MAKE IT EASY

Fitting the rims isn’t a difficult task but there are some tips which make it even easier. However the most important tools you’ll need are patience and washing up liquid.

Getting the valve seated is the hardest part of the process. I find it best to soak the valve in a mug of boiling water. This softens the silicone and makes it more malleable.

Having lubricated the valve with washing up liquid it’s simply a case of wrestling it into place. This takes some persuasion but try not to use a metal screwdriver as this could damage the valve. I find a plastic bladed car trim tool works best. If the valve won’t seat, get another mug of boiling water, have a brew and try again.

If your tyre pattern requires it to rotate in a particular direction, make sure you’ve got it facing the correct way. This may be different front and rear.

Now lubricate the dished half with washing up liquid and starting at the valve, pop the tyre into place. Next, seat the O-ring using a little grease to hold it in position.

The two halves now need to be aligned and with 15 precisely engineered holes this can be tricky. I find the easiest way to build the wheel is by using an old hub. Having smeared the shallow rim with washing up liquid, align the two halves using the hub. The two halves can be bolted together using the hub studs followed by the socket bolts.

Once everything’s tightened down, the tyre should be inflated to around 10-15psi. This should see the tyre expand to the rim and hold pressure. Next, and this is an important part of the process, deflate the tyre completely. Inside each half of the rim is a raised band and the tyre’s bead must ‘seat’ between this and the rim’s edge. If the tyre hasn’t seated properly there’ll be a gap between it and the rim.

If that’s the case don’t be tempted to re-inflate it and hope for the best. If it’s not seated correctly, the bead can slide across the rim when cornering – and the result of that won’t be pretty.

The best way I’ve found to seat a reluctant tyre is to add washing up liquid at the problem point and then re-inflate. Grip the tyre as pressure is added and it’s possible to feel the tyre ‘crack’ over the bead. Keep repeating the deflate/inflate process until the gap stays closed. Once that’s done, set each wheel to the correct pressure and they’re ready to fit.

For my first attempt at aligning the holes I used an old FA Italia rear hub, only to discover that it’s slightly too large for the rim to sit properly. It was barely a millimetre but enough to scratch the finish. A Piaggio hub fitted perfectly. At least I know which rim’s hiding at the rear…