2014 CB1100 Standard Tires

[MagnaRider]

Novice question Alert! And I know this topic has been hit harder than RLETs on the CB. I just like to gather all the knowledge I can before getting into something, especially if it's my first time.
My CB needs new tires, and I have never replaced tires on a motorcycle before.
Currently have Bridgestone Battax BT64 tires on that I believe are the stock tire? (Front is 110/80R18, Rear is 140/70R18)
Are these tubed tires or tubeless? Does that matter when I choose tires? If they are tubed, should I replace the tube when replacing tires? How would I find the right size tube? Looks like my options are for tubeless tires. Is there downside running tubes? Can you convert to tubeless?
Do tires need balancing on a motorcycle? Should you use the beads you put in the tire to balance them as you ride?
Does that matter if I go up a size in tire like many have done? What are the downsides/upsides of going up a size? I'd assume it changes the gear ratio and maybe the ride height? I would prefer not to add much height to the CB as I already have short stumpy legs despite being 5'11".

Currently tire options I see for the same size I have now is the Bridgestone Battax BT-46 Sport Touring and Battax T32. Looks like the Angel GT only comes in a front tire, and the Bridgestone's are the only available stock tire for the rear.  Any input on running different brand tires for front and rear? BTW I live in the Midwest USA which I assume effects what tire sizes I have available.
My riding style is definitely sportier, and I am not concerned about the tires lasting forever or price. I would like the best performance wise and maybe get a season or two out of them ideally.

I don't doubt that I can do the tire swap myself, my neighbor who's ridden since the 70s has done it plenty and will help me. Any tips beforehand are appreciated.
Thanks again for the assistance! Very Very much appreciated! I know its a lot of questions, I swear I am not that dumb just uh... a noob as the internet would say

[MagnaRider]

Well I think I have found some answers searching in my spare time,

2014 uses tubeless tires - Tubed tires where only the spoked wheel 2017 plus version as far as I can tell. Makes sense since looking at parts stores all that comes up is tubeless tire options.
First number is the tire width, second is the tire height relative to the rim, and third is rim size. From my reading here and elsewhere, increased width may make the bike seem less nimble. Not read anything on increasing the height or "aspect ratio".
I don't think tires need balancing, as long as you line up the valve stem with the corresponding arrow on the tire.
I think I am leaning to purchasing the T32 tires, but since a lot have talked well about the Angel GT I am thinking of getting that for the front tire (Not available for rear). Any thoughts?

Thanks again,
Starting to feel like less of a noob now lol

[peterbaron]

The arrow on the tire indicates the direction of rotation.
The red and yellow dots indicate the highest and lightest points, respectively.
When mounting the tire, I align the yellow dot with the valve stem and then balance the tire.
I currently have Angel GT's up front and Metzeler's in the rear on my DLX. When they wear out, I'll install T33's or T32's , which I did not have before.

[Lunchbag]

MagnaRider, most of what you found sounds about right, except I think most riders will agree that they should be balanced, since the bike can be ridden at pretty high speeds.  I changed tires once on my Royal Enfield and got away without balancing them, but it's a slow bike.

I needed tires for my 2014 DLX last year, and I just ordered the BT54 set from Amazon.  Got them shipped free in a couple of days and gave them to a local guy who did the mounting and balancing as well as removal and reinstallation on the bike for 80 bucks.

The BT54 is not the favorite tire with forum members, but they get decent reviews on Amazon, including some from CB1100 owners.  I just got them because it was easy, because they were specified in the manual, and I didn't want to think about the other options until I get to know the bike and tires better.  I'm also not riding on the ragged edge in the turns, so I'm not the guy feeling every flaw in the tires and suspension as some are.  I'm happy so far, but I'm also open to other tire options in the future depending on my experience with these, especially how they wear.

[MagnaRider]

Thanks for the input! Cleared up a lot of confusion in my head and definitely feel smarter now! Now let's put it into practice and attempt the tire swap lol
I will do more research on balancing.
Mostly just happy to have confirmed I don't need tubed tires. The spoked tire 2017+ models made google think I needed tubed tires...

