motorcycle wheels... spokes vs. cast ??

[LarryA]

Maybe a tired debate, but I havn't found a discussion on this subject.......I prefer the look of spokes myself, tho I do like the fatboy solid wheel... Now my son in law says spokes are prone to sudden failure and would not have a bike with spokes......

Any opinions out there?

[Jack Klarich]

I like the looks of spokes, but I just don't like the up keep in keeping em looking good

[stacebg]

Maybe a tired debate, but I havn't found a discussion on this subject.......I prefer the look of spokes myself, tho I do like the fatboy solid wheel... Now my son in law says spokes are prone to sudden failure and would not have a bike with spokes......

Any opinions out there?

spokes have been around a hundred yrs personally only failures i have seen or even heard of were due to, not cause of, an accident.. does your son in law have any 1st hand experience with this??? honestly kinda doubt it

[Sidecarbill]

After 3 sets of spokes and two hubs I gave up on spokes for my rear wheel. I went with a mag style wheel just don't like the look of it. I do like the fact that its tubeless. Just doesn't look old fashioned. But even though the spokes would break, I never came close to catastrophic failure. Riding with the wheel of the sidecar off the ground seems to kill them. So no more stupid antics no more problems.

[grandpanystrom61]

A nic chrome spoked rim is just old school classic style. Maintance can be a pain with them, but if maintance is done as it should be, well the last longer than people think. Not sure if it new cheap spokes breaking or the older steel spokes, but rust is all metals enemy and whe I looked on ebay I seen a lot of spoked rims that just were not trust worthy looking......to much rust for me.

I have to admitt that I really do not have tons of miles on the road compared to others, but I road a endure as a teen and beat the hell out of that 125cc yammerhammer, front and rear spoke rims lasted longer then the forks and tires, than the rice burner was all cast and disc brakes, I was in heaven and loved that bike.

Good either way I guess, just what looks good I guess.

[stacebg]

betting there was a wheel with tiny spokes involved there i put about 50 k on this rig never even touched the spokes, (not even to clean them) any ya i flew it a lot.... and landed kinda hard a lot too.... never even gave the side car wheel a thought ...

[Fowler]

I like the looks of the spokes on my Heathen trike. But I do not think it would look good on my new Trike build.

I did want tubeless mainly because I always puncher the tube when installing a new tire. So I went with a sealed spoked wheel.

I have been riding on it for at least 5 years with no problem.

The 1 issue I do have with it is the sealant fills up the dip that is on the rim (where the end of the spokes are) With that filled in its harder to get a tire on and off.

[TomyJ]

Cross winds will push a mag/steel rim's as compared to spokes moving air through them, and you can see through them, With a tire, these are about 36" tall, I'd love to see a set of these on my next R/T Shenanigan's...

[LarryA]

Talked to the son in law this pm.....he said a friend had a front wheel with all spokes loose , wheel never failed completely, but got real wobbly. the wheel was not abused to their knowledge. Anyhow he and his friend lost faith in the spoked wheels.

I guess too many facts are unknown to make any conclusion.

not a fan of the mag style, so I will stay spoked or someday fatboy up front.

Thanks for the replys

[stacebg]

Cross winds will push a mag/steel rim's as compared to spokes moving air through them, and you can see through them, With a tire, these are about 36" tall, I'd love to see a set of these on my next R/T Shenanigan's...

i have heard that many many times .... but i dont believe there is much to it....cross wind is blowing on the whole bike not just the wheel... so the difference that solid wheel will make .. imo is going to be negligible.... has anyone tested this theory??

i did some looking here are a few things i found

actually at approx 30 mph the wheel becomes solid and no air can pas though.I have proven this to customers buy spinning the wheel on a dino and trying to force compressed air though.(thats one for myth busters

The rider is the "sail" that catches a cross wind since the rider is the highest point above the bikes center of gravity. After going to enough bike nites and seeing the size of some of the riders (ie:size XXXXL tsirts) the wind resistance created by the rider is greater than any created by the small surface of the wheels

i found it on the net.... it has to be true