Spoked vs Cast wheels | GTAMotorcycle.com

Spoked vs Cast wheels

bigpoppa

bigpoppa

Well-known member
Looking at some triumphs, is there any good reason why a modern street bike should have spoked wheels over cast? I know they are better for offroading and such...but in terms of maintenance would one just be better off getting cast wheels for just regular street riding?


Apart from offroading do spoke wheels offer any advantage?
 
Cast allows for tubeless tires which may allow you a plug fix on the side of the road.

Spoked just have a classic look. Can be a pain to keep clean.


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bigpoppa said:
Looking at some triumphs, is there any good reason why a modern street bike should have spoked wheels over cast? I know they are better for offroading and such...but in terms of maintenance would one just be better off getting cast wheels for just regular street riding?


Apart from offroading do spoke wheels offer any advantage?
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Here's what I've learned from having both now. Spoked wheels can be more finicky to deal with but once dialled in they can be "set and forget wheels". I had a problem with a front wheel wobble that was due to a non trued wheel. That was a pain to deal with as I didn't have the space for a truing stand in my garage. Took it to a mech and he sorted it out pretty quickly. If you only do street riding then cast is the way to go. Advantage with spokes is that if you hit a hole big enough to knock your rim out a bit then playing with the spokes might get you back in spec. There's a big weight difference between the two too usually. So, if you see any off-road in your forecast then spokes is the way to go, if not then cast. Having said that I took my triumph tiger off-road and it had cast wheels, I was just a bit more cautious.

edit: just saw above...my spoked wheels are tubeless and here you have to be careful sometimes if you do your own tire changes. Some systems have a sealing band for the rims where the spokes meet and you need to make sure you don't puncture that. The BMW system is better though as the spokes don't enter any area that's pressurized.
 
Ah...so just because they are spoked doesnt neccesarily mean they are tubed?

Although im assuming in most of the cases, spoked=tubed and cast=tubeless?

For the record im looking at the new thruxton and t120 bonnie...both have spoked wheels..and comparing to their non spoked wheel models(street twin, street cup)
 
Correct. The big BMW and KTM adventure bikes are spoked and tubeless although you can convert them to tubed if you want but you lose TPMS usually if you do that.
 
I think in the cases of the bikes you listed it's for a vintage look. For what it's worth, if you're a shiny bike kind of person I find cast wheels easier to clean.
 
A spoked wheel, properly constructed and in good shape, is more forgiving than a cast wheel. They will take side load, and then return to original shape, better than a cast wheel.

...that's why they're still used on dirt bikes. Spoked wheels are much more expensive to produce than cast wheels.

On a big street bike they're there for the "retro" look.
 
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bigpoppa said:
Looking at some triumphs, is there any good reason why a modern street bike should have spoked wheels over cast? I know they are better for offroading and such...but in terms of maintenance would one just be better off getting cast wheels for just regular street riding?


Apart from offroading do spoke wheels offer any advantage?
Click to expand...

Spokes are a ***** to clean and keep shiny, especially the rear
 
This stuff is like magic for spoked rims...or actually, car rims as well.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/simoniz-heavy-duty-auto-rim-cleaner-750-ml-0392999p.html#srp

0392999-simoniz-heavy-duty-rim-cleaner.jpg


Spray it on, let it sit for 3-4 minutes, and then spray off. I use it with my power washer and it takes my spoked rims on my VTX from dirty and sparkling clean chrome with no effort at all.

If you don't have a power washer some manual agitation might be necessary to loosen things before spraying with a garden hose, but it loosens stuff up super well. I use it on both the bikes and cars. It used to come in a black bottle but I see they changed it to white now, but I'm assuming it's the same stuff.
 
jc100 said:
Correct. The big BMW and KTM adventure bikes are spoked and tubeless although you can convert them to tubed if you want but you lose TPMS usually if you do that.
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I did not know that. I thought all spoked were tubed. Thank you.

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Joe Bass said:
I did not know that. I thought all spoked were tubed. Thank you.

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Click to expand...

Many of the big bikes run the spokes out to a flange instead of through the rim into the pressurized cavity. It eliminates the problems with trying to seal 50+ holes. As an added benefit you can replace spokes with the tire still mounted. I know nothing about dirt bikes so I don't know if they do something similar.

FWIW, I have never needed to true a spoked wheel on a motorbike, but I have also never had a problem with cast wheels.

Aprilia-Capaonord-Rally-at-IBW-2015-front-wheel.jpg
 
My Ossa has a tubeless rear.Cool little spherical spoke nipples.
P5060002_zpshg4wel20.jpg

A newer version with no holes in the rim and two part spokes.
2014-Ossa-300i-Factory-R-rear-wheel.jpg
 
fastar1 said:
That's awesome, I'd never noticed those before. I imagine they also make for a stronger wheel given the way the spokes cross at closer to 90 degrees?
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Thats the BMW system. Patented and really smart. My KTM has the spokes run into the rim, inside the rim are two sealing bands that stop leaks. The system works fine but if you pinch that band or don't get it installed in the channel in the rim you get slow leaks. Careless tire changes can puncture the band too. I'm also guessing dynabeads are not going to be used in my tires in case I get dust in the sealing bands.
 
GreyGhost said:
Many of the big bikes run the spokes out to a flange instead of through the rim into the pressurized cavity. It eliminates the problems with trying to seal 50+ holes. As an added benefit you can replace spokes with the tire still mounted. I know nothing about dirt bikes so I don't know if they do something similar.

FWIW, I have never needed to true a spoked wheel on a motorbike, but I have also never had a problem with cast wheels.

Aprilia-Capaonord-Rally-at-IBW-2015-front-wheel.jpg
Click to expand...

I've been told that truing a spoked wheel is a dark art. You can do a rudimentary job by listening for the correct tone when you strike a spoke with a wrench but I found that only really tells you if you have a reasonably tensioned spoke. You really need a truing stand, a proper torque spoke wrench and some patience.
 
jc100 said:
I've been told that truing a spoked wheel is a dark art. You can do a rudimentary job by listening for the correct tone when you strike a spoke with a wrench but I found that only really tells you if you have a reasonably tensioned spoke. You really need a truing stand, a proper torque spoke wrench and some patience.
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I have trued many bicycle wheels. I am not great but sometimes you are time limited (e.g. I needed to change the dish of my rear wheel last week to make wider tires fit). If I need it perfect, I pay someone to do it.
 
On a side note

If my bike runs on tube tires... Can I get a tubeless and run a tube inside



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abkdt41 said:
On a side note

If my bike runs on tube tires... Can I get a tubeless and run a tube inside



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Click to expand...

You can run tubeless rubber with tubes, yes.


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There's no problem with traditional spokes. A bit more work if changing tires yourself. If you're planning a long haul ride to remote areas, best to carry a spare tube.

As for keeping everything clean, that's easy as long as you stay on top of it. Clean the rim, spokes, hub, and sprocket every time you lube the chain.

Here's my Thruxton at 60,000km:

c5502ba4cdc00166d894f215e73f9b9b.jpg


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Jayell said:
Here's my Thruxton at 60,000km:

c5502ba4cdc00166d894f215e73f9b9b.jpg


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You obviously ride around in a massive cleanroom with a hazmat suit instead of leathers. Not sure how that lesson can be applied to us real-world riders :p
 
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