Is it cost effective to do it? I assume that you will have to take it into a shop to get it balanced anyway and the cost of that generally covers mounting too, right?

So what is the advantage? Sorry if this is a redundant or stupid question.

 

Depends on how much you ride.
The Equipment to easily change and balance tires can be bought for about $300. It also can be used for mowers, ATVs, golf carts etc.
Actually I used to use a couple old tire irons. Balanced them using the axle and a couple jack stands. It wasn't always easy, and I did scratch some rims. Cost of equipment was $0

Some shops will give you a large break on price if you buy the tires from them and remove and reinstall the wheels yourself.

 

with the Heritage having tubes and the last time I did it (back in the 80's) I had leakage, after taking the tire off again and finding I had pinched 4holes in the new tube I figured it was cheaper have someone else do it...
If the rim was tubeless them that would be easier....might even do it.

 

I buy my tires threw the local meineke... they mount and balance for almost nutin b/c i bought the tires from them....

talk to your local shop

 

I have tried on several occassions and then got stuck. Then they really get you for mounting them at a shop. But, search youtube as there are some good tutorials on there. I have one to change soon and I am thinking about doing it myself again. I really want to say I conquered it - pisses me off I haven't been able to get it right yet.

One other note, if I had really fancy rims or tubes like mentioned above, I might just pay to have it done. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor, as they say.

 

If you're doing it to save money, but you really don't enjoy working on a motorcycle, you likely will hate the entire process. Better to spend your time doing something at which you're proficient to earn the money to pay someone else to do it.

But if you like working on a bike and have some bit of mechanical skill, it really is more satisfying to mount and balance them yourself. I did it for years with just a couple of tire irons and some scrap wood (to keep rotors from touching the floor), but it's way better with a tire machine.

I use a Coats 220 manual machine, which cost me maybe $850 ten years ago. Also have a No-Mar adapter for it to accommodate the Harley wheels, which have the big sprockets on the rear. I have a couple of static balancers; one is an old Snap-On automotive balancer that I use on any wheel with big enough inner bearings to slip the shaft through it. The other is similar in nature (can't remember its name), but has a much smaller o.d. shaft and works in every other wheel I've balanced. It's a pleasant and satisfying process to balance a wheel down to a few grams of weight (but only if you're into that sort of thing.)

If you do install your own tires, you will also be removing and installing them from the motorcycle, which requires a jack or lift (I'm sure there are those who have other methods, though.) This gives you the opportunity to make sure your belt and sprockets are in good condition, and also teaches you to tension the belt properly. You can and should check the condition of the wheel bearings; takes 15 seconds. Will a shop take the time to find the loosest part of the belt, then tension it there? Will they make sure that both axle adjusters are fully forward against the swingarm bosses? Will they use a torque wrench to tighten the axle nut (and axle clamp nuts, in front)?

I don't know what shops charge to remove a wheel, install and balance a tire, and reinstall the wheel; from what I've read, it varies greatly. Some independent shops are pretty reasonable and some dealers charge fairly horrific prices. I buy my tires on line, and the way I go through tires, I'd not be riding much if I had to pay someone full MSRP for tires, then pay for their labor to mount and balance them.

So yeah, you can save a bunch of money mounting and balancing (don't know why anyone would be shy about balancing; the real work is in the mounting) your own tires, particularly if you ride a lot and wear out a few tires a year. But if you don't really enjoy the process, you might find it frustrating and you'd be better to pay someone to do it.

 

1+ on a couple of tire irons.
U can balance as above or use Dyna-beads.
Saves $ and time.
Have a few beers.............
Lafitte

 

i do.
i use 2 tire irons, cut up plastic bottles as rim protectors and a homemade beadbreaker made from 2"x4"'s.

some i've brought to have balanced. some i didn't bother balancing.

the more you do it the easier it gets. i was lucky to have learned on beat up dirt bike rims.

 

I enjoy doing my own work. My cars do not see a mechanic. I fix myself. I've just never done tires.

You mention Dyna-Beads. I run Ride-On in mine. Are these methods sufficient to weight-balancing?

 

I'm game for almost anything. Years ago always did my tires(tube types)After wife picked up a decking screw and everyone on my but about plugging her tire I bought her a new tire

Harley dealers price on Dunlop was 146.00, 161.00 with tax and disposal fee. Now if I had harley mount the tire I get a 15% discount off tire. I decided I would do it myself since last year when I bought the wife her first tire, I had Harley do it and the total price was 171.00 and they did not balance the tire.

So I had the satisfaction of saving 10.00 and knowing that I did it my self and balanced the tire also on a set of V-blocks.

Since I've found the same Dunlops locally for 20. to 30. cheaper than the dealer