How to Changing the Front Tube and Tire

How to Changing the Front Tube and Tire.

Steps.

Part 1: Removing the Front Tire.

1. Set your bike on a stand. A motorcycle tire change stand is the safest option and the easiest to work with. As a last resort, you can prop the bike up on a cinder block. Cover the cinder block with a rubber mat or thick cloth to prevent damage to the front forks, as they will rest directly on the block.

Ideally, ask an assistant to help steady the bike as you work.

2. Remove the front axle cotter pin if present. Some models hold in the front axle nut with a cotter pin, two-tined fastener bent to keep the nut in place. If yours has one, bend the tines back with needle-nose pliers and pull it out.

3. Remove the nut. The size of the nut varies between models, but usually falls between 18 and 24mm. A set of metric sockets in this range should include the correct size.

4. Tap the axle bolt with a rubber mallet. This will push the axle back through both front forks and the wheel assembly, until it no longer holds the wheel assembly in place.

5. Remove front wheel cables if present. If your motorcycle has a speedometer or odometer cable on the front wheel, you may need to remove them before removing the wheel. These are usually seated on the opposite side as the disc brake rotor, and can be removed easily by hand.

6. Take off the wheel. Carefully place the front wheel on a clear, hard surface, flat with the disc brakes facing down. This position will help keep the wheel stable when you apply pressure to the tire rim.

Do not place the wheel on dirt or grass. These can get inside the wheel assembly and prevent smooth axle bolt insertion.

7. Let the air out of the inner tube. Unscrew the valve stem core (for inflating the tire) with a valve stem core removal tool. Let all the air out of the inner tube.

8. Work a wide, flat tool in between the tire and wheel rim. Insert a tire iron or large, flathead screwdriver into the small crack between the rubber tire edge and the metal wheel rim. Wiggle the tool back and forth while applying downward pressure until the wide tip pushes in under the tire edge.

The longer the screwdriver, the more leverage you'll have. A 12–14 inch (30–36cm) handle is recommended.

9. Lever the tire away from the rim. Once your tire iron or screwdriver is inserted, push down on the handle, toward the center of the wheel. This movement should force the edge of the tire to pop loose from the metal wheel edge. Keep the tool in place to hold this tire edge over the wheel rim.

10. Loosen the rest of the tire with a second tool. Move over a short distance and insert a second tire iron or screwdriver just as you did the first. Once you have popped the tire loose here, move the second tool around the entire edge of the tire, breaking it loose from the wheel. Once you reach the first tool again, the tire edge should be completely loose and above the metal wheel rim.

11. Loosen the opposite side of the tire. Flip the entire wheel over, so the disc brake rotor is now facing up. You can remove this side by hand: just press down firmly with your palm on the tire edge and it will break free from the rim. Continue to press around the edge of the tire until it is completely loose. You do not need to pull this side above the rim.

Both sides of the tire must be completely loose in order to change the tube without damage. You should be able to move the tire freely around the wheel rim without turning the wheel.

Part 2: Replacing the Front Inner Tube.

1. Remove the valve stem nuts. Now that the tire is loose, you'll need to remove the inner tube. The first step of this process is to remove one or more nuts holding the valve stem in place. These retaining nuts may be different sizes, so use a small, adjustable wrench or set of small open-ended wrenches.

2. Push the valve stem onto the inside of the wheel. Once the nuts are removed, push the valve stem toward the inside of the wheel with your finger and thumb. This will allow free movement of the inner tube.

3. Pull out the inner tube. Reach into the tire with your fingers to grab the inner tube. You should be able to pull it out relatively easily, if the tire was loosened properly.

4. Start installing the new inner tube at the valve stem. Align the tube on the outside of the tire, so the valve stem is in line with the valve stem hole in the wheel assembly. Carefully start to push the tube into the tire next to the valve stem. At the same time, push the valve stem back inside the wheel and in through the valve stem hole in the wheel.

Caution — Make sure the new inner tube is perfectly flat with no kinks, pinches, or twists. If it is not flat while inserted, the tube will not air up properly.

