Ask Woody About Your Wheels

[Greg555]

Hi

I bought a crashed F800GS. The front rim has a BIG ding and needs to be replaced.
I know Touratech sells a replacement rim and spokes made by Excel (21" x 2,15") /36 but they wont have them in stock for a month or two

I tried calling Excel but they dont have a rim for my bike listed and cant help me unless I had their part number.

I was wondering if you have anything or know what can I do.

Thanks

Greg

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by wrysingfeenix

Woody:

I'm planning to build a set of 17" wheels on stock '03 Honda XR650R hubs. A non-bling project; standard tubeless alloy rims are preferable, tube-type if cost is significant. What advice about rims do you have, and a cost estimate for the rims and spokes only, and one for you building them on my hubs.
circa $600-700 for parts ,,less if i use good used stuff ADD $99 ea for superlace n true and another $99 ea to seal for tubeless

OBTW i highly recommend you switch to cush drive on the rear [circa $500 for complete assy],,otherwise your investment is most likely to disintegrate on you


And...at the other end of the spectrum. What kind of expense might be involved to have you prep a set of CBR spoked wheelsdo you mean mags??? for the same application? From what I see from Google search results, it appears to possibly require machining, cush hubs, welding, bearing issues, relocation of calipers, etc. Probably WAY more hassle, time, and money than I'm interested in. Opinion?building trick things is apassion of mine however in the immediate future i'm concentrating on a few other projects....woody

TIA

holler n thanks
woody

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by Greg555

Hi

I bought a crashed F800GS. The front rim has a BIG ding and needs to be replaced.
I know Touratech sells a replacement rim and spokes made by Excel (21" x 2,15") /36 but they wont have them in stock for a month or two why bother???,,part of the problem is the rim is too wide for what you are doing ,,for all around use we use double signature Excels 1.85x21 $179 silver add $75 for satin black

I tried calling Excel but they dont have a rim for my bike listed and cant help me unless I had their part number.first off they do not sell retail and secondly there are no predrilled rims available fro your bike ,,,we have them custom drilled to either OEM specs or to our improved Superlace set-up

I was wondering if you have anything or know what can I do.

we can unlace /re-lace n true your wheel for $100 plus parts or we can superlace n true it for $99 with one year warranty against spokes loosening plus a set of heavy duty ss spokes n nipples circa $126 plus your new rim

Thanks

Greg

if you are keeping your bike superlacing is a solid investment
woody

PS thanks for moving your inquiry,,w

[Stovebolt]

Woody,

Zach sent me a most righteous custom rear wheel for my 2010 KTM 450XC-W Six Days - it's a beaut! I haven't assembled it or mounted it yet, but thanks to you guys for setting me up. Zach also spooned on a D606 for me with rimlocks so I would be good to go when the sprocket and rotor hit my door this week. I just haven't had the time to finish it off. Be riding the scoot over Memorial day weekend, if all goes well with my schedule.

Takasago Rear with big spokes and Superlace (fantastic!)
Orange Billet Cushion Drive rear hub, carrier and cushions
all bearings and spacers, nice!

Thanks! I appreciate all the help in correspondence Woody.

Here's the build thread on the RDS forums, FWIW....

http://ridedualsport.com/forum/index.php?topic=1086.0

Rally On,

Stovey

[duitswes]

Hi Woody,

I am thinking of changing the 21 front on my Dakar to a 19. The one thing that bothers me is the handling of that bike in crosswinds. Would going to a 19 make the handling in crosswinds worse? I suspect that a wider front tyre will improve the matter, but I am not sure about less trail.

I appreciate you sharing the wisdom,
/W

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by duitswes

Hi Woody,

I am thinking of changing the 21 front on my Dakar to a 19. The one thing that bothers me is the handling of that bike in crosswinds. Would going to a 19 make the handling in crosswinds worse? I suspect that a wider front tyre will improve the matter, but I am not sure about less trail.

I appreciate you sharing the wisdom,
/W

ya tossed a good one at me.

my take is you may have a net improvement.....

my experience tells me that the bigger the silhouette you present the x-wind the more sail area you have to push you off course,,,dropping the bike an inch in the front will reduce the sail area

the 19'' wheels provide a more planted foot print as well as snappier handling because lowering your bike reduces trail.

the net result is in favor of reducing the effects of x-wind IMHO

woody

[1stworks]

What is the best cleaner for black sun wheels w/ woody's
super lace spokes.

Just got the bike and want to make the wheels look new.

Would love to spray w/ cleaner then wash with pressure washer.

Its too much work to clean every spoke.

Thanks for any help!!!

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by 1stworks

What is the best cleaner for black sun wheels w/ woody's
super lace spokes.

Just got the bike and want to make the wheels look new.

Would love to spray w/ cleaner then wash with pressure washer.

Its too much work to clean every spoke.

