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Buell Motorcycle Forum » XBoard » Buell XBoard Archives » Archive through August 16, 2006 » Does your wheels truly need to be balanced?????? « Previous Next »

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Xb12rdude
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 08:10 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Yes, I know it was a stupid question of sorts, but.............I just put new tires on and they couldn't balance the front wheel because of the rotor. The mechanic stated "I aligned the wheel up with proper mark, so it will be plenty close enough. The new tires come balanced much better than old days". SO what's the skinney. For an average everyday ride, can you live without wheel balancing? I skipped it once on my R1 and never noticed a dammed difference. With tha mention, they put enough weights on my rear ( the one they could balance) to add 5 lbs to my bike, what's up with that also.
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Anonymous
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 08:22 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

First, yes you really need to have your wheels balanced, and preferably spin balanced. Secondly, you certainly can balance Buell wheels with the ISO rotor. Your tire installer just doesn't know what he is doing. Also, I guarantee they put the dot on the wrong location. No way there should be piles of weights on the wheel. Some tire brands have the dot at the valve stem, and some opposite.
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Xb12rdude
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 08:48 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

With that said, where do I find out if the tire guy lined the correct mark up with my pilot powers.

Also, what is the failure if a wheel is not balanced......just vibration, headshake, all of the above.?
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Whodom
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 09:08 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

You may be able to find the info at Michelin's website.

You can make a decent homemade static balancer using PVC pipe & fittings and a couple of 1/8" x 1" steel bars. Basically you make a framework that rests on the floor and supports the wheel by the ends of the axle. There was an article in Motorcycle Consumer News a few years ago on how to do it. You put the axle through the wheel and allow it to rest on the edges of the metal bars (which must be leveled first). The heaviest point on the wheel will roll to the bottom. You place a small weight on the opposite side of the wheel and repeat the process until it shows no tendency to stop in the same place twice in a row.

I've had good results using mine on two different bikes.
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Blake
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 09:38 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Symptom of imbalanced wheel would be vibration. Find a different shop to mount your tires.
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Swordsman
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 10:24 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

Saw a poster in a Toyota dealership that showed abnormal tread wear patterns due to vibration from an unbalanced wheel. Guess it has something to do with the wheel flinging its weight up and down, causes the the tire to wear more in alternating patches. I would imagine the same applies to any tire, no matter what it's on...

~SM
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Davo
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 10:46 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I put my new rear tire on with a couple of tire irons and a home made bead breaker. I didn't balance mine and they are doing just fine.......so far.
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Djkaplan
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 11:41 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I've had wheel weights fly off and it wasn't until I washed the bike that I even noticed it.
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Djkaplan
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2006 - 11:44 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

...I'm not saying you don't need to get your wheels balanced, though.
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Lenb
Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 12:41 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I've also had weights fall off (noticed they were gone when washing the bike) and never noticed any difference in handling. Not that I would skip having my wheels balanced when fitting new tyres though...
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Blake
Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 12:59 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I dunno, but everytime I see the title of this thread I feel a grating at the core of my brain! Arrrrgh!


Sorry, just one of my personal issues.

You start out thinking of the singular "wheel" and so write "does..." then end up changine mid-sentence to the plural "wheels" not knowing the effect it might have on Blake.
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Skyguy
Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 01:19 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

It may not look pretty but my black wheels have black duct tape over the weights.

Static balance seems to work for me.
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Kootenay
Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 01:29 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I mount and balance my own wheels, using two carefully levelled carpenter's levels. Works just fine. I do plan to make up a balance stand using some bearings, though.
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Diablobrian
Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 01:44 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

If you intend to ride your bike like it was intended to be ridden, you need to get
that front wheel properly balanced. That tire guy was full of crap.

You will get vibration, and that can lead to loss of traction. That's a BAD thing.
Not to mention uneven, and rapid tire wear in strange patterns.
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Butch_xb9r
Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 10:01 am:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I ran into the same situation when I changed my tires. Most places in Columbus wouldn't install my tires since I got them off the internet. Anyway, the small shop I went to said he couldn't balance the front so I called the local HD/Buell Dealership, in this case Hale's in Mansfield, and they took care of it for like $12.
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Cmm213
Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2006 - 10:20 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post View Post/Check IP Print Post    Move Post (Custodian/Admin Only)

I lucked out, I put conti's on my 9s about 1500 miles ago and there is only 2 weights on the front. The rear didnt need any I was very shocked to hear that.
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