That gives me 4 levers to hopefully
> ease the pain a bit. I already have a portable electric air pump.
Oops:
> I forgot to order a bead breaker! Gotta call Fred and see if I can
do an
> add-on real quick... I figure on using Dawn/warm water for lube.
>
Doug,
Had my first flat on my brand-new KLR last weekend at 390 miles on the
odo, 100 miles up into the mountains in an old mining camp -- picked
up a 3-inch nail in the rear tire. I levered the bike up onto an old
washtub that was lying around and (very luckily) found a plastic 5-
gallon bucket to hold the wheel while I worked on it. My tube had 8
holes in in and I used up every patch I had (and had to cut a couple
in half to cover them all). I got the bike out of the mountains, but
it was a near thing . . .
Based on my recent experience, I wouldn't worry much about a bead
breaker -- compared to the big street bikes I'm used to, the tire
comes off the KLR rim quite easily. Lay the tire/wheel on a five
gallon plastic bucket, take the valve out of the stem and I'd bet you
can simply pry the tire down from the rim easily with the levers. The
secret to getting the tire off the rim is to make sure that you have
the bead of the tire OPPOSITE the tire levers squished down into the
CENTER of the rim -- that way you have the most 'slack' in the bead
you are levering over the rim.
I recommend AGAINT dish washing liquid -- that stuff can corrode the
rims. Get a bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap (a flax seed oil soap) from
your local grocery/discount store in the household cleaners section
and dilute that for lube. That is essentially the same stuff that
RuGlyde (real tire lube sold at NAPA) is made of and it works real
well.
Dust the tube and the inside of the tire with talc (baby powder will
work well as long as it is TALC, not cornstarch -- check the
ingredient label) and put just enough air in the tube that it holds
its shape BEFORE you try to put it in the tire.
Place the rim back on the five gallow plastic bucket, make sure the
tire is WARM (warm = flexible = GOOD), make sure the rotation arrow is
pointing the right way, lightly lube the rim and tire and work the
tire onto the rim, remembering to keep the bead in the center of the
rim to give you the slack to make sliding that last bit of bead over
the edge of the rim as easy as possible. Once you have one side on
the rim, put your slightly inflated, talc-dusted tube into the tire
and insert the valve stem into the hole in the rim, making sure the
tube is seated fully into the tire without any pinches, wrinkles or
folds.
Almost done, but here is where you MUST be careful. You need to get
the tire over the rim WITHOUT pinching the tube (which will perforate
it), so pay attention to what you are doing and work slowly and in
SMALL steps.
I always work TOWARDS the stem when seating the tire. Lube the rim
and bead, then slide the tire over the rim on the side opposite the
stem and, watching to be sure you don't catch and pinch the tube, push
as much of the tire over the rim as you can just using your hands.
Remember to keep the beads squished together in the CENTER of the rim
to give yourself as much slack as possible. Once you have got much of
the tire mounted as possible with hand pressure, CAREFULLY, using the
straight side of your tire irons, start prying the bead over the rim.
Use as little of the lever as you can -- you don't want to be poking
into the tube or piching the tube between the lever and the rim as you
lever the bead over the rim.
It really helps to have four hands at this stage -- a couple of hands
to keep the already-mounted beads squished together in the center of
the rim, and a couple of hands to work the levers GRADUALLY toward
toward the stem. Right at the end you'll find yourself with your
knees bracing/balancing the rim under you while you are JUST about
ready for the last bit of bead to snap/slide over the rim next to the
valve stem and you'll be terrified that you are about to pinch the
tube just as you are almost done. THAT'S why I work toward the stem --
at this last moment, I push the stem into the rim just a bit to
provide that little bit of clearance as I lever that last section of
bead over the rim and into place.
Once the tire is in place, pull the stem all the way back out and air
up the tire, making sure the bead is seated evenly all the way around
the rim. Generally there is a little raised line all the way around
each side of the tire next to the rim that allows you to see that the
tire has seated evenly.
I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions on the procedure; this is just
the way I've done it for the last forty-three years, but you know the
saying about old dogs and new tricks. Good luck and remember: take
your time, take small bites with your tire levers, and don't let
yourself get frustrated. Slow, calm, and steady gets the tire mounted
right.
Hugh Kenny
Cheyenne Wyoming
I have to do a 180 and my dual disk front this week, we'll see how well that
goes, hehehe.
Tony