Who actually Does Do Wheel Balancing

[GettinBetter]

I want to balance my wheels so looked into the pros & cons and was considering this..
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313120265393?hash=item48e76c14b1:g:bg0AAOSwoYZfYM68

That was until I came across this...

https://e-quipfix.co.uk/wheel-balancing-101-static-vs-dynamic-wheel-balancing/

So now I'm thinking about this...
Balancer

Thing is, does every body balance their wheels? or do some not bother?

[doggone]

When I fit my own tyres I don't bother but I might do a rudimentary check it's not seriously heavy on one side with the rear wheel on a rod or front wheel in place.
If it's seated 100% it is unlikely to be far out unless you dislodged any existing weights usually opposite the valve.
At lower (legal) speeds you might not notice much unless it was miles out.

[yen_powell]

I've got the first item shown but with a different makers name, probably comes from the same factory. I don't usually balance tyres when I fit them, especially if they have a balance mark on them. Some Avons I was fitting the last few years had no mark at all so I did balance the front wheel after fitting those. Doesn't take long and I have got the wheel off anyway to put the tyre on, so thought I might as well.
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Blackmail is a nasty word........but not as nasty as phlegm!
XT1200Z and a DR350 in bits

[Bhud]

[GettinBetter]

Yeah, I had to skip over that crap. I'm only interested in the science, or his version of it. More to the point the up and down centrally was pretty much a no brainer, but the side to side interested me. I used my electric bike for a couple of days last week seeing as my Honda was wheeless, and about 18mph < when I take my hands off the handlebars it starts to wobble, and very quickly gets too bad to leave, replacing my hands recovers it. Using the theory in the vid, I quicly realised I'd added some reflectors to the spokes at 180 degree intervals and on opposite sides. It didn't cancel out as I first thought, but summed together to make it quite bad.

[MCN]

Always balance wheels.

Much simpler to balance the wheel when the tyre is fitted than having to take the hoowur off to balance it after you found out it needs balanced.

The cost is negligible versus the hassle and phaph of a re-do.

And most tyres will need balancing.
They use natural products and density consistency can cause some out-of-balance. Or out-of-roundness.
The tyre manufacturers even give you a big clue by testing after production and painting part best matched up with the tyre valve.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[GettinBetter]

[Nobby the Bastard]

Red triangle
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

The yellow dot on my Bridgestone marked the lightest side of the tyre, so it is supposed to go next to to the valve. You can see it still needed some weights on the opposite side. All done at the bike shop, not by me. That dot wears off quite quickly.

https://i.postimg.cc/vBTC7bFb/ED5-EA6-CD-BFEF-43-E5-AD51-7457-D53-A1513.jpg

[GettinBetter]

Ah, cool.

No triangles but got a yellow 'o' on the back one, so will keep that in mind when fitting.
Too late for the front, which has a red dot, although its about 50mm from the valve.
Thanks for the info guys.

[Bhud]

Yes, a yellow dot is a mark suggesting that it should be placed where the tyre valve is located.

[MCN]

Some tyre are marked with two dots.
Different colours.
One mark shows the highest part of the tyre.
And another shows the lightest part.
Some tyres dont have all the marks.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[Hong Kong Phooey]

I use the first item, before I bought it I supported the spindle of the bike between two chairs to balance.

I always balance, as I do high speeds. Even at 70mph, if the front wheel is 5 to 10g out this will transmit to your hands through the bars and make long journeys less comfortable. You might not notice it on shorter runs. But if you can feel it, your wheel bearings and other components can too.

Much more speed than that, and you can get the bounce of the tyre amplifying the imbalance as a harmonic feedback, push through that and the jack hammer can go away.

I fitted and balanced a front tyre the other day, and it has vibration about 90mph, It'll need to come off and re-checked. This is why tyre shops use better equipment.
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[blurredman]

I never bother,

But in the case of one bike if I stand on the footrests, and look over the front- the front wheel shifts side to side at least half an inch so i've got bigger problems..
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S.
Current: 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (bored to 295cc) - 38k, 1990 MZ ETZ251 - 49k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 9k, 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 17k.

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Just to add, it also helps when you're balancing tyres to check for where the manufacturer marks the light spot with a red dot.

But not all need or have it.

I find what helps the most though, is not to lose any rim protectors as they fall inside the tyre

I'd had trouble balancing the front recently, noticed the rim protector had gone missing. Put two and two together eventually, took the sliced up pipe out of the tyre, all good
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8

[t121anf]

Dots on the tyres are great but only if the fitter pays attention to them, most seems to just chuck the tyre on however they want and hope that the balance machine can sort it out.

[blurredman]

If red dots are for light spot I guess if a tyre has any at all, there is usually only one- does the colour of the spot signify anything, or just the presence of the spot being there at all tell you which way to put it?

What is yellow spot for? Heavy side?
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S.
Current: 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (bored to 295cc) - 38k, 1990 MZ ETZ251 - 49k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 9k, 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 17k.

[t121anf]

[Old Git Racing]

I take my loose wheels to a local shop, fitted free if you buy 'em there and balanced, why would you bother?

OGR
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2022 Tiger Sport 660 2019 Street Twin 2003 K3 gixxer 1000 1998 Srad 600 track hack

[Hong Kong Phooey]

[Fizzer Thou]

For some reason Michelin do not indicate on the sidewall of any tyre that I have bought from them.So it makes balancing them more important,especially on the R1 front wheel

https://i.postimg.cc/WbwmGLtL/20170401-160527.jpg

I also make an effort to get it right on the Exup

https://i.postimg.cc/tJJTYMS6/2014-11-15-16-36-56.jpg

Back wheels are not so critical,but is also worth checking.Otherwise the rear shock will have more of a problem keeping it in contact with the road surface.
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Just talk bikes.What else is there?

Always have a 'Plan B'

[GettinBetter]

[Hong Kong Phooey]

I've got 5g and 10g weights. I can add or remove 5g and get a different result on where the heavy spot lands.
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'81 CG125, '97 FZS600 : '99 CBR600F4, '09 KTM RC8