Motorcycle Tire Changing Tools: The Kit You Need for Tubeless and Tube Tires

Motorcycle tire changing tools are sold as single tools and as bundles with a piece count in the title. Neither tells you what the job needs. This page builds the kit from the other end, from the steps the U.S. tire makers describe for motorcycle tires, and names one documented tool for each. Machines that take over several steps at once are on the page about motorcycle tire changers. We have run no trials with these tools.

Start here

Our pick: tire spoonsAd

NEIKO

NEIKO 20601A Tire Spoon Set

Three 14.5 inch steel spoons with rim protectors and valve tools: what a first motorcycle or small-tire change needs.

Why here: Its maker lists the contents item by item: three 14.5 in. steel spoons with rubber grips, three polypropylene rim protectors, a 4-point valve tool and six brass valve cores. That covers levering and valve work in one budget-class set.

Best for: Motorcycle, dirt bike, lawn tractor and other small tires changed by hand.

Type

Tire spoon set

Length

14.5 in.

Set

3 spoons, 3 rim protectors, valve tool, 6 valve cores

Price class

Budget

What it does well

• Three 14.5 in. steel spoons, three rim protectors, valve tool and six valve cores (manufacturer)
• From a named tool brand that publishes the contents of the set
• Low price class

Where it falls short

• At 14.5 in. a shorter lever than the 19.5 in. irons in this comparison
• The maker names cars among the uses but states no tire or rim sizes; we recommend the set for motorcycle and small tires only

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The kit at a glance

AI-generated

Build your kit by how you ride

Which tool for which job

1. 1

   If you are putting together a first kit for one or two changes a year→ NEIKO 20601A Tire Spoon Set

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2. 2

   If you need the bead tool that is missing from every spoon set→ Motion Pro BeadPro FS

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3. 3

   If you mount off-road tires on spoked wheels and the bead keeps leaving the drop center→ Motion Pro Bead Buddy II

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4. 4

   If you run tubes and keep pinching them on the last part of the bead→ Baja No Pinch Tire Tool

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5. 5

   If you are tired of working on the floor→ Tusk Adjustable Changing Stand

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6. 6

   If you want to do the balancing step at home as well→ Rabaconda Motorcycle Wheel Balancer

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The tools, step by step

Valve tools and small parts

Every change starts and ends at the valve. The bulletin's first demounting steps are to loosen the washers and nuts on the valve stem and to remove the valve core so the tire deflates completely. The 4-point valve tool in the NEIKO set removes and installs cores and cleans the threads, according to its maker.

What you fit new depends on the wheel. On a tubeless rim the bulletin says to replace the rubber valve assembly; on a metal valve, the core and the grommet. On a tube-type wheel the valve is part of the tube, and the bulletin asks for a new tube in a new tire.

Bead breaker

The missing pieceAd

Motion Pro

Motion Pro BeadPro FS

A two-lever set that breaks a motorcycle bead and then works as a pair of tire spoons.

Why here: Two forged steel levers with 16 in. handles that break the bead on most street and off-road motorcycles, according to the maker, and then serve as two more tire spoons.

Best for: Motorcycle and ATV owners who want one compact tool for bead breaking and levering.

Type

Bead breaker and lever set

Length

16 in. handles

Set

2 levers

Weight

2 lb (set)

Material

Chrome vanadium forged steel

Price class

Mid-range

What it does well

• Breaks the bead on most street and off-road motorcycles and ATVs, according to the manufacturer
• Integrated tire spoons; 16 in. handles
• Chrome vanadium forged steel, set weight 2 lb (manufacturer)

Where it falls short

• “Most” motorcycles: the manufacturer names no size limits or exceptions
• Steel on the rim edge; use rim protectors on finished wheels
• Not meant for car tires

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Spoon sets do not include a tool for loosening the bead. The lever set fills that gap and adds two spoons to the three of the NEIKO set. Other types, from the pocket version in aluminum to a wrench-driven clamp, are compared under motorcycle bead breakers.

