In true He Man fashion, I will an attempt to save $ and do something myself. 

I skimp on paying people to do stuff I can do.  but I dont skimp on good tools!

So whats a good set of tire irons? Theres 99 cent stuff on harbor freight, and theres super high quality ones that are 99 per a bar.

Anyone have a recommendation for something that isnt too expensive but still decent? and how many do you guys think i need? I've seen how its done, and I understand how it should be done, so all i need to do is apply theory to practice! But ive heard the more tire irons you have the easier the job is. People say you can do it with 2, but 3 is easier with 1 person.

 three is easier, build your self a static wheel balancer as well

i went to motioin pro and they seem to have everything i need for $48 bucks. ordering it online now. and im also gonna order my new tire!

michiellen Pilot Road 2ct rear, im keeping my Pilot Power front.

Techniques perhaps vary a bit but personal preference for me is to only use 2 and they are 9" long x 1" wide. There is a website that is often referred to as a sort of tyre fitting 'bible' where the guy says longer the better which in my opinion is nonsense. If anyone can't fit a tyre with 9" levers then their technique is wrong which can damage the tyre or rim.
Rim protectors are essential and use cords so you can slide them around the rim  - that same website suggests making your own but they are not expensive to buy and snap on rim nicely so why bother - more nonsense. I use liquid hand soap to lubricate - washing-up liquid is not recommended.

I've got 3 irons. 1 spoon and two regular irons. I did the rear tire on my S4R and it was way easier than the dirtbike tires I've been doing. Having no rim protectors and nothing to make them out of, I wrapped some duct tape around em. Worked fine and left 0 dings vs the chips left by previous dealer changes.
Total time from getting the wheel off to back on was 20 minutes. (It's nice having no sprocket or rotor on the wheel). Didn't even need a bead breaker. Just leaned on it with a 2x4.

Quote from: He Man on October 12, 2008, 10:00:25 PM
In true He Man fashion, I will an attempt to save $ and do something myself. 

I skimp on paying people to do stuff I can do.  but I dont skimp on good tools!

How's your garage space?  The ultimate in home tire changing:



If you keep your eyes peeled, you can usually find a special on these for ~20% off.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=42927



http://home.comcast.net/~prestondrake/mojoweb.htm

While you're at it, get a couple of blocks from Mojo to keep from marring your rim on the changer.


All for around the cost some shops charge for mounting ONE PAIR of tires.

Add a Marc Parnes tire balancer and you're golden.

OK, well maybe the "ultimate" is a No-Mar, but they're pretty costly. 

FWIW, when I did my "mojo blocks" I ground the tab on the HF changer down flush, so the block fits against a solid vertical surface.  No biggy for me as I'll never use the rig without the blocks.

FWIW II.  I also mounted a "bench mount" bicycle service clamp to the back side of my HF changer, now the floor mount does double duty, for you guys who are into bicycles as well.

The shop I get my tires from fits them for free, they attend most all club racing events in the UK so they know how to treat expensive rims.

I like these for my dirt bikes...

http://www.ziptyracing.com/products/product_detail.aspx?id=MTMxMQ==

Still haven't had the cajones to try a tire swap on my monster.  Maybe someday....

Like I said, I had a way easier time on the Monster than my FSE. But either way you can push it on by hand until the final couple inches.
Try it. You'll kick yourself for not trying it sooner and saving $50 per change.

I bought the Motion pro 3 piece tire iron set, the $8 rim protectors, and this bead breaking chisel. They havent processed the order yet, so i can still take it off.

Any reviews on that thing? couldnt find any on the net.

that harbor fregiht thing is way to big. I could build one out of wood with a few hinges. hmm... depends on how easy that chisel is to use.

http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/08-0439

I wouldn't be tempted to buy that chisel myself but show me it works and surprise me! I use the ABBA BEAD BREAKER and it works well.
Ok it's a lot more money - but you did say you don't skimp on buying good tools.