So, today I changed out my stock front tire because after riding from last summer through the winter, she was toasted. I picked a Kenda 270 and added a heavy duty or extreme duty...whatever...tube. I just took her out for a little clip and I'm getting a speed following vibration in the front end. My first thought told me that the weight from the thicker tube plus new tire was not balanced and that's what it needed. Then the darker side of me took over and started thinking of things I could've messed up. Is there any way I could've gotten something wrong, causing this problem?

Thanks fellas,
Mike

P.S. It also feels harder to turn... it's kind of hard to describe, but less nimble maybe... don't know if this is just because of increased weight or the tire or what.

 

Make sure it isn't actually flat. some of the symptoms sound like a flat tire. You may have pinched the tube while installing it. A flat motorcycle tire may not look flat. Some of them have pretty stiff sidewalls.

If that's not it , it may just be the new tire you have . Different brands / models of tire feel diferently on the road. Is this the same type of tire you had before?

Dan

 

Thanks Dan, and no it's not the same type I had before. I had the stock Dunlop and I switched to the Kenda. I'm pretty sure it's not flat, but it never hurts to check.

 

Not sure which size of the 270 you got, but it's a decently heavy tire IMO. It could be out of balance, whereas your OEM Dunlop wasn't. It could make a notable difference. I ran a couple of sets of 270's on KLR's, and while I thought the tire was somewhat heavy...like it was constructed with thick rubber...I didn't think it was all that stiff. Adding some wheel weights could fix the problem if it's just a balance issue. Also, those heavy duty tubes are freakin' heavy, and it could be adding to the problem a bit if it's got a heavy spot in it.

 

Check to see if the bead reveal at the rim is the same all around, both sides. Sometimes, it doesn't seat properly. To check balance just support front wheel off ground and spin it, see where it stops, 6oclock is heaviest spot,add weight at 12 oclock and repeat until you don't stop in same spot,crude but it works.
marc

 

Alright, checked to make sure the tire wasn't flat on our way out the door and it wasn't. I'll check the bead seating issue when we get home. Another thing I didn't think about the heavy spot in the tire when I was putting it on. Is the mark for that spot on the inside or the outside of the tire?

Mike

 

Balance your wheel. When I replaced mine I had them installed and balanced. They needed a lot of weights to balance them. Also, your psi should be at least 25.

 

At least 25 psi? That sounds pretty high. Where did you get that?
My manual says 21 psi.
If you are riding off road I highly recommended installing rimlocks and running your pressure down around 12 - 14 psi. If you install rimlocks and you ride on the street with them, you will probably want to balance the wheel.

I like darkmac's idea about the bead not seating.

Dan