RT front tire balancing

[MS JETSON]

I had my dealer install new front tires last summer and was told by the dealer the never balance the spyder tires. I have taken the front wheels to several tire shops and they tell my that the center hole is too small so it won't fit on their balance machine. The tires are out of balance and vibrate badly at highway speed.
What is everyone else doing?

[Lew L]

I had my dealer install new front tires last summer and was told by the dealer the never balance the spyder tires. I have taken the front wheels to several tire shops and they tell my that the center hole is too small so it won't fit on their balance machine. The tires are out of balance and vibrate badly at highway speed.
What is everyone else doing?

Hello MS,
Go to a motorcycle shop that can change and balance tires. A regular tire shop may not have the correct fittings for a rim. But a motorcycle shop would. Heck of a dealer ( stealer ) who will sell you a but can't balance the tires that oare on it. Look for another dealer, really.

Lew L

PS: We just love our ' RTS in Circuit Yellow

[SpyderAnn01]

Wow, that’s really sad considering how poorly balanced the wheels are and how crappy the Kenda tires are. But like Lew said any motorcycle tire shop can do it and modt Motorcycle dealers will also.

[Grandpot]

My local tire shop can balance my front tires. They have the small adapter. I have been very lucky being able to static balance my rear tire myself.

[Bensonoid]

I have an old, basic, bubble balancer that the fronts fit on. It's not the one that harbor freight sells but it looks just like it. It works very well and I'm sure the one from harbor does also.

[Wildrice]

I have an old, basic, bubble balancer that the fronts fit on. It's not the one that harbor freight sells but it looks just like it. It works very well and I'm sure the one from harbor does also.

Bubble balancers work just fine on 98% of tires. That's what racing bike use.

[rpopdan]

The Centramatic wheel balancers from Lamonster work great on my 2015 RT-S. Just don't forget to remove all the old weights.

[PMK]

The Centramatic wheel balancers from Lamonster work great on my 2015 RT-S. Just don't forget to remove all the old weights.

We do not run the Centramatics on our machine, but a while back the discussions leaned towards using quality tires that were well balanced, and let the Centramatics fine balance them. Apparently, there is a limit to how much imbalance a Centramatic will correct.

[jcthorne]

The Centramatic wheel balancers from Lamonster work great on my 2015 RT-S. Just don't forget to remove all the old weights.

NO. Do not remove old weights. The tire/wheel assembly needs to be balanced first, then apply the Centramatics. The small centramatics used for Spyders can only handle about 2 oz of imbalance.

[trikermutha]

I ended up buying the hub cone to fit my wheel and take it with me to the tire shop. This way I get the tires balanced and not have to take it to all the tire shops in the area to tell me the same thing.

I also found some Motorcycle shops are charging way to much to change and balance tires.

[dg110270]

Where did you get the hub cone?

[ecarrion]

I ended up buying the hub cone to fit my wheel and take it with me to the tire shop. This way I get the tires balanced and not have to take it to all the tire shops in the area to tell me the same thing.

I also found some Motorcycle shops are charging way to much to change and balance tires.

Triker...do you have a p/n for the hub cone?

[trikermutha]

Triker...do you have a p/n for the hub cone?

Let me check. believe I got off ebay with a 40mm hole and outside was small like 2 to 3 inches??

[PMK]

Triker...do you have a p/n for the hub cone?

You may need to know the tire balancer make and model in order to purchase the adapter cone. A good shop should have no issues having the proper adapter. In the past folks here inquired if the shop had the ability to balance Smart Car wheels, seems that adapter works on the Spyder also.

[Flamewinger]

My dealer uses Dyna beads ad I've been using them for years. Simple to put 2oz in fronts and 3oz in rear and go.

[Woodaddict]

I had Walmart change and balance my fronts. Also you can try the Centramatic wheel balancers from Lamonster and others

[Tulefog]

I used Dyna Beads in the front tires when i replaced them.
Cycle Gear store put on new tires and added the Beads.

[PMK]

The shops unable to fit the wheel onto the machine likely just have not purchased a full set of adapters. For some crazy reason to fill my tool fetish, I purchased a Snap On dynamic balancer and have it here at the house. It is for automobile and pick up type wheels. The Spyder fronts fit my machine and even the Kendas rolled smooth once correctly balanced. However, the aftermarket tires I installed are certainly far superior to the Kendas.

[jcthorne]

So sorry to hear of dealers that refuse to invest in the correct tools to do work correctly. Dyna beads are a band-aid solution for not having the correct equipment. Select a shop that can do the job right. The OEM front wheels and especially Kenda tires are very poorly balanced and the assembly NEEDS to be properly balanced before its installed on the bike. Anything less will lead to a poor riding bike. If a small shop like mine can have the right tools, so can a multi-million dollar CanAm dealership. There simply are no excuses for not doing the job right.

[PMK]

So sorry to hear of dealers that refuse to invest in the correct tools to do work correctly. Dyna beads are a band-aid solution for not having the correct equipment. Select a shop that can do the job right. The OEM front wheels and especially Kenda tires are very poorly balanced and the assembly NEEDS to be properly balanced before its installed on the bike. Anything less will lead to a poor riding bike. If a small shop like mine can have the right tools, so can a multi-million dollar CanAm dealership. There simply are no excuses for not doing the job right.

Even more crazy, me, having the means to dynamic balance Spyder tires in my own home workshop and not in business to do so. Can Am needs to have a required tool inventory for the dealers wishing to remain as dealers. Then again, with the talent pool in so many hands on trades at whale**** lows, I guess most techs would be dumbfounded trying to balance a tire anyway, unless it had a USB port to plug the computer into so the computer could tell them what to do...

[zuni]

Goodyear has always taken care of the front tires for me and Cycle Gear has done the rear. Cycle Gear provides the balancing as a free service.

CJ Jax

[MS JETSON]

Thanks everyone for your replies. We solved the problem with an old "bubble" balancer

[PMK]

Thanks everyone for your replies. We solved the problem with an old "bubble" balancer

Realize that initially, and possibly still, Can Am balanced the wheels in a static format. Essentially the same as a bubble balance setup. There is a service bulletin advising dealers to accomplish a true dynamic balance of the front tires. With dynamic balancing, you apply weights in two planes, one inside the inner flange and along the outside flange. Doing this not only provides rotational balance but lessens the imbalance created by precession or wobble. If you have the time and means, you will be better served with a true dynamic balance on the fronts.

The rear is less critical to dynamic balance as it is supported by a thru axle setup and will not wobble or shake the handlebars, but can vibrate rotationally.

[Lew L]

Totally off topic But I'll take the hit for that.

Is your husband/ boyfriend/ et.al. named " GEORGE"

I apoligize but I just couldn't help myself

Lew L

[Dan-Am]

Wow! Similar experience here. I took 2 loose tires (new-non-Kenda) and 2 new wheels into a beautiful local dealer, asking them to mount and balance the pair. When I picked them up, I was charged $85, but I noticed, when putting them in the back of my truck, there were NO WEIGHTS on them! I was told "well They must not have needed any weights". Yeah right! I made them track down the "tech" who mounted them, and he told me they never balance Spyder wheels...."they are so small, they don't need it"!!!I promptly demanded they balance them, and then was told they don't have the adapter to fit Spyder wheels. I asked for a refund for the balancing, which they refused, saying that the $85 was just for mounting (remember, they didn't even have to dismount any tires). Disgusted, I stormed out and stopped by Pep Boys on the way home. They balanced them in 10 minutes at NO CHARGE!!! (I tipped the guy, of course). BRP needs to get a handle on their dealerships for sure!