Most cast wheel motorcycles use tubeless tires. On the other hand, most spoked-wheel motorcycles have "tube tires," which incorporate a rubber balloon-like tube like a float (larger models that can incorporate tubeless tires are also on the rise). When the heads of the nipples that tighten the spokes rub against the chevron inside the tire, the tube is scratched, which can lead to a puncture. For this reason, a rim pand, commonly known as a "fudoshi," is incorporated into the outer circumference of the spoke rim nipple, which is inside the tube, to protect the rubber tube from damage.
When changing a tire tube or repairing a puncture, there are a number of points you need to be aware of. In this section, we'll explain some of the points you need to know about handling tires and tire tubes.
Do tires have an expiration date? Know the year and week of manufacture!
Tires, being rubber parts, definitely have a "best before" date. However, the most common way to judge tire performance is by the depth of the remaining grooves. Motorcycles are inspected every two years, and the inspection standard is whether or not the remaining grooves are 0.8 mm or more. In the case of automobiles, there is a point in the tire grooves called the "slip sign," and when tires are manufactured, the grooves are made 1.6 mm shallower in that area. This means that as the tire is consumed and wear progresses, the slip sign is reached. When this sign appears, the remaining grooves are considered to be less than 1.6mm, and the tire must be replaced.
As mentioned above, the remaining grooves on a motorcycle are shallower than on a four-wheeled vehicle at 0.8mm, so if you are concerned about the remaining grooves on your tires, you can use a special gauge or depth gauge (the depth function of a caliper) to measure them and get a clear reading. If you are worried about the remaining grooves, you can use a special gauge or a depth gauge (the depth function of calipers) to get a clear reading, but you should be more concerned about the number of years the tire has been in production. It doesn't matter if it's for cars or motorcycles. All tires, whether for cars or motorcycles, have an oval space on either side of the tire with a letter or number on it. These are the letters that were stamped on the tire at the time of manufacture, and on this tire, they are "NDDM0318". Look at the last four digits. In the case of this tire, the last two digits "18" mean 2018, and the preceding two digits "03" can be read as the third week of production. In other words, the date and time of manufacture cannot be strictly specified, but we can determine that the approximate date of manufacture was in the third week of the early part of 2018, in mid-January 2018.
Due to the boom of out-of-print motorcycles and old motorcycles, many fans are satisfied to see that their motorcycle has tires from that era. This is an important factor in determining the vehicle's history. Tires are undoubtedly rubber products and consumable parts, so it is impossible to judge whether a tire is good or bad just by the amount of remaining grooves. For example, let's say you have an NSR250R MC18, 1988 model with 500km on the odometer. Naturally, the remaining grooves in the tires are as good as new, but no matter how well the tires have been stored in a good condition environment, there is no way they can provide the same driving performance as fresh new tires. The year and week of manufacture on the tire tread is the most accurate way to determine the vehicle's history.
As mentioned above, the best way to judge the freshness of a tire is to use the depth of the remaining grooves and the week of manufacture. It's not uncommon to hear people say things like, "I didn't get any mileage out of my tires in the last two years," but you should still replace them with new tires every four or five years. If you have tube tires, you should replace the rubber tube and rim band every two tire changes.
When you practice DIY tire changing, tube changing, or flat tire repair, it is convenient to have a tire changing igeta or manual type UNIT tire changer. I'm sure there are a lot of mechanics out there who say, "I work with old tires stacked on top of each other," but when changing a tire or repairing a flat tire, working on a platform that stabilizes the wheel is by far the easiest way to get the job done.
Many Sunday mechanics must have had the experience of noticing the "round markings" when they were about to change a tire. Not all tires from all manufacturers, both domestic and foreign, have these markings, but many tires for large models from domestic manufacturers are marked with a yellow circle. These yellow circle points are called 'light points', and indicate the lightest point in the inspection immediately after the tire was manufactured. Generally speaking, this light point should be aligned with the heaviest part of the wheel (the air valve). Indeed, visually, the air valve part of the wheel may be the heaviest part of the wheel in terms of balance. However, this may not always be the case. When in doubt, it is best to check the balance of the wheel by itself and match the position of the "heaviest part" with the "lightest point".
The first point to note when changing tires is that the direction of rotation = the direction of the rotation mark must be clear. If there are no rotation instructions, the tire can be used in either rotation. In addition, some tires that are used for both front and rear wheels have a "←FRONT" marking for use on the front wheels and a "←REAR" marking for use on the rear wheels. In such a case, let's build the tires according to the indicated rotation.
Don't forget to do this when you incorporate the new tube.
When you take a new tube out of the bag, you can see that it has been folded. If you put it in as it is, the crushed tube will get caught in the bead or between the tire lever and the rim, and the supposed new tube will suddenly become a "flat tire". It's not uncommon for a new tube to have a little air in it. The best way to avoid such problems is to put a little air into a new tube. The amount of air should be enough to make the tube loop and stand on its own. Do not put too much air. If you put too much air into a non-resistant tube, the tube will deform and swell up and become peculiar. 
