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August 15, 2019
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Five star workshop with radiators and curtains, looks nice and warm, it will be a great bike when completed!
D1 plunger, T20 cub, working on a 1955 T20 cub plunger
January 18, 2020
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Nothing beats working in the lounge in winter. 
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.
January 18, 2020
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Actually a day of NOT faffing with the Bantam, but a 'day off'. Previously I had been trying to fit a new tyre, after 2 hours of swearing and sweating still ended up with a punctured inner tube. The new 'spoons' I was using are useless. (Also never used that kind of thing before.) Wish I hadn't junked the old flat tyre irons we used to use years ago, including my dad's old ones! All went in the metal skip! I hate doing tyres so always took it to the shop over the road when I lived in Laindon. All the modern tyre levers now seem to be rubbish. Why do they have to be fancy shapes? Do a search on Internet, everyone's selling the same useless stuff, so you keep getting repeats of the same identical photos! Maybe intended for tubeless tyres only? That would kind of make sense. A lot of them are also too thick IMO.
I've got two 'Vintage Melco' ones on order (like wot we used to use in the old days! Basically flat with round ends) I got a couple of other new ones, very similar but with triangulated points, I might whizz those off with the angle grinder to make smooth half-round ends instead.
End of rant! 😀
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.
June 23, 2013
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I bought some new ones a few years ago. They probably came from China, but are nicely shaped and 'very tough as old boots' to quote an old VW Ad. I also have an MZ C spanner with a tyre lever at t'other end. Its worth keeping your eyes peeled for things like that.
April 19, 2018
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There was someone on a tyre-fitting thread who swore they just did it with their bare hands and it was "easy" Compete opposite to my bitter experience, even with man-size industrial levers. Sometimes they just don't want to go on!
'55 D3 Battery; '58 Square Four (project); '59 D1 direct lighting plunger; '59 Tiger Cub; '60 5TA; '76 FS1-E; '91 GTR 1000; '97 Honda Sky SGX50.
June 23, 2013
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Stoo63 said
There was someone on a tyre-fitting thread who swore they just did it with their bare hands and it was "easy" ...
I recall that. There was also a method which used a dustbin and a rubbish bag, it was videoed too. Bicycle tyres are pretty easy and Bantam tyres aren't much bigger. I struggle with bigger ones - though I don't cover enough distance to need to change tyres now...
June 15, 2012
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Stoo63 said
There was someone on a tyre-fitting thread who swore they just did it with their bare hands and it was "easy"
you can do that with 4.00/4.25 Trials tyres but not with wm1/wm2 rims
tyre fitting just needs practice and the right tools
I even do my own cars tyres, which are easier then skinny bantam tyres
the right tools very slim tyre leavers
old car tyre to sit wheel on so you can kneel on the tyre edge so
the bead Has to sit in the middle of the rim as you leaver tyre on
^^ that is the most important bit^^^^^^
tyre soap for the last few inches
start/end at the valve
my bike tyre leavers
D? - D10- D14 Bantams 350 AJS -500 Triumph http://bsanotru.....lfire.com/
April 19, 2018
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Always up for a challenge , Mike, so I'll be trying your method next time 👍
'55 D3 Battery; '58 Square Four (project); '59 D1 direct lighting plunger; '59 Tiger Cub; '60 5TA; '76 FS1-E; '91 GTR 1000; '97 Honda Sky SGX50.
January 18, 2020
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the bead Has to sit in the middle of the rim as you leaver tyre on
^^ that is the most important bit^^^^^^
This was the main problem I was having – 1st bead went on OK, but then it would not drop into the well and stay there for the other side! I got it about 3/4 on, but it ended up the final distance between the remaining section of bead and the rim was about 2 inches, no chance, not happening. There was so much damage it'll have to have a new rim strip as well, cos that got chewed up by the levers as well!
Possibly the new rims I've got are a bit chunkier so might be making it more awkward – they are quite sturdy, they make the original rims look like they've been made from old baked bean tins
Anyhoo I've moved onto something else since so been concentrating on that. Also gardening jobs have been interfering ...
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.
June 15, 2012
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as I said I use an old car tyre you can kneel /stand on the edge to push the bead into the center of the rim as you leaver the tyre
and you really Do need slim tyre leavers
D? - D10- D14 Bantams 350 AJS -500 Triumph http://bsanotru.....lfire.com/
January 18, 2020
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Yep, get that, don't have an old car tyre tho
Mike H --
Murphy's 4th law of motion states that any small object that is accidentally dropped will immediately hide itself under a larger object.
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