03-09-2023, 09:45 AM
If you're considering changing your own tires, take a look at this https://rabaconda.com/products/street-bike-tire-changer. This is a magical little machine that weighs only 36 lbs (16 kg) and comes with a carry bag, so is completely portable. I bought the starter kit, which comes with bead grease and brush, 2 bead hold-down tools, and a few other bits and pieces. I also bought an extra hold-down tool, and the BMW 62/72 mm rear wheel adaptor.
I recently changed my Dunlop Roadsmart 4 tires (old and new) with it, and I couldn't believe how easy it was. The RS4s are known to have a very stiff sidewall and to be very difficult to change, so I was expecting some struggle. I did have about 30 seconds of struggle getting the second bead of the new rear tire mounted. The key is to get as much of the already mounted bead as possible into the drop-center of the rim. I needed all three hold-down tools for that step.
Before attempting my first change I watched the Tutorial a bunch of times, made a checklist of things to remember, and then followed the video step by step as I changed the tires. I think that all helped a lot.
The sheer genius of this machine, which now seems so obvious now but no-one else ever thought of, is that all the effort is in pushing down against the ground. The ratchet system means when mounting or dismounting you stand behind the machine and push the handle down repeatedly. You don't have to anchor the machine to the floor, you just need a non-slip surface on which to work. I used a heavy-duty 3' x 5' rubber-backed mat that we have.
The Rabaconda is not cheap. I think the total for everything I bought was about US$700.
And, you also need some sort of wheel balancing setup. I considered the Harbor Freight motorcycle wheel balancer, but its cones are too small for the R1200RS front wheel. I bought the Marc Parnes balancer, which is simple and beautifully made. For the R1200RS rear wheel you will also need the Marc Parnes 62mm BMW adaptor, and something to sit it on. I just use my jack stands, but milk crates with some weight in them would probably work.
The two hardest parts of the whole operation were 1) getting the old wheel weights and adhesive off (this thing and some Goo Gone with a nylon scrubber and some elbow grease did the trick), 2) getting the new front tire bead to seat all the way around. I used plenty of bead grease and inflated to the max recommended 40 psi (dire warnings on the tire label to not exceed 40 psi to seat the bead) and left it overnight. About 1/3 of the bead still would not seat. In the end, I sprayed some WD-40 around the bead, removed the valve core (get air in faster) and pumped it up to 60 psi. Seconds later both beads seated with a pop.
Next time I have 1500 miles left on a set of tires and I'm about to set off on a 3000 mile trip, I can keep the old tires and put them back on later.
I recently changed my Dunlop Roadsmart 4 tires (old and new) with it, and I couldn't believe how easy it was. The RS4s are known to have a very stiff sidewall and to be very difficult to change, so I was expecting some struggle. I did have about 30 seconds of struggle getting the second bead of the new rear tire mounted. The key is to get as much of the already mounted bead as possible into the drop-center of the rim. I needed all three hold-down tools for that step.
Before attempting my first change I watched the Tutorial a bunch of times, made a checklist of things to remember, and then followed the video step by step as I changed the tires. I think that all helped a lot.
The sheer genius of this machine, which now seems so obvious now but no-one else ever thought of, is that all the effort is in pushing down against the ground. The ratchet system means when mounting or dismounting you stand behind the machine and push the handle down repeatedly. You don't have to anchor the machine to the floor, you just need a non-slip surface on which to work. I used a heavy-duty 3' x 5' rubber-backed mat that we have.
The Rabaconda is not cheap. I think the total for everything I bought was about US$700.
And, you also need some sort of wheel balancing setup. I considered the Harbor Freight motorcycle wheel balancer, but its cones are too small for the R1200RS front wheel. I bought the Marc Parnes balancer, which is simple and beautifully made. For the R1200RS rear wheel you will also need the Marc Parnes 62mm BMW adaptor, and something to sit it on. I just use my jack stands, but milk crates with some weight in them would probably work.
The two hardest parts of the whole operation were 1) getting the old wheel weights and adhesive off (this thing and some Goo Gone with a nylon scrubber and some elbow grease did the trick), 2) getting the new front tire bead to seat all the way around. I used plenty of bead grease and inflated to the max recommended 40 psi (dire warnings on the tire label to not exceed 40 psi to seat the bead) and left it overnight. About 1/3 of the bead still would not seat. In the end, I sprayed some WD-40 around the bead, removed the valve core (get air in faster) and pumped it up to 60 psi. Seconds later both beads seated with a pop.
Next time I have 1500 miles left on a set of tires and I'm about to set off on a 3000 mile trip, I can keep the old tires and put them back on later.