Tires...weights or Balls!

Bondysbike

Turbocharged
Joined
Aug 20, 2016
Messages
774
Location
Florida via Liverpool.
Ride
Rocket Roadster
Recent posts around ham fisted techs damaging wheels when changing tires made me want to ask...

What’s the teams view on using ‘beads’ inside tire as opposed to lead weights on the outside of wheels?

( I think they are called beads)
 
I use Ride-On Tire Sealant. I still have the wheels/tires balanced when getting new tires put on. If one puts 25% more sealant in the tire than is called for to seal the tire. There is a chart that indicates how much sealant to put in based on tire size. For the R3T it is 8 ozs to seal the stock front tire (150/80 16) and 10 ozs to seal and balance. For the stock size rear tire (180/70 16) it is 11 ozs to seal the tire and 14 ozs to seal and balance. The additional sealant acts as a balancing aid like the beads which can balance a tire. For me this is a two for one benefit: sealing the tires against a puncture and balancing the tire. This stuff has worked really well for me on both counts. I was once told when replacing a rear tire that there were 4 nails in the tire that was replaced. I had not had any loss of pressure prior to the tire change. I also keep a close watch on my tire pressure using the Garmin tire pressure sensors along with my Zumo 395.
 
I have never used the balls. Only weights. Good subject. I do know that the tire will move or slip after mounting, making the weights inaccurate, causing you to have to rebalance
 


Interesting!
 
TheKid said:
I do know that the tire will move or slip after mounting, making the weights inaccurate, causing you to have to rebalance
Click to expand...

Good point.
Next time I have either Tyre changed, I'm going to ask the Guys at the shop to throw the wheel on the balancer before they remove the old Tyre just to see what it's like.
This could be one reason why a new Tyre always "feels" so good, that is apart from the fact that we now have a "proper" profile Tyre.
Rear Tyre's I don't find too much different as I wear them the full width of the tread, so they still have a "round" profile.
But front tyres, I cut the sides off with still plenty of rubber in the middle, so the profile of the Tyre is way out of shape.

Having said the above about the rear Tyre, I still notice a big difference when I've had a new one fitted.
Especially so if I've done both tyres at the same time, the bike is quite different.
 

This very reason was why I believe the advocates of beads use them...they continually balance the tires.
 
I used Dyno beads in my 08 touring when I had it and I was satisfied with them
 
I have used the beads, never had a issue on mine. We did have a big problem with the wife's bike one year in Maggie Valley that required a trip to the Indian shop. Both tires had to be removed, cleaned and balanced. Never showed up on the flatlands but it sure did in the twisties .

Went back to the tried and true old ways.


That one took a full ounce to get balanced. My theory is the beads and goo will work ok if it's only slightly out but at some point they can't keep up.

Both of Laurels tires took an ounce or more when we had the issue with hers.
 
Paul . Have you considered mismatched crown radii? - Reason being I suffer exactly the same condition and I wonder if this is part of the issue - in addition to the rather large discrepancy in widths.
 
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