Harley Tire Change

If you are putting a lot of miles on your bike and want to avoid paying for another mount & balance, consider picking up a bead breaker and a balance/truing stand. Why not take on Harley tire change yourself?

In this video, Bob gives us a quick demo on a Harley tire change by dismounting it from a spoked rim. Before loading the wheel onto the stand, it is a good idea to remove any wheel weights. Solid rims will have stick on weights. Remove the schrader valve from the valve stem to release the air pressure and remove the valve stem nut.

Mix a solution of soap and water into a spray bottle. Mount the wheel onto the bead breaker and spray the area that you will be working. Carefully pull the arm of the tool and begin breaking the bead of the tire. You will need to turn the wheel and break the bead in at least three or four spots. Now, flip the wheel in the tool and break the bead on the opposite side. Now you will need tire spoons and a few rim protectors. It is important to avoid damaging the inner sealing surface of the rim. Take your time and work your way around the rim with the spoons and rim protectors. When you have the tire about 1/3 of the way off you will be able to remove it the rest of the way by hand.

The next part of the Harley tire change will be to work the inner tube out of the wheel. It is not completely necessary to replace your tube and rim strip, but that is definitely recommend especially if they are old or if you struggled to remove the inner tube.

Finally, use your spoons and rim protectors to work off the bottom lip of the tire. Remove the tire completely and remove the rim strip. If there is excessive rust or oxidation inside the rim, use a wire brush and remove as much as possible. It is really helpful to use a wire wheel with a 1/4″ arbor. You can use this in a pneumatic die grinder or in a battery powered drill.

Make sure to review our video demonstrate on replacing and truing a wheel.