Does anyone balance a rear wheel?

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maylar

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I always balance the front wheel after a tire change but have never done that for the rear. The rim lock makes that a bit difficult. Is it worth pursuing?
 
I never balanced the rear wheel, but now I run Dynabeads in both tubes. It seems to help.

Slick
 
Yes, as it's such a simple task. But time consuming. Never on the off road racing bikes as their riders aint that fast. Especially if rim locks are fitted on a road bike, I'd say it's necessary.
 
I'm with Onder on this. I always balance both front and rear on street and road race bikes. New street bikes come from the factory with both wheels balanced, and I've never seen a serious road race bike that didn't have both balanced. And the tire manufacturers recommend it. Those are good enough reasons for me.

Ken
 
Me too. I balance both ends as a rule, although I’m more fussy with the front.

Whenever this conversation comes up I ask people “do you get your car wheels balanced”?

”of course” they always say.

”Front and rear”?

“yes”...

But for some reason folk don’t think it’s important on bikes. Bikes have less contact patch and a lot more going on with leaning etc. Plus the % of weight in the wheels vs the total is a lot more on a bike than a car or truck.

I think tyres are better made than they used to be, and therefore it’s easier to ‘get away with’ if you don’t balance them.

But personally, I likes ‘em balanced.
 
I figure there is so much going on in the back, weight, power on power off, chain flinging around etc that balance was a small factor. But why not at least try to assist the situation?
 
Thanks guys. I just had a rear tire replaced and the cycle shop tech said the rim lock throws the balance off a lot. He's right, I've used up my collection of weights and it's still not balanced but it's better than nothing I guess. There have been no weights on the rear since I've owned the bike (45 years).

The good news is that spinning the wheel on an axle it goes FOREVER with just a touch of force. The bearings definitely are working.
 
They only run forever when I’m balancing Dave. Must be a watched pot thing. I do balance the rear on my street bikes. Not on dirt bikes.
 
Looking around my mates brand new Royal Enfield Interceptor today and I noticed the rear wheel was balanced... and the front was not...!

Is this because they forgot? or because it balanced ok without weights? If it were mine I’d have it out to check, even if it was just out of curiosity. But he’s more sensible than me.
 
Looking around my mates brand new Royal Enfield Interceptor today and I noticed the rear wheel was balanced... and the front was not...!

Is this because they forgot? or because it balanced ok without weights? If it were mine I’d have it out to check, even if it was just out of curiosity. But he’s more sensible than me.

Could be it was in balance without weights. I've changed and balanced a lot of tires over the years, and have had that happen at least twice that I recall, and might have been more.

Ken
 
Looking around my mates brand new Royal Enfield Interceptor today and I noticed the rear wheel was balanced... and the front was not...!

Is this because they forgot? or because it balanced ok without weights? If it were mine I’d have it out to check, even if it was just out of curiosity. But he’s more sensible than me.
Kim's rear end is notorious for wobbling, no?
 
I balance F & R wheels on Pit Posse PP1727. Harbor Freight sells a Chinese knock-off for maybe 30% less, but it's typical HF stuff.
 
i always check them, a have a home made rig like the pit posse mentioned. when im not being rushed by the son-in-law and his friends, i also check the wheel balance without before mounting the new tire. from this i suggest that modern tires are very near balance right out of the bag.
 
They only run forever when I’m balancing Dave. Must be a watched pot thing. I do balance the rear on my street bikes. Not on dirt bikes.
That spin in and wait for it to stop procedure can be GREATLY ABBREVIATED, simply move it GENTLY a few inches, see which way/where it goes, trial weight, then save the random spin thing for final check. Spin it very SLOWLY is fine.
 
I use thick lead solder (no flux or acid core) to balance the wheels. Easy to add more on an adjoining spokes. Easy to add less by chopping the length of the solder. Works great. I usually do this by placing the wheel on a shaft clamped between two sawhorses to avoid any additional drag.
 
HF balancer works OK, bearings have to be lubed with gas and the cones have to be retrofitted with larger bolts.

I must be a hermit; I have never even heard of not balancing a street bike’s rear wheel; and while I toss tire locks as needless weight for a street bike, isn’t that lock an even greater reason to balance a wheel?
 
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