No-Mar Tire Install

I picked up a No-Mar Classic tire changer a few months ago, and now need to put some new tires on the FJR using this machine. I'm having some difficulty getting the rear tire to go on the rim. I contacted Steve (of No-Mar), and his instruction stresses I attempt to keep the tire pushed into the 'drop-center' of the rim while seating the bead. This has been somewhat difficult for me, and I wondered if anyone, who has one of these changers, can give me some additional insight on technique? Like Steve keeps telling me, "Work smarter, not harder..."

It really really helps if the tire is warm. I have been known to make a little box and put the tire in there with a shop light... or if it's warm and sunny, then lay it on blacktop and turn it every 15 minutes.

Lube up the bead and put little wood blocks between the rim and the bead - opposite of the side that you're working with. That bead needs to be shoved down in order to install the other side. Pay particular to this. You cannot get the bead onto the rim without pulling slack and that slack comes from the opposite side that you're working. In order to get that slack, the tire bead must be pushed down under the rim bead and towards the center of the rim, where the diameter is smaller. The wood blocks help to keep the opposite bead down into that area of lesser diameter.

The most important part of tire changing is technique but a lot of lube in the right places sure helps. I am very impressed with the No-Mar changer but not very impressed with the No-Mar mounting bar. The 2 prong end makes it very easy to start the process but difficult to complete because it requires the tire to be stretched so far past the rim, the Mojo Lever is the opposite, a little tricky to get started but much easier to finish.

Try to warm the tire, use a lot of lube where the tire is going to finish, and keep pushing the tire into the center well about 120 degrees behind the bar's position.

Thanks for the replies... I'll give the recommendations a shot - warm the tire and wood blocks.

I've used a NoMar to change hundreds of tires. As said above a warm tire helps a great deal. Most people use direct sun light to warm the tire; I have a set of tire warmers like they use on road racers. makes things easier, but do what you can to warm the tire as much as possible. Do you have one of the Yellow Things that No Mar sells and/or some bead clamps. Both these tools are designed to hold the bead below the sealing surface and keep it in the center well of the wheel. This makes the wheel circumference ineffect smaller. Lube the wheel as well as the tire, and if all else fails get a friend to help with holding the tire down across the wheel from where you are working. It is often easier to spoon the top bead on the wheel rather than use the NoMar bar.

The Yellow Thing. Makes life easy... I have two.

The XtraHand Clamp. Also a good tool to help hold the bead in place.

Check out No Mar videos on YouTube along with tips mentioned above.

I use the No-Mar bar to remove the tires but resort to tire irons to re-install them. I just find the tire irons easier even when solo.

And some tires are easier than others depending on sidewall stiffness. I find standard Pilot Roads slipped on easily, but the B-Spec just wouldn't go on to save my life, and Bridgestones BT-023 a minor PITA.

+1 on the Mojolever. Once you get the technique down it is really effortless. That is unless you are trying to mount or dismount a BT-023 GT. The bead on those are VERY stiff. I actually bent my Mojolever getting one off. If I ever put those on the bike again I will take them to my tire shop.

Intech said:

+1 on the Mojolever. Once you get the technique down it is really effortless. That is unless you are trying to mount or dismount a BT-023 GT. The bead on those are VERY stiff. I actually bent my Mojolever getting one off. If I ever put those on the bike again I will take them to my tire shop.

Click to expand...

I thought that was a T30 GT...

Pterodactyl said:

I've used a NoMar to change hundreds of tires. As said above a warm tire helps a great deal. Most people use direct sun light to warm the tire; I have a set of tire warmers like they use on road racers. makes things easier, but do what you can to warm the tire as much as possible. Do you have one of the Yellow Things that No Mar sells and/or some bead clamps. Both these tools are designed to hold the bead below the sealing surface and keep it in the center well of the wheel. This makes the wheel circumference ineffect smaller. Lube the wheel as well as the tire, and if all else fails get a friend to help with holding the tire down across the wheel from where you are working. It is often easier to spoon the top bead on the wheel rather than use the NoMar bar.

The Yellow Thing. Makes life easy... I have two.

The XtraHand Clamp. Also a good tool to help hold the bead in place.

Click to expand...

+1 on the XtraHand Clamp. I only had about a halve dozen tires under my belt with my new NoMar when I went to change the rear tire on my Tenere last summer. I was working myself into a lather trying to get that stiff ass ADV tire on the rear wheel. I went in to review the NoMar video for tips when I had a head bonk moment and remembered the XtraHand clamps that came with my NoMar. Went back out to give the XtraHand clamps a try and shazam, the tire popped right on. I had never needed to use them with the previously changed tires and they worked great when the going got rough.