[pdedse]

...
I don't doubt that I can do the tire swap myself, my neighbor who's ridden since the 70s has done it plenty and will help me. Any tips beforehand are appreciated.
Thanks again for the assistance! Very Very much appreciated! I know its a lot of questions, I swear I am not that dumb just uh... a noob as the internet would say

I'm not a tire-changing expert, but I can share what I've been through.  Un-assisted, I've done tire changes on my KLR650, DR650, CGL125 about 14-15? times x 2 for front and rear...all tubed.  Let's just say they all got done, but not without a substantial learning curve, lots of frustrating moments...and not without scratching up the rims a fair amount--which I didn't care about much for dual purpose bikes.  Between my KLR650 and DR650 I went about 6 years between having to change tires and had to relearn everything.  Last summer on my DR, I vowed to "get the process down" and did 4 practice changes because I really need to be able to be proficient out in the field in case of a flat.

For my CB1100, I had a shop do the first 3 tire changes because it seemed a little intimidating.  Street tires are stiffer than dual purpose tires...I'm told.  Then I thought I'd try it on my own because shop prices in my area were getting ridiculous at north of $100 per tire.  I got the front wheel off the bike, and try as I might while trying to take care of the rim, I felt I couldn't get close to breaking the bead.  The aggressiveness I'm willing to apply on dual purpose bikes, I simply wasn't on my CB1100.  So I bought the Rabaconda tire changer and it works beautifully. It's expensive: I purchased mine on sale at $600 but I see now they are charging $740+ which is kinda crazy expensive.  But it works! Breaks bead effortlessly.  There's a learning curve for getting the tire on, but if one takes the time, it's laughable how easy it makes things--and, I haven't scratched the rims in 4 attempts.  Now the rear CB1100 needs changing and after 5 attempts, I'm getting close to "paying it off".  Ideally, it's a tool/machine that would be shared among friends to make it more valuable.  

Tips? ...Likely, your friend is quite adept, maybe has a tire changer?, and takes precautions to ensure that the rims are protected...but maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask him what he does to do that before starting.  Wisconsin...prolly not a lot of warm, sunny days right now, but working with a warm tire makes things a lot easier.  I have a space heater I use, so once the wheel is off the bike, I let it sit near the space heater inside the house to warm it up before breaking the bead.  And I do the same with the new tire.  Are tire irons going to be used?  "Take small bites" means how far you insert the tire iron between rim and tire.  For a long time, I thought that only meant moving the tire irons around the rim as you go.  "Getting the opposite side of the tire in the wheel well" is a must as you get half-way through and to the end.  Being generous with lube--whatever you use--is good.  You probably have read of techniques and watched the videos, so ignore me if all this is already known.  Take your time.  Many of the videos I watched say "if it's a complete struggle, you're likely missing a key step".  If it's not happening, leave it, watch the video again and then come back to it.  

And when you're all done, make sure your directional arrows are pointed the right way!  

Being facetious with that comment, but I did do one change where I realized the arrow was pointing the wrong way after the fact...start over, good practice.

I bought a tire balancer from Amazon, about $80.  To me it seems to work fine and it's fun to see the wheel become balanced little by little as you add weights.  

Someone will correct me if I've mis-stated things.  Good luck!

[MagnaRider]

Thank you very much Pdedse! I will be reporting back.

[Pauley]

The one thing I can add it the trick of getting the bead down in the "drop center" of the rim on the opposite side you are working with the tire irons; this creates just enough slack to get the bead over the rim and makes the whole process work. Tire spray lube helps tremendously as well. Ari Henning has a great tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plx-30HHS2w&t=2s. About 7 minutes in.

[Cormanus]

MagnaRider, the Angel GT 160/60 18 fits the rear OK. The aspect ratio is the same so the speedo reads accurately. I've run a couple of sets of them and they're excellent tyres and last well. The Dunlop Roadsmart IV apparently comes in the right sizes, although I don't know whether you can get them in the US. People reported the Bridgestone T32 front was noisy.

[rdprdp01]

[/quote]

I'm not a tire-changing expert, but I can share what I've been through. 
[/quote]

You sound like an expert to me!

The detail and insights of your post are brilliant. I have avoided changing tires because I fear scratching or damaging the rims. After reading your post, I am one step closer to manning up, spending $700 on a changer and balancer, and conquering my fears! Time will tell. Thanks for the post and everything else you bring to the Forum. We are fortunate to have you. David