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Author Topic: Tire Balance Beads  (Read 2450 times)

Offline The Mighty Gryphon

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Tire Balance Beads
« on: December 08, 2022, 04:31:04 PM »
Back around 8-9 years ago dynamic balancing beads were the big thing. 

I haven't heard anyone mention them for quite a long time.  I tried them once and the mess they made when I changed the tire convinced me I didn't want to use them anymore.

Anybody else have experience with them?  Anybody still putting them in their tires?
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  • In my garage in Marilla, NY
  • '91K100RS White/Blue
Current:
'91 K100RS16V "Moby Brick Too"

Past:
'94 K75RT "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS"
'92 K100RS16V "Moby Brick" (RIP, deceased in a vehicular assault)
'94 K75S Special Edition Dakar Yellow "Cheetos"
'89 K100RS Special Edition "Special Ed"

Offline Laitch

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Re: Tire Balance Beads
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2022, 06:36:34 PM »
After the school bus garage quit using them, our middle school cafeteria kitchen used the remainder for balancing meals. They finally just settled on serving sloppy joes and potato chips.
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  • Along the Ridley in Vermont.
  • 1995 K75 89,000 miles

Offline Chaos

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Re: Tire Balance Beads
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2022, 08:41:16 PM »
They seem to be popular over in the Ural community, which is funny because Ural's don't go fast enough for balance to be a problem.  Maybe that's why they work so well.
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  • sw ohio
1987 K75S    VIN 0231
Original owner, Original litter
200,000 miles (plus or minus) and 5 paint jobs
sold 6/23
2023 Ural 2WD sidecar (BMW's bastard step child)

Offline The Mighty Gryphon

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Re: Tire Balance Beads
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2022, 09:46:19 PM »
What a pain in the butt they were for me.  I spilled some putting them in, but when I took the tires off they went everywhere. :johnny  I was finding them for the next year.  Awful to get one under my knee when I was working low on the bike and kneeling on the floor.  When I figured the time to clean up the mess they made, it was faster to balance the old way. 
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  • In my garage in Marilla, NY
  • '91K100RS White/Blue
Current:
'91 K100RS16V "Moby Brick Too"

Past:
'94 K75RT "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS"
'92 K100RS16V "Moby Brick" (RIP, deceased in a vehicular assault)
'94 K75S Special Edition Dakar Yellow "Cheetos"
'89 K100RS Special Edition "Special Ed"

Offline frankenduck

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Re: Tire Balance Beads
« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2022, 03:28:59 AM »
Ride-on works on the same principle and is much better than Dyna-beads.
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Offline milq

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Re: Tire Balance Beads
« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2022, 05:00:18 PM »
Tried them once, wasn't impressed and  agree with the clean up!  I bought a balancing stand and went on about  my business.
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  • Southern IL
  • 1988 K75S

Offline stokester

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Re: Tire Balance Beads
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2022, 03:34:50 PM »
Quote from: milq on December 09, 2022, 05:00:18 PM
Tried them once, wasn't impressed and  agree with the clean up!  I bought a balancing stand and went on about  my business.
Same here, I use my Marc Parnes tire balancer.

If I remember right Motorcycle Consumer News (RIP) did a test where they balanced a tire using a shop spin balancer and traditional weights.  They then removed the added weights and added the specified amount of beads.  Spin balancer showed the same out-of-balance as the tire had before the initial balance.  Road test was disappointing as well.
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  • Yorktown Virginia
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Offline mw074

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Re: Tire Balance Beads
« Reply #7 on: December 12, 2022, 04:37:40 PM »
The No-Mar tire machine and balancer work great. Quick, easy tire changes.
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Offline Chaos

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Re: Tire Balance Beads
« Reply #8 on: December 12, 2022, 08:16:27 PM »
I have mounted and ridden MC tires without any balancing, and hate to admit it but never noticed any problems.  I think this is why balance beads are marketed to the MC community, they can hype them up and whether they work or not they get rave reviews.  Something about the dynamics of MC and truck tires vs car tires.  Google "balance beads for" and motorcycles and trucks come up.  Interesting, the much larger automobile market doesn't show up first. 
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  • sw ohio
1987 K75S    VIN 0231
Original owner, Original litter
200,000 miles (plus or minus) and 5 paint jobs
sold 6/23
2023 Ural 2WD sidecar (BMW's bastard step child)
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