Motion Pro Staff Picks - Rick Yamane
Staff Member: Rick Yamane, Carter Motorcycle Collection
Q. What is your favorite Motion Pro product?
A. I’m a rebel so I have to be different. I have three items used together. Any one of them is okay but the hot set up is to use all three:
Tire Spoons I use these in triples so buy a two-pack plus a single, Bead Buddy II Got to have one of these and Tire Station. All three make the dirty job of changing tires almost pleasurable.
Q. What makes this one of your favorite products?
A. First, the Tire Station puts the wheel at the right height. No more bending over a too low ex-oil drum. The center spindle helps hold the wheel still and a foot on the lower ring holds the Tire Station while still allowing maximum portability. Perfect for trackside or shop use. Also when using as designed with an air tank you have your air supply right at your finger tips. Much better than fussing with a pump or CO2. At the shop I normally use the regular service air supply.
The Bead Buddy is indispensable for anyone that has ever used one. Simply a must have item for changing tires. Takes the place of a tire iron and frees one hand up to do more important things.
The Tire Spoons are in my mind far superior to even our regular irons which are better than most irons on the market. The Tire Spoons look short but are plenty long enough for even the stiffest sidewall tires. The broad spoon shape far lessens the risk of a pinched tube and is easy to work into the tight gaps between tire bead and rim. I like to use three while removing tires. Two to basically hold the tire bead and the third get rotated into place to lever up a new section. Once up the center spoon becomes free and is then leap frogged over either of the other spoons to get the next section of bead.
Q. How often do you use this product or is it installed on your Motorcycle/Scooter/ATV/UTV/Snowmobile/Vehicle?
A. I do quite a few tire changes during the course of a year between my own bikes and the bosses. I’d say it probably averages out to 2-3 tires a month.