Do Motorcycle Tires Need Balancing?

I saw many riders who fall into accidents just because of bad tire alignment. After all the maintenance is crucial for your motorbike tires now the main question arises, do motorcycle tires need balancing?

Motorbike tires need balancing, and it’s even more true for the front tire. Without a well-balanced tire, you’re going to face a lot of vibrations while riding. However, manufacturers always try to make tires more evenly, but sometimes due to friction, tires become unbalanced. 

Let’s look at what it means for you and what you can do about it. 

While writing this post, I leave no stone unturned, so you get all the essential knowledge about tire balancing in the most straightforward words.  

Do Motorcycle Tires Need Balancing?

Motorcycle tires need balancing, especially if you’re planning for a long drive. 

Although manufacturers always try to make both tires well-balanced, sometimes, due to friction and rim, the tire gets unbalanced. 

Without good tire balancing, you will experience a lot of vibrations that might cause you back pain. 

Tire unbalancing can be experienced more if it’s in the motorbike’s front wheel because you’ve directly connected with the front wheel than the rear wheel. 

And thus, front-wheel unbalancing needs to be repaired asap. 

That said, motorbike tires need balancing, and you’ll have to hire a good technician to do this stuff. 

Also, read my previous post where I talked about the back pain riders suffer while riding a motorbike. Click here to read.

Why Your Motorcycle Tires Need Balancing?

Undoubtedly your tire needs balancing, but the main question arises, why do your motorbike tires need balancing? 

Your motorbike tires need balancing because, without good tire balancing, your motorbike will experience vibrations. These vibrations would transfer to you and will cause neck, back, and wrist pain. Also, tire vibrations would cause rim wear. Not limited to these. The misalignments would make your motorbike tire bearings premature wear. 

Additionally, you’ll experience more uneven wear on both tires because of friction due to unbalanced tires. 

What’s the Cause of Motorcycle Tires Unbalancing?

The manufacturer made tires fully balanced. Have you ever wondered why your motorbike tires are unbalanced? 

Manufacturers made tires to be fully round; these round tires work by shifting weight ahead. This weight shifting is one of the more reasons for unbalancing. The whole process fastens when you do off-riding a lot. During off riding, motorbike tires get in contact with rough roads, pavements, and potholes.  

If you’ve driven on a rough road recently, then it would be better to inspect both your tires carefully. 

When Should You Balance your Motorcycle Tires?

Motorcycle tire unbalancing surely could cause chest and back pain. But the main question arises, when should you balance your motorbike tires? 

Experts recommend correcting motorbike tires’ alignment every month if you do off-road riding. If you’re a city rider, it would be best to check your motorbike tires alignment after completing 1200 miles. You don’t really need to depend on experts’ advice if you’re experiencing unnecessary vibrations while riding.  

The goal constantly should be checking and correcting motorbike tires’ alignment before you miss the boat. 

Additionally, unnecessary vibrations would lose various bolts in your motorbike, which directly impact your safety. 

How do Motorcycle Tires Get Balanced?

There’re many ways through which the technician can balance your tire. 

The majority of technicians use a tire balancing machine which helps the technician know the light and heavy areas of your motorbike tire. In this machine, the technician will rotate your tire and note the readings of tire vibrations which will help them to distribute weight evenly.

The tire balancing machine is highly portable and would save you some dollars to have your motorbike tire checked by a technician. 

Is there any Type of Tire Balancing?

If you’re thinking of balancing your motorbike tire on your own, you should at least know some ways of tire balancing. 

There are three types of tire balancing, named as below: 

Different Tire Balancing: What Includes:
Static. Simple one and use for lighter cases only. 
Dynamic. Give the exact location where the weight should be added. 
Road force. More advanced way of balancing, which includes creating a real-time simulation. 

Static Tire Balancing: 

Static tire balancing is the simplest method of tire balancing and can be used only for lighter tire balancing cases. 

In the static tire balancing, the technician adds a tire in the vertical machine, which exerts some pressure on a single plane of the tire. 

