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Motion Pro Bead Breaker Tools


Adrenolin

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Who has, likes, carries and doesn’t? I’ve looked at them a few times but have always passed. Found I was always able to break the bead with decent irons. For the T7 was thinking if they don’t work the side stand will. Opinions, comments, steel or aluminum?


 

 

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I've been looking at these as well.  Alum version to take on the trail for sure.  It depends on the rear wheel type that comes on the bike.  I don't have one yet, so I don't know.  The front wheel is should be an WM type which is a standard dirt bike tube type and easy to break the bead.  The rear might be an MT type with the extra hump between the drop center and the bead shelf.  If it's a MT type rim in combination with a tubeless tire it IS a MF! to break a bead and remove a tube out in the bush.  (my rear on the ktm950 had this setup).  It's also tougher to get the tire seated back on the bead after.  I used a riding partners side stand for that in the past and it works.  I ride solo a lot now and looking for options.  DIY tubeless conversion is another option.

Edited by Brownie
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I just bought a set of those bead breakers and the outEx kit for the T7. When I get to taking the tires off, will let you know how they work. Atm they are the only levers I own, so hoping they work well

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I wouldn’t go with the aluminum ones. I’ve been down that road and I’ll buy, use and carry the heavier steel versions if I decide to buy a set. I’ve had the aluminum levers bend and know others who have broken and injured themselves. I think the Amazon listing I’m for the aluminum ones even has a photo of someone who had one break. I’ll carry the extra weight. It’s not like I’m ultralight backpacking cross country with them on my back. 😂
 

Good info about the different rims also. 👍🏻 I hadn’t considered that. 
 

I already have the sw-motech center stand and with the bike on that It makes using the side stand to break the bead.. lol easy enough. 

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Most tubeless fixes are a matter of plug and 10-20 minutes with a water break.  A tube swap, tired and in the hot sun, can be an hour or more and end with varying degrees of success.  Usually, disgruntled riding partners too.  Depending on your prior experience and technique,  I recommend every rider practice tire changes at home with your trail tool kit in controlled conditions (with plenty of water, band-aids and a crying towel) until you got it.

 

FYI, this is the "easy" type rim to break.

 

 

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2 hours ago, Adrenolin said:

I wouldn’t go with the aluminum ones. I’ve been down that road and I’ll buy, use and carry the heavier steel versions if I decide to buy a set. I’ve had the aluminum levers bend and know others who have broken and injured themselves. I think the Amazon listing I’m for the aluminum ones even has a photo of someone who had one break. I’ll carry the extra weight. It’s not like I’m ultralight backpacking cross country with them on my back. 😂
 

Good info about the different rims also. 👍🏻 I hadn’t considered that. 
 

I already have the sw-motech center stand and with the bike on that It makes using the side stand to break the bead.. lol easy enough. 

 

The one review on amazon with the bent ones, just from the picture, those aren't genuine bead breakers, they are much longer and look like knock-offs, no even branding on them, or they were the steel versions. I have the aluminum ones, and they are way shorter than the image posted. Also, I would much rather bend the tool, than the rim trying to take the tire off if something has to give

 

Otherwise from amazon to revzilla, its all 4.5-5 Stars plus for them, with over 100+ reviews

Edited by ScorpionT16
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I have a set of aluminum ones. They work great, I already used them to swap the stock tires out.

I drilled 2 holes in each lever and bolted them to where I removed the passenger pegs. They act as a tie down point for luggage as well.

If you break them your not keeping the tire in the centre of the rim.

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  • 6 months later...

Darn, I just saw this thread after starting a new one elsewhere. One of questions about these I think are addressed here but I have one more. 
 

What about rim lube? What do you bring on the trail to help aid in seating the bead, and just getting the tire over the rim?

 

 

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3 hours ago, DT675 said:

Darn, I just saw this thread after starting a new one elsewhere. One of questions about these I think are addressed here but I have one more. 
 

