Evaluation of the No-Mar classic model motorcycle tire changer

Preface
This is my personal evaluation of the No-Mar tirechanger, classic model.

After changing tires by hand for years using tire spoons and rim protectors I began to notice a trend, especially on the heavier touring and cruiser bikes - thicker, stiffer, more difficult to work tire sidewalls. Things got even more difficult with low profile tires like the 240 with the 40 series sidewall. After nearly giving myself a stroke one night I decided it was time to buy a changer. I did a lot of homework looking around at all my options and was looking at the conventional machines most "garage wrenches" check out, like the Coats 220 machine and the Harbor Freight changer. In the process of searching I came across the No-Mar company and a retrofit kit they make for the Coats 220 machines. This is when I got to thinking about the typical tire changer with it's steel clamps for holding rims and I realized

if I scratch ONE chrome motorcycle rim during a tire change it would cost me more money to replace that rim then the entire changer was worth.
This was quite a sobering thought...

Fortunately for me, as I was contemplating this, I happened to be looking at the No-Mar website and their retrofit kits. A few clicks around their site and I found that they made their own changers and accessories and I could buy their changer for less than a Coats machine. The entire concept of this changer impressed me - every part that contacts the rim is made from some sort of high density plastic. It's tough enough to perform the required task yet still soft enough to not damage or scratch anything. I was starting to like what I saw, but as with everything I find on the net I was a little skeptical. After a few emails back and forth with Steve and Sue (at No-Mar), as well as some long phone calls asking questions, I was hooked on the idea of this changer.

Now to the boring part of the story... I got the changer, opened it up and was impressed with it's appearance - then very shortly after I had to evacuate for the hurricane (Katrina) and came back to spend almost 2 years recovering. After about a year I called to talk with Steve about the changer since I'd had little chance to use it, he remembered exactly who I was and volunteered that since I had gotten an early model of their changer there had been some improvements to a few parts. He shipped me the replacement parts at his own expense along with pre-paid return labels for the "old" parts I had. I was impressed!

Since that time I have had the opportunity to use the changer at great length, primarily on VTX tires - Metzeler, Avon, Dunlop, etc in all shapes and sizes. I've done 240 tires with the short, stiff 40 series sidewall and they went on with relative ease. I have yet to damage a rim and it seems like everytime I run into a problem No-Mar has a solution.

Pros
Works with 10" to 21" rims (11 5/8" - 22 5/8") and has 31 1/2" clearance for tires
Built in bead-breaker
Change your own tires, no more dealer bills
No need to worry about scratching chrome or polished rims
Well built, solid construction
Powder coat finish stands up to heavy use
Lifetime guarantee on all plastic parts - if it wears out, they'll replace it (official warranty)
Excellent customer service
Informative website including video tips and tricks to help you learn the machine
Lots of available "extras" to help with tire changing
Different changer options to fit your needs (they have professional models that do car tires also)

Cons
It took me a few tries to figure the proper orientation of the plastic blocks for holding the tire, now that I know how they go it's pretty simple
For working on some stiffer sidewall tires (like the new Dunlop Elite 3's) additional tools are necessary - however all the tools you need can be purchased from No-Mar

Afterthoughts
I've been very impressed with this machine and it's versatility, it can even be used to change some smaller car and trailer tires. No-Mar does make bigger changers for bigger tasks (big truck tires for example) but I don't have any experience with those machines short of testing them at a rally where No-Mar had a booth. When I first bought and tested my machine I did have some concerns about how well it would work for stiffer sidewall tires, but after Steve updated my changer with new parts it has worked quite well. I assume the problems I had were simply because the company was still in the R&D phase when I purchased mine, it seems that all the bugs are worked out now.
I did buy most of the accessories and extras No-Mar sells, but I didn't do this out of necessity as much as because I change tires all the time (not just my own but for customers as well) so I wanted to make sure I'd be prepared for anything thrown at me.

I have the:

Classic changer
Mount/demount bar
Hitch mount
Extra hands clamps
Spoon bars (VERY useful)
Rim clamp set (for super wide tires and some overly difficult, stiff sidewall tires)
Spray lube, paste lube
Spoon bar collar, small cone set (for balancer), mount/demount bar handle

This doesn't mean that you have to buy all these things to use your changer, but depending upon your needs you may decide to buy a package setup with a few accessories right away. If not, you can always buy accessories later on as needed or improvise on some items - instead of buying a hitch mount from No-Mar directly, another nice rider on the VTXOA website sent me one he had made. It works great, and in his own words - "Now I can go to my friends house to change his tires while drinking HIS beer."

In the process of putting this evaluation together I asked Steve a few questions about the changers and No-Mar's overall customer satisfaction record. He assured me that the company's return rate is only .04% and that most new user problems are quickly resolved by checking out their video tips and tricks or a quick phone call.

If you still have additional questions about the No-Mar company and changers, you can check out their FAQ section or contact page to speak with them directly. Make sure and tell them that "Bare sent ya".