Stuff That Works: A Review of Dyna Beads.
Are you still riding around with ugly wheel weights on your motorcycle? Believe me - There is a much better way: Dyna Beads. (http://www.innovativebalancing.com/motorcycle.htm)
I have been using dyna beads in my BMW Rockster for the last 34,000 miles or so. I have had them in my last three sets of tires and they are great. Smooth ride and nice even wear on the tires. Here is a review I wrote about them for BMW Motorcycle Owners News the first time I used them:
"Look all you want, but you will not find any unsightly wheel weights on the Snow Queen, my 2004 Rockster SE. For the last 14k her wheels have been perfectly in balance thanks to Dyna Beads. These high-density ceramic beads are inside my tires and work their Dynamic Balancing magic from there.
Before we examine how they work, let me give you a little testimony. On my previous set of tires that were installed in early July 2006, the tech at my dealership had to put two ounces of weights on my front tire and there was still a bit of vibration in the bars. He explained that there was a big heavy spot in the tire, (which I purchased elsewhere so it was NOT the dealers problem). When I got home I went to our very own BMW MOA web forum and did a search on “balancing tires” and found out about Dyna Beads.
I ordered my beads and followed the advice of Robert Krueger from Innovative Balancing. He suggested I remove the weights and put two ounces of Dyna Beads in the front tire. Installation was a breeze – simply remove the valve core (bought the tool from the Dyna Bead people), then install the beads, put the valve core back in; inflate the tires and boogey down the road.
Being somewhat skeptical I marked the placement of the weights on the tire just in case the beads were a bust. They worked like a champ – NO bar vibration at all. I was really happy to have something that worked just as it was promised to do.
I had my third set of tires installed on 4/16/07 with a little over 22,000 miles on the bike. I brought my beads in with me and asked them to skip the weights and put the beads right inside both tires. They did and the pretty white wheels on my Rockster move down the road as smooth as glass.
A good explanation of how Dyna Beads work is found on their website in the FAQ section near the bottom:
“The physics of how/why the free mass inside the tire automatically knows where to go is hard to conceptualize. The best way to understand why this works is to exaggerate the problem.Imagine there is a 5 lb weight fixed to one place on the tire. When you spin that tire to normal highway speeds, it will be so terribly out of balance that the tire would probably hop off the ground with every rotation. The axis of rotation is actually moved away from the center of the wheel toward this extra mass because it’s pulling the whole tire with it as it spins. The free moving balancing weights inside the tire are not affected the same way by these forces. First as you get up to speed, centripetal force will make the balancing weight stick to the inside of the tire. Then the force of the unbalanced weight on the tire will move this balancing weight away from the imbalance. When enough of the mass is opposite of the imbalance, the vibration disappears and the axis that the tire is rotating on returns back to the center.” (http://www.innovativebalancing.com/)
The great thing about the Dyna Beads is that they will adjust instantly to any changes in your tire. For instance, if you pick up a stone or the subtle changes that can occur over the life of the tire – the wheels are being re-balanced every time they spin. The beads will also improve tire wear, eliminate cupping and give more miles of service.
Prices range from $7.99 to $11.99 including the applicator depending on how many ounces you need. (Yes, they work in tubed tires.) A valve core removal tool is another $2.99. Pretty minor investment for a high tech development that will give you a glass smooth ride each and every time and spare your bike unsightly wheel weights. "
I have been using dyna beads in my BMW Rockster for the last 34,000 miles or so. I have had them in my last three sets of tires and they are great. Smooth ride and nice even wear on the tires. Here is a review I wrote about them for BMW Motorcycle Owners News the first time I used them:
"Look all you want, but you will not find any unsightly wheel weights on the Snow Queen, my 2004 Rockster SE. For the last 14k her wheels have been perfectly in balance thanks to Dyna Beads. These high-density ceramic beads are inside my tires and work their Dynamic Balancing magic from there.
Before we examine how they work, let me give you a little testimony. On my previous set of tires that were installed in early July 2006, the tech at my dealership had to put two ounces of weights on my front tire and there was still a bit of vibration in the bars. He explained that there was a big heavy spot in the tire, (which I purchased elsewhere so it was NOT the dealers problem). When I got home I went to our very own BMW MOA web forum and did a search on “balancing tires” and found out about Dyna Beads.
I ordered my beads and followed the advice of Robert Krueger from Innovative Balancing. He suggested I remove the weights and put two ounces of Dyna Beads in the front tire. Installation was a breeze – simply remove the valve core (bought the tool from the Dyna Bead people), then install the beads, put the valve core back in; inflate the tires and boogey down the road.
Being somewhat skeptical I marked the placement of the weights on the tire just in case the beads were a bust. They worked like a champ – NO bar vibration at all. I was really happy to have something that worked just as it was promised to do.
I had my third set of tires installed on 4/16/07 with a little over 22,000 miles on the bike. I brought my beads in with me and asked them to skip the weights and put the beads right inside both tires. They did and the pretty white wheels on my Rockster move down the road as smooth as glass.
A good explanation of how Dyna Beads work is found on their website in the FAQ section near the bottom:
“The physics of how/why the free mass inside the tire automatically knows where to go is hard to conceptualize. The best way to understand why this works is to exaggerate the problem.Imagine there is a 5 lb weight fixed to one place on the tire. When you spin that tire to normal highway speeds, it will be so terribly out of balance that the tire would probably hop off the ground with every rotation. The axis of rotation is actually moved away from the center of the wheel toward this extra mass because it’s pulling the whole tire with it as it spins. The free moving balancing weights inside the tire are not affected the same way by these forces. First as you get up to speed, centripetal force will make the balancing weight stick to the inside of the tire. Then the force of the unbalanced weight on the tire will move this balancing weight away from the imbalance. When enough of the mass is opposite of the imbalance, the vibration disappears and the axis that the tire is rotating on returns back to the center.” (http://www.innovativebalancing.com/)
The great thing about the Dyna Beads is that they will adjust instantly to any changes in your tire. For instance, if you pick up a stone or the subtle changes that can occur over the life of the tire – the wheels are being re-balanced every time they spin. The beads will also improve tire wear, eliminate cupping and give more miles of service.
Prices range from $7.99 to $11.99 including the applicator depending on how many ounces you need. (Yes, they work in tubed tires.) A valve core removal tool is another $2.99. Pretty minor investment for a high tech development that will give you a glass smooth ride each and every time and spare your bike unsightly wheel weights. "
I have a fourth set of Tomahawk tires coming, but I had to get some dyna beads first. They work - try them, you will like them!
Comments
FWIW - I do NOT mount my own tires. My mech abilities are limited to oil and spark plug chainges and chain maintainence.