I had a rear flat in my spoked/tubes triumph 955 tiger on the motorway 10 mikes from my house. I had a full puncture kit with me. I used every trick in the book and that bead just would not break. I had to get the AA out after an hour on the hard shoulder.

Once home I attacked it a again with a long levered manual need breaker. Even in the jig, it wouldn't budge. It took me an hour with a can of wd40 and a crow bar getting it to separate. I can't remember the tyre.

I've changed hundreds of tyres by hand and on machines and that rim was impossible. No wonder they changed them to cast wheels after two years.

So !! The point is. Sometimes it's almost impossible with whatever tools you have.

Anyway, after that I sold the bike.

It wasn't specifically the Desert tyre - I've done a number of those on other bikes and they're tough and need a bit more "commitment" than stuff like MT21s but otherwise they're ok. It was that Excel rim + Desert combination that proved impossible. Looking at it when I finally got the tyre off the lip where the sidewall locates is more pronounced than normal so it was holding the bead in place.

That works well as a "safety" feature - the same rim design on the front held the tyre in place so well that one one trip I didn't notice I had a puncture for 10 miles but the flip side is that when you do eventually notice you can't fix it (the rear anyway - the front isn't quite so tough)

On the 640 breaking the bead is not the difficult part when changing re-enforced carcass tires, it is the narrow drop centre band on the rim that causes the most grief.. The rims are fairly narrow so it is hard to get the bead to stay in the slot on one side when you pry across from it on the other, kinda chews on the knees a bit..

Try using Giant HD Zip Ties to squish the tire beads together, allowing the two beads to drop further into the drop center, making spooning on of tire on opposite side easier.

As you approach the Zip tied areas, just unclip the zip ties (most are re-useable) and pull them out of the way. Works pretty well.

Yes, it's the rim design. There are designed this way on purpose ... to avoid being sued into oblivion on a wrongful death case. The Japanese company DID and others have made rims like this for a long time.

TED, you should have figured out what my friend Bob (Triumph 955i) did ... he always carrys a big C clamp ... only thing we found to break that bead. It's the one I borrowed after riding 50 miles on a flat Distanzia. Bob showed me how to do it ... it works! BUT STILL ... a PITA!
https://patricksphotos.smugmug.com/p...-3ddhbSX-L.jpg
Bob and I (and 8 others) in Copper Canyon in '07. His 955i after a little tip over on road down to Batopilas ... he was snapping pics, riding no hands ... it bit him. :smartass:

For Triumph, using tubed tires on big heavy and FAST bikes, they needed rims that would hold tire fast when flat and a tire that would not break its bead easily. If bead breaks (especially front tire) at 80 mph ...the tire could come clean off the wheel. Then what? I know some old timers here probably had that happen to them on old bikes many eons ago. (it did for me!)

So they added that knurled safety bead holder thing on the rim and made it so it hangs on strong to tire bead. Many many dual sport and ADV tube type wheels use this type of rim and use tires designed to stay seated even when flat. (tubeless tires used with tube)

On the old Triumph Tiger list serve communities this issues came up many times. Finally, someone contacted then CEO of Triumph America, Mike Vaughn. He confirmed that Triumph specified this type of rim and tire for "safety" reasons.
Quite a few Tiger owners converted their rims to Tubeless type.

These seem like a good idea. tyre irons with a ring spanner on end which could save you carrying a socket for wheel nut?

These are good too. Gab at Zen Overland makes and sells them. From good quality materials.

I use the the besrest kit that comes with 3 8.5" irons .
For my 690 they're ok and very easy to use .
http://www.bestrestproducts.com/imag..._01_Kit550.jpg


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Moton pro do them too

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You can wtch the video on you tube https://youtu.be/7YNh6nFQ2Es

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Also the bead re setter https://youtu.be/5JPwpC4_7uY
Down side is costing im sure there is simler in uk or eu just not seen it yet!

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Got the Rabaconca tyre levers (16") recently as a present. Well ~ actually, they are part of the full RABACONDA Tire / Mousse Changer https://rabaconda.com package. The Rabaconda tyre levers have the same shape / pointy tip as the 16" MotionPro tire levers.

Rabaconda, brilliant portable tool kit for changing mousse and tubed tyres (inflated with around 0.6-1psi) with ease, shall take pics next time around but videos show how to process.... Rabaconda Videos: https://rabaconda.com/videos/

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...XsQqBXk-XL.jpg

MotionPro Tyre Tools.... https://www.motionpro.com

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-...6hsMB45-XL.jpg

pnuematic tyres have been around for over 100 years old and a puncture still the big problem?,i still cant believe after all this time with punctures still being a pain, especially on bikes there isnt a long life road going moose ,then the only time the tyres would have to come off is when they were changed ,my moan over

On other forums I've seen it said that RuGlyde and Murphy's Oil Soap are pretty much the same. I don't have personal experience, though.

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