Subject: [Shop-talk] Favorite tools

From: old dirtbeard <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 31 May 2020 06:42:30 -0700

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Hi guys,

Since the COVID era started, I like many others have been spending more
time at home and in the garage (my shop).

It has given me some time to think about things that perhaps I would not
have thought about, but one is how much I enjoy a good, useful tool.

I thought I would start posting my favorite tool of the day or week just to
share what I thought were good acquisitions.

I do mostly motorcycle and automobile work on my own vehicles. I try to do
everything myself that I can.

I have been riding motorcycles since I was a kid and have been changing my
own tires all those years on the garage floor with a couple 4x4's and some
good tire irons. It worked, but it always involved a lot of sweating and
swearing and busted knuckles and sometimes hours to break the beads and
remove and install the tires. It also required a lot of bending over as
everything was on the floor.

Last year I bought a US-made No Mar Classic HD tire changer and used it for
the first time time the last two weekends.

What a life enhancing experience that was! I should have bought one 20 or
30 years ago. I am attaching links to a couple photos of it:

The first one is breaking the bead on a Harley front tire--it is at waist
height and literally can be done with one hand:
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=446D39C8B1E43758&id=446D39C8B1E43758%21166808&parId=446D39C8B1E43758%21166807&o=OneUp

The second one is just finishing mounting the rear tire:
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=446D39C8B1E43758&id=446D39C8B1E43758%21166809&parId=446D39C8B1E43758%21166807&o=OneUp

Once you mount them you should balance them, so here is a picture of a
US-made static balancer that I just use on jack stands. I have had this for
a very long time and it works great:
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=446D39C8B1E43758&id=446D39C8B1E43758%21166812&parId=446D39C8B1E43758%21166807&o=OneUp

Both the tire changer and the balancer are joys to use.

I will post a few more in the next few days and would encourage all of you
to do so to share the knowledge/experience that this group possesses.

best,

doug

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<div dir=3D"ltr">Hi guys,<div><br></div><div>Since the COVID era started, I=
 like many others have been spending more time at home and in the garage (m=
y shop).</div><div><br></div><div>It has given me some time to think about =
things that perhaps I would not have thought about, but one is how=C2=A0muc=
h I enjoy a good, useful tool.</div><div><br></div><div>I thought I would s=
tart posting my favorite tool of the day or week just to share=C2=A0what I =
thought were good acquisitions.</div><div><br></div><div>I do mostly motorc=
ycle=C2=A0and automobile work on my own vehicles. I try to do everything my=
self that I can.</div><div><br></div><div>I have been riding motorcycles si=
nce I was a kid and have been changing my own tires all those years on the =
garage floor with a couple 4x4&#39;s and some good tire irons. It worked, b=
ut it always involved a lot of sweating and swearing and busted knuckles an=
d sometimes hours to break the beads and remove and install the tires. It a=
lso required a lot of bending over as everything was on the floor.</div><di=
v><br></div><div>Last year I bought a US-made No Mar Classic HD tire change=
r and used it for the first time time the last two weekends.</div><div><br>=
</div><div>What a life enhancing experience that was! I should have bought =
one 20 or 30 years ago. I am attaching links to a couple photos of it:</div=
><div><br></div><div>The first one is breaking the bead on a Harley front t=
ire--it is at waist height and literally=C2=A0can be done with one hand:</d=
iv><div><a href=3D"https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3D446D39C8B1E43758&amp;id=
=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166808&amp;parId=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166807&amp;o=3D=
OneUp">https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3D446D39C8B1E43758&amp;id=3D446D39C8B=
1E43758%21166808&amp;parId=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166807&amp;o=3DOneUp</a>=C2=
=A0=C2=A0<br></div><div><br></div><div>The second one is just finishing mou=
nting the rear tire:</div><div><a href=3D"https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3D=
446D39C8B1E43758&amp;id=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166809&amp;parId=3D446D39C8B1E=
43758%21166807&amp;o=3DOneUp">https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3D446D39C8B1E4=
3758&amp;id=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166809&amp;parId=3D446D39C8B1E43758%211668=
07&amp;o=3DOneUp</a>=C2=A0=C2=A0<br></div><div><br></div><div>Once you moun=
t them you should balance them, so here is a picture of a US-made static ba=
lancer that I just use on jack stands. I have had this for a very long time=
 and it works great:</div><div><a href=3D"https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3D=
446D39C8B1E43758&amp;id=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166812&amp;parId=3D446D39C8B1E=
43758%21166807&amp;o=3DOneUp">https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3D446D39C8B1E4=
3758&amp;id=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166812&amp;parId=3D446D39C8B1E43758%211668=
07&amp;o=3DOneUp</a>=C2=A0</div><div><br></div><div>Both the tire changer a=
nd the balancer are joys to use.<br></div><div><br></div><div>I will post a=
 few more in the next few days and would encourage all of you to do so to s=
hare the knowledge/experience that this group possesses.</div><div><br></di=
v><div>best,</div><div><br></div><div>doug</div></div>

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_______________________________________________

[email-masked]
Archive: http://www.team.net/pipermail/shop-talk http://autox.team.net/archive

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From: old dirtbeard <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 31 May 2020 07:08:41 -0700

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Forgot to say, that over those many years of changing tires on the floor
with tire irons, I had nicked, scratched, and scraped my aluminum wheels
many times. It is almost impossible not to do so. They were rather a mess...

I hand sanded and then buffed out the wheels on the Sportster after
removing the old tires and before mounting the new one, to remove 20 years
of scratches from 90K miles of riding and tire changing (some bike tires
only last 3-4K miles, so I have done many changes on this bie in those 90K+
miles).

