Fitting a tyre

[Oilslick]

Does anyone know if it's OK to use washing up liquid and water for lubrication when fitting a tyre. I've always used it in the past but in the service manual it says use tyre lubricant. I never even knew there was such stuff.

BTW noticed the rim has some surface rust adjacent to the rim tape next to where it says 'Made in Japan' and it's only 13 months old!

[BaZa®]

use washing up liquid...................../

[Oilslick]

Cheers Baza, that's what I wanted to hear.

Does it have to be Harley Davidson washing up liquid?

[SJC69]

Alf Hagon told me don't use washing up liquid for two reasons.

1 It contains salt & is water based and will make the inside of your rim corrode.

2 It turns to a glue substance and will make the tire stick to the rim making it a complete bugger to get off next time.

He said to use WD40 it's a bit expensive but it's not worth buying a tub of bead lubricant just to change the odd tyre!

It works and to get them off too!

Harley Drop centre rims are a complete bar steward to break the bead at the best of times & the last thing you want is the tire stuck to the rim.

Put the WD on the bead not the tread obviously!

[Oilslick]

I've not heard of WD40 being used before but I might just try it when I fit the tyre. Alf Hagon has been around a while after all.

I've already got the old tyre off and you're right, breaking that bead took some doing.

[Limey_Dave]

To break the bead use a G cramp and 2 squares of thick ply.
You can get a monster one for a couple of quid at a car boot.

If you do a bit of welding,Screwfix have some cheap ones with copper plated threads.Weld spatter won't stick to the copper.Don't tell them or they'll call them welding clamps and put the price up.

[Oilslick]

Dave, I used two G-clamps 8" apart to squeeze the tyre, put the wheel on blocks and then used a crowbar vertically down between the rim and bead. This was pushed down by a lever wedged under the workbench.
Sounds much worse than it was.

Tell you what though, I wouldn't want to fix a puncture by the roadside these days.

Now to fit the new tyre.

[SJC69]

I used to always change my own tires, but getting the H-D ones off are such buggers and re seating them to, I'd rather now let the tire fitters with the hydraulic equipment do it.

Another bead breaking tip from Easyriders is to use a car jack, especially if there is a curve on the jack foot, you get some board place the bike wheel under the car and jack the car up using the jack to break the bead.
Not to be recommended if you want to re use the tire though I'd say, we had a Fiat at one time which had a jack that was the perfect shape for the H-D 16" wheel, it worked a treat.

[Oilslick]

I've used the car jack idea on car tyres - works well.

Still, all done now. Wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Just needed a bit of spit for the last bit.

Balanced it using the 'two spirit levels' method.

I took the oportunity to give the whole bike a good clean as well.

Now if I walk in the garage tomorrow morning with all my gear on and it's flat..........

[Terminator1449]

For the time it will take you to change the tyre just spend the £10, any tyre fitter will charge to get it done. Cheep as chips...