Put a little air into the tube to make a donut shape, then wipe the tube with a clean rag. Then spray the tube with silicone spray and wipe it up again with a rag to make the tube slippery. By using silicone spray and wiping the tube with a rag, the rubber tube will slide more easily and the tire lever will not bite the tube during installation.
Tube valve pull-up tool is useful
Set the tire on the wheel rim while checking the tire rotation. Next, insert the tip of the air valve puller from the outside of the air valve hole in the rim, and pull the tip outward through the gap in the tire bead. Then screw the metal fitting into the tube valve and feed the valve tip inside the tire while pulling up the wire to allow the air valve to pass smoothly through the rim hole. Once you see how easy this tool is to use, you'll want to use it again.
Tire changer developed for off-road vehicles
Can you really change a tire at one of these stands? At first, I wondered if it was true. But when I tried it, I found that it was much better than I expected. This product is designed to make off-road biking more enjoyable. This product is called the UNIT Portable Tire Changer, and it is designed to make off-road biking more enjoyable. After dropping the tire bead, you can set the wheel on the portable changer and change the tire in a standing position. If you are a circuit driving enthusiast, this is one of the tools you should have in your trampoline.
If you can change a tire in a standing position, you'll be free of back pain. Even if you have to change a tire manually, the standing position means you don't have to. It can be used not only for off-road vehicles but also for large old vehicles with spoked wheels. Even tubeless tire vehicles will appreciate this changer if all they have to do is remove and install the tires.
- Point 1: Pay attention not only to the "remaining groove depth" but also to the year and week of manufacture.
- Point 2: Let's put air in the new tube to hold the tube shape before incorporating it.
- Point 3: Before incorporating the tube, wipe it with a rag and wipe the surface with silicon spray.
- Point 4: The "light point" of the tire is combined with the heavy part of the wheel rim. Perform balancing after mounting tires.
Whether you're using tubeless or tube-filled tires, there are some tricks to changing a tire or tube, or even fixing a puncture. These tips are difficult to convey in words or sentences, as they are based on practical experience. However, there are some things that you should know at least when you carry out DIY tire changing, and we hope that you can imagine the checkpoints here. The shelf life of a tire can be judged from the "depth of the grooves" and the "freshness of the rubber". In the current movement of old motorcycles, some motorcyclists who have returned to public roads for the first time in many years may think that their tires have enough remaining groove depth to last them a lifetime. But this is a big mistake. As rubber parts age and deteriorate, they become harder and harder, and at the same time, the grip is significantly reduced. There are many stories of riders who have banked their motorcycles with ease only to have them slip off the handlebars.
This section explains the things to look out for when replacing tube tires, but there are a number of things to look out for with tubeless tires too. As well as the shelf life of the tire, we should also be wary of the condition of the air valve. On cast-wheel vehicles, a rubber air valve is inserted through the rim hole to maintain air pressure, but even this rubber air valve can deteriorate. With the cap still on, try pushing the air valve to the side with your fingertip. When the valve is new or in good condition, the rebound is strong, and you can see that it maintains the shape of the border with the rim hole.
However, as the rubber valve deteriorates, the rebound of the valve becomes weaker and you will notice cracks in the seal area. It is extremely dangerous to fill the tire with air and drive in these conditions. For tubeless tires, it is ideal to replace the rubber air valve with a new part at the same time as replacing the tire. If the tire has a metal valve instead of a rubber valve, the valve has an O-ring to prevent air leaks, so replace the O-ring with a new one that matches the size of the air valve at the same time as replacing the tire.
It is natural that rubber tires and metal wheels and rims do not slide well together. A product called Tire Bead Wax is used to improve the slippage of tires and wheels. By applying the wax to the bead and the area where the bead touches the inside of the rim when changing tires, the tire will slide more easily on the rim and the tire will fit more easily. Also, when inflating, you need to make sure that the bead rises to the edge of the rim, and applying bead wax will ensure that it does. If the bead is not raised halfway, the core circle of the tire will not come out and it may cause air leakage. Although it is easier to raise the bead on a tube tire than on a tubeless tire, it is often still not raised, so be sure to apply bead wax on all tire changes.
When incorporating the tube, be sure to inflate the tube to the point where it can stand on its own, wipe it clean, and then wipe it down with silicone spray so that the surface of the tube is smooth and slippery, which will improve workability and reduce the chance of mistakes such as biting the tube. Particularly when installing a new tube, great care must be taken because there are many cases of punctures caused by biting or catching the tire lever.
Improving the workability of changing a tire or fixing a flat tire will certainly reduce the number of problems during work. The pro shop has a tire changers and various tools and equipment, and the workability is certainly improved. It is nonsense to compare the DIY work of us Sunday mechanics with the work of the pro shop, but the improvement of workability is still a big dream and a goal. UNIT's various manual tire changers may be the products that fulfill the hopes of Sunday mechanics. After removing the bead from the old tire, I set the wheel on the manual tire changer stand and tried to remove the tire, but I was impressed that it was much easier than I expected, even for on-road model tires.
