Modern Vespa

In the Orange County area?

Guessing most shops probably want to supply the tire?
Are shops ok with just bringing in the old wheel and tire?

Any idea on going rate for scooter tire mount and balance?

I have a no-mar tire changer near LAX if you want to take a crack at doing it yourself. Happy to help with the process.

Thanks man!
My backup plan if I can't find an efficient mechanical shop is to try to do a DIY with basic hand tools, sun, soap, cussing and rigging my Park bicycle trueing stand for balancing

Where in OC are you?

Best bet if you're nearby is Massimo in Costa Mesa

easy peasy on the 12" rims?

Yes - I use these:
https://www.amazon.com/20601A-Professional-Changing-Motorcycle-Protector/dp/B082K7V2GZ

Those won't help break the bead. These will:

https://www.amazon.com/Motion-Pro-08-0519-BeadPro-Breaker/dp/B008OXIYM6/ref=sr_1_4?crid=WIPDL7KBZ73C&keywords=bead+breaker&qid=1689259605&s=automotive&sprefix=bead+breaker%2Cautomotive%2C137&sr=1-4&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.304cacc1-b508-45fb-a37f-a2c47c48c32f

I've used this bead breaker multiple times with good effect. I still needed long lever spoons to remove the tire, but the BeadBuster helped immensely. Don't forget to have tire lube to help get the new tire on and set the bead.

https://www.amazon.com/BeadBuster-XB-450-Motorcycle-Tire-Breaker/dp/B009XJARD4/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=2C7C24AIDNBVT&keywords=bead+breaker&qid=1689261216&sprefix=bead+breaker%2Caps%2C126&sr=8-2-spons&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.304cacc1-b508-45fb-a37f-a2c47c48c32f&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

^^^^^^ Thats nice but a C-clamp does the same thing (on a scooter anyways) for way cheaper

^^^^ This! Very easy. Using two or three ensures there's no wrestling and swearing.

That guy scratched the hell out of my new rims and refused to balance my rear tire.

I second Massimo..

Yes! I did get a mojo lever to use with the mounting process—the no-mar lever works great for tire removal, but is a bit too large for mounting 12" tires. The clamp is supposedly good for wheels as small as 10".

Thanks Kaptain and GotMojo I'll give Massimo 🇮🇹 a try, his bio on his website is a good omen!

Thanks for the feedback. So far my homework has been very interesting. The one universal is that everyone seems to love the No Mar, in particular when paired with the Mojo Lever... It's interesting, it seems like...

If you're going to spend $$$ on a Rabaconda, may as well spend a hundred or two more on a No Mar.

If you're going to spend $$$ on a No Mar, may as well spend a hundred or two more on the Mojo Lever too.

If you're going to spend $$$$ on a No Mar with a Mojo Lever, may as well spend a hundred or two more on an electric/pneumatic tire machine...

Decisions, decisions...

For $35 you could get your tire mounted at Cycle Gear. You need to order your tire from them online, have it delivered to a store that does mounting. Then take your wheel to them. They will replace the valve stem and recycle your tire for this price. You need to allow up to 24 hours turnaround time. They are supposed to balance your tire also, but the last time I took my BV350 16 inch front tire in, the worker said that my tire does not fit in their new equipment, so he couldn't balance it. Yeah, I'm kind of pissed about that. I'm looking for a new location that will do the balancing also. Although, I would be inclined to balance a tire myself.

I think Vespa Sherman Oaks or Vespa Newport Beach with a pre-scheduled appointment would good choices.

You guys are lucky. My nearest Cycle Gear is 2.5 hours and a border crossing away, each way lol

My local Cycle Gear wouldn't/couldn't mount a scooter tire for me. They said it was too small for the machine. I had a local motorcycle tire specific shop mount it for me. I'd bet most motorcycle shops would do it.

I've heard this repeatedly from disgruntled scooterists who've ordered tires and discovered too late CG can't mount them.

Having used Cycle Gear extensively for motorcycle tire changes in the past, this is what motivated me to get my own setup for scooter tire changes. I don't like being dependent on a shop for routine maintenance tasks.

No Mar is a lot less than rabaconda. 379 for the HD vs 579 for the rabaconda street.

I think I prefer the rabaconda though personally.

I think you're looking at the cheapest one which is probably great for Vespa tires... When you also have an adventure bike, a standard, and a cruiser, I think they recommend the more expensive one... with the posiclamps, and if I want the same portability, or at least similar I need the hitch mount... and before you know it I have to take out a mortgage on the house lol

ah gotcha that's fair.

i was only looking at it from the 12-13" vespa range.

I'll likely grab the rabaconda when it's time to start changing tires; that ability to break it down and store it in a corner is ideal for us I think. the options around us are to order the tires online for 60-70USD for city grip 2's, then 50-60 PER TIRE for mounting, or pay 90-100USD per tire plus 25 for mounting.

