Tire change and balance

[Freebird]

Yesterday afternoon, I got around to installing the new Avons that I had ordered. Ran into something that I found a bit strange. I had my last set installed and balanced at a local shop. They didn't have much weight on them but what I found strange was that when I removed the existing weights and then put the the wheels with newly installed tires on my balancer, they showed to be HEAVY exactly where the weights had been. I found this on both the front and rear wheels. On both wheels, I ended up adding weight to the exact opposite side to where they had previously been. It leads me to believe that maybe the shop that balanced the last set didn't know what they were doing and actually had put the weights on the heavy side instead of where they should have been. I didn't notice any problem when riding it but there was only about 1 ounce of weights installed.

 

Anyway, I got them done, new breaks installed front and rear, engine oil and rear end oil changed, rear splines greased, front fender rail that I bought from Pioneer at Maintenance Day installed.

 

Polished the chrome this morning and it sure looks pretty sitting in the garage. Now I sure wish I had time to ride it somewhere.

[Condor]

Yesterday afternoon, I got around to installing the new Avons that I had ordered. Ran into something that I found a bit strange. I had my last set installed and balanced at a local shop. They didn't have much weight on them but what I found strange was that when I removed the existing weights and then put the the wheels with newly installed tires on my balancer, they showed to be HEAVY exactly where the weights had been. I found this on both the front and rear wheels. On both wheels, I ended up adding weight to the exact opposite side to where they had previously been. It leads me to believe that maybe the shop that balanced the last set didn't know what they were doing and actually had put the weights on the heavy side instead of where they should have been. I didn't notice any problem when riding it but there was only about 1 ounce of weights installed.

 

Anyway, I got them done, new breaks installed front and rear, engine oil and rear end oil changed, rear splines greased, front fender rail that I bought from Pioneer at Maintenance Day installed.

 

Polished the chrome this morning and it sure looks pretty sitting in the garage. Now I sure wish I had time to ride it somewhere.

 

I can make a suggestion....

:cody

[GaryZ]

I have recently started checking the wheel balance with the tire off, and before removing the weights. Three tire changes now and all three have the weights unchanged when the dot on the tire is aligned with the valve.

[SilvrT]

Now I sure wish I had time to ride it somewhere.

 

If you'd stop spending so much time marketing those invisible scoots, you just might have time to go riding... :stickpoke:

[Yammer Dan]

Want me to come and ride it for you??? I could ride Brow Sugar up. Ride yours back down. Ride Ugly up. Ride Brown Sugar back down. Ride yours up. Ride Ugly Home!!! Hey I was kidding but this is starting to sound good. And I could tell the Warden I was just helping out!!!

[CaptainJoe]

"On both wheels, I ended up adding weight to the exact opposite side to where they had previously been. It leads me to believe that maybe the shop that balanced the last set didn't know what they were doing and actually had put the weights on the heavy side instead of where they should have been. I didn't notice any problem when riding it but there was only about 1 ounce of weights installed."

 

To be fair, without actually checking the balance of the tire(s), "before you took them off the rim", there is no way to tell. Way Too many variables...

 

If your tire is within a couple ounces, I doubt you are going to be able to tell a difference on the bike. I have changed MC tires all my life and have never put weights on any rim...

just line the dot up with the valve stem and WallaH!

 

 

Here's a test..............

ride your bike after balancing rims, pay close attention to vibration, smoothness etc...

Mark front and back of wheel weights on both front and back rim(s), with a permanent marker(it will rub off).

take weights off.

ride...

 

Let me know how the experiment went... like I said before, I doubt you will be able to perceive a difference...

Edited June 26, 2011 by CaptainJoe

[Freebird]

Yea, I know it really didn't mean much. On the front one though, I DID check it after I mounted the tire and before removing the existing weight. The weights were the heavy part of the rim. So I removed the weights and that was STILL the heavy part of the rim. Ended up putting the new weight exactly opposite.

 

As for lining up the "dot". Avon Venoms do not have a dot. They claim to be so well balanced that they don't need one.

[MiCarl]

 

As for lining up the "dot". Avon Venoms do not have a dot. They claim to be so well balanced that they don't need one.

 

The Avon rep here claimed there is not dot because they want to force the installer to balance them rather than putting the dot at the valve and calling it good. He said they recommend rotating the tire if 3 oz won't balance it.

 

When installing tubeless tires I always find the heavy spot on the wheel and align the dot with that. At least half the time the heavy spot is not at the valve. 9 times in 10 the heavy spot doesn't change with the tire mounted, which tells me that tires are generally better balanced than wheels.

 

D404s seem to be the exception. It seems like they are often way out of balance.

 

In my experience Avon (or Michelin and Pirelli, who also do not mark the light spot) are no better or worse balanced than most other tires.

[Freebird]

Well that explanation actually makes more sense. I doubt that Avon is any better at manufacturing a perfectly balanced tire than anybody else.

[Sylvester]

I find that adding 2 oz. of dyna beads works perfect, so I quit bothering with my balancer.

 

[MiCarl]

Well that explanation actually makes more sense. I doubt that Avon is any better at manufacturing a perfectly balanced tire than anybody else.

 

I suspect the real truth lies in the marketing department. They probably think the mark gives an impression that the tire is not a quality product or maybe they just think it's ugly.

[Ozlander]

I've been changing my own tires for the past 30 years. I think the weights on the rims are to balance the rim. I run Michelin's and Metzler's and have never balanced a tire. Never have had a vibration or have a tire show an out of balance indication. On the highway, I run 65 to 75 most of the time, up to 125 if needed.

[CaptainJoe]

Update,

 

Changed to new Dunlop E3s front and rear.

 

Origional Dunlop 404's tires were 3/32nds rear, 4/32nds front, weird as I normally get twice the life on a front tire????

 

Checked old tire balance on rear with 1 oz weight and it was spot on

removed old tire and was showing heavy where wheel weight was

took off weight and rim was perfectly balanced

put new tire on ...still perfectly balanced

 

Checked old tire balance on front with 2 oz weight and it was spot on

removed tire and rim was still spot on

put new tire on ...still perfectly balanced

 

So...

My deductions:

 

The rear rim was perfectly balanced from factory as was the new E3. It was the 404 that wasn't in balance.

 

The front rim however, needed the 2 oz to correct a rim imperfection. The E3 was perfect, as was the 404.

 

For what it's worth...