I ran over a screw on my 2001 FLSTC the other day. I took it to the shop and had them change the rear tire. The next time I took it out, it went flat on the way home. They replaced the tube for nothing. Then I took it out again, and it went flat a third time. This time I mistook the lumpy ride for something caused by the bad road, so I kept riding until the tire was ruined.

This time the shop refuses to pay, so I am out $60 for the tow and $180 for a new tire. I found out they put a 17" rim strip in it instead of 16", and they used tape to fold it over and take up the slack. I am now insisting on the CORRECT part.

During this ordeal, they showed me the rim, and it had several spots inside it where rust ate the chrome. They suggested the rust abraded the tube and popped it, but the second blown-out tube had no signs of abrasion. It had a slit in the sidewall area, in the radial direction. The valve stem was torn out at the base.

Anyway, I took it home and used a brass brush and a rotary tool to take the rust off, and I sprayed the inner rim with Rust Reformer, hoping it would stick to the areas where rust had been an issue.

All that being said, I am disappointed to see that the chrome on these wheels is so thin they rust. There is no salt on the roads here, and I don't ride in wet weather. I'm surprised these wheels don't last. I have two questions.

1. Is there any way to make the wheels last longer?

2. Does anyone make a rustproof wheel with the laced appearance of the originals?

 

Water gathers in the wheel, which is what makes it rust. I've ridden bikes for almost 50 years and steel rims will rust out of sight from early on. The chrome-plating process will not apply as much chrome in the well of the rim as it will on the visible side, that is a feature of the process.

1. Not that I know of. You've been unfortunate with that shop IMHO.

2. There are aftermarket brands of stainless steel rims, which will have much better resistance to corrosion. They can also be built using stainless spokes and nipples. It is unlikely they will have the same appearance as stock rims, also they ain't cheap!

 

I have American Wire Wheels on my Heritage. 15 years old and no rust, rims or spokes. Also, no tube required. Here it is right before this Winter.

 

Just an observation...

Heritage..."Tradition", "Legacy", "History"...hmm...Floating Rotors?

Rotors stand out more than the 80-spoke to me

looks good
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The originals got sold with the old wheels. Everything doesn't have to stay the way it was. At least they don't warp and I like them. My actual choice, if possible, would be no rotors at all but coming to a stop sometimes is mandatory.

 

Everybody for going Rotorless say AYE!
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That is one good looking bike.