Rider RSS Rabaconda Street Tire Changer Review

I have a No-Mar mounted on a 4X4 piece of 3/4" plywood.
It has served me well, but I prefer the MOJO lever on de-mounting and the stock No-Mar bar for mounting.
 
Jjonahjamison said:
I’ve got the Olmaxmotors changer as well. I have mounted mine on a fairly low bench (steel desk actually) so it stays put when in use. I find it a breeze, and do use the duck head which came with it.
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I like the idea of raising it up a bit- I would like to mount it up higher but storing the platform is a little challenge as I don’t have better storage in the garage.
 
Kevin_56 said:
Used Sprayway window cleaner as my lube as suggested by @The Dan. Easiest mounting ever. Don't knock it if you have not tried it.
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That guy... always has some cool tricks.

I still have the no-mar gel that liquefies within a year and they tell you to mix w/water in a spray bottle for lube which I've been using. I also have the tub that I got from Rabaconda which works ok.

But, gotta try sprayway now.. that would appear to be easier.... wish I'd know last week helping a friend put a RS4 on his GSA rear wheel, that was a bit of a battle.
 
Windex seems to work well for me too. Also have a tub of the lube from Rabaconda.

Washed the bike yesterday. It's been about six months since I changed tires last. The Rabaconda is out there anxious to get used. :D

Chris
 
If I was going to get a changer, I would look to get one that slips into the receiver hitch on my truck. I thought I saw somewhere here where someone had tried and maybe succeeded in doing just that
 
This is what I use now: https://www.amazon.com/sspa/click?ie=UTF8&spc=MTozMzQ5MzAwNTU0NjE0MzkwOjE3NzY0NDczODI6c3BfYXRmOjMwMDEyOTcxNzQyNzIwMjo6MDo6&url=/Ru-Glyde-Mounting-Rubber-Lubricant-Bottle/dp/B000CIJUGK/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=3405203C8IQ83&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-MCZ54CMHi5PJxzu0-oBCZMkNAnyFVHq2Y7ESQZQF5-nzmbsR3cnmP6brLFo5cFfp94K_7jiLmPuHiGFHDjXfU1V11w8kFRmv4RbKCSkvmKCYa57Jiw1Z4jQZSgah5ZmdpKXOcp9SyqYnoHA3ksKu-NimjEYkBggVo4mgARidDbQfXHCs9Ma3arIAUXdC6xwaJexOrBdimx1SvlXATp2YVD3bSlL8YY6DbXdoa6FsAeA8q-Pdx9KaM5ALS5Lmc7rTOHMd523o5Sv2IVnthdG6BaiX4uPbTW7OpeDILzm_y4.eH6hG15QQycH1Ygc0BcuFyYhKqte23xycF-eYFM4TJs&dib_tag=se&keywords=Tire+lube&qid=1776447382&sprefix=tire+lube%2Caps%2C322&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

The last tire swap was pretty smooth with this stuff. The stuff in the tub that’s more of a solid didn’t work as well for me. My brother uses Armor All (or its equivalent) and that works well for him- I have no doubt a lot of it is technique- as someone said above, if you’re struggling that hard, walk away and re-evaluate. A lot of the issue is keeping the opposite tire to where you’re working in the drop center, and if not, you’re just going to fight, fight, fight…
 
Great video, Joe. I normally use this one:

Both do a good job of explaining the little things that make the job easier. I'm going to bookmark yours because between the two, they cover 99% of what I find useful to know.

I did my tires yesterday. It's been quite awhile since I did this between winter months, moving and recovering from foot surgery. So while I've done this before several times, my memory needed refreshing.

I found a couple things worth mentioning.
  • First, at about 5 minutes in, he shows a spacer being used. I can understand why he put his on that way. In my case, I use it the opposite way to hold the axle hole centered.
  • Second, I didn't get to change my tires on a hot day. I think the temperature was about 47 F. My Bridgestone T32s were cold and stiff. I struggled about the same as he did. They go on much smoother when hot.
  • Lastly, because of the time it took, I also found my lube dried and I had to reapply it. Towards the end, instead of putting on more lube, I simply sprayed it with the "Windex" spray.
FWIW, it is still a two thumbs up for me. 1776532220589.png

Chris
 
Kevin_56 said:
That was my go to before trying Sprayway.
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I just changed a tire yesterday for Fergie and tried the sprayway but no..... just not as good as the Rabaconda lube... the tire was not going on.. so pulled it off and applied the lube and it slipped on easily vs the batter we were having - it was a Battleax so I was prepared but also surprised how easily it went on w/lube... so for my Sprayway is a no no at least for mounting a tire.
 
My local tire guy charges $25 to M&B if I bring him the wheel... I'd need to do 15 sets of tires for that thing to pay for itself, and that's about ten years worth of riding for me. :confused:
 
Mandrake said:
My local tire guy charges $25 to M&B if I bring him the wheel... I'd need to do 15 sets of tires for that thing to pay for itself, and that's about ten years worth of riding for me. :confused:
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$25 is a great price... Dealer prices are crazy and that was a few years ago... likely worse. Even if I could get them done for $25 the convenience is worth it for me.
 
Mellow said:
I just changed a tire yesterday for Fergie and tried the sprayway but no..... just not as good as the Rabaconda lube... the tire was not going on.. so pulled it off and applied the lube and it slipped on easily vs the batter we were having - it was a Battleax so I was prepared but also surprised how easily it went on w/lube... so for my Sprayway is a no no at least for mounting a tire.
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I will have to say the last rear which had been on before did not go as easy as in the past. I also ended up having to use a strap around the tire to help seat the bead which I may have done once in all the changes I have done. So I will try tire lube next time also.
 
Apologies for opening an old (but recent) thread. I actually just got myself a Rabaconda tire changer (minutes ago). It is on Revzilla and I guess because of memorial Day, it is $75 off so my total shipped cost was $717 with the tax included. It is not cheap. However, I am getting older and getting on my knees to use the tire changer I have (Olmaxmotors) requires me to put more effort into changing tires. Not sure what I’m going to do with the existing one, however, I may post for sale at a steep discount at some point in the future (I at least want to do one set of tires before selling the equipment I currently have, and will likely be a come and get it sale as it’s too heavy to ship, which means prohibitively expensive). You can also get it via the Rabaconda site directly because the prices are the same. I didn’t buy the deluxe kit, just the tire changer because I have everything else that I would need otherwise.
 
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