What about rim lube? What do you bring on the trail to help aid in seating the bead, and just getting the tire over the rim?

Small can wd40: tire lube, and use it to clean and lube the chain on the trail.

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Bead breakers are a good tool on the T7 Rear tire.  Had to fix a flat on the Trail.  2 of us jumping on one bike using the stand to break the bead was hard wok and took  2 hours to break the bead.  The spoons wouldn't work  When I got home I bought the Bead Breaker.  ,  When you have a flat on the trail without a bead breaker, you will know what I am talking about. No matter how many spoons you have!!  Your thoughts were mine, before I had a rear tire flat on the trail.!

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Success and speed in changing tires depends on proper technique. It's not a black art. I'm pretty confident at this point that I could just use a couple of big screwdrivers as tire levers. I've got a buddy who almost always damages tubes when he is installing them. I've seen him go through 3 tubes during a single tire change. I now use earplugs to mute the cursing that accompanies the process when we work together on a tire change! There's really no reason that anyone should be breaking tire irons, even light aluminum ones. Use plenty of lube. Be sure that the bead on the side opposite of the tire iron stays in the center of the rim (I kneel on it). Take small, incremental bites of the tire as you work it on the rim. Don't ever try to install large sections by using brute force: work an inch or two at a time.

 

I've used a few different bead breakers. None are magic, but most do a better job than levers alone or your own bikes sidestand when you are riding alone. The easiest breaker I've used is the BestRest BeadBrakR. It's a bit bulky, and it's way too complex for me on the trail, but it works really well on the most stubborn tires:

BeadBrakR-01-19-16-without-rim-protector

TireIron BeadBrakR®   (also called the TIBB) This kit gives you everything you need to change your own tires, or to remove the tire from the rim so you can fix a flat.  Works in the shop, the garage, or on top of a mountain.               The BestRest TireIron BeadBrakR (TIBB) is a levering device...

 

I've also used the MotionPro bead breaker levers and this unit by Eastbound:

Tyre-Pro-bead-breaker.jpg

Eastbound motorcycle tyre bead breaker; unique, ultralight and compact motorcycle tire repair tools designed for motorcycle adventure travel.

 

They both work fine. Again, the key is technique. If you use lube as you remove the tire, it's a game changer. As you manipulate the tire to get it off the rim, spray some lube into the tire/rim interface. It will slowly seep in and the bead will break. 

 

Lube? I'm a fan of WD40! I was hesitant to use it because I was worried about it damaging the tire or tube. That concern seems unfounded. Actually, I was eventually convinced on a trip in Mexico when I changed tires during a trip. I couldn't get the damn new tire to seat with my little air compressor and soapy water. I took my tire to a local llantera to use their compressor, and in spite of loads of soapy water and unmentionably high pressures, they couldn't get the tire to seat either. Then one of the mechanics lifted up a bucket of used oil and a brush and motioned towards the tire, asking in Spanish, "do you want to try this?" The tire finally seated with a liberal application of the oil. There was so much oil inside the rim that it leaked out of the valve stem for the next few days. My riding buddy made jokes about when I might consider changing the oil in my tire. When I removed that tire and tube over 8,000 miles later, there was no sign of damage to the tire or tube, no liquid oil and the rim had just a few stains from dried oil residue. 

 

I might be sick and twisted, but I actually enjoy changing tires at home or in the bush. Proper technique and lots of practice really makes a big difference. I always use my trail tools to do the job at home. I always change my own tires, and I'm always offering to change out tires for others. I've always found tire changing on the trail to be part of the adventure in adventure riding.

 

 

 

 

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Just don't do this (see pic). Did it yesterday to get off my Pirelli rear, and it sucked. I will get the motion pro tools as my next buy.

20201224_142552.jpg

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2 minutes ago, Moto said:

Just don't do this (see pic). Did it yesterday to get off my Pirelli rear, and it sucked. I will get the motion pro tools as my next buy.

