I installed Counteract balancing beads on the slowly-being-rebuilt Concours today. If you’re impatient you’ll find the installation process a bit tedious, but the technology sure is cool.
Some have complained of liquid based self-balancing processes damage the tire, but the Counteract beads are micro-sized, synthetic beads that migrate to the out of balance side of the tire through static and centrifugal force. Since they’re internal it means there are no unsightly weights stuck to my lovely new tires. The claim is that these beads work better than weights as they adapt to the changing conditions throughout the life of the tire. I’m hoping that they work as well as advertised.
On a cold, windy Saturday in February, I put the beads in through the valve stem using the provided small, plastic bottle, you keep gently squeezing air into the tube which pushes the beads into the tire…
The kit comes with valve stems and fancy caps as well. Once I’ve had the new tires out on the road I’ll update this with an assessment of how well they work.
