My bike has a bouncing effect when driving down the road. It did not do this when I first installed the new front tire. My first assumption is the tires are probably out of balance.
I see DennisKirk has a wheel balancer. Anybody have or use one of these? Are there cheaper versions that work just as good? What do you do for weights?
There isn't really any difference between your axle and a wheel truing stand.
Remove your caliper, jack the bike up spin the wheel. If it's the rear....remove the drive belt or chain also.
Mark the bottom where it stops with a sharpie. Spin it again, mark it. This will show the heavy spot.
It should stop at a different place every time, if all your marks end up stopping at the bottom, put a weight directly above. Try various weights until it never stops at the same place.
Unless you are a shop or just want the stand for various reasons, you probobly don't need one to do a couple of tires a year. When you mount the tire put the paint mark on the tire at the valve stem hole in the rim....that should get it close as long as it's a quality tire and rim.
unless it's on a shaft drive bike I wouldnt bother balancing the rear wheel....when you are running , the belt or chain being only on half the wheel at a time, will make balancing pointless on the rear wheel.most HONEST shops will tell you this and the others just want ya cash
the Front wheel is differant , and does need balancing ,as it is basicly freewheeling without a chain throwing the balancing out as the wheel turns.
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Last edited by magnum45pete; 05-17-2012 at 05:45 AM..
Not too many listen to the turtle, but if you took two coffee cans, two chairs, set the axle on the cans that sit on the seats is a gap for the wheel to spin. There is your balancing stand. As stated, if you can make that wheel drop at the heavy spot, the weight should be heavy enough not to run the wheel back up to the lightest spot is at the top again.
The idea is to wrap thick solder wire around the [top] spokes, so when you let go of the wheel in any position; it stays were you put it. Even your hand can tell [ by the weights], it will stop easier as you grab the wheel to spin it or move it to any'o'clock position.
If they balance racing wheels front and rear; if a wheel spins this freely; if you don't think you can feel a vibration at over 200mph [these days] on a sport bike; if you wear depends or poise... Forgo the rear balancing act at 70mph or highway speeds? Oh Really? Have I got a veggie table garden for you!
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Bike Year, Make, Engine: 1949 Harley-Davidson, FL (Panhead)
Posts: 656
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On the front it absolutely can be the balance causing this. I see it all the time. About 1/2 the front tires I've put on my bike need to be balanced, the other half don't. I always ride the bike without balance to see. I've had some that would really get to hopping on the freeway. As soon as they are balanced it's no longer an issue. Balance the wheel and see how that works before you go any further. It's fast and easy. Always start with the simple stuff.
Bike Year, Make, Engine: 1949 Harley-Davidson, FL (Panhead)
Posts: 656
Not Ranked
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigtwin100
Well then I must be extremely lucky to never have had a problem in 10 years of not balancing
Maybe lucky. Or maybe you buy a better quality tire then I do. I use the ancient Speedmaster 21" front tire from Avon. This design has been around since the 60's. I'm sure there are better tires, but the new tires look out of place on my old chopper. When I do get one that "hops", balancing them always solved the problem.
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