Spoked vs Cast wheels | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Spoked vs Cast wheels

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
No special treatment for the Thruxton, it's seen its share of long haul rides, some in brutal conditions. All it takes to keep clean is a bit of effort.

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Man those new thruxtons look gorgeous...

I suppose if i dont change the tires myself it shouldnt be a hassle(although i would like to make it easy on my mechanic)
(dont have the tools and wheel balancer)
 
I suppose if i dont change the tires myself it shouldnt be a hassle(although i would like to make it easy on my mechanic)
(dont have the tools and wheel balancer)

That's no problem at all. Remove the wheels and tires yourself and bring 'em into the shop. You'll save a bit of bread that way.



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Do the modern spoked wheels fit on modern tire changing machines?

I have "vintage", read Boranni or Akront wheels, and no shop I have met will touch them.
 
Do the modern spoked wheels fit on modern tire changing machines?

I have "vintage", read Boranni or Akront wheels, and no shop I have met will touch them.

I never had a comment from shops when getting the tires changed. I would assume they were done on a machine but I didn't watch.
 
I put this in the upgrades thread, but since we're talking about spokes, I'll post here, as well.

New K60s for my Tiger. This time, I've decided to go tubeless.

Every time I mount tires, I swear it'll be the last. The rear is a brute to mount; incredibly stiff sidewalls.

Please understand that I am not encouraging anyone to try this. I'm simply sharing what I've done. Do as you like entirely at your own risk.

Happy that the job is done. ?

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I put this in the upgrades thread, but since we're talking about spokes, I'll post here, as well.

New K60s for my Tiger. This time, I've decided to go tubeless.

Every time I mount tires, I swear it'll be the last. The rear is a brute to mount; incredibly stiff sidewalls.

Please understand that I am not encouraging anyone to try this. I'm simply sharing what I've done. Do as you like entirely at your own risk.

Happy that the job is done. ��

45cff195a264b29fbc05338e37368a54.jpg


3ea1a5cbc1e6714fc6b11ffd495a2510.jpg


632c65ababc9a07677ac6e8f6524aef9.jpg


3f6879fb11208935822204538908bb22.jpg


003d99bab71e0ef7103c9fda18b99438.jpg


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How did you balance the wheels when done? Did the depth of sealant in the groove make it harder to get the tires on?
 
How did you balance the wheels when done? Did the depth of sealant in the groove make it harder to get the tires on?
The tires/wheels are pictured on the static balancer. Check YouTube for more info.

No, the sealant didn't cause any trouble.
Those K60s look good...how are they on wet asphalt?
Okay in the rain, but I don't twist it hard when the going gets slick.

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Every time I mount tires, I swear it'll be the last.

Heh, same here. Every time I think I've got the hang of it (after an infuriating struggle), the next tire is MUCH harder to mount. Any of the tricks that helped previously flat out refuse to work. Not sure why and it drives me bananas.
 
"I put this in the upgrades thread, but since we're talking about spokes, I'll post here, as well.

New K60s for my Tiger. This time, I've decided to go tubeless.

Every time I mount tires, I swear it'll be the last. The rear is a brute to mount; incredibly stiff sidewalls.

Please understand that I am not encouraging anyone t to try this. I'm simply sharing what I've done. Do as you like entirely at your own risk.

Happy that the job is done. ��"

This is NOT a good idea, because tube-type rims don't have a safety lip on the inside edge to keep the tire in place in the event of sudden deflation.
I wish you luck, but IMO its not worth taking the chance.
 
Do the modern spoked wheels fit on modern tire changing machines?

I have "vintage", read Boranni or Akront wheels, and no shop I have met will touch them.

There is at least one shop I know of that will still do wheels like this by hand - PM me.
 
This is NOT a good idea, because tube-type rims don't have a safety lip on the inside edge to keep the tire in place in the event of sudden deflation.
I wish you luck, but IMO its not worth taking the chance.

Not surprised to receive a reply like this. Your point is valid.

I've not done this blindly. I've put in plenty of time and research. A number of folks with Triumph Tigers of this generation have done it and logged thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of miles.

The safety lip is a concern, of course, but not in this case. The Tiger rolled from the factory on tubeless type tires.

Again, I am not encouraging anyone to try this. As with any modification, do your homework and make your own choice.



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The marine sealant hack is one that's been suggested to me for my tubeless tires too to get rid of the sealing bands. I'll see if they really do cause issues later on down the line and consider this.
 
I wonder if it's worth it to seal the spokes but run a tube anyway? If you get a puncture you could repair the tire and at least get back to civilization. The problem area might be at the valve but maybe not with the valve nut tightened down hard.
 
I wonder if it's worth it to seal the spokes but run a tube anyway? If you get a puncture you could repair the tire and at least get back to civilization. The problem area might be at the valve but maybe not with the valve nut tightened down hard.

Some people apparently do that because the metalwork at the spoke entrance point to the rim is a bit suspect on the inside of the rim and the sealant trick is better than finding all the burrs and filing them down. They prefer the tubes because they have had issues with valves. I don't understand why all newer bikes don't use that BMW design though. It seems foolproof.
 
I put this in the upgrades thread, but since we're talking about spokes, I'll post here, as well.

New K60s for my Tiger. This time, I've decided to go tubeless.

Every time I mount tires, I swear it'll be the last. The rear is a brute to mount; incredibly stiff sidewalls.

Please understand that I am not encouraging anyone to try this. I'm simply sharing what I've done. Do as you like entirely at your own r
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You are giving me some hope :)
I have had BMW GSA for a number of years now, with spoked wheels and tubeless tires, and casually assumed that everyone does this now. Looking at Triumphs last week I had a rude awakening, being told that If I choose a model with spoked wheels I will be getting inner tubes...
I could not believe that any manufacturer that takes pride in his product would still produce wheels requiring you to use inner tubes.
So if I get a bike with spoked wheels, I may be following in your footsteps, before ordering (rather very expensive) custom spoked/tubeless rims...
 
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.

it's not a looks thing for ADV bikes, they have steel, spoked wheels for off road use
hit a rock with an alloy rim and bend/break it and you're in deep shyt

steel, having spring properties, can take a bump and return to shape without damage,
or really whollup it and you can smash it back to shape with a rock
 

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