Rabaconda street tire changer: initial review

[pdedse]

Wow, thank you for the detailed review of the Rabaconda. After my last tire change on the Bonneville, it's definitely something I'm considering. Glad to hear the rim didn't get scratched. That would be my biggest fear, and the chrome wheels on the Bonnie were a good choice to cut my teeth on using levers and rim protectors, no paint to scratch. But, not fun at all!

Full disclosure...I did mess up a little the very lip of the rim when I made my first attempt at getting the old tire off. But it was because I wasn't doing it right.

The opening to the "duck head" (black part) on the left goes over the rim.


Instructions say to use supplied tire iron and grab the bead and then pull it over the "duck head". I misunderstood that to mean start with tire iron to the side of the duck's bill, when in fact, the tire iron is inserted on top of the head, thus the tire iron doesn't make any contact with the rim. I re-read instructions and realized my error.

These are aluminum rims, so I was able to sand out the rought spot to smooth, important because rough spots on the rim can wear on the underside of the duck and damage it...which I guess can then leave a mark on rims in the future. The idea is start with smooth, clean surfaces for both rim and "duck head".

What I described above is the only less-than-clear step as the photos in the manual and online videos don't clearly show what's going on. It's obvious once you see it, a "well, duh" moment.