The force or pressure would cause the machine to know the exact location; the technician should add some weight. 

Dynamic Tire Balancing: 

In dynamic tire balancing, the technician puts the tire into the machine, which rotates the tire at a certain speed and shows the reading of vibrations. 

The machine also tells technicians how much weight they should add and where. 

Road Force Balancing: 

Road force balancing is something more advanced than the above two. 

The technician puts the tire into the vertical machine in the road force balancing, which creates a real-time simulation. 

By creating real-time simulations, the machine shows readings, the exact location of the weight, and how much weight should be added. 

Can You Balance Your Motorbike Tire?

So far, you have learned types of tire balancing, and now the question arises, can you balance your motorbike tire? 

You can balance motorbike tires, and it’s the best way to save some dollars. You just need a tire balancing machine, marker or chalk, and some technical skills. The DIY thing might require some technical skills, so it would be best to call a technician to do this stuff. 

You can read Mark Lindeman’s article on cycleworld.com to know the exact steps to balance your tire. 

How to Avoid Tires Unbalancing?

No one wants to spend extra dollars for the sake of balancing motorbike tires. 

Fortunately, there are some ways through which you can avoid tires unbalancing.

Tips to Avoid Tire Unbalancing: Details: 
Inspect closely. Inspect your tire closely before you miss the boat. 
Focus on the PSI value.Tires with low PSI values tend to show more unbalancing than regular tires, and that’s why it’s necessary to focus on the PSI value of your tire. 
Don’t reduce the PSI value. It would be the worst idea to reduce the tire pressure for the sake of soft riding. 
Always check tire pressure. On average, your tire loses one PSI value every month. It would be best to always check tire pressure before going for a long ride. 

Closely Inspection: 

Tire unbalancing can happen anytime, and thus you should prepare for this. 

And that’s why it’s necessary for you to closely inspect your motorbike tire if you do off riding a lot.

Inspect motorcycle tires and repair them before you miss the boat.  

Focus on the PSI Value: 

PSI or pressure per inch is the pressure exerted by your motorbike tire on a per inch square area. In simpler words, it tells how much air is present in your motorbike tire. 

Tires with low PSI values tend to show more unbalancing than regular tires, and that’s why it’s necessary to focus on the PSI value of your tire. 

On average, the PSI value of motorbike tires decreases by one every month. So it would also be best for you to check the PSI value before long riding. 

Don’t Reduce PSI Value: 

Undoubtedly reducing PSI value can make your motorbike journey smoother. 

But it’s a bad idea to reduce the PSI value of your tire. As low PSI value tires tend to easily unbalance, sometimes reducing PSI value could reduce your fuel economy.   

Always Check Tire Pressure: 

As mentioned above, one PSI value reduces every month, and thus it would always be best to check the tire pressure before going for a long ride. 

Less tire pressure also sometimes reduces fuel economy and isn’t also best for riders.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why do motorbike tires get unbalanced?

Although manufacturers always try to make both tires well-balanced, sometimes, due to friction and rim, the tire gets unbalanced. 

Why do motorbike tires need balancing?

Your motorbike tires need balancing because, without good tire balancing, your motorbike will experience vibrations

When should you need balanced tires?

If you’re a city rider, it would be best to check your motorbike tires alignment after completing 1200 miles.

Can you balance your motorbike tires on your own?

You can balance motorbike tires, and it’s the best way to save some dollars. You just need a tire balancing machine, marker or chalk, and some technical skills.

How can you avoid tires unbalancing?

You can avoid tire unbalancing by regular inspection.

Final Verdict: 

Do motorcycles need balancing? Motorbike tires need balancing, and it’s even more true for the front tire. Without a well-balanced tire, you’re going to face a lot of vibrations while riding. 

However, manufacturers always try to make tires more evenly, but sometimes due to friction, tires become unbalanced. 

You can balance a motorbike tire on your own but be careful as it may require some technical skills. 

More importantly, you can avoid tire unbalancing by following some tips I’ve mentioned above.