All 2st tire changing

Does anybody have any tips for protecting rims when changing tires? My rims are black and I would like to avoid the "salt and pepper" look from the minor scratches that usually occur when changing your own tires. I also have a few tips for any-one doing their own tires, I always sprinkle baby powder inside the tire I am putting on to help stop the chafing that occurs between the tire and tube when riding.Smells good too! I also prefer to do away with the rubber rim band that protects the tube from the spoke nipples. After removing the tire and rim band, I put a drop of penetrating oil on each spoke nipple and wrap the rim with 3 laps of duct tape. Make a hole for the valve stem and rim-lock and mount the tire. I use a rubber washer between the valve stem nut and the rim. This keeps out grit and dirt from getting between the tube and tire and seems to prolong the life of the tubes. Thanks in advance!.

Protecting the rim is as simple as putting a small piece of plastic or something else between the tool and your rim ...

Use slime or some other flat protecting stuff and maybe HD tubes to keep from having to change so many flats also ...

I heard what you are saying and I do not like my bike getting all trashed out either...but it is a dirt bike ...

That baby powder idea sounds like a good one ...

try taping the lever where it contacts the rim, a great way to save weight is to use no soap or powder and try to force the tyre off.I usually find after a couple of hours i've managed to loose about 4 kilos.

Plastic milk bottle, orange juice bottle, water bottle or any thin flexible plastic or just buy rim protectors?

It's all about technique and quality tyre levers/spoons and heating the tyre up before installing....l've seen some guys use grease smeared all over the tube which IMO is better than powder but bloody messy.

Motion Pro makes a nice set of rim protectors. MXA gave them a lousy rating, but I just used them for the first time removing a set of street tires, and the worked great. I think they'll work well on dirt tires as well. The think I like about these shields is the raised rib that leaves space to slip your tire iron in between the shield and the bead.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Motion-Pro-...5156&pt=Motorcycles_Parts_Accessories&vxp=mtr

IMO the Motion Pro protectors work very well. Easy to get them in and out and easy to use.
Well worth the $8.99.
Also BillF told me about using Tri Flow spray for a rubber lube. .

I wrap my spoons with electrical tape.... then touch up if needed with a sharpie....

I spray my rim and tire with wd40 to remove and install my tire... I use bridgestone ultra heavy duty tubes....if they wear thru something is seriously wrong...

also lay my wheel in the sun before changing...

I use dish soap,

I use dish soap on the bead area of the tire to mount them. I put baby powder INSIDE the tire before mounting them,as I said before-this helps reduce the wear between the tire and the tube (at lower pressures the tube will "squirm" inside the tire). When inflating the tires after mounting, I spray the bead area with wd-40 to help the beads seat. I have never had a tube "wear-out" from just being inside a tire,but a friend of mine who rides long-distance off-road told me about the baby powder trick and It does seem to reduce wear on the out-side of the tube and the inside of the tire casing. Works for me!.

Great tips... I've tried the rest, then Motosportz told me about the wd-40 trick. Best lube I've tried on a tire!

I'm the most anal perfectionist alive when it comes to dirtbikes as multi use offroad vehicles / show bikes. Those changing tips are solid, but in terms of scratching, my best advice...... Learn to get over it. After changing dozen of tires, I've learned it's no place to be a deva.....

my tip is take it to a shop - much easier and no scratches!!

Tire change success = (air in new tire) + (face not bleeding)