5. Screw in a valve stem nut by hand. Just add one of the valve stem nuts for now and screw it on four or five turns. There's no need to tighten it; the nut is only here to prevent the stem from falling back through the hole.

6. Insert the rest of the inner tube. Work your way clockwise around the tire inserting the inner tube inside the tire. Again, make sure the inner tube has no twists or kinks as you insert it.

Part 3: Reinstalling the Tire.

1. Place the tire inside the rim again. The tire (or its new replacement) must go entirely inside the metal rim again so it forms a tight seal when the tube is inflated. Pull back the edge of the tire with one of the tire irons or large flathead screwdrivers. Press down on the tire with your palms to force the edge down under the rim. Repeat around the edge of the tire on both sides.

Caution — Take care not to pierce the inner tube with your tool.

If you are installing a new tire, check the instructions to orient the treads correctly.

2. Air up the tube slowly. Inflate the new tube slowly at first. Listen closely for a whistle or other unusual sound. If you hear it, stop and check the tube for pinches or kinks. If the tube sounds normal, continue to inflate and listen for a sharp pop. This pop tells you that the tire has formed an airtight bead (seal) around the rim. Now check your tube and tire instructions and inflate until you reach the suggested pressure.

If you do not hear a pop, stop inflating and check that the tube is flat and the tire is completely under the metal rim.

3. Check for air leaks. Find a glass cleaning spray or fill a spray bottle with soapy water. Spray along the whole tire perimeter, where it forms a seal on the metal rim. If air bubbles consistently break and reform over one spot, you have an air leak. You must push the tire into place before you continue. If you see no significant air bubbles, move on to the next step.

Part 4: Reinstalling the Wheel Assembly.

1. Reattach the cables if necessary. If you removed the speedometer or odometer cable assembly from the wheel, return it to its original location.

2. Clean and re-grease the axle bolt. Clean the axle to remove all old grease and debris, so you have nothing left but a nice sparkling clean axle bolt! Parts cleaner-degreaser usually works great. Once you have it clean, put a thick layer of axle grease on the entire length of the axle bolt. Take care not to grease the bolt threads or the head of the bolt.

WARNING — Do not get the grease anywhere near the brake assembly, or the brakes may become nonfunctional.

3. Insert the axle bolt back through the forks and wheel. Have an assistant hold the front wheel assembly in place between the two front forks. Insert the axle bolt back through one fork and the wheel. Align it with the far fork and lightly tap the bolt head with a hard rubber mallet until the axle is through the far fork.

4. Reinstall and tighten the nut onto the axle. If you have a torque wrench, tighten to 58lbs. torque or the recommended torque shown in your owner's manual. Take care that the holes in the nut align with the holes in the axle, so you can reinstall the cotter pin.

Caution — Always use a torque wrench to tighten this nut. Eyeballing the correct torque increases the risk that the nut works its way loose while you are riding.

5. Insert a cotter pin if required. If your model uses a cotter pin (split pin), insert one into the axle nut and bolt. Pull out the two split sides of the cotter pin to lock it into place.

While not mandatory, replacing the cotter pin each time you remove the axle is a good idea. The cotter pin becomes a little weaker each time you remove and install it.

6. Remove the nut from the valve stem. The loose nut on the valve stem can now be removed and left off the bike. Most experienced riders do not use these nuts, as they reduce flexibility of the tube and make it more vulnerable to damage.

Tips.

A little dish soap can help the bead slide back on the rim if the fit is tight.

Older models can have rear axle nuts up to 36mm across, but this is rare nowadays.

Warning.

In British English, "cotter pin" refers to a different part. Look for a "split pin" instead if you are in the UK.

Things You'll Need : Assistant.

Motorcycle tire change stand or (last resort) a cinder block and rubber mat.

Metric socket set with extensions (typically 18–24mm for front axle, 18–27mm for rear axle).

Hard rubber mallet, Valve stem core removal tool.

2–3 Tire irons or large, flat head screwdrivers (12–14 inch / 30–36cm handles).

Adjustable wrench or set of small wrenches, Parts cleaner-degreaser

Fresh tube of axle grease, And if axle bolt has a cotter pin: Needle nose pliers, Replacement cotter pin.