Anyway, I was able to remove and replace the front and rear tires on the
2001 Sportster without a "mar" on the wheels. The No Mar tool design
ensure that at no time does any metal contact the wheels.

It also took just a few minutes to break the bead, remove, and reinstall
the tires.

Here is a video of a guy changing a MT90 on a Harley wheel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZNzrYGis_M

A great investment that I only wish I had done decades ago...

best,

doug

On Sun, May 31, 2020 at 6:42 AM old dirtbeard <[email-masked]> wrote:

> I thought I would start posting my favorite tool of the day or week just
> to share what I thought were good acquisitions.
>
> Last year I bought a US-made No Mar Classic HD tire changer and used it
> for the first time time the last two weekends.
>

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<div dir=3D"ltr">Forgot to say, that over those many years of changing tire=
s on the floor with tire irons, I had nicked, scratched, and scraped my alu=
minum wheels many=C2=A0times. It is almost impossible not to do so. They we=
re rather a mess...<div><br><div>I hand sanded and then buffed out the whee=
ls on the Sportster after removing the old tires and before mounting the ne=
w one, to remove 20 years of scratches=C2=A0from 90K miles of riding and ti=
re changing (some bike tires only last=C2=A03-4K miles, so I have done many=
 changes on this bie in those 90K+ miles).<br></div><div><br></div></div><d=
iv>Anyway, I was able to remove and replace the front and rear tires on the=
 2001 Sportster without a &quot;mar&quot; on the wheels. The No Mar tool de=
sign ensure=C2=A0that at no time does any metal contact the wheels.</div><d=
iv><br></div><div>It also=C2=A0took just a few minutes to break the bead, r=
emove, and reinstall the tires.</div><div><br></div><div>Here is a video of=
 a guy changing a MT90 on a Harley wheel:</div><div><a href=3D"https://www.=
youtube.com/watch?v=3DHZNzrYGis_M">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DHZNzrY=
Gis_M</a>=C2=A0=C2=A0<br></div><div><br></div><div>A great investment that =
I only wish I had done decades ago...</div><div><br></div><div>best,</div><=
div><br></div><div>doug</div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=
=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Sun, May 31, 2020 at 6:42 AM old dirtbeard=
 &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:[email-masked]">[email-masked]</a>&gt; wro=
te:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px =
0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"=
ltr">Hi guys,<div><br></div><div>Since the COVID era started, I like many o=
thers have been spending more time at home and in the garage (my shop).</di=
v><div><br></div><div>It has given me some time to think about things that =
perhaps I would not have thought about, but one is how=C2=A0much I enjoy a =
good, useful tool.</div><div><br></div><div>I thought I would start posting=
 my favorite tool of the day or week just to share=C2=A0what I thought were=
 good acquisitions.</div><div><br></div><div>I do mostly motorcycle=C2=A0an=
d automobile work on my own vehicles. I try to do everything myself that I =
can.</div><div><br></div><div>I have been riding motorcycles since I was a =
kid and have been changing my own tires all those years on the garage floor=
 with a couple 4x4&#39;s and some good tire irons. It worked, but it always=
 involved a lot of sweating and swearing and busted knuckles and sometimes =
hours to break the beads and remove and install the tires. It also required=
 a lot of bending over as everything was on the floor.</div><div><br></div>=
<div>Last year I bought a US-made No Mar Classic HD tire changer and used i=
t for the first time time the last two weekends.</div><div><br></div><div>W=
hat a life enhancing experience that was! I should have bought one 20 or 30=
 years ago. I am attaching links to a couple photos of it:</div><div><br></=
div><div>The first one is breaking the bead on a Harley front tire--it is a=
t waist height and literally=C2=A0can be done with one hand:</div><div><a h=
ref=3D"https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3D446D39C8B1E43758&amp;id=3D446D39C8B=
1E43758%21166808&amp;parId=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166807&amp;o=3DOneUp" targe=
t=3D"_blank">https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3D446D39C8B1E43758&amp;id=3D446=
D39C8B1E43758%21166808&amp;parId=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166807&amp;o=3DOneUp<=
/a>=C2=A0=C2=A0<br></div><div><br></div><div>The second one is just finishi=
ng mounting the rear tire:</div><div><a href=3D"https://onedrive.live.com/?=
cid=3D446D39C8B1E43758&amp;id=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166809&amp;parId=3D446D3=
9C8B1E43758%21166807&amp;o=3DOneUp" target=3D"_blank">https://onedrive.live=
.com/?cid=3D446D39C8B1E43758&amp;id=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166809&amp;parId=
=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166807&amp;o=3DOneUp</a>=C2=A0=C2=A0<br></div><div><b=
r></div><div>Once you mount them you should balance them, so here is a pict=
ure of a US-made static balancer that I just use on jack stands. I have had=
 this for a very long time and it works great:</div><div><a href=3D"https:/=
/onedrive.live.com/?cid=3D446D39C8B1E43758&amp;id=3D446D39C8B1E43758%211668=
12&amp;parId=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166807&amp;o=3DOneUp" target=3D"_blank">h=
ttps://onedrive.live.com/?cid=3D446D39C8B1E43758&amp;id=3D446D39C8B1E43758%=
21166812&amp;parId=3D446D39C8B1E43758%21166807&amp;o=3DOneUp</a>=C2=A0</div=
><div><br></div><div>Both the tire changer and the balancer are joys to use=
.<br></div><div><br></div><div>I will post a few more in the next few days =
and would encourage all of you to do so to share the knowledge/experience t=
hat this group possesses.</div><div><br></div><div>best,</div><div><br></di=
v><div>doug</div></div>
</blockquote></div>

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[email-masked]

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