How to Balance a Motorcycle Tire
When you ride your bike, you want to feel confident that you’re going at the right speed. If you notice a vibration at certain speeds, it can be an indication that your wheel is imbalanced. It’s important to balance your motorcycle tire regularly, since this can help you keep your tires in good condition and save you money on fuel.
How to Balance Your Motorcycle Tire
You can balance your tire by yourself at home, but you may need to consult a professional if you’re not sure how to do it. The process can be time consuming, so it’s best to have someone experienced to help you out.
The first step in balancing a motorcycle tire is to remove any debris from the wheel, including old wheel weights that can leave adhesive residue. This makes it easier to do the test.
Once you’ve removed any debris, you need to mark the lowest point of the wheel with masking tape. This will help you keep track of the lightest and heaviest points when adding wheel weights.
Another tool you can use is a piece of chalk. This will keep you from straying too far from the center of the tire. You can also use double-stick tape to temporarily hold the weights in place while you’re balancing your motorcycle tire.
To determine the heaviest part of your tire, spin the tire 2 or 3 times and watch the side that stops at the bottom. This is usually the heaviest side and it will be the one you’ll need to add more weight to.
Next, stick a piece of tape on the heaviest side and spin it again to make sure that the tape stays on the heaviest side. This will help you determine the exact opposite side of the wheel that is the lightest.
After determining the lightest side of your tire, put wheel weights on it 180 degrees from the heaviest side. Do not stick the weights directly to the wheel, as this could damage it.
If the tire does not rotate automatically when you add the weights, it’s not balanced yet and needs to be further tested. The heavier side of the tire will still move if you spin it two or three times, but the lighter side won’t fall back to the bottom.
You can use a wheel balancer to balance your motorcycle tire, but this is more expensive than simply adding weights. You’ll need to have the balancer attached to a stand and you’ll need to be comfortable spinning the tire on the balancer.
Once the tire is on the balancer, you need to spin it slowly until it stops. You should be able to see that the heavier side of the tire is on the right and the light side is on the left.
Once the tire has stopped spinning, you should be able to tell that it’s balanced by rotating the tire on its own. The lighter side should stop moving, while the heavy side won’t.