20201224_142552.jpg

What happened? Did it work? Seems like something I most certainly would have tried if I’d had a big enough clamp!

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It does work, but it's tedious. Much more cumbersome than the motion pro option. Cheaper, is all. Get a couple C-clamps for $20 USD.

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13 minutes ago, Moto said:

It does work, but it's tedious. Much more cumbersome than the motion pro option. Cheaper, is all. Get a couple C-clamps for $20 USD.

Got it.
 

I decided early on that I would only use any tire tools that I would have on my bike.
 

During my early struggles, friends suggested bigger irons, a tire changing stand, and a dedicated bead breaker, and a shop compressor but I wanted to get enough practice so that I’d be efficient in less than ideal conditions on the side of the road or on the trail.

Edited by Desert Mariner
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I've got the aluminium motion pro ones and they break the bead really well. That was the easiest part of swapping the stock tyres and I found actually getting the 2nd bead over the rim to be far more of a challenge (but I have limited experience swapping dirt tyres). They even make easy work of bead breaking on sportsbike  tyres.

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2 hours ago, Desert Mariner said:

 

 

I might be sick and twisted, but I actually enjoy changing tires at home or in the bush. Proper technique and lots of practice really makes a big difference. I always use my trail tools to do the job at home. I always change my own tires, and I'm always offering to change out tires for others. I've always found tire changing on the trail to be part of the adventure in adventure riding.

 

 

 

 

@Desert Mariner After reading that, when I get to AZ, I'll be calling you to go riding! 

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"Men do not quit playing because they grow old, they grow old because they quit playing" Oliver Wendell Holmes - Mods - HDB handguards, Camel-ADV Gut guard, 1 finger clutch, The Fix pedal & Rally pipe, RR side/tail rack, RR 90nm spring & Headlight guard, Rally seat, OEM heated grips- stablemate Beta 520RS

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On 12/28/2020 at 5:59 AM, JimmyTheHuman said:

They are just too expensive for levers....people have been changing tyres with regular levers for ever.

 

I certainly don’t disagree for spooning the tire on and off the rim. But what are you using to break the bead? I don’t think I could break a bead with a tire iron without wreaking the wheel. 

 

 

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Thanks for all the feedback!  So far I’m thinking the aluminum motion pro set is the way to go (since they double as bead breakers and tire spoons)with a tiny can of  WD-40, some rim protectors and some sort of mat to do the deed on. 

Edited by DT675
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On 12/28/2020 at 1:25 PM, Desert Mariner said:

I might be sick and twisted, but I actually enjoy changing tires at home or in the bush. Proper technique and lots of practice really makes a big difference. I always use my trail tools to do the job at home. I always change my own tires, and I'm always offering to change out tires for others. I've always found tire changing on the trail to be part of the adventure in adventure riding.

Yes you probably are...(lol) but I kinda know what you mean. Once you do enough of them and learn the technique, it isn’t so bad. And a nice accomplishment when done! (Without scratches on a black wheel that is!)

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As someone who just swapped tires two days ago with some windex and the smaller beadpro tools, good god christ almighty I can't begin to tell you how much I hate Pirelli's Rally tires on this bike. It took two hours just to remove the dang tires off the rims. 

 

But I will say damn it's some work. How do people ride solo?

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8 hours ago, DT675 said:

I certainly don’t disagree for spooning the tire on and off the rim. But what are you using to break the bead? I don’t think I could break a bead with a tire iron without wreaking the wheel. 

I admit i havent done ADV tyres, just enduro.

MP levers are ok priced if you're in USA, but in Australia they get very expensive.

 

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Just need some shorter M8 bolts to mount them where the passenger footpegs were and I’m set. 

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Location: Central Ontario, Canada

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Bought a set of the alloy ones, they’re easy to store out the way in the dead space between the battery and rear compartment.

 

Also carrying another iron next to the battery, found 3 irons helps......and a bead buddy 😬

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