Tires are simply one of the pivotal segments of a motorcycle. They will protect you from controlling and safety issues.
If you want to have a smooth and guarded ride, wheel balancing is crucial. As a bonus, we’ll also discuss how you can do it at home at the lowest cost with the help of inexpensive equipment. Just have some patience. Let’s start.
What Equipment Do You Need
- You don’t need lots of equipment or instruments to balance a tire. Here, we will be providing you with a list consisting of everything you are supposed to have while balancing your bike tires.
- A motorcycle wheel or tire – Yeah, it is pretty obvious. It is the key component.
- A level – You will use this to ensure the balancer is on a flat surface.
- A static motorcycle tire balancer – This is the most significant device for static balancing your tire.
- Wheel weights – Get low stretch variable wheel loads for perfection and accuracy.
- Degreaser – This is to eliminate garbage from the wheel to guarantee a precise equilibrium.
- Duct tape – This is optional to make sure that the wheel weights stay in the correct place.
Setting up the Balancer
Step-1:
First, dismantle the wheel from your bike. Now, hold the bike firmly by concentrating on the center stand. Then, make the lug nuts lose by moving them anticlockwise with a precise wrench. Put the nuts away and take the wheel off the motorcycle.
The center stand is under the central part of the bike. Go through the user manual for more explicit guidelines on the best way to draw in it.
Step-2:
Now, it’s time to find a leveled surface where you can set a static balancer. You can buy static balancers online or at bike repairing shops at the cost of around $100. Place the machine on the ground or a flat surface table, and find a space that appears completely even.
These days, it’s also highly accessible to get dynamic balancers. These things will test your wheel by electronic means. They are regularly used in tire and fixation shops, but usually, they’re costly.
Step-3:
You may use any kind of level measuring tool from a store to test the surface evenness of a balancer. Spot the level on the balancer’s top and tie it well to the bar. You can use masking tape here to avoid the chance of separation.
In case, the balancer isn’t level, try it to a light spot until and unless you find an even surface. The best deal for you is a magnetic level as it is closely attached to the balancer’s bar and doesn’t move.
Step-4:
Push the wheel into the balancer. There is a metal rod at the top of the balancer having two cones inward. Pull one of the cones sideways to remove it from the bar. Then push the axle sleeve into a cone by sliding the wheel onto the rod.
Step-5:
Throw the other balance cone to its original position. Put the cone back to the balance bar. Press forward until it is firmly seated in the shaft sleeve. Now, you should place the wheel in the center of the rod. It should be held firmly between the corns.
Step-6:
In this step, you have to degrease the wheels with a contact cleaner. You can do it by using a WD40 bottle or any other cleaner from a home center, automobile shop, or general store. Dip a clean cloth in the solution and use it to wipe the edges of the rim. Wipe out the debris that may affect the balance test. Try to keep your wheels always clean, as garbage can manipulate your balance test results.
The wheels are even easier to clean at any time after putting them on the balancer. All sides are easily accessible and the wheels do not collect extra debris before testing. Debris also includes the weight of the old wheels. Be sure to remove the old mass before balancing the wheels. You can also use nail polish remover to deal with stubborn things like glue residue from previous weights.
Levelling the Wheel’s Weight
Step-1:
Rotate the tire smoothly and wait for it to stop. Spin the wheel for 2-3 turns. If excessive force is applied, the speed will decrease by touching the tire with your finger. When fully stopped, the wheel’s heavy part will come at the bottom.
Put a mark on the underside of the wheel with regular masking tape. After peeling off a small portion of it, it is to be placed at the bottom of the rim. Lock it in place to commemorate the lowest point of the wheel.
Step-2:
Tie the wheel weight using tape at the endmost side of the rim. Now, buy glued wheel buttons from a nearby tire shop. At the direct opposite side of the previously marked area, there is the lightest portion of the wheel. Now, it’s time to place the weight on the rim. On the backside, before peeling, fix it with the help of masking tape.
Wheels typically come with two weights. One weighs 5g (0.18 ounces), and another is 10g (0.35 ounces). So, any of the two you may choose.
Step-3:
In this stage, just revolve the wheel to make it spin again. Now, softly rotate the wheel so that the taped side and weighted side face towards your right and left. Next, take your hand off the wheel and wait for it to stop. The heaviest side comes down again.
Step-4:
First, add and then put off the weights to make a balance to the wheels. You should always try to load at the top as the lightest portion of a wheel exists there. If the heavy part comes again at the top, it means till now it is way lighter.
Likewise, if the weight is at the bottom, it is heavy and indicates you need to move it away from the skirt. One important point here to be mentioned is, you should clear the wheel after a regular interval. By doing this, you can easily get rid of any sticky substances. Eventually, your wheel will perform better.
Step-5:
In this step, you are almost at the balanced point. Therefore, stop adding any additional weights till the wheel stops rotating autonomously. Now, check the wheel by turning it to the heavier and lighter sides to the right and left again.
The moment when the wheel becomes balanced, the tire does not move. The heavy phase will no longer fall towards down. To confirm the balance, give some extra shots as described earlier. Test the wheel by moving the end of the tape to another point and releasing the wheel. Also, slowly rotate the wheel for 2-3 turns.
Step-6:
It is the final step of the entire procedure. Make sure you have secured the weights with perfect placing before altering the wheel. First, fetch the heavy ends at the base. Then, rub out the viscous stuff if there is in the backside of the weight.
Now, put a certain level of force onto the rim. It fits on the inside of the rim exactly next to the spokes. Move the wheels to the bike again and enjoy riding!
So, this is it!
This way, you will be capable of balancing the tire of your motorcycle, I can guarantee.
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