Bead Breaking.
 

I put another rear tyre on the other day and had the usual problems breaking the bead on the old tyre. I've had the same problem on my last 3 rear tyres now. I also did my missus' KLR rear tyre at the same time and I didn't even need a tool to pop that one, it almost fell off. I'm beginning to think it's the rough black surface of the rim, the tyre just seems to weld itself to it. The KLR has a shiny smooth silver surface. I worked as a mechanic for 20 years and even worked in a tyre shop for 4 years so I pretty much know every trick in the book. I even had the new Motion Pro tool which didn't budge it. I had to take it down the road to a tyre shop for them to pop it and I did the rest. I think if I get a puncture out in the sticks I'll be screwed. Especially worrying the other day as I was doing the Trans Labrador Hwy which is in the arse end of nowhere. Just wondered if anyone else has the same issues ?

Have the same problem with the rear wheel. I had to use vice to break the bead and change the tire. It really sucks. One of the tire workshops in Kazakhstan could not break it with proper tire change machine. I know that this is for safety reasons, but I think that Yam engineers overdid it. The good thing is, that when you get flat, one side of the tire goes out from the bead so that you can take out the tube. I am seriously considering to change the rear to excell rim when I come back to Europe, unless somebody knows some better solution...

Sent from my GT-I9100G

at home I use one of these:
http://www.yabe-office.de/Bilderserv...3.46398992.jpg

in the field a center stand is very convenient. Put bike on center stand and break the bead with the side stand.

[QUOTE in the field a center stand is very convenient. Put bike on center stand and break the bead with the side stand.[/QUOTE]

Tried it - Didn't work. Like I said, I've tried all the tricks. Even a proper tyre machine has trouble with it. It seems to be a problem with the design or surface of the rim.

My experiences so far seem to be very different. Haven't had any problems with getting old tyres off.
The last time I *****ed and swore was while putting on a rear AC10 with mousse on the WR. But the XT always seems to go quite smoothly. Are you running aftermarket rims or tyres with extremely stiff walls?

I never have problems removing or fitting the tyre, it's just breaking the bead. Standard rim and has been different tyres.

I consider breaking the bead an integral part of removing the tyre, so there as well I really haven't had any issues with it so far.

I've always been able to do it with the sidestand.

Of course I now have a small problem that I don't have a centrestand any more (bent in a rallying crash), but I've also got an Excel rim now, which lets go a bit easier.

The rear wheel is difficult because (unlike the front) it bizarrely has a tubeless tyre type cross-section; there is a small bead hump on the inner edge of the bead seat. To get the tyre off easily the bead needs lifting over this hump into the dropwell in the centre of the rim. Simply pushing and using brute force, just causes the bead to drag across or snag on the hump. The easiest way I’ve found is to use a small 9” tyre lever with a thinnish spoon end which you can get under the tyre’s bead and then lift (and push/lever) over that troublesome bead hump.

AFAIK the KLR has a standard tube-type rim cross-section without the inner ridge to get over, which is probably why the tyre just "fell off" in comparisson. The Excel rim is the same; it also doesn't have the inner bead hump.

IMO the brand of tyre makes a big difference. Of the tyres I’ve changed on the rear of the Tenere, this is how I reckon they stack up in order of ease of changing…

(1) TKC80 (soft carcass) = easy
(2) Tourance = relatively easy
(3) Heidenau K60 = tough
(4) Dunlop Trailmax TR92 (stiff radial carcass) = very hard work

I will say I fitted a TKC a few years ago and it was extremely easy to fit. The last one was a cheapy Shinko.

+1. It's possible to change a rear tyre with the short Metzeler-type tyre lever by the roadside, as Pleiades said. Not easy, but possible.

At the time I didn't realise the Tenere has a 'safety' rim. It didn't take too bl++dy long to find out.

+ 1000 for the centrestand!

Thanks to this thread, i managed to get the rear tyre off, with the greatest of difficulty. Then while i was putting the dunlop 605 tyre on, i ripped the bead on it. Now i have to find the time to cut the tyre off.
What i don't understand is why this tyre was so difficult to get on compared to other tyres. I was using all of my relatively considerable power, bending the spoons. With other tyres i was always surprised how easy it was. Is the tenere rim a big size? I was seriously thinking of getting an excel 18 inch wheel, now i am decided. Any one know of a reputable cheap seller

One trick when breaking beds on the woods.
 

Hi guys, I live and ride in Colombia my xt660z. Tons of lost trails and plains and jungle ridding. When having a flat, and not help around, I use the side stand or the central stand of my tenere for breaking beds. Of course you have to muscle up the bike and be careful not to damage the rims, but I get the job Done in case there is no other choice. Tenere total 200 kilos or so helps to break beds.

I do have the motion pro bed breakers, and 3 sets of levers. The motion pro bed breakers are pretty but honestly it is no good idea to bring more weight than necessary, because I normally break beds with the levers and the bike. So I always leave them behind. The levers I have are 2 standard and the third is very wrench I have to loosen the 22 mm nut of the rear tire. Finally I had made a special nut with a 30 mm long # 14 alen bit with a 22 mm nut stuck to it for axle removal with one wrench.

I hope this helps.

Been there mate! Ripped the bead putting a new K60 on the rear in the summer :tool:.

It'd been a while since I changed a tyre and afterwards realised I'd forgotten a key technique when putting the tyre back on and that had caused me to knacker the bead (that and I should have realised something was wrong when it was getting tough!) - the reason I didn't stop before ripping the bead was I was so close to getting it over the rim and had read they were hard to put on :icon_redface: .

I had forgotten to keep pressure with my knee/foot on the opposite side making sure the bead was being pushed towards the centre of the rim.

I had to buy another K60 and fit it. This time it went on fine.

Well, at least I learnt a valuable lesson and it only cost me 80 quid! :022:

Picked up three nails in my rear Mitas EO9 Dakar recently. Warmish day and the tyre was quite hot, but none the less still took 2 solid hours to change out the tube, mainly due to the inability to crack the bead from the rim.

Fortunately for me, my mate on a KTM 990 stopped to lend assistance, and we used his side stand, and the full weight of the Kato without success, until eventually he remembered he had a small bottle of lens cleaner (Water & Detergent mix) in his backpack. We squirted this around the edge of the rim and flexed the tyre to allow the liquid to run between the rim and the tyre, and hey presto...off she popped.

I only had a 21" tube available to get me home, and changed this out using a machine shown earlier in this thread without any problems.

I am seriously considering the viability of using EO9 Dakar's, on any trips when I will be riding alone. There is no way I could hope to break the bead without assistance.

Yep, that Mitas E09 was a b*$tard to get off the rear. I ended up using a g-cramp to break the bead (and half a bottle of aldis finest window cleaner!)

I took off the original tyre last week, it was the original one that Yamaha put on (can't remember, Dunlop??) it had been on a full two years and was a complete and total B*&^%RD to get off.

I used plenty of lube (window cleaner and soapy water mixed) and levered it down using the end of the tyre irons that are more angled, the end you don't use to get the tyre on.

The TKC80 went on a piece of pi$$, it was warm as I left it sitting in the sun, that may have helped....