Results 1 to 18 of 18
  1. #1
    GOS member (Girls On Spyders) ruthie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Collinsville, Mississippi
    Posts
    500
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default Do you need to balance a new tire?

    husband is planning on installing a new rear tire on my 2014 RT, I usually have this done at a dealer so this will be our first time doing a tire. Is it necessary to balance the rear tire?
    Thank you


    2014 RT SE6 Limited
    rYding Safe = Having Fun

    Ruthie

  2. #2
    Active Member Slowpoke387's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Enfield, CT
    Posts
    275
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    My gut says yes but this is our first Spyder and we havent gotten that far yet lol. Logic says that if there are weights on the wheel when you remove it already then the answer is yes. I think i would balance it regardless. Just to rule out having to take everything apart twice.

  3. #3
    Very Active Member Chupaca's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    San Diego, CA.
    Posts
    31,097
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default Oh yeah....

    Whenever you remove a tire and re install or install a new one it needs to be balanced. There are many ways with balancing beads, liquids, wieghts and lamont is selling a balancing ring where you need not balance the wheel itself. There are colored circles on the side of most quality tires that should be lined up with the valve stem area to make the need for wieghts mininal if any...
    Gene and Ilana De Laney
    Mt. Helix, California

    ​2012 RS sm5
    2012 RS sm5 , 998cc V-Twin 106hp DIY brake and park brake Classic Black

  4. #4
    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Central VERMONT
    Posts
    20,269
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default REAR TIRE BALANCE - ??????

    Quote Originally Posted by ruthie View Post
    husband is planning on installing a new rear tire on my 2014 RT, I usually have this done at a dealer so this will be our first time doing a tire. Is it necessary to balance the rear tire?
    Thank you
    ​NO.....My last three rear tires were not balanced and I have not found any difference between balancing and not ...except the Money ....... Mike

  5. #5
    Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie Peter Aawen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    Australia; Sth Aust, Adelaide Hills
    Posts
    9,515
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    If it's a Kenda, ABSOLUTELY - if you can!

    But if it's a real tire, then maybe yeah, it IS preferable, simply because it's best to match any imbalances in the rim to avoid compounding any imbalance in the tire; but like Mike says/infers above, most well made tires will be very close to balanced anyway, & if they aren't close to exact, they will have a yellow &/or red paint dot on the sidewall that should be aligned with the valve stem to best match their static balance.

    But dynamic balancing will usually benefit any tire/rim combination, some a little, some a whole lot; Kendas, probably not much you can do anyway, you often can't balance something that's inherently unstable in the first place - still, balancing can make what would otherwise be 'good' absobloodylutely smooth as duck...... err, as smooth as silk!
    Last edited by Peter Aawen; 05-07-2017 at 04:36 PM.

  6. #6
    Very Active Member BLUEKNIGHT911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2011
    Location
    Central VERMONT
    Posts
    20,269
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default BALANCING TIRES

    Quote Originally Posted by Chupaca View Post
    Whenever you remove a tire and re install or install a new one it needs to be balanced. There are many ways with balancing beads, liquids, wieghts and lamont is selling a balancing ring where you need not balance the wheel itself. There are colored circles on the side of most quality tires that should be lined up with the valve stem area to make the need for wieghts mininal if any...
    The fronts MUST be balanced ..... I have found that the rear doesn't , my guess is the axel is supported on both ends and this prevents any resonance to occur..... my last three rear tires were not balanced and I can't tell any difference ... Mike

  7. #7
    Very Active Member IGETAROUND's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Kalamazoo, Mi
    Posts
    1,819
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default Do you need to balance a new tire

    well my vote is for not balancing; I just mounted my 3rd rear tire and I put on a new set of front tires 15000 miles previously. None have been balanced and my mirrors have a clear reflections. I ride most every day, I just rolled over 40000 miles and my bike gives me a nice smooth ride, and my tires wear evenly. Don't know what else one could ask for

    Al in Kazoo
    All the great movements in the world began with a cup of coffee!

    2018 F3-T


    My mods: Can am Trailer hitch, USB and 12 volt power outlets, Gustason windshield, Bead rider seat cushion, battery harness for electric gear and battery tender, Time out trailer.
    2018 F3-T , Pearl White

  8. #8
    Very Active Member Grandpot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
    Location
    Fort Mill, SC
    Posts
    1,951
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    Very few tires are perfect. I have my own balancing machine and just put a new tire on the rear today. It needed about an 1 oz.
    2011 RTS (Sold to a very nice lady)
    1998 Honda Valkyrie
    2006 Mustang GT. Varooooom!
    US Navy Veteran
    SC Law Enforcement Boat Captain
    CNC Machine Service Technician
    President: Rolling Thunder SC1
    Member: Disabled American Veterans, Rock Hill, SC
    Member: American Legion
    Experience is recognizing the same mistake every time you make it!

  9. #9
    SpyderLovers Sponsor Motorcycledave's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Linden, CA
    Posts
    4,414
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default IN A WORD...

