Wheel Balancing - Dyna Beads

[Gregger]

Ok gang,

What do you guys use to balance your wheels? I've used both stick on weights with a static balancer with good success and I've also used Dyna Beads, also with no problems.

Being a bit old fashion, I was reluctant to try Dyna Beads for balancing but I also hated the marks the weights left on the rims of my rides when I removed them to rebalance. Last year I took the plunge and was really surprised. I put the prescribed amounts in both wheels and the bike was smooth as glass on the road. I have since become a convert. I've included a post to show how they work and where they are available DYNABEADS LINK

 

[ROCKETHEAD]

Used it all the time on my wings, would get 15000+ miles on a set of tires, they work great. Smooth, even wear on the tires...

Was going to us them on the R3R but since I have had bad luck with picking up sharp objects on my previous Rockets I decided to go the Ride-On way with balancing. @nolton got me interested in them, just put it in my new tires and very similar smooth ride as dyna beads plus the added security for the occasional nail...

 

[ksquared]

Motorcycle Consumer News (US), a magazine which accepts NO ADVERTISING and is, therefore, my "go to"reference for any retail motorcycle product, tested Dyna Beads in 2005. Here is the link to a reprint of MCN's review: http://msta-se.com/MC/dynabeads.pdf

Make your own determination.

 

[ROCKETHEAD]

Yea they get into theory and practice...
I tried it, it worked for me, no vibrations, no cupping, added about 4k-7k miles to a set of tires, my last Avon Cobra on the front of the 2012 Wing got 19874 miles before I got to the wear bars. No shakes at any speed, Wings are known for decel shakes between 55-35mph, never experienced any of that.

I always put a bit more in then what is called for, the last rear wheel that got beads was tested on one of these in my buddy's shop and did not need any weights...

 

[warp9.9]

Dyna beads are great unless your running high speeds for long duration's then they tend to fuse together because of the extra heat. It sux putting them through the bent valve stem so it is easier to load them in before you seal the beads.

 

[TriumPhil]

Here's an interesting conversation on the subject: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=592876

I have been using Dyna Beads exclusively on my last three motorcycles (approx. 80,000 miles of total riding) in both car tires mounted on the rear and front/rear motorcycle tires. They get two, unreserved thumbs up from me.

 

[rash_powder]

I have them in front and back on my bike since the new tires got installed. I don't think they are the Dyna Bead brand, but they are the same thing. I believe they called for 4oz per tire.

In the little riding I do anymore, which ends up being mostly highway, I can't feel any shake or sign of anything amiss.

My best understanding of how the beads work is that as a tire at speed shifts in a given direction, the beads being loose inside will tend to accumulate on the part of the tire opposite the direction of the tire shift; kind of like sand in a jar when you shake it. If the tire cant shift to distribute the beads correctly, they may not balance the tire. This is possibly why MCN found them to not work - that tire balancer anchors the tires axis and it cannot shift. No shift, no distribution.

The only downside to them is getting them in the tire. I gave up. My Dad got them in, he said it took about 15 minutes a tire.

 

[hvacnr]

I have used in the past two sets of tires on my 95 V45 Magna an item that usually raises an eyebrow or two. Before I proceeded with this I did some research in to the past. I found a past history of the usage of this and simular item with no recorded negative results. Now that I have bored you to death. I pored in a recommended weight of B B's... yes copper coated steel B B's. They worked better than the weights that were glued to the wheels and the high speed shutter/ bounce that the bike used to have vanished. All the way up to 100mph. When I the tires their was no signs of internal damage. Last year I was in North Georgia riding and had to have my back tire replaced. The dealer in Hiawassee, GA. used glue on weight to balance the new tire. You can tell the difference.

 

[cr0ft]

The problem with stuff like this is that it always involves people with opinions. Anyone who has bought these and put them in their tires is already convinced they work, and the bike could be doing the conga down the freeway and their normal human brain would still be going "this is awesome!" because they want to believe. This is not to say anyone on this board is more irrational than anyone else, I'm saying all humans without exception are completely untrustworthy when giving subjective opinions, me included. I'd like to see some actual scientific study of the topic, until then I'm going with the known-to-work spin balancing.

 

[ksquared]

The problem with stuff like this is that it always involves people with opinions. Anyone who has bought these and put them in their tires is already convinced they work, and the bike could be doing the conga down the freeway and their normal human brain would still be going "this is awesome!" because they want to believe. This is not to say anyone on this board is more irrational than anyone else, I'm saying all humans without exception are completely untrustworthy when giving subjective opinions, me included. I'd like to see some actual scientific study of the topic, until then I'm going with the known-to-work spin balancing.

+1. That's another reason I find the MCN review authoritative - they have no axe to grind and they accept no advertising. They have no reason to fabricate and have no "skin in the game" to justify a purchase decision.