The Shinko label on the tire I just installed says to locate the tire's red dot at the valve on the wheel, since it's the heaviest part of the wheel. Right?
Wrong.
I just mounted 4 motorcycle tires in the last two days. Of the 4 wheels, only one had it's heaviest spot at the tire valve. It was an NC700X rear wheel. However, another NC700X wheel (front) that I mounted a tire on had it's heavy spot almost 90 degrees from the valve. See photo.
I have noted more often than not, that factory and dealer mounted and balanced wheels will have balance weights concentrated in the valve area, which means either the tire itself was severely imbalanced, or the light part of the tire was routinely placed at the valve, but the valve is not actually the heaviest part of the wheel.
Bottom line is, you need to check your wheel balance before mounting the tire, then place the tire dot accordingly. If you go on the assumption that the valve is the heavy spot, you will probably be wrong more often than right, and you would be just as well to forget the dot and throw the tire on in any random place.
A good practice would be to check the balance of your bare wheels and permanently mark the heavy spot on the wheel.
Wrong.
I just mounted 4 motorcycle tires in the last two days. Of the 4 wheels, only one had it's heaviest spot at the tire valve. It was an NC700X rear wheel. However, another NC700X wheel (front) that I mounted a tire on had it's heavy spot almost 90 degrees from the valve. See photo.
I have noted more often than not, that factory and dealer mounted and balanced wheels will have balance weights concentrated in the valve area, which means either the tire itself was severely imbalanced, or the light part of the tire was routinely placed at the valve, but the valve is not actually the heaviest part of the wheel.
Bottom line is, you need to check your wheel balance before mounting the tire, then place the tire dot accordingly. If you go on the assumption that the valve is the heavy spot, you will probably be wrong more often than right, and you would be just as well to forget the dot and throw the tire on in any random place.
A good practice would be to check the balance of your bare wheels and permanently mark the heavy spot on the wheel.
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