Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but Premium users receive great benefits. Premium benefits include:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2026 SX, MX, and SMX series.
Many tools out there to make the job easier and if you change a lot of tires / tubes, it's worth the money spent.
https://www.bajanopinch.com/
https://rabaconda.com/
BTW, several people mentioned Jay Clark's videos . . . he also has plans for the stand he uses. If you EMAIL him, he will send you the plans. (No social media DMs) It's pretty simple, cheap and easy to make and makes the tire changes WAY easier. However, a plastic Home Depot bucket works fantastic in a pinch.
Motion pro bead buddy is worth having imo.
We use a combination of both. I always use the machine to hold the wheel. 95% of the MX tires I still use spoons. Spoons are just as fast and have a better feel for how everything is seating together. The tire machine with smash everything together no matter what. Installing by hand assures everything is meshing correctly.
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Be sure to report back the savings of taking your business elsewhere for a tire change. I would be very surprised if you find it much cheaper at any other shop.
I find it hard to believe someone who worked at a tire shop would have to pay someone to change a dirt bike tire for them.
I disagree. A machine will unseat the bead instantly. Remove the bead in one rotation and then the tire can be removed. I'd pay to see you race a pneumatic tire changer with a set of irons.
I get your trying to make a point that using irons can be effective but it's not time saving.
Work brother, I got no time for other shenanigans besides trolling vital.
Fair enough.....but....didn't it take time to drop it off and pick it up? Probably more than the 10 minutes that it takes to change a tire I'd assume
I’m 65 and started changing my tires 2 years ago when a shop wanted $60, bought the 3 pack of motion pro tire irons and have done 4 so far! The hardest part for me was breaking the bead!
If you have a tire shop showing up to your local races ask them. It is $20 to $25 to get a tire mounted/swapped at the offroad races near me, even when I don't buy from them. For me that price is worth the convenience.
For reference my local dealer charges $110 to install a bib mousse in an unmounted wheel. I think they are $50 for tire mounting if you have tubes.
What kinda mouth breathing simpleton pays somebody to change a tire on a dirtbike?
Ah nevermind..
Put work boots on & use your heals on the bead. You can use the front side of your foot but you could tweak your ankle. I throw the tires in the sun a warm tire is much easier. It used to take me 5 min off& on with a tire. I just spray the bead & tube with wd40. Last summer I changed 2 tires back to back . 1st time in 12 yrs I was a little rusty & had the rare bead that won’t pop out equil on the rim. Let the air out heal the bead. Bicycle pump the tire up again. It’s still faster than driving to a shop. Labor rate in a auto shop is 130 an hr. Ps put a towel ovr the disk
I use the machine to break the bead. I do not use spoons or anything to save time. Never made that claim.
My rate is $145/hr. So yes it’s fair. Being in business isn’t cheap these days, but especially in Ca. My motto is “I don’t need the practice”. Meaning if I can’t make a profit on something then it’s not worth doing and no point in it.
Love this reply! Anyone can be a busy fool! Know your scale and stick to it! You do not buy business!
Plus once you have pinched your tube at $30 on 1st attempt the inconvenience of doing it yourself only saves you $12
Not to mention the Damage caused when you throw the tyre levers across the garage!
Save your marriage, pay for tyre changes!
Wrong. You'll spend more time driving to and back from the shop twice. You could have changed 3 sets in that time. Its really not that hard.
The harbor freight ones are okay if you just need a long piece of aluminum for leverage.
Pit Row
There have been times when I was in the middle of a tire change sweating like hell and cursing up a blue storm. I would have paid someone $100 at that moment to change it for me!
Sorry Jay, but It obviously is that hard for the OP or he wouldn’t be at the shop with his tyre in the first place would he
expect cheap service after bringing in a part you bought elsewhere? Don't be "that" guy.
I change my own tires with a bucket in about 15min, been doing it since I was a teen. A few of my friends don't like/want to and would rather pay someone else and that's fine too. There were two vendors at the winter series this weekend changing for $20ea. I would expect to pay double that at a brick and mortar shop.
I hate changing tires more than I hate Communism, Disco, and Japanese food combined. But I hate spending $42.50 even more, so I do it myself.
Do it yourself or pay the convenience fee.
With a young family and multiple bikes, $30-40 to save me an hour of cursing and rage at an inanimate object that I may pinch a tube on anyways is WELL worth it.
Yes, it is a piece of machinery that a company has to invest in and also pay to maintain. If you go get your tires changed at the track, they will most likely be changing them with Irons. It's your choice to do what you like; I'm just trying to help you see the other guy's side.
One thing people need to remember is there is an opportunity cost associated with changing a tire. If it is a small shop with a limited amount of techs that technicians time would be more profitably spent doing other services. I know shops that price things to dissuade people from getting that service done. They will do it if they are selling the part but actively don't want to get bogged down in grunt work.
I agree. I don’t think I,m an expert tire changer but I get it done. I may hv a occasional few blades of grass sticking out . But the double boost port 04 cr125 has no problem burning it off along with the tire. I had countless semi tires changed on the side of the rd. Those boys r tire changers . Some work 4 big trucking co.s also & change 60 on that shift.
10-4, didn't mean to be rude. Appreciate the reply
I’ll pay $40 all day long to have someone else change my tires..
We almost quit doing tires on wheels all together if it wasn't in for another service due to customers with your mindset.
"Not a fan of the price? No worries we have a sale on spoons in parts, grab 2 tubes while you're at it."
Often surprised how many guys can’t change their own tires. Becomes apparent riding in the desert when flats happen. I hate getting dirty changing tubes for them.
Post a reply to: Tire changing fees.... crooks!