Michelin Pilot Power

[Rickster]

The Michelin Pilot Power's I just received and ready to spoon on don't have a painted dot on the outside, but there is a barcode label. Does anyone know how the 'light spot' is marked on these tires? I searched Michelin's website -- no answers there. Read other forum's, they say the dot's on the inside (not on these).

So -- any help would be great.

 

[SkooterG]

First of all, are you sure any marking would be the light spot? Or the heavy spot?

Most importantly, if the tire's light spot is marked, how would that help you? Where do you then place the light spot of the tire in relation to the wheel?

Sorry I can't offer any help on the Pilot Powers.

Avons do not mark any spot, and the Pirelli Diablo Stradas DO mark the light spot of the tire on the outside with two red dots.

 

[exskibum]

First of all, are you sure any marking would be the light spot? Or the heavy spot?
Most importantly, if the tire's light spot is marked, how would that help you? Where do you then place the light spot of the tire in relation to the wheel?

Sorry I can't offer any help on the Pilot Powers.

Avons do not mark any spot, and the Pirelli Diablo Stradas DO mark the light spot of the tire on the outside with two red dots.

Skooter, you're funnin' us, right??? Still, like the pigeon you're probably fishing for, I'll answer.

Of course, you have to rely on the tire manufacturer accurately finding and marking the light spot. Assuming that, then you spin your unmounted wheel on your balancer to find the heavy spot and mark it. You mount the tire with the light spot of the tire lined up with the heavy spot you marked on the rim. It minimizes the amount of weight you have to add to balance the mounted tire/wheel.

On the back of my '03 XX, for example, I'm able to locate the heavy spot on the cush drive (it's an aftermarket Carozzerria in which the rubbers don't drop out) by putting it in my Parnes balancer by itself, then do the same with the rear wheel (w/o cush drive). I then mate the two with their heavy spots 180 degrees from one another and find the heavy spot on that mated wheel/cush drive (good thing I have the long spindle Parnes balancer). Then I mount the tire with its light spot lined up with the heavy spot of the wheel/cush drive assembly. Got lucky this time** and the mounted tire/wheel/cush drive was perfectly balanced with NO weights.

** Rick -- I'd love to hear the answer to your question, because I had exactly the same issue with the Pilot Powers I mounted on the XX. Lacking any marking and for no particular reason, I assumed the bar code was the light spot. And maybe it IS, because I did have a rear wheel assembly with a consistent heavy spot until I mounted the tire with the bar code lined up to that heavy spot. I then spun that a bunch of times and pretty much got a different slow stop point every time -- the sign you most want to see of a well balanced wheel/tire.

 

[SkooterG]

Good answer Rich!

I was fishing for the standard, "I will match the light spot of the tire to the valve stem on the wheel" which of course is not the correct way to do it as the location of the valve stem is rarely the heavy spot of the wheel.

 

[exskibum]

Good answer Rich!
I was fishing for the standard, "I will match the light spot of the tire to the valve stem on the wheel" which of course is not the correct way to do it as the location of the valve stem is rarely the heavy spot of the wheel.

Yeah -- and that's the way about 95% of the dealers' service departments will do it, too.

 

[Rickster]

SSSOOOoooooooo..... now that we have all that part straightened out, how is it that one that has found, identified, and appropriately marked the heavy spot on the wheel/rim supposed to know where the light spot on the Michelin Pilot Power tire is.... Hmmmmmmm......

I read elsewhere that the mark is on the inside of the -- checked that... no good.

I read elsewhere to find the elephant -- of course -- that's for a different brand of tire...

I read elsewhere to file off half of the tread forcing a light spot (not really...)

and I'm counting on the vast experiences of these forum members to help me out.... I guess I can figure it out empiraclly -- but I am very lazy and just want to mount the tire once. Of there are others who shall remain nameless that may want to mount their tires numerous times -- but I mean "mounting the tire" as in the process to place the tire on the rim.

 

[RTSR1/FJR]

SSSOOOoooooooo..... now that we have all that part straightened out, how is it that one that has found, identified, and appropriately marked the heavy spot on the wheel/rim supposed to know where the light spot on the Michelin Pilot Power tire is.... Hmmmmmmm......
I read elsewhere that the mark is on the inside of the -- checked that... no good.

I read elsewhere to find the elephant -- of course -- that's for a different brand of tire...

