Has anyone done their own Rear Tire change? How difficult?

[Jerry226]

has anyone changed their own rear tire? how difficult is it

[Gwolf]

Changed a tire on what year?

I have changed all the tires on F3-S 2019, changed tires many times on Harley Sportsters. Changed them on Honda and Yamaha sport bikes.

None of it is really difficult if you can use tools. Helps to have the service manual for whatever you are working on.





If you want good information, you have to provide year and model of whatever you are working on.

[Isopedella]

Its an almost impossible task without the gear to remove and refit a new tyre.

If you have the gear, well not so hard at all. Hint - something called Tyre Paste and pop them in the sun for a time before fitting.

[DGoebel]

I have removed my rear wheel and tire assembly and taken it to the local Tire shop to change the tire on the wheel. I did use a maintenance manual (not the Operators manual) and several Youtube videos to prepare for the job. I had to get a special open end wrench big enough but it is doable in your own garage, (tape on the swing arm end caps before loosening the rear axle).

[pegasus1300]

Do you mean removing the rear wheel or the actual busting down of the tire from off the rim? Rear wheel removal is not hard just time consuming. Busting the tire free of the rim is real hard without the tools especially if you haven't done it before. It can be done depending on your tenacity, ingenuity, and a bit of muscle. After you get the wheel off take it to a regular tire shop and they should be able to mount your new tire for you.

[Jane1330]

65 yr. old female, about an hour and a half to Remove/Replace. Bought tire at Discount tire, they mounted it and balanced. Much easier than working on a Harley....

[Jerry226]

Thanks for the feed-back. I have had Harleys most of my life and stripped them down to the frame. Now at 73 years old I am ready to go to a Spyder. Thanks

[WDAVEY]

Biggest problem I had was getting the Spyder high enough in the air to wiggle the tire out from under the extended fender/mud flap on my 21 RTL.

[Isopedella]

65 yr. old female, about an hour and a half to Remove/Replace. Bought tire at Discount tire, they mounted it and balanced. Much easier than working on a Harley....

Good work.

I too will remove the wheel assembly and take it down for the rubber to be swapped out.

Good opportunity to have a squiz at the wheel bearings, brake caliper and stuff while im there I guess.

My GL1800 was easy for the rear tyre replacement as I had a spare rim.
Laid down on the bars. 5 nuts removed, swap out the rim and refit. Stand her up again.
Bout 15 minutes all up.

[pegasus1300]

Biggest problem I had was getting the Spyder high enough in the air to wiggle the tire out from under the extended fender/mud flap on my 21 RTL.

If you remove the rear shock bolt and the linkage arm for the ALS the swing arm will drop low enough for you to pull the wheel out.

[Isopedella]

If you remove the rear shock bolt and the linkage arm for the ALS the swing arm will drop low enough for you to pull the wheel out.

Yup.

bit like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juVK1ogc1BA

[Mikey]

I have found that doing that is really not that important, the dog bone yes, unhook that so it don't break. Putting your floor jack as far back on the frame, back where it hooks on to exhaust and jacking it to the moon you have plenty of room to get it out.

[TeeJay]

tire swap technique with older 1-piece wheel hub style (ref 2015 RS)

I have a 2015 RS with one piece wheel hub. The local tire shop swapped out my old tire for my new Kuhmo Ecsta just fine, but could not balance the wheel assembly due to the hub depth. So, I was able to do a simple balance in my shop. Bought the stick-on 1/4 oz weights at local auto parts store for about $11 USD. Set up between 2 leveled chairs with electrical conduit shaft (see pic below).

rear wheel balance.jpg

[Isopedella]

So.

It seems without the op identifying what bike they have as the rims seem to differ this thread is a waste of time.

opting out.

[WDAVEY]

If you remove the rear shock bolt and the linkage arm for the ALS the swing arm will drop low enough for you to pull the wheel out.

I removed both bolts, the issue was with getting the tire out from under the fender and mud flap.

[Peter Aawen]

So.

It seems without the op identifying what bike they have as the rims seem to differ this thread is a waste of time.

opting out.

For all intents and purposes, the differences between the one-piece rims and the two piece rims will have absolutely NO IMPACT on the tire removal/replacement &/or any balancing you may do or try to do, as they are a 'Form, Fit, & Function' alternative that's pretty difficult to detect even when working on the thing, let alone just by looking from any distance.

Probably won't have much difference on anything else either, except maybe replacing the axle bushes... But I am sorta surprised that a 2015 RS has a one-piece rim... I thought they didn't come out until a couple of years later.... But then, my forgettory is working better & better every day....

[Peteoz]

So. It seems without the op identifying what bike they have as the rims seem to differ this thread is a waste of time.opting out.

Yes, it’s the age old issue of an OP not specifying the make and year, Iso……..and also the issue of responders not checking what the OP is riding before throwing any old model/year answer out there. This requirement has been mentioned so many times that members could not have missed it, and yet can’t be bothered. It is unbelievably frustrating, as it results in incorrect advice being given constantly, greatly lengthening threads and generally confusing the crap out of people. YES. IT FRUSTRATES THE CRAP OUT OF ME.
I’ll get back in my box now

Pete

[DaniBoy]

Beads. That’s all I’m saying

[Leaping1]

So.

It seems without the op identifying what bike they have as the rims seem to differ this thread is a waste of time.

opting out.

If you noticed in his information that it's a 2013 RT Limited.

[BajaRon]

Old thread. And really, the year or model makes little difference when removing the rear tire. An RT with a trailer hitch and or large rear mud flap is a bigger hassle. But still not all that bad. In almost every case. If you can get the rear wheel off (not all that difficult if done correctly). Most tire shops will mount the tire for you. They will not be able to balance it. But most are fine with no balance at all (using a quality car tire and removing the existing weights). If you want balance there are 2 good (in my opinion) alternatives. Ride-On and Balancing Beads. You'll find supporters and nay-saysers for both. That's just life!