Effectively a wash, and I say why not pay 60-70USD for the tires and just mount 'em ourselves....we intend to drop serious miles on these scooters so it'll pay for itself pretty quickly. And I have some other friends who'd be able to make use of it, so that's a bonus.

Hey all, just bringing this thread back as I'm pursuing the Rabaconda option...

Problem: the hub in our Vespa wheel is bigger than the average motorcycle

Solution (I think?): Rabaconda makes a "Universal Big Hub Adapter" for their Street Bike tire changer, to fit wheels with hubs from 32-68mm.

https://us.rabaconda.com/products/universal-big-hub-adapter-32-68mm-for-rabaconda-street-bike-tire-changer

From what I could tell from a measuring tape and a cheap harbor freight caliper I used yesterday, my spare aftermarket Vespa hub is somewhere around 43-54mm (depending on what side I measure), so this hub should work for us?

90% sure this will work, and I've already emailed Rabaconda, but I wanted to see if the community can chime in either from experience or just taking an educated guess.

YES, the Rabaconda wheel adapter works fine with my 2022 GTS wheel. In my opinion, theirs is about the easiest working solution for anyone wanting to change their own tires without a lot of potential problems trying to do it by hand or messing with badly made, discount tire changers. Add a static Wheel balancer and call it a day.

I have been on the fence about this purchase for weeks now. Thank you very much for this input! I'm going for it.

Their tire changing tool costs a bit more than most but I looked at everything and this one made the most "sense" to me. I'm satisfied and already forgot how much it cost because I am happy using it. Good luck.

since in N
america, Most shops will not/of cannot balance small wheels
Ride On works well---not cheap but works.

Damn it. I got the Thanks for your order, but "we have now run out of stock of the changers in the US and I am waiting for a delivery date from procurement"

PS: This was also mentioned in their email:

"You are correct about the Vespa. One of our customers used it to install 12" tires on Vespa GTS wheels, with the big hub adapter and it worked."

You might be famous

I may have been in touch with them after I bought mine last year, I don't recall now, but I am sure they will be back in stock soon. Hang in there, it's worth waiting for !

Update from customer service (who seems to be on point so far), for anyone else who might be thinking about a Rabaconda:

"I have just been informed that the new availability date is end of august."

While Tom Petty's words certainly still ring true, it'll be here before ya know it.

How much, all in for everything to be your own man to change scooter and motorcycle tires?
The Rabaconda (the one that also does motorcycle wheels), the Rabaconda wheel adapter, a balancing stand and adapter for balancing stand?

Great question, and if you're thinking this sounds like death by a thousand paper cuts... well... you might be on to something lol

Assuming US dollars and US based for free shipping

$589 - Rabaconda Street Bike Tire Changer
$45 - Rabaconda Universal Big Hub Adapter (32-68mm)
$105 - Marc Parnes Vespa Wheel Balancer

Plus maybe another $50 on wheel weights, a drop center tool, bead grease, brush, I'd say you're looking at $800 all in.

Is that more than my household will spend on tire changes in the next 5-7 years? Eh, possibly.

Is it worth the extra $$ it may be over whatever it may cost to just have someone else do them for the ability to be self-reliant, and/or swap a tire out on a Sunday or what have you? Abso-got-dang-lutely.

(in seriousness though, especially with at least one friend nearby with a large two-wheel enthusiasm, being able to change out his stuff too it'll pay for itself in maybe 2-3 years or thereabouts. Especially as much as i'm riding right now.....)

Yup. Same mindset. Not cheap but it offers me a lot more freedom/flexibility, and pays for itself sooner or later.

At the very least, I'll break even or maybe even end up ahead on time vs taking it to my local guy considering time spent getting there, waiting my turn, on labor, getting back home. Like you said, now I also can get the job done evenings, weekends, and rainy days.

He charges me ~$45 USD/tire. So 18 tire changes to break even. Truth be told because of the website/youtube/business I get discounts so it's closer to 15 changes for me. This season and last I'm averaging 4 changes per season so it's probably a four year break even.

I'll also not be taking time out where I could be getting paid, so that helps. I enjoy missing 25 days of work to ride across Italy, I don't enjoy taking three hours off work every time I need a tire changed.

... Now stay tuned for the follow up post in three months titled "Everything I said was wrong and I hate this ****ing thing" lol

To quote Clark Griswold:

"Oh, that's all part of the experience, honey."

I just spent $25 on good tire irons and accessories, then use C-clamps or whatever to break the bead. A 2" wide ratchet strap helps seat the bead when trying to inflate using a not-so-industrial compressor.

I tried that and it didn't go so well for me on the forged rims, have not tried again since lol

Thanks for the breakdown.
I'll only need about 1 tire a year but if I had a motorcycle or two in addition to the scooters I'd seriously consider it, good tools are always a good investment.

Going to have the shop do tire swap this time but may try to wrestle the next one off and on with tire irons, C-Clamps, soap and sun