Triumph NTB-AS: it grips the tire, not the hub — which is why it fits any motorcycle wheel
Motorcycle wheels are the awkward case for a car balancer, and the reason is the middle of the wheel rather than the outside. Bikes use every hub arrangement imaginable: cush drives, offset sprocket carriers, single-sided swingarm hubs, spacers that only exist on one model year, bearing bores that share no standard with each other let alone with a car. Any adapter kit that works by locating the hub therefore works on some bikes and not others, and you find out which after you have bought it.
The NTB-AS sidesteps that entirely. It holds the wheel from the outside of the tire. Nothing about the hub, the bearings, the axle diameter or the drive side enters into it, which is why this set can take on essentially any motorcycle wheel on the market rather than a list of approved fitments. For a shop that sees whatever rides through the door, and for an owner with a mixed garage of bikes from different decades, that is the difference between an accessory that gets used and one that lives on a shelf.
What it is for
These adapters convert a Triumph wheel balancer — models 580, 550 and 800 — into a machine that balances motorcycle wheels as well as car and light-truck wheels. They are an accessory, not a machine: you need one of those balancers already, or on the way.
The case for balancing bike wheels properly is stronger than the case for cars, not weaker. A motorcycle has two contact patches instead of four, the rider is directly connected to the chassis with no suspension seat and no sound insulation, and an out-of-balance front wheel shows up as a handlebar weave or a high-speed shimmy rather than as a mild vibration in a steering wheel. It is a handling and confidence issue before it is a comfort one, and it is felt every time the bike is ridden.
Done on a proper electronic balancer, the job also becomes a measurement rather than an opinion. A static stand tells you which side is heavy; a spinning balancer tells you how much correction to add and where, which is what makes the result repeatable from one wheel to the next.
Why gripping the outside works
Clamping a wheel by its tire rather than its hub has three practical consequences worth understanding before you buy.
Fitment stops being a lookup. There is no compatibility chart to consult, no cone set to match to a bearing bore, no spacer to source for an unusual model. If the wheel and tire fit on the balancer, the adapters can hold it.
The wheel is held where it is strongest and most consistent. A mounted tire presents a round, even outer surface regardless of what the rim's centre looks like, and that is a stable thing to clamp against.
Set-up is quicker on a mixed workload. A shop moving between a sport bike, a cruiser and an ATV wheel in the same afternoon is not rebuilding the shaft assembly between each one.
The adapters are built to hold the wheel securely through the spin cycle, because a wheel that shifts even slightly during the measurement produces a number that is confidently wrong — the balancer cannot tell the difference between an imbalance and a wheel that moved. Secure clamping is not a comfort feature on a balancer accessory; it is the accuracy.
Read this before you order
Two conditions on this item, stated plainly because they are the ones that cause problems:
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Triumph balancers only. These adapters are designed for Triumph wheel balancer models 580, 550 and 800. They are not guaranteed to fit another manufacturer's machine, and we will not tell you they probably will.
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No returns on this item. That makes checking your own model number the whole job. Look at the plate on your balancer, confirm it is one of the three, and if you are at all unsure, contact us with the model before you order rather than after.
Neither condition is unusual for a machine-specific accessory, but both are worth reading twice. The cost of a wrong order here is not a restocking fee; it is the whole item.
Perfect For
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Motorcycle shops and independents. Adds bike wheel balancing to a balancer you already own, without a second machine or a second footprint.
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Powersports and ATV dealers. One set covers the range of wheels that comes through the door.
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Multi-brand home garages. Bikes from different eras and different manufacturers, balanced on the same equipment.
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Tire shops adding bike work. A low-commitment way to say yes to a customer you currently turn away.
What's in the Box
A motorcycle wheel adapter set for Triumph wheel balancers. It does not include a balancer, and it is not a substitute for the machine's standard cones and hardware — it works alongside them. If you want the exact contents of the set confirmed against your machine before you commit, ask us and we will check.
Compatibility at a glance
| Fits |
Triumph wheel balancer models 580, 550 and 800 |
| Holds the wheel by |
The outside of the tire |
| Wheel compatibility |
Motorcycle wheels, regardless of hub design |
| Other manufacturers' balancers |
Not guaranteed to fit |
| Returns |
Not accepted on this item |
Certification, stated plainly
No third-party safety listing is claimed for this accessory in the data we hold, and none is implied here. An adapter set of this kind is not usually the subject of an equipment listing requirement, but if your insurer or your local authority has one that reaches shop tooling, check it in writing before you order.
Shipping and delivery
Shipping is calculated live at checkout for your address, so no figure is quoted on this page. Where the order also includes a balancer or other freight equipment, the whole shipment moves as freight to the lower 48 and the usual freight conditions apply: you must be able to unload it or take terminal pickup, delivery to a residential address adds a residential fee, and pickup at our Triumph warehouse locations is available.
Inspect what arrives. Check the packaging before signing for it, and write any damage onto the bill of lading in front of the driver. A clean signature records the goods as delivered undamaged, so photograph anything that looks wrong first, note it on the paperwork, and contact us the same day.
Warranty
The manufacturer's warranty applies to this accessory; the current terms are published on our warranty claims page. As with any warranty claim: do not take a part apart before the claim is filed. Photograph the fault, leave it as it is, and call us — a component that has already been dismantled generally cannot be assessed, and the claim goes with it.
