Are motorcycle wheels "balanced"?

[stryped]

I am posting questions trying to learn more about cycles and possibly buying a fixxer upper. Are motorcycle wheels balanced? If I need to replace tires, could I buy tubes and new tires so I could replace them myself without having to rely on a shop? (I have an air compressor and assume the tubes would make"seating" alot easier.)

[storysunfolding]

Yep, they need to be balanced. You can buy a kit to do this at home if you want.

If it's a tubeless tire then you don't need tubes. Tubes don't help do anything for tubeless tires.

[jonnythan]

Yep, they need to be balanced. You can buy a kit to do this at home if you want.

If it's a tubeless tire then you don't need tubes. Tubes don't help do anything for tubeless tires.

If it's a tubeless tire on a tubeless rim. A tubeless tire on a spoked rim won't inflate

[slimcolo]

About 80% of tires don't need balance. But knowing which ones is like playing lottery. DO YOU FEEL LUCKY After mounting they stay within specs,however ALWAYS check balance. You probably won't have to do anything ---------------but you may need several weights. I've saw same tire (brand,model) be perfect one time and be dangeriously out another.

PJ1 (Ive never used) makes a liquid ballancer/sealer, however this usually means that tube will need replaced next time. Its a good idea to replace tube w/ new tire as tubes will dry rot also. Also some shops will not touch a tire that has had this (or slime,fix a flat) added, or charge a surcharge.
Some shops will balance tires that you have mounted yourself (most will only do this if they sold you the tires, If you bought them from internet or mail order you may be SOL)

MC tires are a lot harder to change than auto. (I'm assuming you have minimal tools, spoons b ead breaker but not tire machine)

The bottom line here is if you don't know what your doing TAKE IT TO SOMEONE WHO DOES IE;MC SHOP

[Sev]

Harley's sure are different then japanese bikes...

In three months of tire changes I've seen ONE that didn't need to be balanced... I'm not sure where 80% comes from, but my luck is obviously shiiiiiity.

Liquid balance is a BAD practise on motorcycle tires, you will only rarely find a shop that'll even consider using it. Most shops will charge extra if they find it inside (as the "poo poo" makes a mess). It settles out during "storage" overnight, so your tires are dangerously unbalanced when you start in the morning, AND there is a slight chance you have it seep past a bead. Liquid balance is CRAZY slippery, and not something that you want on any friction surface. That stuff will NEVER touch my tires.

A tube tire is easy to change with a set of levers, and a little patience. A tubeless is a "dog" to do with a set of levers, a machine whether pneumatic or manual is almost necessary.


As for balancing it.

Suspend the wheel from the axle so it's perfectly level (I've seen it done on the back of two chairs. Spin the wheel gently (the bearings should spin, not the axle). Let it stop by itself, add a small amount of weight to the HIGHEST spot then spin it again. Add weight as necessary, but only put it in one spot.

So, say it was a clock face, and you spun it. If 3 was the highest point and you put weight on it. Then you spun it again and 2 was the highest spot, then you would move all the weight to halfway between 2 and 3.

Continue to do this until you can stop the wheel anywhere and it won't turn. Or it stops at a different spot every time you spin it.


Some people knock this method, but if done correctly it will give you a perfect balance. MotoGP wheels are balanced in this method. But it takes a LONG time.


*edited because I'm an idiot*

[niterider]

Sev, I may be wrong, but I think that the weight needs to be put at the top of the tire. that is where it is the lightest. If you add weight at the bottom the tire will always stop with the weight at the bottom.

[slimcolo]

what he said Sev. Forgot to mention the easiest way to balance, also most expensive. A BALANCE MASTER which bolts on under brake disc. A harmonic wheel balancer simular to a Fischer crank balancer. But at $150 USD a wheel.

Also got new tire today (AVON) and it has Max load in kg at kPa. When and why did they start using kPa? Some kind of EU crap? I mean this is an AVON Not a Chin Shin.

[Sev]

Sev, I may be wrong, but I think that the weight needs to be put at the top of the tire. that is where it is the lightest. If you add weight at the bottom the tire will always stop with the weight at the bottom.

Yeah, you caught me. Total brainfart. Sorry guys, I'll edit my post to correct it.