Motorcycle Tire Changers Explained: The Types of Tool and What Each One Does

Motorcycle wheels are narrow, often spoked, and held by their hub. That is why they have tools of their own, and why the name “motorcycle tire changer” is used for products that have little in common. This page sorts the types and sends you on. It ranks nothing: the short list with picks, comparison table and limits of each model is the page about the best motorcycle tire changers.

The job has three tasks

Every tire change on a motorcycle wheel consists of the same three tasks, and the types of tool differ in how many of them they take over:

1. Holding the wheel so that both hands are free.
2. Breaking the bead, that is, pushing the tire off its seat on the rim.
3. Getting the bead over the rim flange, off and on again.

Lubricating, keeping the opposite bead in the drop center and inflating stay handwork with every type.

The types at a glance

AI-generated

Portable changers

A portable changer does all three tasks and stands free on the floor. It is the type for riders who wear out several sets of tires a year. Within the type, the wheel decides: a changer built for cast and forged wheels and one built for wire-spoked wheels are different machines, and mousse inserts rule some models out.

Our pick: street bikesAd

Rabaconda

Rabaconda Street Bike Changer

A portable changer with bead breaker arm and ratcheting duck head that is built to work without floor anchors.

Why here: An example of the type, and the changer our ranking puts first for street bikes: 12 to 21 inch wheels and a footprint that works without floor anchors, according to its maker. Why, and what it is not built for, is on the ranking page.

Best for: Street bike owners who change tires several times a year and have no floor to drill into.

Type

Portable changer with duck head

Wheel range

12–21 in., rim width up to 8 in.

Mounting

Free-standing, no floor anchors

Weight

30.8 lb

Price class

Premium

What it does well

• For 12 to 21 in. wheels and tires up to 250 mm wide, according to the manufacturer
• 3 ft x 3 ft footprint that stays stable without floor mounting (manufacturer)
• 30.8 lb, packs into a carry bag; lifetime warranty with cosmetic damage excluded

Where it falls short

• Premium price class, by far the highest among the motorcycle tools here
• Not for mousse inserts, per the manufacturer's FAQ
• The maker states it cannot guarantee zero risk of marks on the rim

View on Amazon*(paid link to Amazon, opens in a new tab)Ad · paid link · check price & delivery on AmazonRead the comparison

The models side by side are on the ranking page; the brand behind most of this type is covered under Rabaconda tire changers, lower-cost routes under Rabaconda alternatives, and wire-spoked wheels with tubes or mousse under dirt bike tire changers.

Changing stands

A stand holds the wheel on a center axle at working height and does nothing else. You still need a way to break the bead and a set of tire spoons with rim protectors. Stands state a wheel diameter range and an axle size; they sit in the budget to mid-range price class and suit riders who change a tire once or twice a year. Which stands are documented by a maker and which are known from a listing only is part of the ranking.

Bench machines

The third type is anchored instead of free-standing and worked with a long bar. We could not read the makers' documents for the machines of this type that come up most often, so this site describes the type and ranks none of them. An anchored machine also raises a question the portable types do not: where it will stand and what it is bolted to.

Hand tools for single steps

Spoons, bead breaker levers, bead holders and mounting tools for tube-type tires each cover one step. Together with lubricant they make a complete kit without any machine. The kit is built step by step under motorcycle tire changing tools; bead tools alone are compared under motorcycle bead breakers. Single tools have pages of their own: rim protectors, the Motion Pro BeadPro lever sets and the Baja No Pinch mounting tool for tube-type tires.

What decides the type

• How often. Several sets a year speak for a portable changer; one or two changes for a stand and spoons.
• Wheel type. Cast, forged, wire-spoked or cross-spoked decides before diameter does.
• Tube, tubeless or mousse. Tube-type tires are where spoons pinch tubes; mousse inserts need a tool that is stated for them.
• Hub and axle size. Changers and stands hold the wheel through its hub. Measure front and rear.
• Floor. If you cannot drill, the anchored types are out.
• Rim finish. Plastic parts and rim protectors reduce steel-on-rim contact; marks remain possible with any manual tool.

A floor-post changer for car wheels is not a fifth type: those machines are specified for car and light-truck rims; see can you use a car tire changer on a motorcycle.

After the change: balancing

No changer or stand on this site balances a wheel. The tire makers' motorcycle bulletin lists balancing as a step of its own after mounting; the stands for it are on the page about motorcycle wheel balancers, and the steps under how to balance a motorcycle tire. The whole job in order, from removing the wheel to balancing, is under how to change a motorcycle tire.

Where to go from here

Pick your next page

1. 1

   If you want a ranked short list with a comparison table

   Best motorcycle tire changers
2. 2

   If you ride dirt on wire-spoked wheels, with tubes or mousse

   Dirt bike tire changers
3. 3

   If you want to build a kit of hand tools instead of buying a machine

   Motorcycle tire changing tools
4. 4

   If you want the steps of the job, not a tool

   How to change a motorcycle tire

All pages in this section:

