Guide · tyre lever
Changing tyre and inner tube on a moped: using the tyre levers correctly
Changing a tyre on a moped or light motorcycle is hand work. You do not need a tyre machine, but you do need two decent tyre levers, a valve core tool and the right sequence. Anyone who fails to push the bead into the rim well ends up fighting the tyre and damaging the inner tube or the rim.
This guide shows you how to get the tyre off without force, how to lay the inner tube in cleanly and how to fit the new tyre so that the valve sits square and nothing is pinched. It applies to spoked wheels and cast wheels with a tube, as used on Zündapp, Kreidler, Hercules, Puch and Simson.
Tools and preparation
You need little for a tyre change, but it has to be the right thing:
- Two tyre levers, 270 mm with a rounded tip. Screwdrivers have sharp edges and cut the inner tube open.
- A valve core tool to unscrew the valve core completely.
- Tyre mounting paste or soapy water. No oil, no grease: both attack the rubber.
- Talc for the inner tube, so that it does not stick inside the tyre.
- Tyre pressure gauge, pump or compressor.
- Rim tape, if the old one has gone hard or has slipped.
Take the wheel out and lay it on a clean, soft surface. An old piece of carpet or some cardboard protects the hub and the brake drum. Before you start, check whether the new tyre has a direction of rotation marked on the sidewall. An arrow shows the direction of rotation, and there is often a note as to whether the tyre is intended for the front or the rear. The tyre size and the inflation pressure for your machine are given in its workshop manual or on the data plate.
Workshop tip
Put the new tyre in the sun or next to a radiator for an hour before fitting. Warm rubber is considerably softer and goes over the rim flange with far less force.
Why the rim well is decisive
A moped rim has a recess in the middle, the rim well. The rim flanges sit at the outside, and the tyre bead rests against them. The bead contains a steel wire core and hardly stretches at all. Its circumference is smaller than the circumference of the rim flange.
The trick when changing a tyre is therefore simple: on the side opposite the tyre lever you push the bead into the rim well. The rim diameter is smaller there, and the bead gains enough slack to slip over the flange on the lever side. If the bead on the opposite side is sitting on the shoulder of the rim, that slack is missing. Then you need force, the lever slips off, and the inner tube or the rim flange is damaged.
This rule applies both when taking the tyre off and when fitting it. If it is hard going, the bead on the far side is not deep enough. Kneel on the tyre instead of putting more force on the lever.
Taking the old tyre off: step by step
Unscrew the valve core
Put the valve core tool on the valve core and unscrew it completely. That way the air escapes entirely and the inner tube collapses. Unscrewing the valve cap alone is not enough. Undo the valve nut at the rim, if there is one.
Break the bead all the way round
Push the tyre bead away from the rim flange into the rim well on both sides. On old tyres the bead is often stuck fast. Stamp round the tyre with your heel or use a G-clamp with wooden blocks. The bead has to be free over the whole circumference.
Set the first lever opposite the valve
Start on the side opposite the valve. Push the bead into the rim well where you are not levering. Slide the first tyre lever flat between the bead and the rim flange, catch the bead only and lift it over the flange. Stand the lever up and lean it against the spokes.
Follow up with the second lever
Set the second lever about a hand's width away from the first and lift the next section of bead over the flange. Then release the first lever and set it a hand's width further on. That is how you work your way round the rim. After a third of the circumference the rest often jumps over on its own.
Take the inner tube out
Push the valve inwards through the hole in the rim and pull the inner tube out of the tyre. While you are at it, check the tube for chafe marks and for cracks at the valve base.
Take the second side off
Stand the wheel upright. Push the side of the tyre that is already free into the rim well and lift the second side over the flange with a lever. The tyre is then completely off the rim.
Checking the rim and the rim tape
Before the new tyre goes on, it is worth looking inside the rim. The rim tape covers the spoke nipples. If it has gone brittle, slipped or has holes, replace it. A spoke nipple left exposed will chafe through the inner tube within a few hundred kilometres.
Run your finger over the rim bed. Rust, burrs and protruding spoke ends have to be removed before the inner tube goes in. File spokes that stand proud of the nipple flush. On cast wheels, check the rim flange for nicks from earlier fitting attempts.