Spoons and rim protectors

The bulletin's term is tire irons, and it is strict about substitutes: do not use a pry bar, do not lift sharply on the bead, and never use a screwdriver in place of a tire tool. The spoons of the NEIKO set are 14.5 in. long with curved tips, according to the maker; lengths, shapes and other sets are compared on the page about tire spoons.

Rim protectors are plastic guards that sit on the rim edge under the spoon. They reduce steel-on-rim contact. They do not make a manual tire change safe for the finish; no maker of a manual tool rules marks out. Plan one protector per spoon in use.

Lubricant

The bulletin names commercially available lubricants made for bead seating first. Vegetable oil and animal soap solutions may also be used; a water-based lubricant should contain a rust inhibitor. Antifreeze, silicones and petroleum-based lubricants are never to be used. The Ru-Glyde mounting paste^* (paid link) is a water-based paste that stays where it is brushed on, according to its maker; an 8 lb pail is far more than a motorcycle kit uses, so keep it sealed. Paste, liquid and what the tire makers allow are compared under tire mounting lube.

For tube-type tires the bulletin adds a second product: a light dusting of dry lubricant on the new tube, to ease fitting.

Bead holding tool

The Motion Pro Bead Buddy II^* (paid link) hooks over a spoke and pushes the bead down into the drop center on the side opposite your irons, according to its maker. It is made for off-road spoked wheels and needs a spoke to hold onto.

Changing stand

A stand such as the Tusk adjustable height stand^* (paid link) holds the wheel on a center axle at working height. It does none of the steps for you. Without one, the wheel lies on the floor or a bench; see to it that it does not rest on the brake disc.

Inflation equipment

This part of the kit is easy to overlook. The bulletin asks for an extension air hose with a clip-on chuck and an in-line valve with a gauge or a pre-set pressure regulator, so that you can stand clear while the beads seat. We list no product for it; any compressor or pump setup has to give you those three things: a chuck that stays on the valve by itself, distance, and a gauge you can read while inflating.

Balancing stand

The last tool is one that no spoon kit contains. The Rabaconda Motorcycle Wheel Balancer^* (paid link) is a static balancing stand whose maker publishes a 12 mm shaft and cones for hubs up to 35 mm; wheel weights are not included. Budget stands known from listings only, and what to check on them, are covered under motorcycle wheel balancers.

Tubeless or tube: what changes in the kit

All entries follow the tire makers' motorcycle bulletin, except the last row, which is our assignment of the tools on this page. The mounting tool meant there is the Baja No Pinch tool^* (paid link): according to its maker a rack and pinion system presses the bead over the rim, so that no iron is levered next to the tube. It comes with a 20 mm axle shaft and is stated by its maker for 16 to 21 in. tires on wheels with a 20 to 23 mm axle; details are on the page about the Baja No Pinch tool.

What to check before you buy

• Spoon count and length, not piece count.
• Rim protectors in the set, as many as spoons you use at once.
• Axle sizes for any stand or mounting tool: measure front and rear.
• Wheel type. Spoke-hooked tools need spokes.
• What you already own. A valve core tool, a wire brush and an air gauge may be in the garage already.

Typical mistakes

• Buying spoons and forgetting the bead breaker.
• Counting on household products as lubricant. The bulletin's list is short and specific.
• No gauge at the tire. A limit you cannot read is no limit.
• Reusing the old tube or the old rubber valve.
• Leaving out the balance.

The bottom line

A documented starter kit is the NEIKO spoon set^* (paid link), a bead breaker lever set, a purpose-made lubricant, a new valve or tube, and an air line with a clip-on chuck and gauge. Add a stand for comfort, a bead holding tool for spoked wheels and a balancing stand if you want to finish the job at home. The steps the kit is built for are in how to change a motorcycle tire. Single parts of the kit have pages of their own: rim protectors, the Motion Pro BeadPro lever sets, and the last step, how to balance a motorcycle tire.