New to balance beads. Worth trying?

['05Train]

No, I didn't say they work. I said they looked like they worked at much less than the 40 mph that was mentioned before.

I can't believe anyone would put them in bike tires.

After years of arguing, that's pretty much what the consensus on the MC forums is. Gold Wing guys and the IBA riders who do thousands of miles on the interstate at a clip still seem to like them. But in any sort of aggressive riding they're downright spooky.

 

[mrblaine]

Indeed, yet here you are trying to tell me they work.

Look, someone upthread compared them to laundry in a dryer. Bad analogy. A tire has a constant, moving flat spot (the contact patch). Roads are bumpy. There's additional dynamic forces at play (turning, hard acceleration and braking, etc). At a steady, straight 70mph they do what they're supposed to, which is why long-haul truckers use them. But at 80mph on a 900 pound motorcycle, laid over in a bumpy corner, then having to pop up and brake for a dog in the road, those beads are all over the place and screwing with the bike's steering and feel. I haven't tried them on anything with 4 wheels, but I'd wager there'd be similar issues in more dynamic situations.....not to mention that they do nothing at low speeds.

But the real tell is this. OEMs spend metric tons of money trying to engineer out NVH. Yet there isn't a vehicle sold on the planet that comes with balance beads stock. Not a single one.

Not laundry in a dryer, they work on the same principle as the balance ring in the top of a washing machine tub. They have to have one because the tub spins the water out after the wash cycle and wet clothes never land evenly in the bottom of the tub when it drains so the tub spins out of balance which is evened back out due to the balancing ring. They are typically filled with a heavy liquid like a saline solution.

 

['05Train]

Not laundry in a dryer, they work on the same principle as the balance ring in the top of a washing machine tub. They have to have one because the tub spins the water out after the wash cycle and wet clothes never land evenly in the bottom of the tub when it drains so the tub spins out of balance which is evened back out due to the balancing ring. They are typically filled with a heavy liquid like a saline solution.

All true, but also not the same dynamic loading of a tire.

I can't tell you how much I wanted them to work. MC tires are stupid expensive and only last a few thousand miles. And you've only got a handful of square inches of contact patch keeping you on the pavement. But dammit, they just didn't.....and I'm guessing the lack of OEM usage is indicative that they don't work on 4 wheels as well as weights either.

 

[mrblaine]

All true, but also not the same dynamic loading of a tire.

What the fuck ever alright. You were wrong in your assessment, live with it. I don't care if they do or don't work for any purpose. I know and understand the principle and that is all I was pointing out, it is not the fucking dryer.

I can't tell you how much I wanted them to work. MC tires are stupid expensive and only last a few thousand miles. And you've only got a handful of square inches of contact patch keeping you on the pavement. But dammit, they just didn't.....and I'm guessing the lack of OEM usage is indicative that they don't work on 4 wheels as well as weights either.

Whatever.

 

['05Train]

What the fuck ever alright. You were wrong in your assessment, live with it. I don't care if they do or don't work for any purpose. I know and understand the principle and that is all I was pointing out, it is not the fucking dryer.

Whatever.

Oooooh, you got me. I typed, "dryer" rather than, "washer". BFD, take it to a major appliance forum.

If you can't understand the dynamics of tires, that's cool, just keep on ragging me that I mixed up my Kenmores.

 

[jjvw]

Oooooh, you got me. I typed, "dryer" rather than, "washer". BFD, take it to a major appliance forum.

If you can't understand the dynamics of tires, that's cool, just keep on ragging me that I mixed up my Kenmores.

FWiW, you got me thinking about why balancing beads would serve no purpose in a dryer that is supposed to tumble our wet clothing, and only make them noisier machines than they already are.

 

[BC Moto]

I am giving them a try. I just mounted a set 35's that are worn down maybe 50% or less, I put them in because its a set of bead locks and I can take them out if I don't like them. I also rarely drive my TJ 70mph on the highway I do but 60 to 65 I also think that they will be more for trail days rather than daily use.

 

[txbemis69]

have never considered dynabeads in my 33’s on the jeep but, have run them on both harley’s on multiple sets of tires. i ride like a sensible rider and as far as i’m concerned they work. city, rural roads and highway/interstate riding. to each their own.