Thanks for any help!!!

i've used SS100 for pre-cleaning with great success and then spray on that HONDA-line all purpose cleaner ???? and wipe it in and off ,,

stay away from harsh cleaners like simple green/and heavy duty detergents.

an old toothbrush also works good for the stubborn areas,,,and routine cleaning /waxing will make the clean-up easier the next time

FYI 31,,,the high pressure car washers although they work efficiently also wash out the special antiseize compounds we use in assembling ss spokes to ss nipples,,,,the fortunate thing is that my superlaced wheels hardly ever need truing...but should they ever,,,, we have occasionally run across dirt bike wheels that essentially had all the special jism washed out ,,,we could tell because the ss&ss starts to creak before it galls and seizes,,,,,then it's spoke snipping time....those wheels have to be unlaced,all threads thoroughly cleaned and re-lubed with the special anti seize..

FYI#2,,,you could put a drop of the jism on the edge of spoke and nipple,,trouble with that if ya put too much on it'll dribble down the spokes

woody

[danfinazzo]

Woody,

I purchased a fairly young 2008 R1200GS with 17000 miles on the clock. I do not believe the former owner ever
had it in the woods or off road for that matter. Observed no wheel weights on the rear spoked wheel and being
the inquiring kind set it up on a wheel stand. The following issues were found:

1. Takes too much weight to balance the tire about 4 ounces
2. Wheel wobbles left to right over 3/8"
3. Hub is not centered left to right - off about 5/16"
4. The wheel and hub appear to be concentric

A few questions / comments:
1. When tuning assume "all" spoked wheels have their hubs centered left to right with respect to the wheel.
2. Do you ever balance spoked wheels without tires to check for wheel weight issues?
3. Issues when tuning wheels with tires mounted and up to pressure?

Thanks in advance . . .

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by danfinazzo

Woody,

I purchased a fairly young 2008 R1200GS with 17000 miles on the clock. I do not believe the former owner ever
had it in the woods or off road for that matter. Observed no wheel weights on the rear spoked wheel and being
the inquiring kind set it up on a wheel stand.ATTABOY!!!!
,,having no weights on your wheel is of no concern to me,,,,i follow the simple maxim: ''When in doubt.....check it out!!!'',,,ya either have questions and find answers,,,ya either have excuses or ya have results
so the bottom line is let's check it out

The following issues were found:
1. Takes too much weight to balance the tire about 4 ounces

2. Wheel wobbles left to right over 3/8" totally unacceptable!!!,,,i assume it's the rear wheel we are talking about,,,,, here ya really want less than +/- .020" runout in both directions ie lateral and longtitudinal

3. Hub is not centered left to right - off about 5/16"that sounds about right,,i think the offset is circa 11/16'' measuring from the right edge of hub to the outer edge of rim

4. The wheel and hub appear to be concentric that's a positive sign
FYI,,,cast components like wheels and hubs and are prone to being out of balance weight wise depending of course on the varying thickness of the casting,,,,BMW's rims have got major amounts of metal removed around the weld area thus rendering the rim out of balance from the git go,,,the way we compensate for that after it has been trued is with the ''balancing '' process

5. Issues when tuning wheels with tires mounted and up to pressure?before balancing :ALWAYS CHECK FOR A TRUE WHEEL!!! otherwise you are wasting $$ and time performing a wheel balance!!!!,,,then:

1,, mount all the parts that are part of the rotating mass ie disc brakes,,sprockets,, sprocket carriers,,tires,,tubes,,rim locks,,pressure sensors

2,, make sure tire is properly seated and fully inflated for your load

3,, balance your wheel,,,if it takes under an ounce i just place the weights opposite the ''heavy spot''

4,, more than that i use a ''delta pattern'',,takes a little more weight ,however dynamically it is a better technique

5,,advanced tire balancing technique freebie,,,we all ''ASSume'' that the heavy spot of the wheel is at the valve stem and hence put the little dot[the tire's light spot] on the tire next to it.... then go about balancing the wheel...all well and good if that is REALLY the heavy spot on your wheel assy....

Mo Betta would be to pre balance/check your wheel assy and mark the natural heavy spot of your wheel,,,when you use that as your new reference point ,,,you will be rest assured of using the minimal amount of weight for balancing
Thanks in advance . . .

woody

[Suncoast]

Hi Woody, I've got an 01 KLR 650 with a ding in the front rim, the rim lip is probably dented outwards close to 1cm, I'd ship it to you for repair but being in Canada the shipping costs and customs hassle would suck, some people have said I should be able to heat the ding spot and then hammer it out with a deadblow hammer against a template cut from 3/4" plywood, I'm not sure if that will work or not. If it doesn't I'd just like to lace in another stock rim, will any 21 X 1.60 34 hole rim work? I've seen a lot of rims for sale for klx 250 and klx 650's they probably don't have the DOT designation other than that is there any difference? Do you sell the used stock rims that you've taken off for super motard conversions. I've laced up a few mountain bike rims over the years but never tackled a motorcycle rim. Any advice? Kawasaki wants 3-400.00 just for a stock rim

