the inner tube, then you should be able to stick the tire spoon in the wheel lip just far enough to pry on the tire without risk of pinching the tube. As you pry, squeeze as hard as you can on with your legs. As your legs force the tire to be skinnier, the force of your spoon will drive the whole tire up into the center of the wheel and free up some room for you. When you get the tire lip over the rim lip, remove your spoon and spin the wheel/tire assembly toward you about 4 inches so you can repeat the process on a new section. It should only take you about 4 more prys before you get the tire on, but remember the harder you squeeze with your legs, the easier the tire willl go on.
I just did this last night and it was cake. Also the weather was in the 40's in an unheated garage so I didn't even have the warm weather to soften up the tire. At this point you can tighten the rim lock, tighten the valve stem and pump up to the desired pressure.
Micah
Only special tools I have are two tire spoons (about 12 inches long) and a couple short bicycle tire spoons. Getting the tire off isn't usually very difficult as it doesn't usually matter if you pop the tube or damage the tire. But there are some things you'll need to know if you have never done this before.
The rim is a smaller diameter in the middle than it is on the extreme outside bead area. Therefore, it is critical that you squish the tire into the center of the wheel when removing and installing. To do this, you remove the shraeder valve in the inner tube so it deflates. Also loosen the tire lock nut and inner tube lock nuts Then lay the rim flat on the ground and use your heel to squish the tire away from the bead all the way around the wheel. You'll visibly see a separation from the rim by about 1/8-1/4 inch. You have to do this on both sides so that the tire is "free" and can wiggle around a little.
Then use the spoons to start prying the tire over the lip of the rim. I use both good spoons about 4 inches apart from each other. Then I stick the small bicycle spoon in place of my good one so that I can remove the good one and use it a few inches down from the tire. If you just pull one out, the tire might pop back inside the rim. So you continue to walk around the tire until one side is totally over the lip of the rim. At this point, you can reach inside and start pulling the inner tube out.
Then you use the same method again to get the other side of the tire walking over the lip of the rim. This side is a little more awkward since you are now working over the valley of the rim. Just remember to keep the area of the tire that you ARE NOT prying on in the middle of the rim. The smaller diameter will allow you to shift the tire lip even closer to coming over the lip of the rim.
Now everything is off. This is a good time to replace the rubber band that covers the spokes if your's is trashed. Remember to run the band OVER the rim lock so it stays in place.
To reinstall, I sprayed the new inner tube very generously with Simple Green. Getting it extra soaked will also help tranfer the liquid solution to the lip of the tire as you install the tube. This will make the tire lip slide on easier. You could use Windex or any other watery/soapy solution that won't dry immediately. Just avoid slick stuff like armor all as it might not dry and could allow the tube and tire to slip around on the wheel.
Getting a new tire started on the rim can be awkward....so use whatever method is best for you. But with the tire in your hands and trying to force it over the wheel lip you have a lot of flexibility to manipulate the tire. I could set it halfway over the lip and then used the spoons to pull it over the rest of the way.
Once you get one entire side over the wheel lip, you can start to feed the tube into the tire cavity. Start by lining the valve stem up with the hole. You can either install the stem through the wheel first, before walking the tube into the rest of the tire.....or just set the whole valve stem portion of the tube inside the wheel, then walk the tube in around the rest of the wheel and finally poke around with your fingers to get the stem through the hole in the wheel. Remember, the tire is flexible and you can move it back and forth at this point to give you more or less room to get your hand in there. Once the stem is through, put the nut on most of the way so it doesn't come back off.
Now is the hard part. Getting the remaining exposed tire lip over the lip of the wheel without pinching the tube. Before starting on this side, make sure the underside of the already installed tire lip is located between the wheel and rim lock. That part of the tire will stay firmly located by the wheel lip, but the rest of the tire should be able to be manipulated back to the center of the wheel (again, the smallest diameter section of the wheel). Also pump some air into the tube. You'll want enough air to get most of the folds out of the tube, but not enough air to register any pressure with a gauge and definitely not enough to cause the tube to expand at all.
Working with the wheel flat on the ground, start opposite the rim lock and carefully poke the tire spoon into the wheel lip. You can use one hand to push the spoon in and the other to feel out the tube location so that you aren't prying it against the rim. Once you feel like you have a good spot, pry the tire lip over the wheel lip. Move 4 inches or so down and repeat. I used my smaller bicycle spoon again to put between my good spoons, so that I can remove the good spoon and use it a few more inches down.
Once you get the tire halfway on....you'll run into two issues. One, you don't have room to stick your fingers inside the rim and feel for tube location anymore and two, the tire lip will be getting much harder to pull over the wheel lip. You should also be able to remove all spoons and have the installed portion of tire remain in place. At this point, I stand up and hold the wheel/tire assembly virticle between my legs. Put the halfway installed portion between your legs so that your ankles, calfs, and knees can all sqeeze on this section of the tire.
Then get your good spoon and squeeze away with your legs while prying on the rest of the section. If you have enough air in the inner tube, then you should be able to stick the tire spoon in the wheel lip just far enough to pry on the tire without risk of pinching the tube. As you pry, squeeze as hard as you can on with your legs. As your legs force the tire to be skinnier, the force of your spoon will drive the whole tire up into the center of the wheel and free up some room for you. When you get the tire lip over the rim lip, remove your spoon and spin the wheel/tire assembly toward you about 4 inches so you can repeat the process on a new section. It should only take you about 4 more prys before you get the tire on, but remember the harder you squeeze with your legs, the easier the tire willl go on.
I just did this last night and it was cake. Also the weather was in the 40's in an unheated garage so I didn't even have the warm weather to soften up the tire. At this point you can tighten the rim lock, tighten the valve stem and pump up to the desired pressure.
Micah
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