Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. Motorcycles: Fundamentals, Service, Repair 344 Use the following steps to mount a tube tire: 1. Spray the tire bead with an approved rubber lubricant or silicone. 2. Stand the tire upright and hold it with one hand. Starting from the side opposite the valve, install one side of the tire on the rim. Push the rim into the tire so that one bead is resting in the rim strip area. Try to install as much as you can by hand. Pry the remainder of the bead over the rim with motorcycle tire irons. 3. Carefully fi t the tube into the tire. Position the stem in the rim hole. Screw locknut onto the stem halfway. 4. Put a little air in the tube to remove wrinkles that could damage the tube. Th e air will help the tube hold its shape and prevent pinching. Release the air before installing the other bead. 5. Install the bead lock. A bead lock is a clamping device that, as it is tightened, pinches the bead against the rim. It prevents the tire from spinning on the wheel during periods of hard braking or rapid acceleration. See Figure 16-43. 6. Pry the other bead over the rim without pinching the tube and install the core. After 3/4 of the bead has been installed, check the bead on the opposite side. Tap on the tire tread surface with a rubber hammer so the tire and rim fi t evenly around the circumference. Th e last portion of the bead is more diffi cult to install. Th e rim and bead may be damaged if the bead on the opposite side of the point where you are working is not in the rim center. 7. Before infl ating a tube tire, double check that the valve stem is straight. An angled valve stem is a common problem that can cause tube failure. If the valve stem is not straight, collapse the bead by squeezing the tire. Carefully rotate the tire and tube on the rim until the valve stem is straight. 8. Tighten stem nut and infl ate tire to specifi cations. Check that the bead seats on the rim securely and the tire rim line is concentric with the rim. Seating the bead is much easier with a well-lubricated tire and rim assembly. 9. Use a high-quality pressure gauge to ensure the tire is infl ated to service manual specifi cations. Warning Do not use screwdrivers to install a tire on a wheel. Sharp screwdrivers can damage the tube, possibly causing tube failure and rider injury or death. A B Threaded stud Bead locknut Goodheart-Willcox Publisher Figure 16-43. A bead lock prevents the tire from slipping on the rim. A—The threaded stud of the bead lock passes through a hole in the rim. B—As the nut is tightened, the bead lock pinches the bead to the rim.