How to Balance Motorcycle Tires

With the price of gas these days, confident do-it-yourselfers may prefer to save themselves a few extra bucks by taking simple maintenance or repairs into their own hands. Though it's a little time-consuming, with practice you can balance your bike's wheels yourself and bypass the shop. Here's how.

Things You'll Need

  • 2 Sawhorses or Folding Stools
  • Lubricant
  • Tire Iron
  • Marking Pen
  • Tape
  • Weights

Balance Motorcycle Wheels

  • Find a flat spot, and place two sawhorses or stools back to back and as far as the axle of your bike is long.

  • Using a lubricant, remove old weights from the wheels.

  • Wipe the excess grease from the surface, then put the axle in the wheel, and mount it on the supports you have set up. After the wheel is level, mark the bottom. Rotate to make sure that the bottom side is the heavy side.

  • Move the wheel 180 degrees, and tape a small weight to the mark to recheck the balance. Repeat a few times until the tire stays balanced in any position.

  • Balance the tires, secure the weights to the wheel using two-sided foam rubber glue, and then re-attach the wheel. Use the money you saved on the wheel balance to buy yourself a tank of gas!