I read elsewhere to file off half of the tread forcing a light spot (not really...)

and I'm counting on the vast experiences of these forum members to help me out.... I guess I can figure it out empiraclly -- but I am very lazy and just want to mount the tire once. Of there are others who shall remain nameless that may want to mount their tires numerous times -- but I mean "mounting the tire" as in the process to place the tire on the rim.

My experience with Mich. (A friend is a race tire dist.) is that Michelins are so close to balance that there is no light spot on the tire. I run nothing but Mich. due to my access to them. I'm running Powers on boths bikes and have Mich. Race on another set of rims for the R1 for track days. Personally, I just balance the assy. after mounting and it usually only takes a very small amount.

 

[ian]

If you're running Pilot Powers, you will have a lot of practice replacing tires. I had a set put on and the rear is half gone in under 2,000 miles. Ian, Iowa

 

[exskibum]

If you're running Pilot Powers, you will have a lot of practice replacing tires. I had a set put on and the rear is half gone in under 2,000 miles. Ian, Iowa

Yep. Pilot Roads for the Feejer for that very reason. On the XX, I get MAYBE 4000 on the rear -- front will go almost twice as long. But I LOVE the way they stick and handle, and I push the XX a lot harder than the Feejer.

Gotta say that I only got 5000 out of the OEM 'Stone B020 on the back of the FJR, though, and the OEM 020 on the front was a badly cupped piece of shit with tread left when I replaced it at 6500. I liked the rear 020 and have a second 020 wearing away back there now, to be replaced with a Pilot Road to match the Road up front when it wears out.

 

[RTSR1/FJR]

If you're running Pilot Powers, you will have a lot of practice replacing tires. I had a set put on and the rear is half gone in under 2,000 miles. Ian, Iowa

Yep. Pilot Roads for the Feejer for that very reason. On the XX, I get MAYBE 4000 on the rear -- front will go almost twice as long. But I LOVE the way they stick and handle, and I push the XX a lot harder than the Feejer.

Gotta say that I only got 5000 out of the OEM 'Stone B020 on the back of the FJR, though, and the OEM 020 on the front was a badly cupped piece of shit with tread left when I replaced it at 6500. I liked the rear 020 and have a second 020 wearing away back there now, to be replaced with a Pilot Road to match the Road up front when it wears out.

I should've specified that I run Road on the rear and Powers on the front! But, yes I have changed quite a few tires in my bike riding life. Probably close to or even over a 1000. Maybe even more! Racing does that to you! lol I ran a Pilot Sport on the FJR and got 6000 out of it on the front but only 2000 out of the rear, hence the Road on the rear now. The Powers front and Road rear seems to be a good combo! They should both be done about 7000 it looks.

 

[afterburn]

Good answer Rich!
I was fishing for the standard, "I will match the light spot of the tire to the valve stem on the wheel" which of course is not the correct way to do it as the location of the valve stem is rarely the heavy spot of the wheel.

I have found with all my bikes that if I mount the tire with the dot at the stem, I rarely have to do any balancing, and if I do, it is very little.

I have never tried marking the heavy spot of the rim, simply cause I don't have a static balancer. All I have access to is an old dynamic balancer which will only work with a rim with tire mounted.

Given my experiences, I guess I could say I could identify the heavy spot of the rim just by pointing at the lead that's on there. Since I rarely have to make any changes between tire changes, the lead balances the rim, not the tire.

Re: Michelin: they do not have a light spot, nor do they have a marker implying such a thing. And they typically don't need much if any balancing either.

 

[Afast03nNJ]

The marking on tires is not a heavy or light spot but rather a high spot (radial runout).

Quoted from TireRack's web site.

"Original Equipment (OE) tire suppliers are required to mark the tire's "high point" while OE wheel manufacturers mark the wheel's "low point." This helps the vehicle manufacturer match mount combinations that maximize new car ride quality while reducing the amount of balancing weight."

Same applies to motorcycle tires, it's the high spot of the tire thats marked. Look closely at your rims and you may find a dot indicating the low spot. Line the two up and your radial runout is minimized which in turn yields a smoother running tire that requires less weight to balance correctly. If you can't find a marking on your rim, look for radial runout. If the wheel/tire shows signs of excessive runout, dismount and move the tire 180 degrees. That should cure most radial runout and vibration issues.

Here's a link to TireRacks technical page.

https://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/tec...e.jsp?techid=17

 

[SkooterG]

Interesting, but................

Where the two red dots were on the Pirelli I mounted was the light spot of the tire. Verified by me.

 

[L8RG8R]

I always run Powers on my Aprilia. My current set required very little on the front to balance and none for the rear.