When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
The main point is that just because you no longer notice the problem, does not mean it is not there. Lots of riders use the beads and are happy with the results. Based on some extensive testing with some real cool equipment, I'd rather reduce the run-out to less than .020 and then static (single plane) balance the assembly to <.25 oz. If the wheel and tire assembly is one of the newer wide ones, dynamic (two plane) balance it.
If what you say is true, that the beads only mask the problem, how do you explain the smoothness of the ride and some have reported longer tire tread life????
They disrupt the harmonics so the induced frequency does not get a chance to match the natural frequency of the suspension. Have you ever noticed that a vibration accurs at a specific speed range? Go slower and you don't notice it. Go faster and you don't notice it. Does that mean the imbalance is not there at slower or faster speeds? (if the problem is caused by an out of round assembly it will be more noticable at a wider speed range) As your speed changes, the induced frequency changes. It is only when the induced frequency is in phase with the natural frequency that the resonance is felt most. The beads can make the ride feel smother, but they are not balancing the assembly.
They disrupt the harmonics so the induced frequency does not get a chance to match the natural frequency of the suspension. Have you ever noticed that a vibration accurs at a specific speed range? Go slower and you don't notice it. Go faster and you don't notice it. Does that mean the imbalance is not there at slower or faster speeds? (if the problem is caused by an out of round assembly it will be more noticable at a wider speed range) As your speed changes, the induced frequency changes. It is only when the induced frequency is in phase with the natural frequency that the resonance is felt most. The beads can make the ride feel smother, but they are not balancing the assembly.
Have you ever actually installed and balanced a tire/wheel combo?
You can have a perfectly true/ balanced wheel and then it gets all outta whack when you add a tire. You can also have an outta whack wheel and throw a tire on it and it be perfectly true! Tire balancing has been a way of life for a few decades now and Dyna beads work VERY WELL on everything from scooter tires all the way up to big rig tires and huge 4 wheel drive tires.
Centrifical balancing (like Dyna beads) works even better than a spin balancer because it works at ALL speeds!
I wish you would have told us this before we spent so much time and money testing. Like I said, if your happy with what the beads do, put them in. I guess we just don't understand the wonders of Magic Beads. Please be sure to keep us up to date on any other Modern High Tech solutions that come along. It will save us lots of money and engineering time.
I wish you would have told us this before we spent so much time and money testing. Like I said, if your happy with what the beads do, put them in. I guess we just don't understand the wonders of Magic Beads. Please be sure to keep us up to date on any other Modern High Tech solutions that come along. It will save us lots of money and engineering time.
Ican, would you please inform us as to your (presumed by me) engineering field and area of expertise? I'm just curious-- not stirring at all.
Last edited by V2Evo96; Mar 9, 2010 at 08:31 PM.
Reason: clarity-- added "by me" after presumed
I wish you would have told us this before we spent so much time and money testing. Like I said, if your happy with what the beads do, put them in. I guess we just don't understand the wonders of Magic Beads. Please be sure to keep us up to date on any other Modern High Tech solutions that come along. It will save us lots of money and engineering time.
I understand what you are saying and respect your opinion. The reason I feel the DynaBeads work better than weights is that the weight's are placed at a specific location and do not move. As the tire wears,it get's out of balance...maybe only slightly but does. The beads continue to move and locate in the area to keep the wheel balanced. I didn't feel a difference at any speed. I am open minded and listen to good advise. I have recently installed the beads in my tires. Only time will prove or disprove them to me. Lot's of folks on here are using them with good results.
The tire companys and engineers that I've worked with over the years have no reason to lie about what the beads do or do not do. The next time I'm at the MB plant in Vance Alabama I'll ask them again why they don't put the beads in their new cars. Maybe I missed something the last time around. I'll be back at Honda and Toyota soon and will ask them the same Question. As I said before, if your happy with the results and the product does what you want it to do, use it. As for the question about if I have ever mounted and balanced a tire......yea, one or two over the years, thousand that is.
I have some first had experience with the little beads. My Harley always had text book tire wear. Very even wear and the tires always felt like they kept their balance until worn out. I have a BMW as well and that **** absolutely eats front tires! By 3000 miles on a new tire and it's already starting to scallop. At 6000 miles and it starting to look like the back of an alligator. Get it above 70 and the vibration would get progressively worse as speed increased. Even running the max pressure hasn't helped with the bad wear. On my last tire change I decided to give the beads a try. I've got about 9,000 miles on this tire and it looks just about as bad as the last 2 I wore out. What did change is the bike is still smooth. Whether I'm doing 55 or 95 there's no real difference felt in the bars or the bike. For bikes that experience uneven wear over the tires life; there's no doubt you'll feel the difference.
So if people who use them run smooth down the highway, and have good tire wear, why should we care what the engineers say???? If you have accomplished the two things mentioned above with the dyna beads, what else would you be looking for??
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.