Author Topic: Balancing tires  (Read 7046 times)

Offline cmichael

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Balancing tires
« on: March 16, 2013, 12:06:13 AM »
Getting ready to coat my rims.  Stopped by the local dealer to pick up new wheel bearings and asked how much to unmount, mount and balance tires and was quoted, 150.   Is this out of range? Have decided to unmount and mount myself( tire irons and a harbor freight bead breaker).

I still plan to have 'a' dealer balance the wheel and check disc run out etc.   What should I expect to pay? Can any bike dealer handle this job?

Have a great weekend...
1995 K75

Offline wmax351

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Re: Balancing tires
« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2013, 12:15:33 AM »
That's pretty steep. I usually pay 25 or so for a mount and balance, per wheel. That is with the wheels off the bike.
  • Albuquerque, NM
  • 91 BMW K75 Standard, 98 Moto Guzzi California EV
Bikes:
Current:1991 BMW K75 Standard, 1998 Moto Guzzi California EV11
Past: '83 BMW R65LS, '75 Honda CB550F, '69 Honda CB175, 1999 Royal Enfield Bullet 500, 1973 Triumph Tiger TR7V, 1971 BMW R75/5 in Toaster outfit, 1979 Harley Davidson XLS-1000 Sportster Roadster

Offline Niemand

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Re: Balancing tires
« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2013, 02:32:05 AM »
I'd say that's a bit steep as well.  Last quote I got was $35 per tire at a Honda dealership 2 years ago. (Wheels removed/installed by me.)  I decided to start mounting and balancing my own at that point.
Niemand
1994 K1100RS

Offline WayneDW

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Re: Balancing tires
« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2013, 11:29:06 AM »
It makes a big difference in cost if you can take it off yourself and roll it into the shop.  But call around your town and find the best cost.
  • Minneapolis, MN, USA
  • 1992 K75RT

Offline pdg

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Re: Balancing tires
« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2013, 12:05:26 PM »
Ok, so my prices are somewhat irrelevant, but I paid £10 (~$15) per wheel last time I had any mounted for me (remove old, new valve, mount new and balance).

Check disc runout? I'm assuming you mean brake disc. Why pay an hours' labour for that?

Put the bike on the stand, support it so the wheel is off the ground and turn it slowly while peering into the brake caliper - look between the pad and disc for variations in the clearance - if you want to get all posh you could stick a feeler guage in there at the highest and lowest point, subtract the thinner from the thicker to get the runout figure.

Balancing - I'm a bit 'agricultural' when it comes to this... I don't bother to have car tyres balanced at all any more and haven't noticed a difference - yet. Maybe I would notice on something smaller than a Land Rover :laugh On a bike wheel I'd do now what I've always done - push the brake pads back into the caliper a little to remove resistance from the brakes, give the wheel a few spins and if it always stops in the same place put a smallish weight at the top - repeat until it stops at random places and it'll be balanced enough. Fine, the machines will balance a wheel to within a gram these days, but take the wheel off the machine and put it back on and you'll get a different figure in a different place (I used to do it for a living, so I have tried it).

Oh, if you haven't got any already find yourself a set of rim protectors to use with the tyre levers - with aluminium wheels it's easy to gouge a chunk out of the rim.
1988 K75S

Offline cmichael

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Re: Balancing tires
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2013, 11:45:39 PM »
Got the tires off! Will call around and look for cheaper options for a mount and balance....I thought I was being hosed with the cost.   

Also, this should be moved out of projekts...my bad :dunno
1995 K75

Offline Big_B

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Re: Balancing tires
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2013, 11:54:45 AM »
I also pay between $20-25 per wheel to have them changed. But have witnessed my friend pay $85 at a dealership. As far as balancing, has anyone used the little beads available on Fleabay?

  • North Easton, MA
  • 93 K1100RS
'93 K1100RS 75K miles all stock w/Fox aftermarket shock Corbin seat.

Offline Scott_

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Re: Balancing tires
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2013, 12:11:05 PM »
I also pay between $20-25 per wheel to have them changed. But have witnessed my friend pay $85 at a dealership. As far as balancing, has anyone used the little beads available on Fleabay?

If you are referencing DynaBeads, yea I've used them going on 2 years now. They seem to work ok. My only issue comes to the mess when it's time to dismount the tire that they are inside of. I mount/dismount my own tires now.
They are good at telling you how to get them into the tire, but don't seem to give any advice on how to get them out without having them all over the floor in the process.

I seem to remember Drake or someone else using some of those air gun soft beads. The are larger diameter so you have to put them inside the tire before you finish mounting it, but they are cheap enough you could just vacuum them out and throw them away at the next tire change.
  • My Garage
1995 K1100LT 0302044
2017 FLHTK Ultra Limited
1997 K1100LT 0302488 (R.I.P.)
1997 R1100RT ZC62149(sold)
"One who does not ask questions is ashamed to learn" Danish proverb

Offline cy7878

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Re: Balancing tires
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2013, 05:00:08 PM »
That price is a lot considering you're not even getting a tire.  Are you sure that's just labor?

My local dealer ( SD BMW Motorcycle) price when I asked is that if I buy the tire from them at full retail, they mount and balance the tire for free.  From what I recall, I don't even have to take the wheel off, they will do that included.
Chuck

San Diego
1985 K100RS

Offline cy7878

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Re: Balancing tires
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2013, 05:02:09 PM »
Also, I ended up having a local motorcycle shop to the work.  They charged me $20 to dismount the old tire. Mount and balance the new one.  The shop was recommended to me by a local mega dealer who didn't have the right adapter for our wheel.   
Chuck

San Diego
1985 K100RS

Offline cmichael

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Re: Balancing tires
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2013, 05:23:22 PM »
I ended up buying some 20 irons and did the work myself, used the dynabeads and so far so good.   Plus no ugly wheel weights!
1995 K75

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