NOT a which tyre/tire should I get thread

[vijay]

Dazzler24 ...  That is a fantastic price on the Michelin's.  For some reason here in the U.S. the price for Michelin's is always much, much higher than Dunlop's or Bridgestones.  On my FJR I always stuck with Pilot Roads.  But for some unknown (to me) reason the FJ-09/MT-09 Tracer doesn't seem to be nearly as affected by which tire I use as my Gen 1 FJR.  

[2and3cylinders]

On 3/24/2020 at 7:36 PM, dazzler24 said:

Nothing is seemingly straight forward!  I might be leaving the weights where they are!

Maybe so but given the low amount of weight used, I'd get some black weights, stick on or clip on and move them inboard.  Or at least color them with some bronze, Brown or black paint marker.

I owned since new an old No Mar Classic tire changing machine and their very precise tire balancer, and am very anal about balancing tires.  I have not discerned any more appreciable vibration or wobble with weights on or immediately on either side of the wheel centerline even at speeds above 140 mph.

And that's a great price for Road 5s mounted.  Here they're $345USD mail order!

[chitown]

Balancing obsession should be informed by riding with no weight, purposely too little or too much weight, etc. It's science you can do yourself rather than take the internet's word for it The bike won't pitch you down the road. You might be surprised. Color matched gaffer tape on all weights.  YMMV.

[daboo]

Probably a long post ahead.  Hopefully, entertaining. 

Until recently, I always had the local dealership mount and balance my tires.  At $25 or $30 a wheel, it was well worth it.  That was riding the bike in and having them do everything.  But then they jumped the price to $70 a wheel.  Probably a fair price, but the shock of the enormous increase in cost, on top of the high cost of the tires and their short life, made me step back and think about this.  So I started changing my own tires at home with a set of BeadPro tire irons.  

Balancing was the next issue to address.  There was always a lot of weight it seemed on my wheels.  To make a long story shorter, I decided to use balancing beads.  They seemed to work fine, but were a problem trying to get into the tire without having them spill out.  I didn't want to put them in through the valve stem because of the TPMS sensor, so put them in while the bead was loose.

So while that set of tires was wearing out, I kept reading and trying to get smart on balancing tires.  There's a red dot on many tires that indicates the place to put the tire on the rim.  Hmm...  So when it became time to change those tires out, I lost a lot of the balance beads.  Okay, how about if I just see how bad the tires vibrate and we'll decide how much more of the balance beads I need.

Turns out, the tires seemed perfectly smooth without any balance beads at all in them.  And the stick on weights had long been removed.  Wow.

The next set of tires didn't even have a red dot.  Oh-oh.  How do I know where to put the tire?  So when riding the bike, the tires again seemed balanced...without using anything to balance them.

More reading.  Someone wrote a tire manufacturer asking why their tires didn't have a red dot.  The reply was that their tires are so well made now, that they don't require any balancing for the tire.  If the tire is checked in the manufacturing process and found to be out of balance, it is scrapped.  If any balancing is needed, it is for the wheel itself.

Chris

[dazzler24]

10 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said:

Maybe so but given the low amount of weight used, I'd get some black weights, stick on or clip on and move them inboard.  Or at least color them with some bronze, Brown or black paint marker.

I owned since new an old No Mar Classic tire changing machine and their very precise tire balancer, and am very anal about balancing tires.  I have not discerned any more appreciable vibration or wobble with weights on or immediately on either side of the wheel centerline even at speeds above 140 mph.

And that's a great price for Road 5s mounted.  Here they're $345USD mail order!

Thanks 2+3C yes, I think at least I'll colour/color them to hide them a bit better - if I don't move them.  In regard to the price the shop I got them from had discounted them fairly heavily as they had a small stockpile and wanted to move them prior to the expected downturn in trade due to the most 'popular' subject around ATM.

[betoney]

3 minutes ago, dazzler24 said:

 In regard to the price the shop I got them from had discounted them fairly heavily as they had a small stockpile and wanted to move them prior to the expected downturn in trade due to the most 'popular' subject around ATM.

At that price, maybe pick up a 2nd pair, especially since there is currently a $50 rebate.

http://static-content.motosport.com/product/PDF/1581443062Michelin_Spring_Promo_Flyer_ENG_US_V2.pdf

Receive a $50 Michelin Mastercard Reward Card by mail when you purchase a set (ONE Front and ONE Rear) of eligible Michelin Tires (Anakee III, Anakee Adventure, Anakee Wild, Commander III Cruiser, Commander III Touring, Power GP, Power 5, Road 5, Road 5 GT, Road 5 Trail , Scorcher 11, Scorcher 21, Scorcher 31, or Scorcher 32) between March 1st and 31st, 2020!*

*For additional details, terms and conditions, please see the attached Michelin Spring Promo 2020 form or visit HERE.