    YES !!!
    There is a post here I made about 10 days ago
    about this very thing,
    I was in the tire and wheel business for over 20 year until I sold and retired from that business
    I KNOW TIRES, the odds of finding a new tire that does not need to be balanced are about the
    same as winning the lotto.
    When you balance a tire you are not just balancing the tire you are balancing the tire AND the wheel.
    If you are having it balanced on the vehicle then you are balancing the entire assembly, Tire, Wheel,
    Brakes, and all...
    so yes get them balanced, it will not only make you happy with a smooth ride but it will make your tires
    happy because they will last longer.
    Ride Safe
    Dave


    Quote Originally Posted by ruthie View Post
    husband is planning on installing a new rear tire on my 2014 RT, I usually have this done at a dealer so this will be our first time doing a tire. Is it necessary to balance the rear tire?
    Thank you

  10. #10
    Active Member Ex Winger's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
    Location
    Brockville ONT
    Posts
    492
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    Get the tire balanced,Wouldn,t put tires on a car and not balance them.
    2018 RT Anniversary , Brake pedal extended

  11. #11
    Active Member rudym's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Mobile, Al.
    Posts
    150
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default yes yes yes - and - tire manufacturers would agree - BALANCE!

    Quote Originally Posted by Motorcycledave View Post
    YES !!!
    There is a post here I made about 10 days ago
    about this very thing,
    I was in the tire and wheel business for over 20 year until I sold and retired from that business
    I KNOW TIRES, the odds of finding a new tire that does not need to be balanced are about the
    same as winning the lotto.
    When you balance a tire you are not just balancing the tire you are balancing the tire AND the wheel.
    If you are having it balanced on the vehicle then you are balancing the entire assembly, Tire, Wheel,
    Brakes, and all...
    so yes get them balanced, it will not only make you happy with a smooth ride but it will make your tires
    happy because they will last longer.
    Ride Safe
    Dave

    PLUS 1

  12. #12
    Very Active Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Not Here
    Posts
    92,464
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default

    Get it balanced: that will NEVER hurt you.
    2010 RT A&C, RT-L, RT-L , Orbital Blue, Cognac, Jet Black

  13. #13
    Very Active Member KX5062's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Central Coast, CA
    Posts
    1,296
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    My last rear tire was a General Altimax and when balanced it took a ton of weights to get it balanced. Whether or not I would have felt anything I don't know, but I do know it would have adversely affected the ride, safety and life span of the tire if it wasn't balanced. I'm now running a Cooper CS5 and it took very little weight, so balancing wouldn't have been as critical.
    2020 RTL SE6

    Previously 2008 GS SM5 and 2014 RT SE6






  14. #14
    Very Active Member PMK's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    SoFlo
    Posts
    4,300
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default

    My tire balancer is able to balance the Spyder front tires, but a rear.

    I balanced both fronts on the fine setting, so within 1/10 oz I beleive. No shakes from the Kendas yet.

    The rear Yokohama s.Drive got one bottle of Ride On. I did check the rear tire static balance by using two jackstands and the axle. Crude but would show a heavy spot. No heavy spots were noted, so the Ride On was used. If the tire had a heavy spot, I may have had it balanced.

  15. #15
    Very Active Member AeroPilot's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    Pueblo Colorado
    Posts
    905
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default Do the best you can

    Have put on 6 Kumhos on the rear of assorted RT's and while I haven't found anyone with a machine to spin balance the rear wheel with hub, I use a axle type static balancer from Harbor Freight. I usually end up with about 4 quarter ounce weights after hand spinning and marking the tire over the course of an hour sitting on a crate in the garage. The fronts get spin balanced at Discount Tire where I usually buy the tires, but maybe its time to get some of Lamonster's Centramatic dynamic balancers and spend my time Ryding.
    2015 RT , OEM Black Gloss

  16. #16
    Very Active Member Lew L's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    forrest above Reno, Nv
    Posts
    3,621
    Spyder Garage
    1

    Default Zero weioghts

    General Altimax rear tire here and no balancing weights. The tech at Michaels Power Sports rotated the tire on the rim and got to run true and smooth with no weights. I was pleasantly surprised when they would mount a tire I brought in.

    Front tires were terrible when purchased( 2014 RTS). They changed the tires and rims out from a floor model ( they said) and all runs smooth now

    Kaos
    Kaos----- Gone but not forgotten.

    2014 RTS in Circuit Yellow, farkle-ing addiction down to once every few months. ECU FLASH IS GREAT.
    2014 RTS , Circuit Yellow

  17. #17
    Active Member Hey Yu's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2016
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    66
    Spyder Garage
    0

    Default Good Enough

    Quote Originally Posted by ruthie View Post
    husband is planning on installing a new rear tire on my 2014 RT, I usually have this done at a dealer so this will be our first time doing a tire. Is it necessary to balance the rear tire?
    Thank you
    I one time in my riding life I owned an H-D which needed a new rear tire. I took it to the dealer where the Service Manager told me 'we don't balance rear tires as it is not necessary'. I said 'if that is so, why did it come from the factory with a balanced rear wheel?' They balanced mine because I insisted. They found out how unbalanced it was. Point is, it comes from the factory balanced and what is good enough for them is good enough for me.

  18. #18
    Very Active Member DGoebel's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    Faribault, MN
    Posts
    2,209
    Spyder Garage
    2

    Default

    I followed BlueKnight911's advice on rear, no problems. I got Centramatic balancers for the fronts from Lamonster (TricLED carries them too) and won't balance any more wheel/tires on my Spyders, the ride is smooth as silk. And no wheel weights makes wheel cleaning that much easier....
    Safe Rides,
    David and Sharon Goebel
    Both Retired USAF Veterans
    2018 Anniversary Edition RT Limited
    Baja Ron ultimate swaybar. Vredestein tires, Baja Ron Front Shock Pre-load adjusters, Pedal Box, See my Spyder Garage
    IBA 70020

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •