Looking for opinions on tire irons

jimbo

jimbo

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Last edited:
jimbo said:
Looking for opinions on tire irons, the ones I have, have become too short :rolleyes: .

How about these?

2 FORGED STEEL CURVED 24" TIRE IRON PRY BAR AUTO CAR MOTORCYCLE BIKE CHANGER | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2 FORGED STEEL CURVED 24" TIRE IRON PRY BAR AUTO CAR MOTORCYCLE BIKE CHANGER at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
Click to expand...
Those look similar to the type I use with automatic car tyre changing machines.
You'll risk doing damage to motorcycle tyres and wheels with those if manually fitting tyres, unless you know exactly what you're doing.

Good luck

Skoti
 
I’ve been wanting a set of tire irons with built in rim protector sleeves and was super excited to see the above- but upon closer inspection it appears the plastic protector is on the outside of the curve of the spoon, which would place it against the the tire and not the rim when in use.

At least it would the way I’ve been using my tire irons-

For the past 45 years I’ve always been using the “hook” of the tire lever to get up under the tire bead and grab the rim…. Have I been doing this wrong the entire time?
 
Motion Pro Tire Bead Breakers. I use these on my Commando and my modern classic Triumphs as well, both spoked steel and alloy rims. They provide massive leverage so must be careful with that but they can break the bead from rim with a cup of tea in your other hand.

BeadPro™ Tire Bead Breaker and Lever Tool Set - Motion Pro

Motion Pro - High quality cables, tools and controls for motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and personal watercraft.
www.motionpro.com www.motionpro.com
 
Jdub said:
Motion Pro Tire Bead Breakers. I use these on my Commando and my modern classic Triumphs as well, both spoked steel and alloy rims. They provide massive leverage so must be careful with that but they can break the bead from rim with a cup of tea in your other hand.

BeadPro™ Tire Bead Breaker and Lever Tool Set - Motion Pro

Motion Pro - High quality cables, tools and controls for motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and personal watercraft.
www.motionpro.com www.motionpro.com
Click to expand...
Those are good. I may need to spring for some. I used to get by with a C-Clamp and still can for most tires. But my Ducati DesertX is a tough nut to crack, so after I cranked the clamp down to no effect, I resorted to the lumber, leaving the C-Clamp on. The other side's bead came off with just the lumber. It's a 150-70x18 and a tough bead to crack. Heck, my son just bought a $300 Honda ATC110 and it had a bad tire valve, so I drove over it. So many ways haha!

As for irons though, which I find to be a different kettle of fish from bead breakers, I have all sorts from spoons to big irons, but I'm going to try zip ties this time. And probably irons. It's always a struggle and I just consider it a workout. But the big bike tires are getting tough to work with nowadays.

Looking for opinions on tire irons


Looking for opinions on tire irons
 
Jdub said:
Motion Pro Tire Bead Breakers. I use these on my Commando and my modern classic Triumphs as well, both spoked steel and alloy rims. They provide massive leverage so must be careful with that but they can break the bead from rim with a cup of tea in your other hand.

BeadPro™ Tire Bead Breaker and Lever Tool Set - Motion Pro

Motion Pro - High quality cables, tools and controls for motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and personal watercraft.
www.motionpro.com www.motionpro.com
Click to expand...
+1 on the Motion Pro tire bead breakers, I had to fix a flat on my Guzzi on a service station forecourt during a blazing hot 30-degree day. There was no way that tyre was coming off without the motion pro bead breakers!
 
Last edited:
jimbo said:
Looking for opinions on tire irons, the ones I own, have become too short :rolleyes: .

How about these?

2 FORGED STEEL CURVED 24" TIRE IRON PRY BAR AUTO CAR MOTORCYCLE BIKE CHANGER | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 2 FORGED STEEL CURVED 24" TIRE IRON PRY BAR AUTO CAR MOTORCYCLE BIKE CHANGER at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
Click to expand...
I use these: https://a.co/d/e5hkrnY

Amazon has similar as a part of sets with rim protectors. For steel rims, I don't use rim protectors as the tire irons are very smooth and don't damage the rim.
 
I have a nice old set of Dunlop tire irons. They are 9 inches long. Under the right conditions (new rubber, warm day, smooth rims, good Karma), they work ok.
Over time, I started using another set of irons that measure 15 inches long. They work better under all conditions.
 
marshg246 said:
I use these: https://a.co/d/e5hkrnY

Amazon has similar as a part of sets with rim protectors. For steel rims, I don't use rim protectors as the tire irons are very smooth and don't damage the rim.
Click to expand...
I use those too. Plus the 24" ones. I do the prying with the little ones because they can slip in easier. Then if there's not enough leverage I break out the big guns. I am also going to try the zip tie method (today). I expect that at the least it will help by centering the tire to gain more clearance to lever it on the other end.
 
Bead breaking I use a standard, circular frame with lever bead breaker.

For tyre removal/fitting I use some nylon levers I bought from the US, direct from stubby tire tools!

www.webbikeworld.com

Stubby Tire Tools - webBikeWorld

Stubby Tire Tools review.
www.webbikeworld.com

No need for rim protectors. They are my favourite tool on flanged and non-flanged race/classic bike alloy rims.

Work on everything except enduro mousse, Stubby warned me, I lent them to someone, I warned them, they said they weren't using mousse, and then I got a broken one back as thanks! I asked what happened, they said it broke because of the mousse! Never lend out your tools!

I also own some levers of all of the metal types shown by others, and a pile of bicycle tyre gadgets and levers, they all get used for something.
 
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robs ss said:
Absolutely the best tyre irons are those operated by the tyre shop. ;):rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Rob,
I couldn’t agree more!After years mounting my tires on my pretty stepped aluminum years, I have had it. I have always taken my time using every precaution and still get some scratches that take way too long to eliminate.Going to bite the bullet and let the shop mount them.
Mike
 
Steve W. said:
I use two of these types. Curved with the little bend on end. Works great on tube type and tubeless tires and even car tires. Cheers

Tire Iron Curved 15 Inch - Motion Pro

Motion Pro - High quality cables, tools and controls for motorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles and personal watercraft.
www.motionpro.com www.motionpro.com
Click to expand...
I have the same. The curved end really helps with tire removal. The extra length is your friend!
 


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