Balancing tires for a smoother ride.

[rp150]

I signed up in April when I got my PCX and have just been spending my time
"picking up tips". Put a tall GIVI on the front and a GIVI box on the back.

For what it's worth, If your wheels "do not" have any weights on them, they probably are not balanced. And that is something you really need to have done.
For your scooter and you.
Un-balanced tires are the cause a lot of vibration that is not good for the nuts, bolts, wire connections etc. on the scooter. And literally, a pain in the back for the rider and for some it can be severe.
The two ways I know of is: 1) Taking your scooter to a shop that can balance the wheels for you. or 2) There's a company (Innovative Balancing) that sells a product called "DYNA BEADS". They are small creamic beeds that you put into the wheel thru the valve stem. You can buy them on-line and from some shops.

I've used the dyna beads in 2-scooters and have nad no problems.

The bottom line is this: You need to have balanced tires.

The smoother the ride, the better the ride. RP

[you you]

Thanks for the pitch

[dasshreddar]

I've tried the Dyna Beads on my gy6 scooter, and they seemed to help some
After installing bigger tires on my PCX I have not needed to balance them they work great with no bad vibes.
Maybe the PCX is just that good, or I just got lucky

[HawaiiJ]

I just installed a new set of tires and installed the Dyna Beads as well.

I had high hopes but in all honesty I don't think they provided any benefit over the original factory tires and first set of 13" tires which were never balanced.

If I had it to do over again, I would not spend the money for the Dyna Beads again. Just my 2 Baht..

[chucktuna]

I agree that dynabeads seem to be over hyped. I've read on other forums that people swear by them and work wonders.
I tried them on my Big Ruckus and didn't see any improvement.
When it was time for the next set of rubber, I had it professionally done and it was better, of course new tires also helped.

[cessna151]

I'm on my second set of tires; neither of which needed balanced.

[you you]

I agree that dynabeads seem to be over hyped. I've read on other forums that people swear by them and work wonders.
I tried them on my Big Ruckus and didn't see any improvement.
When it was time for the next set of rubber, I had it professionally done and it was better, of course new tires also helped.

There is that whiff of snake oil with dynabeads..

[rp150]

The beads have been around for quite a while now and does have there supporters and dis-tractors.

The real comment is not what you use, you'll find supporters of each.
Research, and do use one or the other. Also this. We think nothing of balancing the tires of our four wheeled vehicles and their a heck of a lot more stable on the road then our bikes.
So why would we not want to do it. Even Honda recomends it. Page 54 of the owners manual on my PCX150. It's all for a smoother ride.

[dasshreddar]

Why? Easy, it costs $
Like how smooth do you need your ride anyway

[rp150]

I would like my scooter to ride as smooth as possible. Thats why spending a few bucks to assure the wheels are balanced is worth it. That being said the type of tire may also make a difference. I don't believe an off road or dual-purpose tire would ride as smooth. I don't think but, I could be wrong.

Depending on your outlook, a smoother ride may not be a better ride. Some riders may indeed like the feel of the road beneath them.

I personally, want the ride, to be like a glide. Only feeling and hearing the hum of the engine.

Thats the ideal. Reality is - city streets -- some smooth, some rough, RR- crossings, pot holes. pavement buckles, etc, etc. etc.

You just got to keep shooting for the best. (for you)