Does anyone fit their own tyres? What about balancing?

If you line up the yellow or green dot on the tyre sidewall with the valve a bike tyre shouldnt need balancing....apparently:rob

guys and gals, i own my own garage and tyre fitting outfit, as for the "dots" yes this can be true but dont take it as gospel as i have fitted several tyres to bikes ( 1 was my own B King rear) and after checking the balance on our balancer it was a massive 80grms out! i sent the tyre back for exchange, fitted another one from stock and bingo all was ok all but 5grms that is.:thumb

so yes they can be a help but dont put ur life on it!:confused:

This is not an add, but if ur near me and i can be of assistance i will fit to loose wheels for £7.50 balanced! de14 1qh
 
I'm going to start changing my own tyres so I've followed this thread with a bit of interest and there seems to be the usual split of those that balance/ those that don't.

Since I don't think my mechanical sympathy wold let me away with not balacing my tyres I thought about using this wee gadget from ebay, anybody used this or similar ?
 
Hey Roddy...

I'm pretty sure alot of the GS experienced guys will tell you that you will need some format of adapter to use that style balancer with the GS rear wheels? I know you can buy the adapters for sure...

The front wheel could easily be balanced in the bike with the calipers flipped up to prevent friction. The rear wheel is a different story I fear... Also using that balancer would you then buy wheel weights and stick on? It's a nightmare subject :blast

Did you read the posts about using puncture repair gunk or dynabeads? There is also an EXCELLENT point regarding having balanced wheels and tyres then skidding the rear wheel (non ABS) creating a flat spot! This will instantly throw the fixed baalnce out where as the dynamic balancing media of dyna beads or gunk would instantly compensate for this.

BTW... what tyres are you fitting? I've read all the bollox about all sorts of tyres and comparisons but lets face it... It would appear that unless you intend riding on nothing but tarmac people use the Tourance or TKC?

Today I rode down the lane outside my house which was lose gravel, mud, pot holes, ice and a little slope with turns... It's far from what I would call off roading but the Tourance tyres felt like riding on water??? No feed back, lose washy and didnt give any confidence!? So whats all the fuss about?

If the Tourance is the closest compromise between road and off-road then TKC's are the only way forwards!!!
 
Also using that balancer would you then buy wheel weights and stick on? It's a nightmare subject :blast

Did you read the posts about using puncture repair gunk or dynabeads? There is also an EXCELLENT point regarding having balanced wheels and tyres then skidding the rear wheel (non ABS) creating a flat spot! This will instantly throw the fixed balance out where as the dynamic balancing media of dyna beads or gunk would instantly compensate for this.

BTW... what tyres are you fitting? I've read all the bollox about all sorts of tyres and comparisons but lets face it... It would appear that unless you intend riding on nothing but tarmac people use the Tourance or TKC?

Today I rode down the lane outside my house which was lose gravel, mud, pot holes, ice and a little slope with turns... It's far from what I would call off roading but the Tourance tyres felt like riding on water??? No feed back, lose washy and didnt give any confidence!? So whats all the fuss about?

If the Tourance is the closest compromise between road and off-road then TKC's are the only way forwards!!!

I use a similar thing but as a ballance rig (basicaly looks the same but with a roller frame not a paddock stand for £35, I also got a load of stick on weights so I'm all set for the next 50 tyres and sort mates tyres too.

As for Tyre choice, I've been using Avon Distanzias, they make a good mibble ground as they are just a touch more aggressive than the Tourances they last pretty well and stick like crap to a blanket in most conditions:thumb2

0000_Avon_AM44_Distanzia_Rear_Tire_--.jpg
 
I'm pretty sure alot of the GS experienced guys will tell you that you will need some format of adapter to use that style balancer with the GS rear wheels? I know you can buy the adapters for sure...

