Dirt Bike Tire Changing Tips - Dr. Dirt

Have the rim on the stand with the disc side up. Insert the tube into the tire. Get it in as straight and smooth as possible, with no twists or folds.

Add a small amount of air (very small) into the tube to allow it to assume its round shape.

Apply tire paste with a sponge or use a 50/50 mix of dish soap and water. Don't use chemicals, as they can stay slippery and cause the tire to spin once on the bike. (That's what Clark says. Some DR staffers use WD-40 and similar penetrating lubes with no problem and claim such products actually stick the tire to the rim. Just keep it away from the brake disc. Others DR editors prefer to do it completely dry so the tire irons don't shoot out faster and higher and leave dents in their already ugly heads.)

Insert the valve stem into the rim with a nut to keep the tube in place. If it is located near the valve core, you also want to have the rim lock in place at this time. If it is 180 degrees off, don't worry about it, we'll get to it later. Do leave it in the rim with the nut still lightly threaded.

With the tube in the tire, work the tire on. If you take small bites with the tire spoons, putting on the first side should be relatively easy. You will find that the tube will end up trapped between the tire iron and the bead of the tire and the rim. Move it out of the way if possible, but at least push delicately on it. You should be able to see if you are pinching the tube hard enough to damage it. Don't worry about the rim lock not being inside the tire.

Flip the rim to the sprocket side. The rim lock should be pressed up against the side of the tire. With two spoons, push down the rim lock and work the tire back and forth in a walking motion that lets you ease the tire over the rim lock.

While holding the tire off the bead, push up the rim lock inside the tire. You must make sure the shoulders of the lock are above the beads of the tire. Let the tire go back into place with the rim lock on the inside of the tire. Make sure the tube is above the rim lock.

Flip the wheel and tire back to the disc side and apply tire paste or soap to this side. Using two tire irons about 4 inches apart, push down and insert your Bead Buddy tool to keep the tire down off the bead. I like to keep this about 2 inches from the valve stem.

Start maneuvering the tire on with small bites, inserting the tire spoons every couple of inches. Keep one hand pushing down on the tire to keep the beads down and off the shoulders of the rim. When you get to the last 6 to 8 inches, you might need to push and pull on the tire to make sure all of the bead is off the rim shoulder. If it ever gets really hard, you need to set the bead down into the well of the rim. If you do this correctly, the last bite you take will be relatively easy. If it is really hard, you might still need to push the tire down more.