No need for balancing?!?!? - Page 2 - Suzuki Volusia Forums : Intruder Volusia and Boulevard Forum

butcher · 12-09-2012, 11:19 AM

Last spring I put a tire on the front of my Road Star. I put the dot in line with the valve stem and also added dyna beads. I get a very smooth ride and nice even wear so far.

RemingtonNY · 12-09-2012, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tidcab

Put the rear tire on last night, it was a breeze and rides well, no balancing just the dot method.
Also, put some 2 1/2in. lowering bones on while the wheel was off and I really like the feel. I am 6'2" 240lbs and feel like I am sitting on a chopper.

wonder if lowering the bike has any effect on the accuracy of the oil level in oil sight glass, see any difference ?

**Mr. Efficiency** · 12-09-2012, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tidcab

Need some expert advice. I just purchased some tires for my bike, so I went to a small bike shop near me and asked, how much to mount them. He said 20 bucks each......sounds good to me, but when I asked if that included balancing? He said "As long as the blue dot is within 6 inches of the valve stem, it would'nt need it.

Is this true?
Logic tells me otherwise.

Actually, he is most likely right. I know I'm flying in the face of convention here, and I'll stress the guy you're dealing with is an idiot and you should go elsewhere...

BUT, it probably doesn't matter. Its one of the reasons magic beads work. Its because they really don't have to

I have done roadside tire changes in an emergency in the middle of Manitoba. The tire had to be changed... 7,000 miles later after chewing up the dirt roads in the Yukon and ALaska

Fact of the matter is motorcycle tires are marked at the heavy spot and as long as this is aligned exactly the opposite of the valve stem... your tire is probabaly better balanced than a machine.

I have also now seen placebo testing done on magic beads (i.e, tell a guy you put the beads in after they complain about a tire and they call back and say the bike rides better than ever) so... I probably am going to stick to professional balancing. Its always worked for me.

Balancing a tire simply, is to easy not to do. It requires two two by fours and an axle, not exactly expensive equipment

BUT, professional installers should balance tires, its what you pay them to do. Ya never know, you could get the imperfect tire.

If your bike doesn't feel funny, its OK.

tidcab · 12-10-2012, 10:17 AM

Didnt think about the oil. I dont think it will be off enough to make it a serious problem. I did think about my fuel gauge while riding yesterday, but that will just take some time to re-adjust.

dfinitlydisturbd · 12-10-2012, 11:21 AM

$20 a tire is extremely reasonable around here, especially if they're removing the rims from the bike. The cheapest for a car tire wheels off is $15 per tire and that does not include balancing which is typically around an additional $10 if they have to remove the old tires it costs more.

Personally, I've shelled out the bucks for good spoons and a bead breaker and the 20 minutes it takes to swap old rubber for new is not enough of a burden to justify paying the $40 per tire for the bike the stealership would charge. After taxes $40 works out to the equivalent of 5 hours at work at a rate of $12 per hour. Add to that that the "dot" method has never let me down and paying someone else to do it becomes ridiculous. For $20 go for it. If it ain't smooth take it right back to the shop.

TheToolGuy · 12-10-2012, 11:49 PM

I have a truing stand. At first I was putting the new tire and wheel on the stand to check and balance. It takes some patience and I thought good results because I never had a balancing issue when I did this. I since found that it's best for me to check the balance of the wheel by itself on the stand. If that wheel is balanced then I mount the tire and line up the dot that is on the tire. I've yet to have a problem of any sort with vibration.

I like doing it this way because I'm able to check the spokes and adjust any run out with a dial indicator. When I have re-spoked a wheel I use tape-a-weights and balance the wheel before mounting the tire. So far I've had great results. I've also heard shops that never balance a tire, always go by the balance dot that is on the tire.

Bronzewing · 12-11-2012, 08:01 AM

ok guys, which is it ? The dot (what colour ?) marks the heavy spot or the light spot on the tire. Posts here are saying both ! !

TheToolGuy · 12-11-2012, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bronzewing

ok guys, which is it ? The dot (what colour ?) marks the heavy spot or the light spot on the tire. Posts here are saying both ! !

I've never heard of a spot for the light or heavy side of a tire. The dot should be lined up with the valve stem. This holds true with car tires as well. Which ever it might be, it works for me and I have no problems.

Bronzewing · 12-11-2012, 08:30 AM

Thanks ToolGuy. Your post clears it up for me. Line dot up with valvue stem, not opposite stem as mentioned earlier.

dfinitlydisturbd · 12-11-2012, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Another mark to look for when mounting a tire is a painted balance dot, or dots. Most tires are pre-balanced by the manufacturer. They will then put a mark on the tire indicating where the valve stem should line up.