Ignacio said:

And some tires are easier than others depending on sidewall stiffness. I find standard Pilot Roads slipped on easily, but the B-Spec just wouldn't go on to save my life, and Bridgestones BT-023 a minor PITA.

Click to expand...

Yes, Steve from No-Mar made the same claim. He said stick to MIchelins if you want an easier install...

Abercrombie FJR said:

Pterodactyl said:

I've used a NoMar to change hundreds of tires. As said above a warm tire helps a great deal. Most people use direct sun light to warm the tire; I have a set of tire warmers like they use on road racers. makes things easier, but do what you can to warm the tire as much as possible. Do you have one of the Yellow Things that No Mar sells and/or some bead clamps. Both these tools are designed to hold the bead below the sealing surface and keep it in the center well of the wheel. This makes the wheel circumference ineffect smaller. Lube the wheel as well as the tire, and if all else fails get a friend to help with holding the tire down across the wheel from where you are working. It is often easier to spoon the top bead on the wheel rather than use the NoMar bar.

The Yellow Thing. Makes life easy... I have two.

The XtraHand Clamp. Also a good tool to help hold the bead in place.

Click to expand...

+1 on the XtraHand Clamp. I only had about a halve dozen tires under my belt with my new NoMar when I went to change the rear tire on my Tenere last summer. I was working myself into a lather trying to get that stiff ass ADV tire on the rear wheel. I went in to review the NoMar video for tips when I had a head bonk moment and remembered the XtraHand clamps that came with my NoMar. Went back out to give the XtraHand clamps a try and shazam, the tire popped right on. I had never needed to use them with the previously changed tires and they worked great when the going got rough.

Click to expand...

Yep...I have these, except I messed up the yellow tool. Steve is replacing it - free of charge.

Thanks for all the insightful responses... When I get the time, I'll give it another go and see how things pan out.

Rear tires are a bitch exspecialy if doing it alone. A couple extra hands can help. Like some have said I also resort to the tire irons to get the last bit of beed over the rim.

Dave

El Toro Joe said:

Intech said:

+1 on the Mojolever. Once you get the technique down it is really effortless. That is unless you are trying to mount or dismount a BT-023 GT. The bead on those are VERY stiff. I actually bent my Mojolever getting one off. If I ever put those on the bike again I will take them to my tire shop.

Click to expand...

I thought that was a T30 GT...

Click to expand...

Yeah. that one too. I think all the 'stones are stiff, though.

I have one xtra hand and the yellow thing, I use both with all my tire changes. It really does help when the tire is warm, and especially important is to use enough lube in the right places. When I first got my changer I scrimped on the lube and that makes it much more difficult to finish the job. I have done a lot of tires now for friends etc. and the most difficult was a Wing rear! For that one I used a bunch of small 3/4 in. blocks underneath and the spoons to finish the job, phew that was a tough one!

FJR tires are relatively easy.

Try one of those Dunlop D401's or D402's in the 130 or 140mm variety on the rear of one of the older Harleys.

Or... A Bridgestone Exedra or Dunlop E3 on the rear of a Gold Wing.

Still, it's all about technique. I have one of the early Mo-Mar changers. I remember watching the videos and then changing tires and thinking that I was doing something wrong because It was killing me.... and I used to change tires at the local gas station and also had a fair amount of experience using spoons on motorcycle tires.

As you're going around the tire, installing the bead, it's extremely important to keep the opposite side down under the bead seating area by a couple inches. In my case, I use some little wooden blocks that I cut from 1x2's.

Make sure to lube the entire circumference on the inside of the bead (not the part that actually seats up against rim). That way the bead will seat when ya hit it with the air compressor. Nothing worse than putting 100 psi in a tire and the freaking bead doesn't want to seat all the way.

Big zip ties and Ru Glyde. You can get Ru Glyde at your local Pep Boys or Napa -- helps a lot. The big zip ties -- I believe I used 20" ones recently -- keep both beads together so that it's easier to tuck one side into the wheel center well, then work the remainder around the wheel. Don't use too many, since they add interference fit:

Plenty of lube in the right places and watch the NoMar video. After doing a few tires, you'll have the technique down and it's simple.

El Toro Joe said:

Intech said:

+1 on the Mojolever. Once you get the technique down it is really effortless. That is unless you are trying to mount or dismount a BT-023 GT. The bead on those are VERY stiff. I actually bent my Mojolever getting one off. If I ever put those on the bike again I will take them to my tire shop.

Click to expand...

I thought that was a T30 GT...

Click to expand...

Y'all are working too hard...seriously. With my cheapo HF set-up and Mojo blocks and lever, the GTs mount fine. Granted, they're stiffer than PRs [which Panman can almost mount by hand] but the whole trick is getting [and keeping] the bead in the valley.

--G