tyres
 

are some tyres easier to get off when fixing a puncture than others. I have Pirelli scorpions on my tt600re and i could not get them off so i gave up and took the wheel to a garage.

Yeb, my mefo stonemaster is very thick/heavy/many layers, so its a much harder tire, than say a crosstire.

It makes it harder to remove.

But as with amny other things, tecnique is more important than manpower.

Anything like a scorpion or a tourance can be an absolute pig to get off the rim. Knobblies tend to be a doddle in comparison as they are usually softer in the sidewall. If all else fails, driving over the tyre as close as you can to the rim in a car/van will usually force it off the bead.

Tyre changing is an art, and you'd do well to get the video made by Grant - I watched his demo at the HU meeting in June and learned the right way to do it!

You don't need 15" tyre levers either. Lots of lube is the key, and getting the tyre into the valley of the rim opposite the side you're trying to work over the rim is the other factor.

2 other factors I've observed:

1. Age of the tyres: trying to get a pair of Pirelli Phantoms (ask your Dad..they were the Dogs back in the day..last made in about 1988..) off a set of Ebay Guzzi wheels almost had me resorting to the hacksaw they were so stiff!

2. Temperature: this time of year (in the UK) I'd smuggle my MT21s into the house and hide them in the airing cupboard for a day or 2 before wrestling them off the rims. They are noticeably more flexible when warm.

I also totally agree re technique and most importantly getting both beads right down in the well opposite to where you are working.