Tire Balancing Beads

[towerworker]

A few of us have gone together to learn tire mounting and balancing for our R's. Beemeridian, myself and a new R owner and longtime friend, Paul.
Beemeridian did some research and found this balancing product called Dyna Beads. Tiny ceramic beads that you pour into your tire by way of the valve stem (after removing the valve).

We mounted a new front tire for David two weeks ago and used the balancing beads. A little trouble at first getting them into the tire but finally figured it out. He seemed very pleased with the resulting performance. We rode the rest of the afternoon and he commented how smooth the tire was.

Yesterday we met again and this time installed a new front tire on my 04 R. After mounting the tire and setting the tire bead (s) we let the air out and I poured in the 1 ounce of ceramic beads thru the valve stem. (For our bikes the manufacturer recommends 1 oz for the front and 2 oz for the rear tire).
The kit comes with a small applicator bottle and clear tube to attach to the valve stem. I found that the beads will sorta "stop up" around the valve stem if poured too quickly. A slow and gentle hand works much better. A judicious use of tire lube is probably wise as well to minimize the amount of water and junk inside the tire itself. Too much might interfere with the beads and cause them to stick and not move around.

Long story short----I was very impressed with the performance. Tire seemed to be very smooth at all the speeds we ran yesterday. Matter of fact my mirrors were clearer than I remember them being. Did not have the fuzzy headlights in the mirrors that I usually have. I realize many things cause vibration in the mirrors---tb sync for example. But they are notably clearer now.
I read on a BMW LT forum where many of their members have used these with good results, and some have even said they get better milage (life) out of their tires due to the continual balancing of the tire. Eliminated tire cupping and so on. If all of this is true then I will truly be pleased---more so than I already am.

At any rate I am impressed so far. I plan to remove the wheel weights on my rear tire and install the 2 oz package in the rear.
Here is a link to their site.......

http://www.innovativebalancing.com/


Wayne
04r

[Jammess]

Bought two cans of PJ1 tire balancing liquid the other day wonder if anyone has tried it? I have never tried the tire balancing beads but plan to after the PJ1. I have read mostly positive things about the beads. I don't want to buy a balancer if beads/PJ1 works. Paid $6.95/can at local Yamaha store after drooling over an FJR1300.

[digga]

Towerworker...leave the weights on the rim, put the beads in and try it. Then, just to prove to yourself that the beads are good...take the weights off.. all will still be good

[towerworker]

Digga--

I plan to do just that. My front tire only had one weight on it. I forgot it and left it on. I will remove it and check again but I feel like it will still be fine. Now my current rear has many weights on it. I plan to do the same.

I've yet to read anything negative about these things. Don't have any experience nor knowledge of tire balancing fluid. Seems like it would be messy though. Don't know.

wayne

[kantuckid]

The beads have already been discussed @ great length on the http://www.advrider.com website and elsewhere-they work great IMO.

[Boxer Briefs]

As mentioned in a previous thread, I installed them (front and rear) last month and finally managed to get out of the city for a couple of 250 mile days last week. No issues whatsoever. They appeared to work as advertised. No complaints here.

[Beemeridian]

34

[digga]

I'm configuring a retrieval system for the beads at tire swaps since they don't wear out.

We have a vacuum for clearing the fish pond, it draws water and sluge etc up a tube and into a mesh bag... then the sludge and leaves etc are 'captured' in the mesh bag and the water is returned back to the pond...

Maybe you could fit a mesh bag into a vac tube and suck them out once you break the bead??

[Beemeridian]

44

[SLEDGE]

Try it w/o wieghts or beads. The new tires I put on did not need balancing at all! Smooth as can be , no wieghts.

[bikermeow]

Just a thought ...

Do the beads scratch the rims, albeit on the inside?

Cheers

Cat

[digga]

Reusing them would put a dent in the lead commodities market once everyone finds out how well they work.

Why!! i thought they were ceramic??

[digga]

Just a thought ...

Do the beads scratch the rims, albeit on the inside?

Cheers

Cat

I would think not.

centrifugal force pushes the 'wanted' ones against the inner of the tyre, the 'unwanted' ones scoot around, always in the base of the tyre, if i understand correctly..

believe i posted a link to a video earlier

[kantuckid]

They are something like 1/64" dia (or smaller) spherical ceramic beads and I don't see them scratching anything-maybe over much time they could wear on the paint, but a very minor concern. They are so small that they stick to the insertion tubing via static, thus the comments of various types about getting them in. I just tapped the tubing and squeeze bottle with my fingernail and they marched happily down the tube into the tire to go to work! You really need to do a search @ wwwadvrider.com as this(and much more) has pretty much all been said before.