Success!

It took some doing but I finally got the bead set on my scooter tire. I learned an important lesson too: it’s not going to be reasonable to do a roadside tire swap. A small 12 volt compressor doesn’t have the zip necessary to do the job. My cousin’s pancake compressor sorted it right out. 

The one thing I didn’t do was the old explosive aerosol trick. Yes, it often works, but it’s not exactly safe. Wrapping a ratchet strap around the tire helped. A little soapy water helped. I even kept it behind the warm woodstove overnight to soften the rubber. Still wasn’t enough. 

So the roadside repair thing might not work, but I’ve learned that with a good compressor the job can be done at home. That saves a few bucks. There’s always a patch kit and pump on the scooter so at least emergency repairs can be done. 

The tire’s fixed. The bike is registered. Insurance still current. Time to put it all back together and go for a test ride. With the price of gas the way it is the scooter will get a lot of use. 

-Sixbears