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by Suncoast

Hi Woody, I've got an 01 KLR 650 with a ding in the front rim, the rim lip is probably dented outwards close to 1cm, I'd ship it to you for repair but being in Canada the shipping costs and customs hassle would suck, some people have said I should be able to heat the ding spot and then hammer it out with a deadblow hammer against a template cut from 3/4" plywood, I'm not sure if that will work or not.that rechnique would be on the lower level of optimal results,,you'd have to get it oo hot and all the stiffness will disappear If it doesn't I'd just like to lace in another stock rim, will any 21 X 1.60 34 hole rim work? I've seen a lot of rims for sale for klx 250 and klx 650's they probably don't have the DOT designation other than that is there any difference? Do you sell the used stock rims that you've taken off for super motard conversions. I've laced up a few mountain bike rims over the years but never tackled a motorcycle rim. Any advice? Kawasaki wants 3-400.00 just for a stock rim

we should have plenty of rims that will work,,i'll have zach look,,circa $80-120 new double sig goes for $153 in silver with drilling for your oem spokes..
will keep ya posted...


updated 6/4/2010

looked and we currently do not have any good used rims that will fit your bike. Not any 1.60x21-36H rim will work. You will need one that has 0.280" nipple holes and a Jap lace pattern(most rims of this size have a Jap lace pattern).

You should be able to find a local motorcycle shop that can repair your wheel. We charge $60-100 per wheel to fix similar dings.

We will let you know if we find a good used rim and have a great weekend.

woody

[Pago Cruiser]

Hi Woody,

I've got an 09 HD XR1200 with cast wheels - 17 x 5.5 rear, 18x3.5 front. I'm setting this up as a dual sport tug with a Ural.
Nothing extreme, but from freeways to fireroads to remote camping. But 70-75 mph will be required.

I can get a 18x3.5 rear from Storz ( I believe they use Sun rims with an HD hub) but I am concerned about shredding rear tires. Was planning to use TKC 80 in 140/18 size front and rear.

Couple questions:

1. The 140/18 will fit on both the 3.5" and the 4.25" width rims. More "cushion" (and height) using the 3.5", but more surface contact using the 4.25". I am that thinking that the more contact patch (for the hack) would be best. Any thoughts?

2. I have a couple other hacks, and tires are a bugger. Thinking of maybe a car tire all the way around? Saw a thread on the site about lace-up rims for car tires. Any thoughts? Note that this would not be used for a solo bike; only the hack tug and chair.

Thanks,

Mitch

[woody's wheel works]

Mitch --

Like you said the narrower rim will give you more cushion, which allows the tire to get better traction on harder pack stuff. The wider rim will give you less cushion and give you better traction on softer, sand, etc. type stuff.

So, up to you based on where you plan on riding.

In terms of car tire/wheel conversions, we are not the experts. I would get in contact with someone who has done it and get feedback from them. The safety bead on a motorcycle tire is going to be smaller than for an auto tire, so it's not meant to work, but some people do it. Certainly cost savings on the tire and will last you longer. Much more difficult to turn though. Try to get more info, and can always try it. Always have a motorcycle tire as back-up.

We can build this wheel for you and probably save you $80-200 per wheel to build it.

Are you referencing these wheels?: http://www.storzperf.com/np_XR1200wheel.html

They use Excel rims, stainless spokes, stainless nipples and stock billet hubs, which we could do the same.

Let us know, as always you can e-mail or call.

Originally Posted by Pago Cruiser

Hi Woody,

I've got an 09 HD XR1200 with cast wheels - 17 x 5.5 rear, 18x3.5 front. I'm setting this up as a dual sport tug with a Ural.
Nothing extreme, but from freeways to fireroads to remote camping. But 70-75 mph will be required.

I can get a 18x3.5 rear from Storz ( I believe they use Sun rims with an HD hub) but I am concerned about shredding rear tires. Was planning to use TKC 80 in 140/18 size front and rear.

Couple questions:

1. The 140/18 will fit on both the 3.5" and the 4.25" width rims. More "cushion" (and height) using the 3.5", but more surface contact using the 4.25". I am that thinking that the more contact patch (for the hack) would be best. Any thoughts?

2. I have a couple other hacks, and tires are a bugger. Thinking of maybe a car tire all the way around? Saw a thread on the site about lace-up rims for car tires. Any thoughts? Note that this would not be used for a solo bike; only the hack tug and chair.

Thanks,

Mitch

[MJS]

Hi Woody,

I want to send you my wheels from 05 R12GS. They need to be straightened and trued. I was thinking of converting the front to a 21" BMW tubeless hoop. (I'd use the 19 on my HP2 SM wheel set - but that's a different project).

Here's the question. I'm thinking of getting an 2010 GSA next year. I believe the front wheels are not directly interchangable. Looking at the MAX parts catalog, it appears the hub is the same and only the brake discs are different. Do you have any experience / knowledge about this? I don't want to spend the $ on the 21" rim if I can't move it to the new bike.

PS: It was good to see you at the ARC event. I was the guy on the HP2 parked next to Del's trailer.

Thanks,