The Necessity of Motorcycle Wheel Balancing
When comes to motorcycle tyre replacement, many individuals just mount the tyre on the wheel hub and use it immediately. They refuse to go to the balancing machine to perform any motorcycle wheel balancing tests. This article will explain why it is necessary to balance motorcycle wheels.
One possible explanation for this is that they are unaware of how crucial two-wheeler wheel balancing is. However, the whole scenario is rather easy due to the lack of equipment, and balancing two-wheeler wheels is not possible.
What then is wheel balancing on a motorcycle? Do motorcycle tyres require dynamic balancing? The definition and significance of motorcycle wheel balancing are explained in this article.
What is Motorcycle Wheel Balancing?
The process of counterweighting so that the wheel adjusts the balance of each edge component is known as motorcycle wheel balancing.
Counterweight = wheel balance
There is some degree of mass variation in the tyre and rim mass distribution because of the manufacturing process used to make motorcycle tyres. There are also little lead bumps on the new vehicle wheels because the static balance can still be adjusted at this time.
The hub, tyre, and other components make up the wheel portion of the motorcycle. When parts are lost, the condition of the tyre wear changes, and other factors occur, the wheel’s overall weight becomes unbalanced.
As a matter of fact, throughout the manufacturing process of tyres and wheels, there will be a weight imbalance that, while not immediately apparent at moderate speeds, will result in vibrations in the handlebars and shaking wheels at high speeds. To prevent this, we must add lead to the hub to modify the wheel counterweight. Dynamic balancing is the process of determining equilibrium on a rolling wheel.
Does wheel balance for motorcycles have to be done?
Vehicles tend to have more balancing, and many individuals learn how important it is only after they have an accident while driving. In actuality, dynamic balance tests are also required for motorcycles.
Additionally, individuals frequently overlook the issue of motorcycle wheel balancing. Motorcycle tyre specifications such as tyre pattern, tyre pressure, wear level, etc. are the main focus. At high speeds, motorcycles with unbalanced wheels will feel as though they are floating in midair.
In extreme circumstances, when cornering, the back wheels will wobble and slide sideways. Uneven tyre wear is caused by the continuous cycling of motorcycle tyres while driving, which involves abrupt acceleration and braking.
When is motorcycle wheel balance necessary?
- The front and rear tyres are slanted to one side after mounting or repairing them after a motorcycle crash.
- When driving, the handlebars sway and tremble or are excessively heavy.
- The motorcycle veers left or right when traveling straight. While there is no such thing as a condition of this kind, it is advised that the new motorcycle be driven for three months, and then every six months or two thousand kilometers for maintenance purposes.
The risk of failing to do the motorcycle wheel balancing
At high speeds, the vehicle will vibrate excessively. The motorcycle shock absorber and the rider’s various body parts absorb the impact force produced by the tyres hitting the ground.
Frequent vibrations can shorten component life by producing wear and slack in bearings and suspension systems. They can even break and cause wheels to come off.
If there is no dynamic balance support for fast motorcycles, the shaking will be noticeable when driving at high speeds and will impair control. The vehicle body feels as though it is floating in midair, and if a tyre is not spherical, the wear on its outside and inside will differ.
It will slip sideways when turning, and at the end, unanticipated mishaps might happen. However, these risks can be avoided if lead is applied to the wheel (to balance the motorcycle’s wheel), even though it only adds a few grams or a dozen grams of weight.
The advantages of completing the motorcycle’s wheel balancing
- Make driving more comfortable
- Use less fuel.
- Prolong the lifespan of your tyres
- Verify that the vehicle is stable when traveling straight ahead.
- Lessens abrasion on the chassis suspension components
- Boost traffic safety
At least once a month, vehicle owners should check the pressure in all of the tyres, and when inflating tyres, they should compare the results to the recommended tyre pressure. Wheel imbalance can also be caused by anomalous tyre wear, which can be accelerated by either too high or too low tyre pressure.
Safety measures to take when doing wheel balancing on a motorcycle
When balancing the wheels of a motorcycle, there are a few general considerations to consider:
- For dynamic balance, use new tyres—ideally, ones with a low flatness rate.
- Avoid switching to old tyres and collisions after balancing.
- The dynamic balance test for motorcycles is only suitable for tyres that are mounted on alloy wheels.
Why don’t some motorcycles balance properly?
Motorcycles that have a displacement of less than 150 and a design speed of less than 100 km/h are referred to as certain motorcycles. When I changed the tyre, I neglected to conduct the balancing.
Actually, you can make the tyre counterweight depart very little within the design speed as long as you switch to ordinary tyres. It’s not that you don’t want to do it.
Thus, if the tyre is original, it usually has a yellow circle stamp on the sidewall. This is the typical tyre setup, which is meant to line up this mark with the valve—which is actually an installation for counterweight balancing.
There is no installation of a counterbalance and some tiny repair shops do not utilize original tyres. Therefore, after traveling at 60 km/h, there will be a noticeable vibration throughout the entire vehicle, which is also a sign that the tyre is not performing dynamic balancing.
The idea is to replace the original tyres and install the tyres strictly in compliance with the standards, which can practically create the dynamic balancing effect even if this kind of vehicle cannot be dynamically balanced.
Conclusion
Motorcycle wheel balancing is a maintenance task that needs to be completed whenever a tyre is reassembled, but many people are unaware of its significance or the need to find the solution. Unbalanced wheels lead to uneven tyre wear, etc., and riding comfort can be significantly impacted by not adjusting wheel balance.
Where Can Get Reliable Two-Wheeler Wheel Balancing?
Reach out to your nearby ATS ELGI equipped Wheel Service center to balance the wheels for a smooth and safe drive.
ATS ELGI – Motorcycle Wheel Balancer