Rear tire balancing? How crucial?

[Don60]

Hello, I have a 2021 Spyder RTL and am changing the rear tire to a Vredestein 5. I do not have anyway to balance myself. Found no alignment marks to align with valve stem? The last bike I had, 2020 F3, rear tire took no weights, tire was a Kenda Canine! With a better quality tire, can I get away with just mounting and running as is? Comments/ suggestions Appreciated!

[Peter Aawen]

How crucial is rear tire balancing?? If the tire's a good quality tire (like the Vredestein's are) without any red or yellow paint dots on it, chances are it's pretty well made with 'good balance characteristics' in mind anyway, so doing an more/extra balancing is probably not all that crucial at all.

BUT, just to be sure, while you've got the wheel off the rear & once the tire is off the rim, carefully check the rim's outer bead edges and all the bits that are usually covered by the tire. There just might be marks, indents, or embossed dots on the rim itself to show its heaviest spot (if those're gonna be there, they are usually vaguely opposite the valve stem hole... ) or the point of maximum radial run-out; and IF you've got anything like that on the rim, then it'll probably be a good idea to find a local motorcycle tire fitter or someone who CAN do a balance, even if it's just a rudimentary thing! Or you might want to invest in some balance beads or goop etc (not really my preferred option! )

Seriously tho, with a single rear wheel that's held by a thru axle and the swingarm on each side & a good quality tire, there's a better than 'just good' chance that you won't need any additional balancing of the wheel assembly, especially if your previous rim/tire assy didn't have any great imbalance problems! And even if the rim DID have a bunch of weights on it with the OE Kenda fitted, it's most likely that those balance weights were necessary because of the Kenda tire - altho there have been a few instances of BRP rims being dodgy too... just no-where near as many as there's been of dodgy Kendas!!

However, if you're capable of taking the wheel off & the rim & tire have no special balance marks or dots on them, then there's a better'n very good chance you'll actually be more than capable of working out if you need anything more in the way of a suitable balance yourself anyway, even if it is a bit rudimentary! You'll only need the axle tube to spin the wheel on; a few blocks of wood or bricks to stack up high enough, or axle stands to hold the axle either side of the bearings/sprocket/disc etc in order to spin the wheel on while it's held up in it's mounted position - if you spin it a few times or more and it never settles in exactly the same spot/orientation, then it's going to be telling you it's pretty reasonably balanced anyway! (If it won't spin freely like that, check & replace the axle bearings! ) And if you also push something solid up close to but not quite touching the edge of the tire tread while you're spinning the wheel, then keep an eye out for any variations in the gap between that 'something' and the edge of the tread, no or minimal change in the gap is a strong indication that there's little if any run-out too! So if the wheel stops spinning in random spots every time & there's no great gap variation while it's spinning, then given the single rear wheel & the way that wheel is held by the swing arm teamed with the lack of balance dots/indicators on the quality tire &/or the rim, there's a pretty good likelihood that your wheel is quite well balanced and you won't ever notice or need any more balancing than that!

Only if you've gone for the cheapest or least known brand of tire you can find &/or one that's not made by a recognised/reputable tire manufacturer and it has no balance or run-out dots on it, all bets are off & you're on your own! All the above only applies to a quality tire made by a recognised & reputable manufacturer!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

How crucial is rear tire balancing?? If the tire's a good quality tire (like the Vredestein's are) without any red or yellow paint dots on it, chances are it's pretty well made with 'good balance characteristics' in mind anyway, so doing an more/extra balancing is probably not all that crucial at all.

BUT, just to be sure, while you've got the wheel off the rear & once the tire is off the rim, carefully check the rim's outer bead edges and all the bits that are usually covered by the tire. There just might be marks, indents, or embossed dots on the rim itself to show its heaviest spot (if those're gonna be there, they are usually vaguely opposite the valve stem hole... ) or the point of maximum radial run-out; and IF you've got anything like that on the rim, then it'll probably be a good idea to find a local motorcycle tire fitter or someone who CAN do a balance, even if it's just a rudimentary thing! Or you might want to invest in some balance beads or goop etc (not really my preferred option! )

Seriously tho, with a single rear wheel that's held by a thru axle and the swingarm on each side & a good quality tire, there's a better than 'just good' chance that you won't need any additional balancing of the wheel assembly, especially if your previous rim/tire assy didn't have any great imbalance problems! And even if the rim DID have a bunch of weights on it with the OE Kenda fitted, it's most likely that those balance weights were necessary because of the Kenda tire - altho there have been a few instances of BRP rims being dodgy too... just no-where near as many as there's been of dodgy Kendas!!

