Wheel Balancing

[banditderek]

:confused1: If I change my tyres myself with the good old levers (ie somewhere on the road) what happens to the balancing? Is balancing absolutly nessessary? I'm running an XT600e 4PT.

[Tenere Tom]

When I got new tyres on my old Tenere I asked for them to be balanced and the guy in the shop assured me that they didn't need to be done.

I didn't have any probs so I wouldn't worry about it.

[Big Yellow Tractor]

I have one set of wheels that have weights fitted opposite the rim-lock and another set that don't. I can't detect any difference at all. I run AC10s which are a road legal MX tyre so there's enough vibration that the wheels could be out of balance by 40kg and I doubt I would notice.

The wheels on my road bike are balanced but then that will do nearly double the speed of my DRZ

[backofbeyond]

Originally Posted by Big Yellow Tractor

I have one set of wheels that have weights fitted opposite the rim-lock and another set that don't. I can't detect any difference at all.

When I bought my current CCM600 single it came with no balance weights on either wheel. I rode it like that for about a year explaining away the double vision inducing vibration as down to the knobbly tyres, but when the exhaust mount snapped on the motorway I had a closer look. Both wheels were out of balance by the weight of the rim lock - about 110gms each.

With a front 21" and a rear 18" the wheels revolve at different speeds so sometimes they cancelled each other out and sometimes they added together creating a huge vibration. At 70mph this was about a 3sec cycle going from smooth to loose fillings level and back again.

I sorted the front by putting a second rim lock opposite the first and half balanced the rear with 60gms of lead wrapped around a couple of spokes. They're still out of balance - the front about 20gms and the rear about 50gms but you now can't feel it at the speeds the bike is capable of.

An XT is going to be similar. If it's just the tyre heavy spot you're worried about I really doubt you'll feel it, it has to be a lot further out than that.

[Dodger]

The rear will be OK without balance weights .

The front might or might not , it will depend on the speed you are going to travel and the quality of the tyre .Cheaper brands tend to be out of balance more often.

You can balance them yourself if you have some of those stick on weights ,or use thick solder wire wrapped around a spoke .

Try it without first .

[Scottish Sam]

Hi mate,

Wheel balancing will prolong the life of yout tyres with doubt, in extreme case it can send a tyre out of round think egg shape. I had this happen on a front Michelin Desert whilst on the road in West Africa. By the time I noticed it was too far gone to do anything with. The rear can tolerate a bit out of balance without too many problems.

When on the road and repairing a puncture providing your re using the original tyre i.e. repairing or replacing an inner tube you should mark the tyre in relation to its position on the rim and attempt to replace it back to the same spot. Its usually a heavy spot on the tyre that causes the imbalance. Many tyres used to come with a yellow ring/ spot on the side wall that should be lined up with the valve, the yellow spot being the lightest spot on the tyre thus using the valve to counterbalance the opposing heavy spot.

If you are really concerned you can crudly balance the wheel by sliding the axle through the hub and supporting it on something solid i.e. foot rest of your bike, at one end whilst holding the other with your hand ensuring the axle is kept level. Spin the wheel with just enough force for it to rotate a couple of turns and mark the heavies part the heaviest part being the bit that rests at the bottom when it stops rotating naturally. Add some weights opposite the heavy bit and continue till the wheel will come to rest at no particular point. The heavy point will always be the rim lock where you are running them and as they are quite heavy then you might have to use a healthy weight. Its a good idea to invest in some better qaulity rimlocks i.e. from Talon engineering as they weigh a lot less. I find the balance weights that crimp onto the spokes to the most useful for overland bikes as you can undo them and use them many times. Its probably a good isea to carry o few spres with you.

Clear as mud!

Cheers Sam.

[wolfzero]

i always balance my own wheels on my road and off road bikes
they are balanced complete with disks and sprocket carrier fitted just to get em as acurate as possible too

big singles vibrate enough as it is without the wheels adding to it, the minimum you should do is balance out the weight of the rimlocks
the uneven loading on the rim of a spoked wheel might cause the spokes to vibrate which will either wear or possibly crack the holes in the hub and the rim

[pusser65]

Do XTs come with rimlocks fitted? I have a 2001 XT600E 4PT bought secondhand last year. It was bought from new in South Africa and brought to the UK by a previous owner. There are rubber plugs where the rimlocks would be opposite the valve.

Cheers,

[Jens Eskildsen]

I dont think the xt's come with a rimlock, i've never seen one with a rimlock fitted.

No need to balance wheel when doing on-the-road work.

If you got time, you can, and when you're at home, sure why not.

For me its one of those better safe than sorry things, eventhough i often forget to do it =)

[Tenere Tom]

Originally Posted by Jens Eskildsen

I dont think the xt's come with a rimlock, i've never seen one with a rimlock fitted.
=)

Both my 1984 XT's had rimlocks - I don't know about later ones.

[yhprum]

My 89 XT600 has a rimlock.
I am using these on my 4 wheeler, it works well.
I will use them on my bike too.
Tire Balancing Products
Steve

[banditderek]

Thanks guys. I'll have to give it some practise to balance myself.

[Jens Eskildsen]

I guess the never xt's are made a bit more for the road, beeing heavier, fewer horses, no rimlock ect.

Ive never had use for a rimlock, even with flat tires and such. So for me, not worth it