Tire Balancing Beads

[Burmashave]

Is anyone running with the magic beads in their tires? The reason why I ask is that I got my wheels to the shop today for a tire swap (Pirelli Angel GT's). I had already picked up a Chevy hub in case my shop couldn't fit the wheel on the balancer (viewtopic.php?f=8&t=509#p4179), but the assistant told me they've been using tire balancing beads for about ten years now. By the way, they're not a Kawi dealership, but my buddies trust this shop, and the owner is a no BS kind of guy. I like my nearest Kawi shop, but they're over an hour away.

I've run beads before in an older bike, and they worked fine. I was a little skeptical about putting them in the wheels of a new sport bike, but the assistant told me that one of their mechanics has a drag bike that runs with them (admittedly a different set up, but extreme all the same). I'm not going to be doing any track days this season, so I doubt this set of tires will see speeds north of 130 MPH.

The upside is that I no longer have ugly wheel weights on my wheel, and there's no chance of throwing a weight. If I keep using them, my rims won't get scratched when the weights are pulled for balancing.

[Burmashave]

So, I've decided that the beads were a mistake, but not a huge one. They'll prolly be OK for the life of the tire, but I won't do them again. They're specifically not recommended for race conditions. Also, after all the hassle with my local Kawi dealer closing and the issues with fitting the H2 rear for balancing, I'm thinking about dropping a bundle on a No Mar set up and doing the tires myself, and balancing them with this kit: http://www.marcparnes.com/Kawasaki_Moto ... cer.htm#H2.

The major downside is that I'll have beads everywhere if I pull these tires myself.

[JMod45]

I ran Dyna beads in my Ninja 1000 for a while, never had an issue on Angel GTs. I put Q3s on one time for an upcoming track day, and used the beads, and had issues. When using them, pay special attention to the inside of the tire before mounting it. The Q3s I put on weren't dry inside, they had an oily residue. So the beads stuck together, and I got a pretty bad vibration at less than highway speeds.

Removing them isn't bad, once you break the bead on your tire, stand it up, and use a shop vac. I could usually get 90% out that way.

If you get that balancing kit, post up how well it works. I changed my tires out this week, and didn't have a way to balance the rear, as my shops stand wouldn't work with that wheel. I would like to get something to use for next time.

[Burmashave]

Thanks for sharing the experience. I'm going to order the balancing kit when the guy gets back from vacation. I'll post a follow up the first time I use it.

[Direwlf]

I used a tire balancing gel one time that was also a flat tire sealant. I am not sure what the beads add to weight. But this stuff I put in, also added to the unsprung weight of the wheel and u could tell the ride was more harsh. It felt balanced but you felt a lot more road though the suspension. It was like 7 to 10 ounces per tire. Thats quite a bit. Just food for thought is all!