Is the front rubber easier to change than the rear?

[r12gecko]

Cuz I just did the rear, and while I got it done, it was not a job I enjoyed. Getting the tire off was lousy and getting the fresh one on only slightly better.

I broke the bead in an old wooden vice down in the basement. A bit of sweat, but I'd anticipated that. What I didn't anticipate was the effort required to get the tire off the rim. The first side came away with moderate effort, the second to get the tire right off took quite a while because the rim protectors and irons need to be placed just so and getting them there, levering the thing up & hoping to hit the sweet spot that gets it over the rim took forever.

Getting the new tire on was not too bad & doing the balancing with the Marc Parnes tool was fun, as I expected it. No weights required - just a very slight, slight imbalance that a test weight made worse. I dumped a couple grams of dyna beads through the valve stem before I put the core & cap back on (I balanced with those in place & removed to put the beads in). All ran OK on my late night test ride.

Oh, another joy was re-seating the beads with a hand pump (double handle stand-up variety). It can be done, but it's a work-out. I didn't need to strap the tire, it seemed to work OK & the bead popped into place at about 30 psi.

If the front is the same pain in the ass to remove as the back was, I think I'll just haul the wheel down to the shop to have someone with a machine change it & then I'll balance it myself later. I nicked the rim a bit on the back & don't want to do that or worse on the front. Plus there's no brake disc on the back, so you can man-handle the wheel quite a bit more than I'd guess with the front with those two big rotors.

Time for bed...

[BigEasy]

I had a battle swapping the rear tire on mine. The old came off real easy for me but getting the new one on was a challange. Mostly caused by not getting the bead down into the almost non existant valley, and a lack of lubricant. Once I got those to things figured out it went on nicely.

I did the front this spring and went into that project with a little bit of fear. But, I just kept the lessons learned from the rear change in mind and it practically fell into place.

Having told you that I must also tell you I have a Cycle Hill "machine" that is essentially a fancy clamp to hold it steady while using the de-mount bar to swap the tire. There are some tutorials on the web that use either a milk crate or car rim to achieve the same thing the CH machine does. Either of those will help you protect your rotors. Good luck and have fun

[Dr. Strangelove]

in my experience the front is harder because there is more "stuff" to deal with, getting it off or on. More of a hassle.

If that part does not trouble you, the changing of the actual tire is pretty much the same. I have not noticed a difference other than the front tire is not as heavy.

A hand pump? you are the man. I have an air compressor and would not consider the operation without it. Do you have decent tire irons? and used a lot of lube for the rim? If so, you have experienced the joy of changing a tire.
It always amazes me that some people can do it on the side of the road.

so to answer your question in a yes or no, I would say, "no, it is not easier."

John

[taosports]

Front or rear, letting your tire warm up in the sun (more pliable) and using lots of lube are for me the keys to preventing a wrestling match with your tire.

[Acpantera]

Not much of a relief valley in the rear wheel. Been using a no-mar changer for years now and have changed many a 180 & 190 section tire. I have found the newer bmw rears to be a bugger vs the asian bikes of the same size.

[reidmct]

Not much of a relief valley in the rear wheel. Been using a no-mar changer for years now and have changed many a 180 & 190 section tire. I have found the newer bmw rears to be a bugger vs the asian bikes of the same size.

+1 on all counts.

[r12gecko]

Thanks for the responses. I have reasonably good tire irons, but could use an extra (third) rim protector - I did the job on two & could have done with one more. The hand pump worked OK once I remembered to put the core back into the valve stem before pumping away like a madman

I did wonder about whether BMW tires are tougher because every clip I looked at on youtube before getting started made removal & reinstall of a sport bike tire look like not such a difficult task. Those tires look like noodles compared to the one I fought (it was a Conti Road Attack made in France, btw - I'm replacing with Michelin Pilot Roads).

I think if I try the front, I'll remove the brake discs from the wheels before I go at it & let the old tire sit in the sun before pulling it off. I'm inclined to let the new tire sit in a bath of hot water before putting it on as well (will be careful to dry it thoroughly before mounting it).

I used Windex as lube - I gather it's as good as anything else & it has the advantage of leaving no residue.

I need rubber or surgical gloves as well - this turned out to be one of the filthier jobs I've done on the bike.

[BigEasy]

Windex can get somewhat tacky in a hurry. Try dish soap diluted prety thinly. If you can get your hands on some try NAPA RU-Glide.

As for surgical gloves go to Auto Zone if there's one near by. They have the best deal I've found for Nitrile gloves short of going to an industrial supply house, or a surgeons supply. They sell good quality thick gloves in 100 count boxes for arolund $20.00. I use them daily for work and we buy them in bulk but sometimes we'll run out and be away from the office. I've been without on several occasions and always hope for the AZ store to be close by.

[hjsbmw]

I just changed my front tire and can say it is a lot easier than the rear. I changed both within six months using my Cycle Hill changer. It is still somewhat hard work, but in the end it's the right technique of using the tools that gets the tire off and on, not muscle.