Mount and balance tires

[joeb]

Morning all.

Question. I have an 03 rt1150 and am contemplating changing my own tires as I go through a couple sets a year. Since I pull the wheels myself I figure I'm half way there as far as labor goes, might as well save $40-$80 on shop fees. I've been watching videos on mounting tires using bars, spoons , even tie wraps and it seems doable. My question is, what about balancing? Some people don't bother , others buy a balancing jig. Any ideas or great thoughts ? And specific to BMWs, since the rear wheel doesn't use a conventional axle, how would I mount the rear wheel to the jig ? Adapter ? Would appreciate any tips on the subject or recommendations for good supply house for equipment. Thanks JB

[szurszewski]

You've pretty much covered the options and opinions and you'll find both here among our experienced high mile riders - some balance every time, some don't balance ever, some balance the wheels but don't bother with the tire/wheel combo.

 

Google Mark Parnes balancer - it's a simple setup you can buy with a stand or use on some jack stands/homemade stand. Not too spendy, especially if you do multiple changes a year, and you can get the right adapter to work with your wheels.

 

If you've got the space, you change often enough to justify the cost of tire mounting set up - either the cheaper buy the harbor freight and get some accessories and make some modifcations, or even look for a good used NoMar or similar setup.

 

 

[dirtrider]

Afternoon joeb

 

 

BMW 1150 tire mounting by hand is a real pain. It can be done but it is ever so easy to screw up a wheel in doing so.

 

90° + sun on an asphalt driveway is your friend here. So are plastic rim protectors (if you value the paint on your wheels)

 

Put the wheels/tires out in the hot sun for a couple of hours & it will go MUCH easier.

 

If you balance ( I have & I haven't) you WILL need a rear wheel adapter for your balancer. You can use the large plastic centering cone but it sure isn't that accurate.

 

If you don't ride at speeds over 90 mph then you probably won't need to balance as most UPLEVEL motorcycle tires are pretty evenly made now.

[The Rocketman]

Or you can buy pretty inexpensive DynaBeads and you won't need any kind of balancer. Just buy enough beads for your size tire, and you're good to go. I have them in 3 of my 4 bikes with no issues and they seem to work just fine.

http://innovativebalancing.com/

[joeb]

Thanks Rocketman.

Never heard of dynabeads But they do appeal to my lazy side.

Went to their website but can't find info on where to purchase. Checked Napa auto site and they don't appear to carry them either. Where do I get them ? Thanks

[waynerd]

My buddy gets his Dyna Beads online from Rocky Mountain ATV. I only know this because he was complaining about the way they packed his order one time...he received the package with a zillion beads sprinkled in the bottom of the box. Looks like you can also get from Amazon or Ebay. Revzilla and Motorcycle Superstore sell a similar product...Counteract (brand) balancing beads. I had a shop that used beads in a set tires I had installed - no issues.

[mikeR1100R]

I have been changing my own tires for a few years now using tire spoons, a great big bar and a block of wood as a bead breaker (got a bead breaker for Christmas so can't wait to try that) and Dynabeads for balancing. Dynabeads seem to work fine and you can re-use them for 2 or 3 tire changes. They do eventually wear out.

[joeb]

Was wondering if beads were reusable. Harbor freight offers a balance rig for $40, weights for $9. Probably wouldn't use all weights at one time. Beads cost around $30.Seems pretty expensive for some plastic beads. Probably balance with weights as after one time would be more cost effective.

[LikeBikes]

I started to change my own tyres a while back.

 

I sweated over the first set, the second set where a breeze.

 

I bought a bead breaker off ebay some cheap levers and protectors and some household washing up liquid for a bit of lube.

 

The edges of the levers were a bit sharp so I softened them with a soft pad on the grinder.

 

After breaking the beads I put a piece of carpet over a couple of 500mm high work trestles and stood or knelt on the edges of the tyre to push them down and got them started with the levers. 10 mins on 10 mins back and balance in a cheapo balancer that fits on a paddock stand.

 

Not done my BMW yet but done my Fireblade and GSXR.

 

Pete

[The Rocketman]

I've been buying my Dyna Beads direct from Dyna Beads. They run about $4 an ounce, so its about the same cost as lead weights, but not as ugly, and I don't need a balance rig and my tires usually use 1 or 2 oz per tire, depending on which bike. Never needed their applicator tool, as we just dump them in after re-breaking the bead. I guess they are re-useable as they're made out of ceramic (or something similar) but for what they cost, and how often I change tires, I just dispose with the old, and buy new. You can buy a larger bag, and split it into 1 oz bags yourself, but you don't save too much that way. Don't buy their anti-clog valves either. They only fit larger car valve stems, not bike valve stems.

 

Here's their order page:

http://www.innovativebalancing.com/gallery1.php

[elkroeger]

I did my first tire a couple months ago on my wife's bike. Remarkable how easy it was. Watch youtube. Use some 2x4s to keep your brake disks out of the dirt. You'll be fine. I got the motion pro bead breaker. Worked great! I went for the parnes balancer. Great product, and super easy too! It's so easy, I can't fathom why people skip this step.

[lkraus]

Was wondering if beads were reusable. Harbor freight offers a balance rig for $40, weights for $9. Probably wouldn't use all weights at one time. Beads cost around $30.Seems pretty expensive for some plastic beads. Probably balance with weights as after one time would be more cost effective.

 

Check the HF reviews on that balancer, the quality in recent years seems to vary quite a bit. Mine is about nine years old, one of the supposedly "good" ones. In spite of a slightly bent axle, I used it twice with decent results on my old Yamaha. Shortly after buying my RT in 2012, I attempted to buy the HF adapter to fit a BMW rear hub. Although the then-current HF manual and ads claimed it was available, it really was discontinued. Two emails to HF to verify this and questioning the statements in the online description yielded only a couple of surprisingly rude responses. I purchased the Marc Parnes balancer and adapter and have been quite pleased. The axle is straight and rigid, the parts are well finished and the bearings seem to have much less friction than the HF version.

[ltljohn]

I have one of the HF adapters for BMW. Since it I sold the RT it is available.

[elkroeger]

I thought this video was particularly good.

 

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Google Mark Parnes balancer - it's a simple setup you can buy with a stand or use on some jack stands/homemade stand. Not too spendy, especially if you do multiple changes a year, and you can get the right adapter to work with your wheels.

 

+1. Here's the link:

 

http://www.marcparnes.com/BMW_Motorcycle_Wheel_Balancer.htm

 

I made my own adapter for my 1100RT, but when I bought my 1200RT six years ago, I bought a Marc Parnes adapter. Not everyone balances their tires, but if you plan to, I highly recommend this tool for the job; it's very well-made.