Wheel Balancing

[roadlizard]

Yamaha service man told me to never remove the stick on wheel weights as the S-10 spoked wheel was dynamically balanced at the factory without the tire. I have been using dyna beads in the Fatboy, ST1300 and KLR 650 (spoked wheel) for 3 years with no issues.

My first impression is to remove the factory stick on weights and add the usual dose of 1 oz. beads in front tire and 2 ozs. beads in rear tire. Have any Super Tenere riders removed the factory weights and using dyna beads for balancing?

Thanks, Dave

 

[jozmoto]

Yamaha service man told me to never remove the stick on wheel weights as the S-10 spoked wheel was dynamically balanced at the factory without the tire. I have been using dyna beads in the Fatboy, ST1300 and KLR 650 (spoked wheel) for 3 years with no issues.

My first impression is to remove the factory stick on weights and add the usual dose of 1 oz. beads in front tire and 2 ozs. beads in rear tire. Have any Super Tenere riders removed the factory weights and using dyna beads for balancing?

Thanks, Dave

Mine did not have any weights at all from the factory. I am using Dynabeads in the rear at the moment. They always seem to work for me.

 

[colorider]

Yamaha service man told me to never remove the stick on wheel weights as the S-10 spoked wheel was dynamically balanced at the factory without the tire.

Sounds like BS to me. Why would they balance the wheel and not the wheel/tire combo?

::010::

 

[Fintenere]

Mine did not have any weights at all from the factory. I am using Dynabeads in the rear at the moment. They always seem to work for me.

Mine didn't have either. I was a little surpriced. I checked balancing, front tire took 20 grams and rear 5 grams.
Before balancing max speed was about 150 kms/h but I didn't notice any vibration.

 

[motocephalic]

I was told the same thing, the rim was balanced without the tire, and to never remove the wheel weights from the rim. If I needed to re-balance the tire to do so accounting for the original wheel weights. I have never seen this done on any other bike I have owned. I have not removed the original tires yet , but will balance them as I always do when I change them out.

 

[Firefight911]

Ok, so they balanced the rim, great....

I would do one of two things from here on out;

1 - Utilize the location of the weights as the point I align the weight dot of the tire to instead of aligning it to the valve stem.

2 - Re-weigh the rim for balance to verify that it hasn't changed with rim use, etc.

No way I would just leave it as is. But that's me.

 

[whisperquiet]

I changed the rear tire (for a trip) from the OEM Tourance EXP to a Battle Wing.........used 1/2 oz of weight to balance. The front tire is the OEM Tourance EXP and the wheel has no weight on the wheel/is smooth as glass.

 

[markjenn]

What this "Yamaha service man" is saying doesn't pass the common sense test. While it is a good idea to check the balance of the bare rim prior to mounting a tire (to find the heavy spot to place next to the light mark on the tire and not assume it is where the valve stem is), when the day is done, you've got to balance the entire wheel with the tire - having the rim balanced without the tire only works if the tire is perfectly balanced and they almost never are. If Yamaha is just balancing the rim and then mounting a tire without further balancing, they're being terribly remiss. I think it is much more likely this guy simply doesn't know what he is talking about.

If you're using Dynabeads, I could see where leaving the wheel weights in place might take care of major imbalance that is mostly in the bare rim and allow the Dynabeads to be more of a "fine-tuning" balance for the tire imbalance. So not stripping the weights prior to bead applications might make sense from the perspective of thinking the beads won't do the full job.

I believe Dynabeads to be snake oil, but that's another thread.

- Mark

 

[hojo in sc]

I wouldn't let that wrench touch my bike again!

 

[motocephalic]

Yamaha must have had it printed someplace in the "set up" instructions, otherwise, it is unlikely that two different sales set up teams would say the same thing. I've got to say that it made no sense when he said it to me either.

 

[colorider]

I wouldn't let that wrench touch my bike again!

::026::

 

[jajpko]

Yamaha must have had it printed someplace in the "set up" instructions, otherwise, it is unlikely that two different sales set up teams would say the same thing. I've got to say that it made no sense when he said it to me either.

I have a copy of the setup directions and will look in the morning. I believe both techs are mistaken, but will check.

 

[fredz43]

I have a copy of the setup directions and will look in the morning. I believe both techs are mistaken, but will check.

I don't have my copy of the setup instructions with me, but have read them and set up a few S10's and don't recall that being in there. Those instructions relate to how to complete assembly of the bike. It wouldn't make sense to put such info in setup instructiions, as the setup person does not do any balancing when setting it up, so that is not part of the setup procedure.

 

[jajpko]

I don't have my copy of the setup instructions with me, but have read them and set up a few S10's and don't recall that being in there. Those instructions relate to how to complete assembly of the bike. It wouldn't make sense to put such info in setup instructiions, as the setup person does not do any balancing when setting it up, so that is not part of the setup procedure.

I agree that it does not make sense, and knowing you have read the instructions and setup some bikes, I won't bother looking. ::025::

 

[fender5803]

Mine did not have any weights at all from the factory. I am using Dynabeads in the rear at the moment. They always seem to work for me.

I couldn't find any balance weights on my bike either. I was about to order up DynaBeads for this bike but never did because bike feels nice and balanced now at all speeds up to and including 100 MPH. I may put them in anyway. They seem to work fine on my other ride. I did notice on the S10 the dots were both at the valve.
best, DT

 

[AKC Tenere]

Arent the spokes tightened less or more to true and balance the wheels?

 

[Checkswrecks]

To true it yes.
Balance has nothing to do with the spokes.