[dazzler24]

3 minutes ago, betoney said:

At that price, maybe pick up a 2nd pair, especially since there is currently a $50 rebate.

http://static-content.motosport.com/product/PDF/1581443062Michelin_Spring_Promo_Flyer_ENG_US_V2.pdf

Receive a $50 Michelin Mastercard Reward Card by mail when you purchase a set (ONE Front and ONE Rear) of eligible Michelin Tires (Anakee III, Anakee Adventure, Anakee Wild, Commander III Cruiser, Commander III Touring, Power GP, Power 5, Road 5, Road 5 GT, Road 5 Trail , Scorcher 11, Scorcher 21, Scorcher 31, or Scorcher 32) between March 1st and 31st, 2020!*

*For additional details, terms and conditions, please see the attached Michelin Spring Promo 2020 form or visit HERE.

Funny you should say that as I was pondering that very thing as I was writing the last post! 🙂

The rebate thing is for North America I believe and wouldn't benefit me here but the prices are still good enough not to be a concern anyway.

Thanks.

[2and3cylinders]

I saw the Michelin rebate but they'd still be like 334 USD, which is ridiculous given the low mileage and other problems with the 5 many have reported, included a buddy of mine.

As to a tire without a valve stem orientation dot not needed to be balanced being true, I disagree.  I have mounted at least 3 pairs of tires on my FJ09 and the heavy spot keeps moving.  If it was the wheel only, it'd stay in place... 

[daboo]

I don't disagree.  I can only tell you what has happened on my own bike.  If they vibrated any at all, I'd balance them.  They just don't seem to.

Chris

[2and3cylinders]

[dazzler24]

Took the new shoes (Road 5s) and the freshly serviced forks out for their first outing today and have to say I'm already impressed.

Just a short 115Kms to give them a nice scrub in and to get a feel for how they perform.

I know they're new tyres and the profile is as good as it's going to get, but I felt that they turned in much quicker than the old boots and were a slightly 'softer' ride.  Not that I got it over too far (they're still new after all) but there was no feeling of squirminess - is that a word? - under me at any time.

That softer feel could have been partly because the serviced forks were re-valved/shimmed to give a less harsh response on both compression and rebound as well so...?

All in all, I'm a happy chappie 😄

   

[betoney]

10 hours ago, dazzler24 said:

Took the new shoes (Road 5s) and the freshly serviced forks out for their first outing today and have to say I'm already impressed.

Just a short 115Kms to give them a nice scrub in and to get a feel for how they perform.

I know they're new tyres and the profile is as good as it's going to get, but I felt that they turned in much quicker than the old boots and were a slightly 'softer' ride.  Not that I got it over too far (they're still new after all) but there was no feeling of squirminess - is that a word? - under me at any time.

That softer feel could have been partly because the serviced forks were re-valved/shimmed to give a less harsh response on both compression and rebound as well so...?

All in all, I'm a happy chappie 😄

   

New tires and new suspension... its a good day indeed! 😎👍

[2and3cylinders]

I don't know why after 47+ years of riding I'm still pleasantly surprised how much better a bike handles with a fresh doughnuts.

Especially when only the center strip on the old skins is worn; flat spotted.  It's so frustrating and rubs the wrong way (pun) my extremely frugal nature (unfortunately socialized in by a father who lived through and carried on when no longer necessary a "Depression Era" mentality) that all that good shoulder rubber is going to waste.  Oh the trials we must bear living in the flatlands!

[fjray]

Take the bike to KY, just below IL.  My problem is that my edges wear out and I have a bunch of rubber left in the middle. 

[2and3cylinders]

8 hours ago, fjray said:

Take the bike to KY, just below IL.  My problem is that my edges wear out and I have a bunch of rubber left in the middle. 

PM me KMZ and GPX files, meet up spots and contact info and I'ok be there once this craziness subsides.  Had a MO and AM Ozarks trip planned which is now deferred. 😞

Kids are demanding their elderly parents stay home for now.  I'm ok with that but have not got to all my pending projects because I don't know which to start first with all the spare time I suddenly have...