BestRest's new TireIron BeadBrakR

[DavidPetersen]

Much of this was posted over at the ADVRider list, but in case you didn't see it:

We just released our newest project, the TireIron BeadBrakR (TIBB). It's not up on the main website front page yet but you can find it here:

http://www.bestrestproducts.com/cele...form/?recno=89



We've tried most of the portable bead breaking devices on the market and found that they produced limited results. Some were impractical, some just plain failed. We pounded one plastic wedge with a hammer but it still wouldn't work. Most were too big or too heavy to carry on the bike and belonged in the garage. We looked at steel C-clamps, cast iron pincers, modified vicegrips, etc, etc, but nothing did what we wanted. A device from Oz looked promising but wasn't up to the task and bent when tightened.

Of course there's the old trick of using your buddy's sidestand or centerstand, if he's around. Or if you're riding solo you might be able to use your own stand, if you can manhandle the bike on one wheel, with one hand, while you break the bead with the other hand. We can't. That's why we wanted an independent breaker tool. And we didn't want to bend our sidestand, a common problem with the lighter components on the R12GS.

We knew that if we found a device that would break the bead, we also had to carry a full set of tire irons to finish the tire repair. Hmmm, double the weight, double the size, etc.

So we asked ourselves, "Why not combine all the bead breaking components into one unit? Why not make the tire irons an integral part of the bead breaking device itself? Why not make a compact, collapsible, purpose-built device that’s designed for the solo adventure rider?" So we went to the drawing board and made a better mouse trap. The design had to be small, lightweight, sturdy, multi-functional, and it had to be something you could easily carry on your bike. It took almost 2 years before we came up with the answer…


The BestRest TireIron BeadBrakR is a levering device that incorporates a trio of tire irons into the mechanical design of the breaker. When the bead is free you disassemble the device and use those same tire irons to remove the tire from the rim. What could be more simple, more efficient, more utilitarian?



Photo at left shows the device fully assembled, line drawing at right shows the cross section of the tire (hub to the left). The BeadBrakR is stainless steel, compact, lightweight, and easy to assemble using quick release pins, the entire kit fits in your hand and rolls up nicely in the Cordura storage pouch.

We've tested and proven the BeadBrakR on a variety of tires and rims, including the R1150GS and R12GS. Due to KTM's double-locking rim design we are not recommending it for their tires at this time (but we're working on it).

Overall size of the BeadBrakR is less than 2” thick x 5.5” wide x 12” long. (We left plenty of room in the pouch for your own tire patches and plugs.) Total weight is 49 ounces (3.1 pounds). Remember that this includes three tire irons and a number of other accessories. Weight of the actual device is only 20 ounces.


The BeadBrakR kit contains the following items:

3 - Tire Irons (8.5” long) gold zinc plated
1 - BeadBrakR assembly (Corner, Lever, Plunger, Lock Bar)
2 - Plywood rim blocks to protect your rim from scratches
1 - Plywood sand foot for working on soft surfaces
2 - Plastic rim protectors for use during tire mounting / demounting
1 - Bottle BeadGoop tire mounting lube to make tire removal easier
1 - Valve stem multi-tool that tightens or removes cores & inserts new stems
1 - Laminated instructions with bead breaking and tire mounting tips

Price is $150. No, it's not cheap, but we made it like all our other BestRest gear - the highest quality components, designed for years of service.

PS. Of course the design is Patent Pending.