However, if you're capable of taking the wheel off & the rim & tire have no special balance marks or dots on them, then there's a better'n very good chance you'll actually be more than capable of working out if you need anything more in the way of a suitable balance yourself anyway, even if it is a bit rudimentary! You'll only need the axle tube to spin the wheel on; a few blocks of wood or bricks to stack up high enough, or axle stands to hold the axle either side of the bearings/sprocket/disc etc in order to spin the wheel on while it's held up in it's mounted position - if you spin it a few times or more and it never settles in exactly the same spot/orientation, then it's going to be telling you it's pretty reasonably balanced anyway! (If it won't spin freely like that, check & replace the axle bearings! ) And if you also push something solid up close to but not quite touching the edge of the tire tread while you're spinning the wheel, then keep an eye out for any variations in the gap between that 'something' and the edge of the tread, no or minimal change in the gap is a strong indication that there's little if any run-out too! So if the wheel stops spinning in random spots every time & there's no great gap variation while it's spinning, then given the single rear wheel & the way that wheel is held by the swing arm teamed with the lack of balance dots/indicators on the quality tire &/or the rim, there's a pretty good likelihood that your wheel is quite well balanced and you won't ever notice or need any more balancing than that!

Only if you've gone for the cheapest or least known brand of tire you can find &/or one that's not made by a recognised/reputable tire manufacturer and it has no balance or run-out dots on it, all bets are off & you're on your own! All the above only applies to a quality tire made by a recognised & reputable manufacturer!

I couldn't have said it better myself ...... In the past I ONLY balanced my first REAR tire swap to an Auto tire done 6 more and didn't balance any of those ..... Mike

[RudyB]

Hello, I have a 2021 Spyder RTL and am changing the rear tire to a Vredestein 5. I do not have anyway to balance myself. Found no alignment marks to align with valve stem? The last bike I had, 2020 F3, rear tire took no weights, tire was a Kenda Canine! With a better quality tire, can I get away with just mounting and running as is? Comments/ suggestions Appreciated!

Simple solution Centramatic wheel balancer’s

[shakin_jake]

Wanted to comment on what Peter said about replacing the wheel bearings. Again, Peter said if the bearings wont spin freely, replace. All well and good but a bit more precisely, when you place your hand, fingers onto the wheel bearing race and you turn it, you should feel absolutely no grittiness. The bearing should move freely. If you’re unsure what this should feel like, put your hands on a brand spanking new bearing and turn it. That’s how the bearing in your wheel should feel. Any hint of stubbornness (not wanting to spin freely) warrants replacement

This inspection needs to be done every tire replacement which leads one to ask, how difficult is it to replace a wheel bearing? Perhaps better to ask, how easy is it to replace a wheel bearing? This is actually a very simple task. All that’s needed is a suitable drift of substantial length (usually the longer the better) (foot and a half) and a heavy hammer to beat/tap the bearing out. Place the drift on the inner race and tap away. Installation is as easy as removal. You can use the old bearing placed on top of the new bearing to drive it in place. Some (most) will place the new bearing in a freezer in order for the bearing to contract a bit to ease installation. How long you freeze your bearing is up to you. If not in a hurry, overnight is best. You Tube is your friend here if you’ve never done this before. Monkey see, monkey do. This is not rocket science

Disclaimer- Others may have better and different ideas!


Best,


Jake
Reddick Fla.
Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while

[Knizar]

Hello, I have a 2021 Spyder RTL and am changing the rear tire to a Vredestein 5. I do not have anyway to balance myself. Found no alignment marks to align with valve stem? The last bike I had, 2020 F3, rear tire took no weights, tire was a Kenda Canine! With a better quality tire, can I get away with just mounting and running as is? Comments/ suggestions Appreciated!

Plus 1 on the Centramatic wheel balancers, I have them on all three wheels of our 2020 RTL. They do the job! We use this type balancer on our semi tractors & dump trucks, constantly rebalancing the tires as they wear down. Same idea as the balancing beads,
but its a 1 time expense and no hassle for years of use. "your ball, your call" ( I do my own tire changing)
..........Bill

[troop]

(1) 16oz bottle of Ride-On auto formula for both balance and puncture protection

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Simple solution Centramatic wheel balancer’s

Only somewhat " simple " .... my method has worked, for 6 tires and is even simpler .... ANNNNNNNNNNNNND costs " Zero " ...... good luck .... Mike

[Partzman23]

I agree with Blueknight911 I installed the General Altimax RT43 tire on the rear of my Spyder. Did not balance and have had no
problems what so ever after approx 9000 miles. Just be sure to remove any old weights on the wheel.
Good luck ryde safe and enjoy
Artie

[Gwolf]

Balanced the last rear new rear tire on mine with a homemade static balancing rig and it works fine. No vibration that can even be detected at any speed.

[Don60]

RudyB; yes Centramatic balancers are great, but expensive! Have two on the front, but did not get one for the rear! My bad decision at the time! We will try this tire as is, if I find it to be a problem, will have to suck it up and order the rear balancer for the next rear tire. Thanks for your input.

[Don60]

Thanks BLUEKNIGHT911 and Partzman23; your suggestions are the way I will go this round! Hoping “Free” works! That’s why I bought a quality tire! Will give you a response later this week. Thanks

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Balanced the last rear new rear tire on mine with a homemade static balancing rig and it works fine. No vibration that can even be detected at any speed.

So did you have to ADD any weights ???? ... if so how much ???? ...thanks Mike

[Gwolf]

So did you have to ADD any weights ???? ... if so how much ???? ...thanks Mike

Not much......... added 1/2 oz total of the stick on weights and it stopped all movement on the balance stand.