From the AMA website.

Quote:

Dunlop street tires have yellow balance dots in the bead or sidewall area to indicate the lightest point of the tire

from Dunny's site.

Though from chasing this down the common rule of thumb is line the dot up with the valvestem.....BUT while the tire manufacturer can balance their product they can't account for every variance of deviations in every motorcycle rim. It is a good thing to find and mark the heaviest spot on your own rim. On a VL800/C50 spoker, the heaviest spot is right at the weld which is exactly opposite the hole for the valve stem. Aluminum rimmed Zook spokers (I have one, but no idea what bike it came from it was supposed to be a VL800 but is narrower and does not have the ribs on the brake side) depending on how well the factory ground the join inside the heavy spot is at the weld.

Quote:

To facilitate proper balancing, Most tire manufacturers place red and yellow marks on the sidewalls of its tires to enable the best possible match-mounting of the tire/wheel assembly. There are two methods of match-mounting tires to wheel assemblies using these red or yellow marks:

Uniformity (red mark)
Weight (yellow mark)
Warning:
Improper mounting, underinflation, overloading or tire damage may result in tire failure, which may lead to serious injury. Tire and rim sizes must correspond for proper fit and application. Never exceed 40 psi to seat beads.

Warning:
Tire changing can be dangerous, and should be done only by trained persons using proper tools and procedures established by the Rubber Manufacturers Association. Failure to comply with proper procedures may result in incorrect positioning of the tire, tube, or wheel assembly, causing the assembly to burst with explosive force sufficient to cause serious physical injury or death. Never mount or use damaged tires, tubes, or wheel assemblies.

Uniformity Method
When performing uniformity match-mounting, the red mark on the tire, indicating the point of maximum radial force variation, should be aligned with the wheel assembly's point of minimum radial run-out, which is generally indicated by a colored dot or a notch somewhere on the wheel assembly (consult manufacturer for details). Radial force variation is the fluctuation in the force that appears in the rotating axis of a tire when a specific load is applied and the tire rotated at a specific speed. It is necessary to minimize radial force variation to ensure trouble-free installation and operation. Not all wheel assemblies indicate the point of minimum radial run-out, rendering uniformity match-mounting sometimes impossible. If the point of minimum radial run-out is not indicated on a wheel assembly, the weight method of match-mounting should be used instead.

Weight Method
When performing weight match-mounting, the yellow mark on the tire, indicating the point of lightest weight, should be aligned with the valve stem on the wheel assembly, which represents the heaviest weight point of the wheel assembly. After match-mounting by either of the above methods, the tire/wheel assembly can be balanced.

12-11-2012, 08:01 AM	#17 (permalink)
Bronzewing Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Tamworth, Australia Posts: 15 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	ok guys, which is it ? The dot (what colour ?) marks the heavy spot or the light spot on the tire. Posts here are saying both ! ! __________________ 2008 C50 "Cruisn' is good for the body and soul"

12-11-2012, 08:30 AM	#19 (permalink)
Bronzewing Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Tamworth, Australia Posts: 15 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Thanks ToolGuy. Your post clears it up for me. Line dot up with valvue stem, not opposite stem as mentioned earlier. __________________ 2008 C50 "Cruisn' is good for the body and soul"

12-09-2012, 11:19 AM	#11 (permalink)
butcher VR Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Buchanan, Michigan Posts: 72 Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Last spring I put a tire on the front of my Road Star. I put the dot in line with the valve stem and also added dyna beads. I get a very smooth ride and nice even wear so far.

12-10-2012, 11:49 PM	#16 (permalink)
TheToolGuy Senior VR Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Deland, Florida Posts: 2,965 Thanks: 0 Thanked 14 Times in 12 Posts	I have a truing stand. At first I was putting the new tire and wheel on the stand to check and balance. It takes some patience and I thought good results because I never had a balancing issue when I did this. I since found that it's best for me to check the balance of the wheel by itself on the stand. If that wheel is balanced then I mount the tire and line up the dot that is on the tire. I've yet to have a problem of any sort with vibration. I like doing it this way because I'm able to check the spokes and adjust any run out with a dial indicator. When I have re-spoked a wheel I use tape-a-weights and balance the wheel before mounting the tire. So far I've had great results. I've also heard shops that never balance a tire, always go by the balance dot that is on the tire.

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