tyres - balancing

[Ben.]

just got some pilot sports fitted to the cbr,
on garage quoted me 40 quid to balance each wheel!
got them fitted for 20 quid from the nice guys at waysburys tyre.
Anyway my question is this, do I need to get them balanced? I was going to pay the bloks a tenner to do them but they said the hole was two small to fit it on the machine.
He said they should be ok not being balanced, and michelin's are usually quite good and might not need to be balanced?
Will see how it feels tonight after I've fitted them back on the bike.
Thanks for all the help.
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Race bike - R6
Road bike - sv650

[JonB]

I'll profess to not knowing what balancing a wheel on a motorbike eliminates.

But on a car if your tyres/wheels are out of balance you can feel a high speed vibration through the steering wheel at above 70MPH.

When I had my front two tyres replaced they had to balance the wheels. They said someone must have smashed into the kerb because they weren't able to get the wheel truly balanced.

I'd say you probably need to get your wheels balanced.
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[Ben.]

its only a cbr 125, it wont do 80mph. I dont know where i can get the tyre balanced eithier, if it was too small there wont it be too small anywhere else?
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Race bike - R6
Road bike - sv650

[ram_doom]

Um, when I have a tyre changed on loose wheels it costs £11 for tyre fitting and balancing. Dont get ripped off, and if it doesnt vibrate, chances are its fine...
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TL1000s, KDX200

[Finglonga]

If they have been fitted correctly as in the heavy bit opposite the valve then you shouldn't need them balancing on a small bike. If you can feel vibrations then get them done but don't pay £40 for it ffs!
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Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

[MattEMulsion]

I pay £10 per loose wheel to have a tyre fitted and balanced to it, these being my own tyres rather than ones bought from the tyre fitting place. I always have them balanced and they always need a small balance weight to get them just right, but these are for my R6 rather than for a CBR125. Try them and see how you go. If it vibrates too much though you'll have to get them balanced elsewhere.

[binge]

Ok, Where do I start.

£40 is too much for a PAIR of wheels balancing. Let alone each! Try watling tyres.

On the VFR I am lucky, the rear wheel (as it is single swing arm) fits on my Car wheel balancer at work. But my Front wheel doesnt. So heres how you do it.

Paddock stand the front wheel up. (or lift it up on axle stands or whatever). So the front wheel can rotate freely.
Loosen off the pinch bolts and axle so there is no tight spots etc. remove all balance weights then let the wheel settle.

The heavy point is obviously at the bottom.

Then its a case of adding weight to the top of the wheel until it settles wherever you put it. Could do with proper stick on wheel weights really.


Failing that, if you are competent to remove both wheels. Watlings (or any decent bike place) will balance the pair up for £10. But they have to be off the bike really.


As for the above comments. ALL (or about 90%) of tyres require some amount of balancing. Putting the "Heavy spot" opposite the valve is a bit of a myth. Do you really think Michelin/dunlop/pirelli make their tyres with "heavy spots".
They just come out of a mold. And as they are rubber, they are not 100% true all the way around.


Anyway, Dont pay that money for the wheels doing. And to be honest, on a CBR 125 id only really bother doing the front. My Speedfight used to touch 70mph and I only ever balanced up the front wheel.


<|ben|>

[JonB]

Well they were budget tyres, it was all I could afford at the time.

However he said he balanced the tyre as much as possible but noticed my wheel was slightly buckled.
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Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it?s worth.