How do you check your spoke torque/tightness?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 19,922
Likes: 8,027
From: poway
And more correctly it's what the guy is talking about is stuckon (new word) not stiction. Stiction is really short for static friction. Stuckon is really resistance from the nibble being stuck on the thread. I guess "Stickion would be for stuckon too.. But it's not all stiction.. 
BTW you don't have to back of all threads only the ones that are stuck.. Not hard to tell when as the wrench wants to spring back with the nipple to it's the original place. Spoke acts essentially like a torsion bar. BTW WD40 works good here. Gets rid of the stuckon.
BTW you don't have to back of all threads only the ones that are stuck.. Not hard to tell when as the wrench wants to spring back with the nipple to it's the original place. Spoke acts essentially like a torsion bar. BTW WD40 works good here. Gets rid of the stuckon.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 19,922
Likes: 8,027
From: poway
I've probably laced a couple hundred wheels and have done another couple hundred simple truing with possibly replacing a few broken spokes. I will only dink the spoke to see if it's loose but once they look like need a turn on the nibble, I do them all. Sound wise, dinking doesn't work on wheels where the spokes touch as they cross.. Only doing them by sound can through the wheel off.. Then they'd drop em off at the shop..
Club Member
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 11,175
Likes: 2,483
From: Nor Cal
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 4,440
Likes: 148
From: Northwest
haha... you know, it didn't look right.. but my brain was fuzzed... I left it as is... thanks multi
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 13,402
Likes: 941
From: Illinois
I have done about 1,500 bicycle spoked rims in the past 40 years. When my Ural had a recall on the rims the dealer got in the new ones and a I waited for about a week and when I checked they weren't done. I asked why and the tech said they were looking for someone that could lace wheels. I told him just give me the parts and I'll do it.
I have a trueing machine that will check both side to side and hop. Art does play a part in being one with the rim.
When doing on the bike just use a dial indicator on the rim and adjust the side to side. Work your way into it with slight adjustments as you go around never draw it fully over with one adjustment. One spoke at a time for side to side and two opposing spokes for hop.
I have a trueing machine that will check both side to side and hop. Art does play a part in being one with the rim.
When doing on the bike just use a dial indicator on the rim and adjust the side to side. Work your way into it with slight adjustments as you go around never draw it fully over with one adjustment. One spoke at a time for side to side and two opposing spokes for hop.
Novice
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Gulfport, MS
Spoke torque
Because of something called 'stickion'... not really a word but describes the issue. If you don't break the thread loose a little, and just try to tighten to torque, the amount of torque required to break the thread loose is often above your stated torque for the spoke ( ~55in/lb). So by backing it off first, you've broken the thread loose so that you can achieve 'real' torque.
As for the statement of tightening the spoke because they are loose and pulling the wheel out of tru... that's BS... the spoke is loose.. if the wheel was true when the spoke was tight... then putting the spoke back to torque specs when the wheel was tru, does not pull the wheel out of tru.
Having said that, you DO want to check the rest of your spokes for proper torque... which is actually really checking the tension... because spokes don't get loose by the nipple rotating, they get loose by stretching.
The ting-ting-tong method, is a good 'kick the tires and light the fires' type of check before you head off in the morning on a run... but it is something to pay attention to... the lower the 'tong' tone, the looser the spoke is... and you need to have it checked as soon as possible.
If you are going to mess with your spoked rims... get yourself a truing stand and a spoke torque wrench
As for the statement of tightening the spoke because they are loose and pulling the wheel out of tru... that's BS... the spoke is loose.. if the wheel was true when the spoke was tight... then putting the spoke back to torque specs when the wheel was tru, does not pull the wheel out of tru.
Having said that, you DO want to check the rest of your spokes for proper torque... which is actually really checking the tension... because spokes don't get loose by the nipple rotating, they get loose by stretching.
The ting-ting-tong method, is a good 'kick the tires and light the fires' type of check before you head off in the morning on a run... but it is something to pay attention to... the lower the 'tong' tone, the looser the spoke is... and you need to have it checked as soon as possible.
If you are going to mess with your spoked rims... get yourself a truing stand and a spoke torque wrench
HD Forum Stories
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Verdad Gallardo
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever
Pouria Savadkouei
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In
Verdad Gallardo
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Verdad Gallardo
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept
Verdad Gallardo
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Verdad Gallardo
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy
Joe Kucinski
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026
Verdad Gallardo
Novice
Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Gulfport, MS
Info from my '03 FXD manual: Tighten spoke nipples to 40-50 in-lbs (4.5-5.6 Nm). Not sure what Sportster specs are. You'd better ask that in the Sportster Models Section