Cause of torn cords at bead on Kenda Kwest. The VAR tire lever can mount even really tight tires, as this tire is on my rim. The problem is that the hook on the bottom of the lever is sharp and with the force required to pull the bead over the rim, the sharp end of the VAR lever cuts the cords that wrap around the bead. The wire bead and the tire lever act like two sides of a pair of scissors. The cut cords weaken the side wall of the tire and lead to the sidewall bulge.
I've been using the VAR tire lever for many years because it can mount (and unmount) really tight tires, but I will switch levers while I'm using Kenda Kwests as these tires seem to have vulnerable cords.
