I have a Marc Parnes balancer. Just mounted a set of new tires on my R12 GS and have balanced them as best as I could. Followed the typical method of letting get the tire on the balancer without weight and let it settle to the heavy spot, mark the light spot at the top of the tire and then applying weight to try to attain balance using the 'set the tire at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock position and if the tire is doesn't move then its balanced' method. I can get the balance real close on the front tire but not perfect. The tire will hold position at 3 o'clock and 12 o'clock but drifts ever so slightly at 9. No matter how much I try to adjust the weight the tire will drift just a bit. I can't get the darn thing perfectly balanced any better no matter how I position the weights. The obvious conclusion is that the amount of weight just isn't quite right. Im using a strip of adhesive weights applied in the center of the rim. The individual weights in the strip are in 5 gram increments. These particular weights are pretty sturdy and I don't have anything that will cut one of them to try to make a 2 1/2 gram or less weight to fine tune the balance. I have the same predicament with the rear tire but it drifts a bit more than the front one. Nothing radical, but it does move. Does the positioning of the weights affect balance at all? (i.e.- middle of rim, side of rim, etc.) And might it make a difference if weights were applied in two strips side by side as opposed to one long continuous strip? The GS rims are made in such a way that there is room to do two strips.
So just how close is close enough when balancing a motorcycle tire? Is it of any significant concern if you can't get weight on the rim to the exact microgram so there is absolutely zero movement of the wheel? Is a little movement when the wheel is set at a particular position on the balancer of any concern?
The Youtube videos make tire balancing look like a piece of cake but I have spent way too much time trying to attain perfect balance. Any of you guys that balance your own tires and its a piece of cake I would like to know any tips or techniques that you use.
So just how close is close enough when balancing a motorcycle tire? Is it of any significant concern if you can't get weight on the rim to the exact microgram so there is absolutely zero movement of the wheel? Is a little movement when the wheel is set at a particular position on the balancer of any concern?
The Youtube videos make tire balancing look like a piece of cake but I have spent way too much time trying to attain perfect balance. Any of you guys that balance your own tires and its a piece of cake I would like to know any tips or techniques that you use.