Trick to mounting the BF Goodrich C/T on ST wheel?

Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Messages
9
Location
Placerville, CA
Bike
2004 ST1300
Hi All,
A couple weeks ago, I bit the bullet and bought the tires to take my ST to the dark side.

Problem is, the BF Goodrich Comp 2, 205/50-17 absolutely refuses to go on the rim.

I've mounted literally hundreds of tires before, cars and bikes. I have a top of the line No-Mar Pro tire machine. And the first "half" of the tire went over the rim merely by hand pressure.

But, I've been unable to squeeze the tire sufficiently to keep the bead in the center of the wheel so it has enough room to get the second bead onto the rim. And I cannot find any local shops willing to do it with their pro machines.

Ideas? Cheats?
Thanks all.
Jack
 

treemuncher

Vegetation Terrorist
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Oct 7, 2008
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West TN
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'07 ST1300A
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7712
Large zip ties or ratchet straps to compress the tire and soap or other good lube. It's all about technique and keeping the bead down into the depression. I change all of my tires with 12" spoons, including the car tire. Sometimes heating the tire via the sun or a heating system also helps to expand it and make it more pliable.
 
OP
OP
Yooper
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
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Placerville, CA
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2004 ST1300
Thank you. I tried the zip tie method, didn't work. But I'd never done it before, so who's to say if I did it correctly.ill give it another shot next weekend. X
 
Joined
Sep 4, 2013
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Cleveland
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2010 ST1300
Last tire I mounted, I used woodworking clamps to squeeze the beads together and to insert blocks of wood to get the beads in the center depression of the wheel. That was only an Angel GT, and for me, one big struggle to get the tire on. The process did not bear any resemblance to the tire mounting shown on the No Mar website or on youtube videos where the tire goes on without the guy even breathing hard.
 

W0QNX

Blacksheep Tribal Member
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Pensacola, FL. USA
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Ratcheting tie down straps. Wrap around the tire and rim and winch it down to hold the tire bead near the rim center.
 
Joined
Feb 23, 2005
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Cedar City UT
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2012 GL 1800
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5926
I have seen those also on You Tube and at the motorcycles shows. I change my tires with a No Mar changer also. The tire used at No Mar is a soft sport bike tire that has been put on and off the rim hundreds of times. It is all stretched out. The other videos I have seen are the same, Soft sport bike tires. They are not hard sidewall tires like a CT or the ones made for the weight of the ST. I wish touring and CT tires would go on that easy!
 

ScubaDave

Site Supporter
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Jul 23, 2008
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NH
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st 1300
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I mounted my BFG on my harbor freight with a mojo lever, 2 blocks and another set of hands. It went much better than I expected.
 
OP
OP
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Nov 19, 2015
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Placerville, CA
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2004 ST1300
OK... so ....two short years later....
I wrecked the 2004 ST I was trying to go dark side with (struck a deer in Wyoming), bought a low-mileage '03 and went dark side (successfully) a couple weeks ago. Mounted the Hankook V2. Spooned it on with help of my teenage son, not too bad. I did have to file down the casting seam on the swingarm, as it rubbed the sidewall pretty hard. But 700 miles in, all is well. The tire seems to have gotten better with use and with increasing the air pressure from 28 to 32. Gonna try 34 and see if it changes anything.
 

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T_C

Joined
Mar 8, 2012
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4,341
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St. Louis, MO
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2005 St1300
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8568
The tire seems to have gotten better with use and with increasing the air pressure from 28 to 32. Gonna try 34 and see if it changes anything.
Congrats!! :hat4:

Yep, thousand miles for a good break-in. I didn't try the V4 but the Hankoook I did use needed a little more air pressure (think I was at 38) to eliminate the squirm effect when accelerating out of corners.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
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kankakee
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R1200rt
Has anyone tried a 205/55 r17 tire ? It's just a little taller and would give the sidewall a bit more flex to install.
 
Joined
Feb 2, 2014
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Location
houston, tx
Has anyone tried a 205/55 r17 tire ? It's just a little taller and would give the sidewall a bit more flex to install.
I don't think one can ask a "205/55 r17 vs 50" mount question ... it's too generic. Heck I've dismounted and mounted the same size [motorcycle] tire on the same rim, but from different manufacturers... some are more difficult than others, because of their chosen construction.
.
What it boils down to is the tools used and technique (most importantly).
 
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
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kankakee
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I don't think one can ask a "205/55 r17 vs 50" mount question ... it's too generic. Heck I've dismounted and mounted the same size [motorcycle] tire on the same rim, but from different manufacturers... some are more difficult than others, because of their chosen construction.
.
What it boils down to is the tools used and technique (most importantly).
some are more difficult than others, true but taller tires are generally easier to mount. Iis there enough room on the bike to use a taller tire. I used a 190 60 17 (not ct) on the rear of my st1100 and it just fit. I use the tire machine at work and it has a hydraulic arm that pushes the bead down, super easy.
 
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