New tires for 750 SF

There was a company in the US (Jupiter Wheels I think) who made tubeless rims that took blind thread-hole spoke nipples that sealed into the rim with O-rings. Clever kit. Designed by an aerospace dude.
 
I pinched a tube while fitting a new tyre once, pulled it out, put a patch on and pinched it again the second time. 🤦‍♂️

My god fearing neighbours got a free verbal lesson in female anatomy that day, twice.
 
My back tyre went flat at the Alpine rally just after buying my SF2. Took out the tube and checked it in the river, leaking valve core that just needed tightening. Pinched it putting it back in. Luckily some guy had checked away a can of useless shit Finilec with some left in it, got me home, sometimes you are lucky.
 
My first and only tyre change attempt was racked with rooky mistakes. No internet back then so I have only very basic ideas on what to do. The first mistake was doing it on a cold winter day, it's much easier with warm tyres. The second mistake was using a 6-ply Michelin Off-road tyre, there basically like cast iron. Incredibly stiff. And then I started pinching tubes, I must have pinched it 5 or 6 times before I gave up. I have a better idea of what the tricks are now, I had no idea about using the rim well or lubing the tyre or partially inflating the tube etc but being lazy it's 100% easier to just get someone I know who does it for a living to do it.
 
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I learned from an expert. Well not really, just someone who does his own tyres and has done for ever, since he was racing as a teenager (now he’s 70ish). Valuable knowledge, and hugely confidence building for a young buck 🤣
 
Many moto tyres, 1000s of bicycle tyres ... the rim well is your friend every time. Used to get the Avon Roadrunners on with the rubber mallet and some slippery stuff on the bead. Now i get the tyre joint to do it in my Lav.
 
As a kid, I waited for someone else to mend punctures on my pushbike. As a teenager I farmed motorbike punctures out to the local cycle shop.
At eighteen, when I bought my new 850 Commando, I bought a Workshop Manual for it.
That, on the subject, read "Changing tyres is largely a matter of technique." and went on to explain the hows and whys.
Since then, with two exceptions: one a cracked rib, the other a trapped nerve in my shoulder; I've changed all mine myself.
Somewhat easier on the wire wheels, I have changed one on a Laverda cast wheel despite having been told I wouldn't be able to.
The principal tip to avoid pinching a tube, is to inflate it to 10psi+ before streching the final bead on. That keeps it out of the way of the levers.
 
We learnt growing up how to change tyres, (or at least had to do it) and if you ride in the bush it's essential.
Just used to do it as matter of course when road riding because sometimes had to change them in the middle of nowhere.
When I got the Jota with cast wheels however I met my match and a few tyre fitters weren't happy to see me either. I think some must be worse than others, but usually have to cut the old bastard off. Too hard for me.............
 
I learnt manual tyre fitting the hard way. My first attempt (at 14 years-old) resulted in 19 nips in the new rear tube for the Bantam. I wasted all the puncture patches I had on it, tried again and nipped it another 5 times before I understood what was going on. Not only had I wasted my pocket money, it also took the better part of an afternoon. Disgusted, I trundled off to the local bike shop for a new one.

I can now remove and fit a tyre from a steel rim in under 10 minutes if need be. Decent tyre levers are a must. Alloy rims require a little extra care. Cast Lav rims are a royal pita, I'd do them on a machine only. Fitting tyres on these manually only results in carnage, of both tyre and rim!

piet
 
My favourite tyre story was watching Shane Watts change 2 bib mouse tubes and tyres at the Tralagon 6 day. He stopped outside Park Forma just before the end of the day work period and undid both axil nuts. 4 minutes for each wheel had 2 tyres and bib tubes off and replaced, he used and needed probably 10 x 600mm long tyre irons. That was after 300ks plus of bloody hard off-roading that day and there were 4 more days just like that scedeled. Or there was till torrential rain and flooding for the next 3 days had it closed.
 
When I was about 10yo, we were so poor, my father showed me how to use newspaper and long grass as a replacement for fucked bicycle tubes.

I was a paperboy and every couple of days had inflate them with more newspaper, which I got for free, one of the very few perks of the job.
 
I used to do my own tyre changes. Levers to get the tyre off, rubber mallet to put a tyre on. Learned the rubber mallet technique after pinching too many tubes with levers. I don't bother now. Much simpler to take it to someone with tyre fitting equipment.

I once saw a bloke install a tyre with no tools other than a pair of work boots. He worked most of the tyre on using his hands until there was just a short section that needed stretching over the rim. He massaged that bit on with the heels of his boots. It involved a lot of stomping, kicking and swearing. I reckon he could have sold tickets to that performance. It was quite entertaining to watch.
 
I designed and built this tyre changer for my 3 bikes tyres a few years ago. Has to be clamped to the beach. Does 17" and 18" rims. The bead breaking extension handle is also the duck head extension handle. It all disassembles, unbolts and fits into a square bucket for easy storage in the workshop. Works a treat.
 

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BlackJota said:
I designed and built this tyre changer for my 3 bikes tyres a few years ago. Has to be clamped to the beach. Does 17" and 18" rims. The bead breaking extension handle is also the duck head extension handle. It all disassembles, unbolts and fits into a square bucket for easy storage in the workshop. Works a treat.
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Best mark the bucket with ‘Tyre changer kit’ otherwise when you’re dead, someone will see the bucket of metal cutoffs and bin the lot.
 
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