The Importance of Balanced Wheels

posted on 1 August 2015 | posted in General info

To keep the tread in constant contact with the road surface, the wheel and tyre have to be correctly balanced.

What are the effects of an unbalanced wheel?

On the road, wheel imbalance can lift the tyre from contact with the road surface creating vibration.

This vibration can create high-pressure stress in the steering, hub assemblies, driveshaft and suspension, which could result in excessive mechanical wear and higher fuel consumption.

Left unchecked, an unbalanced wheel can also cause premature wear on your tyres meaning you will have to replace them more frequently.

All of this leads to greater running costs and also means unsafe steering, handling and braking of your scooter.

Balanced wheels will improve the quality of your ride and most importantly it will increase your safety.

How do I know if my tyres need balanced?

• Steering 'wobbles' above a certain speed
• Excessive vibration
• Poor handling & braking
• Premature tyre wear

These may be signs that your wheels are not balanced properly.

If the scooter was to be raised on a jack and the wheel spun by hand, an unbalanced wheel would always stop at the same point - with the heavier imbalance being of course at the bottom of the wheel.

What we highly recommend.

We therefore always recommend balancing your wheels when you fit new wheels, replace your tyres or have had a puncture.

We would also recommend having the balancing checked every 8-10k miles.

The roads we travel on are full of potholes and hitting one or a kerb can significantly impact the balance of you wheels.

So get balanced and ride safe.