The valve hole has to be clean and free of sharp edges.
Fitting the new tyre and inner tube: step by step
Prepare direction of rotation and bead
Lay the tyre down so that the arrow on the sidewall points in the direction of rotation. Coat both beads with tyre mounting paste or soapy water. Apply it thinly, do not let it run.
Fit the first side
Push one side of the tyre over the rim flange. Start at the valve hole and work your way round the rim by hand. Lift the last section over with the tyre lever. The opposite side must be sitting in the rim well while you do it.
Lay the inner tube in
Dust the inner tube with talc and inflate it just enough for it to take up its round shape. That way it cannot fold over and will not get pinched. Push the valve through the hole in the rim and screw the valve nut on loosely. Lay the tube all the way round inside the tyre.
Fit the second side
This time start opposite the valve. Push the bead over the flange by hand and move it into the rim well straight away. Work your way towards the valve from both sides. Lift the last section at the valve over with the lever. Catch the bead only, never go deeper.
Check the valve
Push the valve in once and pull it back out. It has to move freely and come out of the hole in the rim square. A valve at an angle shows that the inner tube is twisted or pinched. In that case let the air out and free the side of the tyre again.
Screw the valve core in and inflate
Screw the valve core in with the valve core tool, but not with force. Inflate the tyre until the bead audibly jumps onto the shoulder. Check the centring line on the tyre sidewall: it has to run evenly to the rim flange all the way round. Then let the air out so that the inner tube can relax, and inflate to the pressure given in the workshop manual for your machine.
Caution
Never inflate a tyre beyond the maximum pressure marked on the sidewall in order to get the bead onto the shoulder. If the bead will not jump, it is sitting dry or twisted. Let the air out, lubricate again and try once more.
Valve, valve nut and balancing
After fitting, the valve stands square, and you tighten the valve nut hand tight only. Some riders leave the nut off altogether or run it down only as far as the rim: if the tyre creeps on the rim under heavy braking, the inner tube can turn with it. A valve that was square and slowly goes out of true is the warning sign. A valve that has been tightened down tears off in that case.
Balancing is optional on a moped. At speeds below 50 km/h you rarely notice an imbalance. On light motorcycles and motorcycles with a higher top speed a simple test is worthwhile: put the wheel on its axle, spin it freely and let it coast to a stop. If it always stops in the same position, the heavy side is at the bottom there. A stick-on weight opposite evens it out.
After refitting the wheel, tighten the axle nut to the figure given in the workshop manual for your machine. How to read a tightening torque correctly, and what an extension on the spanner does, is explained in the article understanding tightening torque.
Typical mistakes when changing a tyre
| Symptom | Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Inner tube flat after inflating | Pinched with the lever | Inflate the tube slightly first, catch the bead only with the lever |
| Valve sits at an angle | Inner tube laid in twisted | Let the air out, centre the valve, inflate again |
| Tyre runs out of true | Bead not on the shoulder all the way round | Lubricate again, check the centring line |
| Lever slips off | Bead on the far side not in the rim well | Press the far side down with your knee or a helper |
| Hole at the valve base | Valve nut too tight, tyre has crept | Nut hand tight only, check the tyre pressure |
The tool finder shows you which tools you need for the remaining chassis work on your model. With the basic equipment calculator you can put together the workshop for your machine.
From the range
The tools for the job
Common questions
Can I use screwdrivers instead of tyre levers?
Better not. Screwdrivers have sharp edges and a narrow blade. They damage the inner tube and nick the rim flange. A tyre lever has a wide, rounded tip and sits securely against the bead.
Why can I not get the tyre over the rim?
Almost always the bead on the opposite side is not in the rim well. Push it deep into the middle of the rim there, and the bead on the lever side gains enough slack.
Does the inner tube have to be new when I change the tyre?
Not necessarily, but it makes sense. An old inner tube is often porous at the valve base. A new tube costs little time and saves you a second fitting job.
How tight do I do the valve nut up?
Hand tight only. It is meant to hold the valve while you inflate, not to clamp it. A valve that has been tightened down tears off when the tyre creeps on the rim.
What tyre pressure do I need?
The correct pressure is given in the workshop manual for your machine or on a sticker on the frame. The figure on the tyre sidewall is a maximum, not a target value.