• Tire spoonsFor most motorcycle and small-tire changes, buy three spoons of about 14.5 to 15 inches plus rim protectors. Our pick is the NEIKO 20601A set: three 14.5 inch steel spoons, three rim protectors, a valve tool and six valve cores, according to the manufacturer. Longer irons of 19.5 inches give more leverage on stiff tires and put more force on the rim edge. Spoons work only when the opposite bead sits in the drop center.
• Best motorcycle changersOur pick by documentation for street bikes is the Rabaconda Street Bike Tire Changer, stated for 12 to 21 in. cast, forged and spoked wheels and stable without floor mounting. For wire-spoked dirt bike wheels of 16 to 21 in., including mousse setups, the Rabaconda Dirt Bike Tire Changer is the better match. On a budget, the Tusk adjustable stand plus tire spoons is the documented choice. None of them balances the wheel.
• Dirt bike tire changersOur pick is the Rabaconda Dirt Bike Tire Changer: stated by its maker for wire-spoked wheels of 16 to 21 inches, with a built-in bead breaker, a 20 inch working height and about 35 lb with its bag. It is for spoked wheels only. The lower-cost route is a changing stand such as the Tusk plus tire irons; for tube-type tires the Baja No Pinch tool targets pinched tubes during mounting.
• RabacondaPick the Rabaconda by wheel type, not by size. Street bikes with cast or forged wheels of 12 to 21 in. need the Street Bike Tire Changer. Wire-spoked dirt bike wheels of 16 to 21 in., including mousse setups, need the Dirt Bike Tire Changer, which the maker rules out for cast wheels. Kids' bikes and pit bikes with 10 to 17 in. wheels and 10 to 24 mm hubs are the Mini's job. None of them balances a wheel.
• Motorcycle bead breakersOur pick is the Motion Pro BeadPro FS: two forged steel levers with 16 inch handles that break the bead on most street and off-road motorcycles, according to the maker, and double as tire spoons. The aluminum BeadPro is the 9 oz version for the tool roll. The BeadBuster XB-450i clamps to the rim and is driven with a wrench. Stands hold the wheel only; changers such as the Rabaconda bring their own breaker arm.
• Motorcycle tire toolsThe core kit is a set of tire spoons with rim protectors and a valve core tool, a bead breaker, and bead lubricant. Our starting point is the NEIKO 20601A set: three 14.5 inch spoons, three rim protectors, a valve tool and six valve cores. Add the Motion Pro BeadPro FS to break the bead. For inflation you need a clip-on chuck with a gauge, and after mounting the wheel has to be balanced.
• Change a motorcycle tireRemove the wheel as the motorcycle maker describes, take out the valve core and loosen both beads. Lubricate and lever the top bead off starting at the valve, pull the tube if there is one, then take off the second bead. Clean the rim, fit a new valve or tube, mount the new tire with the valve area last, seat the beads within the tire maker's limit or 40 psi, then balance.
• Motorcycle wheel balancersA static balancing stand holds the wheel on a low-friction shaft; gravity turns the heavy spot to the bottom, and weights opposite it correct the imbalance in one plane. The tire makers say a motorcycle wheel must be checked with a balance stand or a computer wheel balancer after mounting. Before buying, compare shaft diameter and cone range with the bearing bores of your front and rear wheel, and check single-sided swingarm wheels separately.
• Can You Use a Car Tire Changer on a Motorcycle Wheel?No documented manual car tire changer is specified for motorcycle wheels. The reference floor-post changer is rated by rim diameter for 8 to 16 inch car and light-truck tires and locks the wheel with a lug pin, which a motorcycle wheel cannot take. Its manual says to use only the included accessories, so third-party motorcycle adapters are outside it. A changing stand with tire spoons, or a motorcycle changer, holds the wheel by its axle bore.
• Rabaconda alternativesThe documented lower-cost alternative to a Rabaconda is a combination: the Tusk adjustable changing stand to hold the wheel, the Motion Pro BeadPro FS to break the bead, and tire spoons with rim protectors to lever the tire. For tube-type dirt bike tires the Baja No Pinch tool takes over the mounting step. Other changers such as No-Mar or Neutron exist, but we could not read their makers' specifications.
• Rim protectorsUse one rim protector under every tire iron that is on the rim at the same time, which usually means three. The simplest way to get them is a spoon set that includes them: the NEIKO 20601A has three polypropylene guards with its three spoons. Shields with a channel for the iron and a long apron, such as Motion Pro's RimShield II, also cover hands and spokes. No protector rules marks out.
• Baja No Pinch toolThe tool mounts tires; it does not demount them. Its maker states the basic kit for 16 to 21 in. tires on wheels with a 20 to 23 mm axle, and the Ultimate kit for 15 to 28 mm axles through four adapters: 15, 17, 20 and 25 mm. Measure front and rear axle before ordering, because they often differ. You still need a bead tool and tire irons for the rest of the job.
• Balance a motorcycle tireSeat the beads and set the pressure first. Remove old weights, clean the rim and center the wheel on the stand's shaft with the cones. Let the wheel settle; the heavy spot stops at the bottom. Fix weight at the top, opposite that spot, turn the wheel a quarter and let go. Adjust until it stays put in every position, then press the weights on firmly.
• Motion Pro BeadProTwo versions, same principle. The BeadPro FS (08-0536) is chrome vanadium forged steel with 16 in. handles, 2 lb per set, stated by Motion Pro for most street and off-road motorcycles and ATVs. The BeadPro (08-0519) is forged 7075-T6 aluminum, 9.8 in. per lever, 9 oz per set, stated for most street and off-road motorcycle tires. Take steel for the garage and aluminum for the bike. Motion Pro names no tire sizes for either.

Tools for car and light-truck wheels start at the overview of manual tire changers.