Hello all

Got a question.
When I was looking for a bike I eliminated those with spoked wheels in preference to solid/alloy wheels.

Here's why

1. In the past, (maybe this changed in 2012 or so) spoked wheels had tubes. If you get a flat on the road this is not easy to fix vs tubless. Tubeless tires on alloy rims can be fixed with a plug on the road.
2. I have this idea that spoked wheels are not going to hold up well to pot holes and other road annoyances as well as alloy wheels.
3. I get the idea that spoked wheels are going to go out of round and need maintenance to keep them true. Not sure that is something a regular person can do without special tools (and removing the wheels). So that means back to the dealer for this at $$$$$.
4. My fear that is that skinny laced wheels are more likely than "alloy balloon tires" - like on the Fat Bob) to get caught in those asphalt ruts I see sometimes and test your ability to recover.

Anyway, these all may be my misconceptions on my part.

What is your experience with spoked (laced steel) wheels?

 

Mine are spoked and used to follow those "road snakes". When I added the Superbrace and switched to Michelin Commander II's it all changed. Can't comment on the rest, All I have ever run were spoked (would like to get some custom wheels.....could you float me a loan?).

 

1. Yep, this is an inconvenience, however, flats are not all that common.

2. lol, my dirtbike has spoked wheels and it falls out of the sky sometimes 70 feet or so onto fairly hard dirt/rocks, etc. I'm pretty sure spoke wheels are tough enough.

3. See #2. I've hit some pretty large/deep pot holes with no ill effects. I imagine the force required to out of round a rim would likely result in a crash, therefore the out-of-round rim would be the least of your worries.

4. The tracking of the front end down the road is more the product of the tire, not the wheel. One could put a wide spoked rim on the front with a fat bob tire on it and experience the same road feel as the alloy design.

What you're thinking is not wrong, you're just over-thinking it...they work fine. If the bike you like has spoke wheels, buy it, you likely won't ever notice any of the "issues" you were concerned about.

My $.02 of course.

 

I think the newer HD laced wheels are tubeless.

 

I am wondering about that now. I have a 2008 fxdc. A few weeks back, I had a rear flat on my spoked wheel. Since I was late for my tat run, a buddy took the bike over to the station. Anyway, he brought the bike back and said he just had it plugged, which I thought you could not do on a tubed tire. I did have the tube installed when I last changed the rear tire. Well, it lasted all the way back home, about 60 miles.

 

I have spoked wheels but am going to some Hogpro Dominators for more road durability of being able to "fix-a-flat" them on a long freeway far from a station.

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