How To Balance a Motorcycle Tire by Yourself

Motorcycles with unbalanced wheels make it difficult to enjoy your ride, as you will keenly feel the symptoms of wobbly steering and vibrations. Unbalanced wheels can also create uneven wear and tread patterns on your tires, and lead to danger if the vibrations loosen fasteners or wear out the wheel spindle and bearings. With the right knowledge and tools, it’s easy to balance your wheels by yourself so you can safely get back on the open road.

Mount your motorcycle wheel on the wheel balancer

Make sure your static balancer is sitting nice and level. Remove one of the centering cones from the wheel axle so that you can slide the axle through the center of your wheel. Reattach the centering cone and set the wheel on the balancer. Tighten the set screws located on both centering cones. If your wheel axle has rubber or screw-in stoppers, use them to prevent the wheel from moving side to side.

Check the wheel balance and mark the lighter side

Turn the wheel 90 degrees and let it go. Once it settles, mark the wheel’s lighter side, which will be at the top.

Add counterweights to the lighter side of the wheel

Apply the adhesive side of the counterweights to the rim. Do not stick them on the tire.

Recheck the wheel balance after adding the counterweights

Turn the wheel 90 degrees again, and let it go. If the wheel is properly balanced, it will stay in place. If not, repeat steps 3 and 4.