while cleaning my bike recently, i noticed i lost a wheel weight. i'm not noticing any handling issues. should i be concerned? should i do anything about it?

 

My take on it would be its there for a reason - wouldn't do any harm to get you wheel balance checkedjust to be on the safe side as you wouldn't want a nasty wobble at speed.

 

yeah, i hear you. i'm just debating whether or not to go thru the expense and hassle of bringing it into the shop..

 

I run dynabeads in my tires. 2oz in back 1.5 in front. no balancing weights needed. perfectly smooth ride.

 

Maybe **** beads would work just as well.

 

i wouldn't know. Perhaps you can tell us. I DO know that a man with experience is never at the mercy of a man with a theory.

 

I hadn't heard of these beads, Scott. Thanks! Sound like a good way to balance w/o the crappy looking weights stuck on the nice chrome wheels. When you change tires, do you just pour them out and save em for the next tire, or get new ones?
Jerry

 

Never heard of dyna beads,,,,what's the cost?

 

don't worry about it. If it rides smooth you will be fine. The tire is out of balance after you put a couple thousand miles on anyway, and thats without losing a wheel weight. Balance it next time you get a tire.

 

I haven't changed my rubber since installing them. But, I did provide beer consumption assistance to a friend who owns a Gold Wing while he changed his. The beads form into a semi-solid cluster in specific areas on the inside of the tire. I assume these are the areas needing balancing based on tire imperfections. He scraped them out, weighed them, and added a few to the mix to match the manufacturer's recommended weight for the tires he uses. You can pour them into the valve stem or drop them directly into the tire before seating the bead. I did the former in my Cobras.

People here have given me and others crap for even considering such an option. If you consider the physics involved, it makes tremendous sense. Before I became a beer consumption consultant, I earned a Masters in physics from U.T. That was almost 20 years ago, but the principals are sound even though some here and elsewhere weren't consulted on the physics involved.