Having tyres fitted

[Sylar]

Always doing my own servicing, it really bugs me when i have to let someone else do anything that is a little beyond me, as radial tyres need a lot more pressure to break the seal. i rescently needed a new front tyre for my Cruisym 300i. The specialist tyre people i have dealt with for the last 12 years closed down. At that time i needed a rear tyre. Normally i take the wheel off and they replace the tyre. My local bike dealer ( Speedwell) said they could supply and fit the tyre, they did. Cost £82. I never paid more than £62 in the past. Last week i arranged for a new front tyre to be fitted at Moto GB Bolton.Cost £66. I know people have a down on Moto GB but they have always been okay by me. I use Michelin city grips 2.

[Data]

I'm using City Grip 2's also. Good tyres. But have noticed all tyres seem to be so much more expensive now. I'm told in a big part due to that maniac Putin. Don't suppose stuff will ever return to normal prices either.

[roadster]

Scooter tyres can be more difficult to change than car tyres. I have a mechanical bead breaker which is essentially a curved clamp which screws down on the tyre wall and it works well provided care is taken to get just enough clearance from the rim. I then protect the alloy rims with tough plastic sections cut from cosmetic or oil containers as I lever the tyre bead off. There can be an equally difficult issue with reseating a new tyre because achieving an initial seal needs more air flow than a typical lightweight pump. Even garage forecourt air supplies can be nothing special if they don't use a remote compressor. I use a full size compressor with reservoir tank for this job. Last point is try not to do the job in low temperatures but if it can't wait keep the new tyre indoors until the last possible minute.

Even with all the above advancing years and weakened fingers make this a painful wrestling match!

[Andym]

I've done my own motorcycle tyres for years.

ABBA bead breaker, basically a huge G-clamp and a workshop compressor from the jumble sale in the middle of Aldi. Invested maybe £200 ten years ago, must have made a saving by now even without the new tyres I don't buy due to punctures and English fitters in RIP-off Britain refusing to use internal plugs.

Use cable ties to hold the bead in the rim while you work round with the levers and protectors.

An OE fit tyre is usually fitted without lube though, so be prepared to use the angle grinder the first time on a new bike.

Andy

[velocipede6295]

I used to use B & C performance tyres at Farnworth, for quite a number of years, until they closed a couple of years back. Initially I used to remove the wheels and take the loose wheels in, but in later years, used their ride in / ride out service, always on bikes though, not scooters ( I was OK riding bikes then). B and C were great, and I missed them when they closed. You may remember them Sylar, as they were not far from Speedwell Motorcycles . I am also a customer at Moto GB ( Bolton) having bought plenty of bikes from them ( Bolton and Wigan branches), had them serviced, repaired, and have had tyres fitted there. I have seen a lot of adverse comments on the forum about the group, but I have been satisfied with all the bikes I have bought from them, and been happy with the service I have received, as a customer, going there in person.

[Sylar]

Yes it was B & C that i was refering to as my specialist fitters. As for Moto GB i agree with you,always helpful. When i bought my Cruisym300i in 2018 i Bought it from Moto GB in Rochdale, only because i did not care for the Bolton salesman they had at that time.