Mounting & Balancing Your Own Tires

Big_Jim59

Big_Jim59

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I have been changing motorcycle tires all my life. I have used tire mounting machines. I have also a couple of long screwdrivers to get the job done in a pinch. Mounting tires, in my garage, is not the problem. It's the balancing. I am wondering what other's do when it comes to balancing? Do you find static balancing to be adequate?
 
I'm not that in touch with my inner anal self about tire balancing. I actually don't balance mine. Getting the colored dot stamped on modern tubeless tires lined up with the valve stem is generally close enough. I don't ride over 95mph anymore though, so maybe I've been lucky or am comfortably numb to out of balance tires in my golden years.

I had a Dunlop K70 that was so out of balance I could not ride over 45mph back in the 80's, so I do know what out of balance feels like. My wheels had rim locks back then and I removed the rim locks after that. I'm not using stock Dunlop rims anymore, and still don't balance the wheels.

The short appropriate answer is static balance would work fine.
 
Static balancing is fine . I do it in my wheel building stand - preferably before packing bearings with grease . I wrap solder around spoke or spokes opposite the heavy point until equilibrium is obtained then remove it and weigh it on postal scale then choose appropriate spoke weight.
 
I do my Commando without a hitch... Something about the comstar wheels on my old Wing gives me problems though on mounting. And yes, using the dot for a Commando balance has put things very close for me... good enough for 75-80mph short term.
I mostly utilize those sticky weights for balancing, but the surface has to be very clean and free of any oil/grease.
 
Anyone use inner tube balls for balancing?
 
I didn't balance my front tyre/wheel recently. Just put the tyre's dot opposite side to the valve and all has been absolutely fine.
 
www.tyrebaydirect.com

Tyres Explained: Red Dot vs Yellow Dot!

Have you ever noticed red or yellow dots on the sidewall of a new tyre? Here we explain their function and how to use them properly. Read on.
www.tyrebaydirect.com www.tyrebaydirect.com

"When fitting a tyre, you should line up this yellow dot with the valve stem as this is the heaviest point of the wheel."

"If both red and yellow dots are visible on your tyre and you don’t have any dots or marks on your wheel, red takes precedence over yellow and you should align the red dot with the valve stem."
 
L.A.B. said:
www.tyrebaydirect.com

Tyres Explained: Red Dot vs Yellow Dot!

Have you ever noticed red or yellow dots on the sidewall of a new tyre? Here we explain their function and how to use them properly. Read on.
www.tyrebaydirect.com www.tyrebaydirect.com

"When fitting a tyre, you should line up this yellow dot with the valve stem as this is the heaviest point of the wheel"
Click to expand...
Yes, just double checked! Apols I wrote it the wrong way.
 
I have a confession to make. My Triumph rear has wheel locks and was horribly out of static balance. I ran out of spoke wheel weights so I made my own out of some big fishing weights. It'd still not perfect but I doubt I will be running over 60mph.
 
MikeG said:
Yes! they work quite well for me.
Click to expand...
I'm running CounterAct bead balancer tubes in my Commando and modern Bonneville. Never need any other balance method. The tubes come ready to install with beads already inside. Tubes are of high quality, never seem to loose pressure over winter layup. Bead packs are available for tubeless tires to add prior to mounting tire or you can add them post mounting via valve removal and lots of patience feeding them in via funnel.
 
Tornado said:
I'm running CounterAct bead balancer tubes in my Commando and modern Bonneville. Never need any other balance method. The tubes come ready to install with beads already inside. Tubes are of high quality, never seem to loose pressure over winter layup. Bead packs are available for tubeless tires to add prior to mounting tire or you can add them post mounting via valve removal and lots of patience feeding them in via funnel.
Click to expand...
Yeah, it takes me a full beer to get them all through that tiny valve stem hole. I use Dyna Beads, and last time I had to turn the pressure down to about 10 pounds on my compressor and force them through the stem with a blow gun if I overloaded the funnel.
 
I always change tyres myself (unless my enduro riding son is present). Always balance statically. Most modern bike manuals describe how to balance statically. If e.g. Kawasaki thinks static balancing works well on their very fast machines, I think dynamic balancing is not needed.
 
MikeG said:
Yeah, it takes me a full beer to get them all through that tiny valve stem hole. I use Dyna Beads, and last time I had to turn the pressure down to about 10 pounds on my compressor and force them through the stem with a blow gun if I overloaded the funnel.
Click to expand...
The Counteract tubes and bead kits come with their valve setups which have a filter of some kind to help prevent beads getting stuck there, but thats more for future pressure checks/inflations. I've gotten in habit of giving the valve few taps with the pressure gauge prior to fitting gauge, otherwise there can be a bead getting stuck once you release some air while testing pressure. That's the only issue i've ever had. Looking to add them to my car tires one day.
 
Big_Jim59 said:
I have a confession to make. My Triumph rear has wheel locks and was horribly out of static balance. I ran out of spoke wheel weights so I made my own out of some big fishing weights. It'd still not perfect but I doubt I will be running over 60mph.
Click to expand...
I don’t run rim locks. Never been a problem.

My rear rim is drilled for one, I have capped it with a button head screw and an acorn nut.
 
worntorn said:
Do the Avon Roadriders still have the dots?
IIRc the last few I have changed did not.
Click to expand...

The last three Avons (Roadrunners not Roadriders) had no dots, although, of course, the wheels still required balance weights.
 
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