This is true, I would have thought though that a greasy spindle through the wheel hub would throw out the free movement of the wheel so using this cone arrangement would let the wheel move more freely, also you could easily get a larger set of cones made up so you could use the same jig for the rear wheel

The front wheel could easily be balanced in the bike with the calipers flipped up to prevent friction. The rear wheel is a different story I fear... Also using that balancer would you then buy wheel weights and stick on? It's a nightmare subject :blast

you can buy box's of self stick weights from ebay for less than a tenner in fixed or mixed weights, I would guess experience would quickly let you know what weight range you would need, starting by looking at what weights are currently on your wheels ?

Did you read the posts about using puncture repair gunk or dynabeads?

I like the idea, and it does make sense, just not heard of anybody actually doing it, and there not the cheapest things, would a bag of wee ball bearings not do the same thing?
regarding the puncture gunk doing something similar, as far as I understand the gunk coats the inside of the tyre but isn't free running as beads would be, since most of these gunk things do instruct you to go for a 5 mile ride after filling your tyre, so the gunk gets distrubuted evenly ?

BTW... what tyres are you fitting?

same as AndrewD, Avon Distanzia's, brilliant tyre, good wear rate I reckon my rear has done about 8000miles front still looks good for another 12K easily, good confidence in all weathers, I've done a wee bit of gentle off-roading on gravel tracks and found then to be confidence inspiring.
I had Bridgestones BT020s fitted when I bought the bike never really got on with them

forgot to mention these where fitted to a 1150gsa
 
on the 1100/1150, you just need a larger cone to do the back wheel, Though I never bother doing the back, though if I am doing the front, I will put the back on the balancer, but unless its massivly out, I just leave it unbalanced, its never been massivly out though, the front I take more care of, its not getting the wheel perfect though, as long as I get it to the point that it is moving to the heavy point real slowly.

You use stick on weights, but you tape them to the rim initialy, to find the amount needed, once your happy, then you stick the weight on the rim properly :thumb2
 
I too fit my own tyres have done for the past 27 years:confused: and all you need is some good tyre levers, tyre soap and some rim protectors or as someone else said reinforced garden hose which you just slit and put over the rim edge.
made my own bead breaker too which does car/van tyres too, its all about the right tools for the job, and as for balancing i use a static balancer one i got off a race chap who did his own, easy to use.
And yes it makes a difference if the tyre is a little bit warmer to re fit it just glides on, but really its all about keeping one side of the tyre pushed in the wheel well and working it round practice makes perfect:eek
i use stick on weights i bought a box from local garage :thumb
 

Roddy, nice find mate! :thumb2 how cool is that!?!? :)

It goes to show the principle works! It's deffinitely the way forwards once I have my new tyres fitted. Also provides a reassuring way of knowing self fitted tyres are balanced too! :rolleyes:
 
dynabeads

wont these beads "shotblast" the inside of the rim and the tyre?
after watching the video its a question i pondered....
 
dynabeads

why dont you just go to trevs tyres in the bont..... he's cheap as anybody does a good job, likes a chat and he's really close to where you live?
 
wont these beads "shotblast" the inside of the rim and the tyre?
after watching the video its a question i pondered....

Dynabeads will only affect the inside of race tyres due to the soft compound. "normal" road use tyre are of a harder construction and are not affected at all.

Also the wheel rims would never be touched as the beads are forced to the outside of the tyre through centrafugal forces. :rob
 
why dont you just go to trevs tyres in the bont..... he's cheap as anybody does a good job, likes a chat and he's really close to where you live?

Tried calling Trev over the space of a few days and at different time but no answer? I just get the voice mail?

I guess he could be snowed out of work?

Also if this company I found www.mytyres.co.uk actually deliver it would be hard for anyone to compete against the price of £112 delivered for the pair! The money i'm saving pays for the balance "method" and a new set of tyre levers etc :D
 
With few exceptions, I have changed my tyres for the last 40 years.

It is relatively easy once you understand how it can be done and with some reasonably good equipment.

With regards to balancing, I use the Marc Parnes balancer, possibly the best made wheel balance mechanism for the home mechanic.

I have never heard of Dynabeads before and watching the demonstration they look quite good, I wouldn't use them, but it appears they do a reasonable job of balancing a wheel.

One other person on this thread, mentioned the Marc Parnes wheel balancer as well.

Mick.
 


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