It was one of the Kumho 205/50-15 that I bought off Amazon.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Not much......... added 1/2 oz total of the stick on weights and it stopped all movement on the balance stand.

It was one of the Kumho 205/50-15 that I bought off Amazon.

wow that's not much ..... Auto tires are getting better and better ...... Mike .....Thanks

[Don60]

Okay, installed the rear Vredestein on my 2021 RTL today. Learned a lot, found that installing belt before you get axle in caused me a bunch of time! Should have walked belt on like I watched on a video, but finally got axle in. Now, my concern is about the axle being straight? Does it have much movement? I need to adjust the belt alignment tomorrow, off about three cards to the outside! Was perfect before I replaced tire! Definitely understand why they charge so much for this job!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Okay, installed the rear Vredestein on my 2021 RTL today. Learned a lot, found that installing belt before you get axle in caused me a bunch of time! Should have walked belt on like I watched on a video, but finally got axle in. Now, my concern is about the axle being straight? Does it have much movement? I need to adjust the belt alignment tomorrow, off about three cards to the outside! Was perfect before I replaced tire! Definitely understand why they charge so much for this job!

I have changed my rear tires a few times ..... taking out the swing arm bolt first will allow the adjusters to remain EXACTLY the way they were prior to touching the Spyder .... "axle being straight" ??? ... I don't believe you could have bent it .... if you touched the adjusters then the axle position could have changed .... and that will need to corrected. .... good luck ... Mike

[Don60]

BLUEKNIGHT911; I put duck tape on the end caps/adjusters to hold them in place before removing the axle. Agree with not bending axle, only had one hole for cotter pin, drilled it through, funny new bike did not have it installed? Anyway, going to loosen nut and use a 2x4 to push left side of axle forward to align belt, thinking it moved back as I was tightening it yesterday! This should move belt closer to the flang where it needs to be. Thanks for your thoughts…

[EdMat]

Anyway, going to loosen nut and use a 2x4 to push left side of axle forward to align belt, thinking it moved back as I was tightening it yesterday! This should move belt closer to the flang where it needs to be. Thanks for your thoughts…

I think you have that backwards. Pushing forward on the left side will cause the belt to run further to the outside.
Also, if your belt tension is where you want it to be, use the right side to adjust the tracking. Doing it that way will have less effect on belt tension.

[K80Shooter]

Loosen it back up then snug it up, lower to the ground then tighten. It will stay in place then. Also while you have it in the air take a rubber mallet (or a hammer and 2x4) and bump the adjusters forward.

[Don60]

Is there a way to visually make sure the axle is straight? Maybe a way to measure each side from axle to end caps? Wish they had adjusters with marks like many other manufacturers do! Thanks for any input, just wanting to make sure axle is straight! My OCD working against me!

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Is there a way to visually make sure the axle is straight? Maybe a way to measure each side from axle to end caps? Wish they had adjusters with marks like many other manufacturers do! Thanks for any input, just wanting to make sure axle is straight! My OCD working against me!

The BELT will tell if the axle's straight ...... there is direct relationship to both. ..... the Adjusters will alter the position of the wheel/tire via the position of the Axle .... by removing the swingarm bolt FIRST .... the adjusters will REMAIN where they were before you began removing the wheel ..... Mike

[Gwolf]

This is how I tighten the rear axle. The adjusters are never moved when the axle is pulled. I tighten the straps on both sides of the rear tire, front of straps over the cross member with lower shock/spring mount. Once the entire assembly is pulled forward so it is once again up against the adjusters, then tighten the axle before removing the straps. The axle will go right back to the exact same adjustment it held before removing it. All you have to do is check the belt tension and the belt tracking on the pulley. If it was correct when you pulled the axle, it should still be correct after you re-tighten the axle. You don't need to bump anything around or pry on anything. Just use the strap tension to pull the assembly back up against the adjusters. You don't need real large straps. Those are just the ones I had handy.

[Peter Aawen]

This is how I tighten the rear axle. The adjusters are never moved when the axle is pulled. I tighten the straps on both sides of the rear tire, front of straps over the cross member with lower shock/spring mount. Once the entire assembly is pulled forward so it is once again up against the adjusters, then tighten the axle before removing the straps. The axle will go right back to the exact same adjustment it held before removing it. All you have to do is check the belt tension and the belt tracking on the pulley. If it was correct when you pulled the axle, it should still be correct after you re-tighten the axle. You don't need to bump anything around or pry on anything. Just use the strap tension to pull the assembly back up against the adjusters. You don't need real large straps. Those are just the ones I had handy.

Can't see the pics! It looks like the remote images you tried to load are too large Gwolf

Maybe when you're posting a reply, you could scroll down a bit past the text field & try using 'Manage Attachments' to upload the image files instead of trying to attach/insert them?!?

[Gwolf]

Sorry about that, Peter. The images are on my server space under my personal Domain. Most of the forums prefer remote links to save their server space. I sometimes forget that people use cell phones to surf the net, I use a laptop.

The pics should be smaller on my original post now. I uploaded them as attachments.