i just bought a set of pirelli sport demons, now i'm debating about putting them on myself against having my dealer installing them for me.  i have a few questions about putting it myself:

1. how to balance it myself?  i have a clymers manual and it describes how to balance, should i follow it or are there better ways of doing it?  or would it be better just have the dealer balance it for me?

2. i have access to a tire changer, anyone knows if it will work for removing motorcycle tires?

3. the manual says that i should have a stand for the bike.  is this necessary or is the centerstand enough?

4. any other tips, suggestions, etc.

thanx!

Here's a cool link that Pablo posted quite a while ago.  Probably more than you'd ever want to know about changing & balancing a tire:
Motorcycle Tire Changing.

There are several links at the bottom of the page (in case this isn't quite all you wanted to know...)

My latest issue of motorcycle consumer news had a $10 tire balancer article in it.  The author also mentioned a $65 motorcycle tire changer from Harbor Freight.  Can't talk about the quality of either as the local shop will change and balance a tire for something like $15.  

By the way if you don't know what you are doing with a tire changer, be careful.  A different local shop tore my tire with their changer.  Evidently the process is not idiot proof.

just watch-out at what speed you balance them to....MY local shop charged $25 to mount and balance two tires up to 120mph.....if your not crazy then don't worry about the speed rating...the guy at the shop said 120mph is std. on a motorcycle...either way/ o-well more than sufficent

Quote from: Jace009just watch-out at what speed you balance them to....MY local shop charged $25 to mount and balance two tires up to 120mph.....if your not crazy then don't worry about the speed rating...the guy at the shop said 120mph is std. on a motorcycle...either way/ o-well more than sufficent

This is just laziness on the part of the tire tech balancing the tire or a sales guy that just wants you to keep coming back to them for business. A tire cannot be balanced for different speeds. A weight that is sloppily placed on the machines they probably use (like Geodyna, Snap-On, Etc.) will be fine at low speed, but get progressively worse the faster you go. With a little bit of care, knowledge and time those machines can be very accurate, but you have to spin it several times and recheck the weights as you go. Big shops don't usually want to spend the time doing this. Static balancers take even more time (depending on the operators skill, sometimes they are faster) but you get a truely balanced wheel.

This is all purely accademic anyhow. How many people get their GS up to those speeds anyway?

Most people (incl/ racers) i know don't even balance tires.
Line the mark up with the stem.

I have ridden (the SVS) at more than 100 mph for over an hour straight.....on both balanced and unbalanced tires..... and I couldn't tell the difference.  :dunno:

.....and really how often do you ride tripple digit speeds?

about never    I figured he was bs'n me but none the less I didn't feel like wrestling my tires on

Except when the SVS had new tires ( in 2002) I haven't  rode on a balanced a tire in years.