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+---- Thread: How to - Tire Swap (/showthread.php?tid=14699)
How to - Tire Swap - MagnaRider - 03-02-2026
Officially graduated from Noob to eh, amateur? Competent? I have one motorcycle tire change under my belt now and honestly was way easier than I expected.
For reference, this was done on a 2014 CB1100, so this will only work for tubeless tires. I would also greatly recommend watching the below video as a guide on techniques used to take the tire off and on.
https://youtu.be/Plx-30HHS2w?si=cooXLyv9DRrpo2ux
Also I did use the shop manual for the CB1100 for steps to remove both tires. Relatively easy procedure for both.
Using stock tire size, I ordered a Bridgestone T32 for the rear and Pirelli Angel GT for the front.
Step 1:
Gather required tools. All of these tools were bought from Amazon and quality was great, only about ~$60 in tools.
2-3 Tire Spoons
2 rim protectors
Tire Weights
Soapy water in spray bottle
Balancing stand
Carpet square for working on
Boards for spacing tire on so rotors are not damaged.
Beer (Some may say optional, in my shop its required when working
)Step 2:
Set new tires somewhere to be warmed up. Since I live in Wisconsin and my motorcycle maintenance occurs during winter while the bike is hibernating, I set the tires by my shop woodstove rotating every 30 min or so. Did not take long for them to get warm and made installation much easier. If you live somewhere warm, setting in the sun is another option.
Step 3:
For me I used my homemade motorcycle lift table ( DIY Motorcycle/ATV Lift ) to get the CB at a better working height, since I was also going to be changing oil and some other routine maintenance/cleaning. The lift table makes it very easy as well to lift the front tire up for changing.
Tire Removal
From here it was a process of following the shop manual for removing the tire, and watching the above YouTube video for techniques. I did end up using a high lift jack to break the bead off the tire which made it very easy as this can be difficult.
Once the tire bead is broke, you can begin removing the tire from the wheel. Using plenty of soapy water, tire spoons, rim protectors and following the above youtube video it was much easier than I thought it would be and I did not scratch the rim.
NOTE: MAKE SURE TO MARK TIRE ROTATION DIRECTION AS THIS IS NEEDED FOR INSTALLING NEW TIRE ON THE CORRECT ORIENTATION!!!!! Use whatever method works for you, I used a paint mark on the rotor as the brake will wipe that off as soon as they get used.
Tire Installation
After a quick rehydrate of beverage of choice, I took my toasty tire and following the Youtube video got it installed with the same tools used to remove the tire. One recommendation I would use next time is wearing a knee pad since your knees can get sore having to hold the tire in the drop zone while you finish getting the bead onto the wheel. Check that the orientation is correct and that the tire dots are aligned to the valve stem on your wheel. Now the valve stem core can be reinstalled and air added to the tire to set the bead. Both my beads set with ease.
Balancing Tires
Using the balancing stand, I was able to balance both tires. I took my time trying multiple different orientations until the tire would barely move and settled in different locations each time. Good video for reference. https://youtube.com/shorts/y861qjpREvc?si=VoA9BjO9k78T4NSG
From here it was installing the tires back on the CB and wait for spring to come. Oh, and a few more rehydrating beverages while admiring my work.
This was not a difficult process, and I would encourage anyone thinking of doing this on their own to give it a try. I only had a very very minor scratch on my rear tire, that I just put a little clearcoat over to prevent from rusting. Use of the rim protectors kept the wheels safe.
Thanks for reading!
RE: How to - Tire Swap - pdedse - 03-02-2026
Awesomeness! Glad to hear it went better than explected. Now you don't have to depend on the dealer for future changes.
RE: How to - Tire Swap - Gone in 60 - 03-03-2026
Congratulations! Great to hear that it went well and that you didn't scratch your rims.
Good advice on the knee pads... I wish I had used a pair when I did the tires on my Bonneville. Also wish I hadn't pinched the tube and had to start over...
You have taken a step into a larger world.
RE: How to - Tire Swap - MagnaRider - 03-09-2026
A note to add on this thread, that I got from watching other YouTube videos specifically about balancing tires is to check the balance of your wheel without the tire on. Do this to mark the heavy and light spots on the wheel and use that as your reference for the tire dots that we usually install where the valve stem is located. I did not do this but will do it next time. Generally, the valve stem is the heaviest spot on the tire but that might not always be the case since every wheel is different.
RE: How to - Tire Swap - Sadorphan - 03-13-2026
(03-09-2026, 07:18 AM)MagnaRider Wrote: A note to add on this thread, that I got from watching other YouTube videos specifically about balancing tires is to check the balance of your wheel without the tire on. Do this to mark the heavy and light spots on the wheel and use that as your reference for the tire dots that we usually install where the valve stem is located. I did not do this but will do it next time. Generally, the valve stem is the lightest spot on the tire but that might not always be the case since every wheel is different.
The valve stem assembly is generally considered the heaviest point on a wheel rim, I think you meant that but not sure. The reason is that even though we cut weight out with a hole, the valve stem is heavier then the metal that would be in its place. The yellow dot (lightest part of tire) should be aligned with the valve stem (heaviest part of the rim) and then balanced with weights if needed. You can balance it without the tire (mark the actual heaviest spot on the rim to match to the yellow dot) to eliminate the need for weights though.