Tyre Fitting Lube discussions run the risk in morphing into the dreaded oil thread... however. Apart from commercial tyre lube (quite a large number of brands) people have over time report using explosions [see YouTube crazy videos], Windex, WD40, Rubber Grease, KY Gel, Hand sanitiser,  silicone grease oil spray, Dishwashing liquid and plenty of other products. A number of products over time risk damaging wheel alloy and/or tyre rubber, so do your research. 
Several years ago I purchased a 5 litre tub of commercial tyre lube which is in a paste form, however I found the paste as well of a lot of other products tend to increasingly dry out as tyre fitting progresses which reduces the slippery lubrication needed to assist fitting the tyre. After a lot of research on forums I found a recommendation to use Canola Oil in an aerosol can. A can is less than $4, lasts for ages and applied by spraying gives fast, thorough and accurate coverage. Aerosol application gets the lube into tight spaces, useful when trying to seat a resistant tyre bead. 
I've found the Canola (vegetable cooking oil) stays slippery for the duration of a tyre fitting, thus achieving its purpose. It does not damage alloy or rubber and can be washed off with water after scrubbing with detergent.
Hope this helps on this slippery topic

In my aeroplane maintaining days when I worked in a wheel bay we used French Chalk.  These were split hub and tubeless with pressures a fair bit higher than motorcycle tyres.  From memory, the OD was about 48".

Hey Redrock, have you been doing this for years without issues, or is this a recent thing? I like that it remains slippery until after the job is done, but I'm wondering if engine oil would be more suitable than canola oil.

It's only cause of a number of random thoughts that I ask. Engine oil is designed to be compatible with rubber because of rubber components in an engine, say valve seals for example (I realise oils ain't oils and rubbers ain't rubbers) Years ago I used to get free used vegetable oil from the local pub. I used to cean it, filter it, and spray it on external timbers, mainly fences. Once I gave some to a bloke up the bush with a bus. I thought it was for external timber but he said he used it on the roof of the bus as a rust inhibitor. I said you might want to wash it off before it gets to the rubber around the windows, the rubber might absorb the oil, swell and distort, which is what happened, but it wasn't on long so it wasn't too bad. I spose a thin spray on tyres which are thick might be ok, but just wondering a bit. I used a few different types of vegetable oil, including canola, but I don't remember if canola was used on the bus. I spose tyres are designed to withstand engine oil, especially when you look at car parking areas.

If the judicious application of Dawn dish soap and water is good enough for restoring the well-being of distressed, oil-soaked waterfowl, it’s good enough to use for mounting my Brick's tires. The tires seem to last long enough. The rims are getting a daily proprietary polishing from gravel on the roads I use every day for six months per year, so after 90,000 miles of using this technique, I’m beyond caring what soap might do to them.

I do have a lot of canola oil, the use of which has been supplanted by olive oil. I just don't want ants gathering on my wheels. It's off-putting.

Bacon grease.

I use it on splines and steering head bearings too.

daveyson wrote: but I'm wondering if engine oil would be more suitable than canola oil.

It's only cause of a number of random thoughts that I ask. Engine oil is designed to be compatible with rubber because of rubber components in an engine, say valve seals for example (I realise oils ain't oils and rubbers ain't rubbers)  I spose tyres are designed to withstand engine oil, especially when you look at car parking areas.

To put it simply, no.  Different type of rubber.  

Back to my aeroplane days again*, as we always wiped engine oil (either type), hydraulic oil and fuel off tyres immediately it was found.  If a tyre was found to be contaminated we would change the wheel and bin the tyre.  Aircraft in for maintenance had either wheel covers or maintenance wheels fitted.  

To this day, if I see oil on the tyres of any of my motos such as a spillage from the final drive or brake fluid I wipe it off and check for contamination.  I always put a barrier in place to avoid oil contamination when changing the final drive oil, etc.  


* I once worked with a chap who had an encyclopedic knowledge of all this stuff about seals, and their applications.  It is as you say, Oils ain't oils, Sol**.

** A 1980's Australian TV add.