Cracked rim
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 13,104
Likes: 13,047
From: Texas, USA
Welcome to the forum from central Texas.
Always give the year and model of your bike. The rim looks like the aluminum, chrome plated, tubeless profile rim. But, if your bike is pre-2012 it can't be. Then it must be steel.
If I interpret this correctly... you had a new tire installed, went on a trip, were riding your bike during the trip and completed your trip. During the trip you didn't notice anything awry. A loose rear end? Broken spokes? A flat tire? Then as you are cleaning your bike you notice a huge crack in the rim and a long split in the tire's sidewall. This didn't happen just sitting in your garage. Either the tire and rim hit something very hard or something very hard hit the tire and rim. If absolutely none of those circumstances happened then it must be related to the spokes or the tire change.
Honestly, I don't see how you can ride on that and not know something is amiss. It's a moot point anyway. You need a new tire and rim. Replace them and move on.
Always give the year and model of your bike. The rim looks like the aluminum, chrome plated, tubeless profile rim. But, if your bike is pre-2012 it can't be. Then it must be steel.
If I interpret this correctly... you had a new tire installed, went on a trip, were riding your bike during the trip and completed your trip. During the trip you didn't notice anything awry. A loose rear end? Broken spokes? A flat tire? Then as you are cleaning your bike you notice a huge crack in the rim and a long split in the tire's sidewall. This didn't happen just sitting in your garage. Either the tire and rim hit something very hard or something very hard hit the tire and rim. If absolutely none of those circumstances happened then it must be related to the spokes or the tire change.
Honestly, I don't see how you can ride on that and not know something is amiss. It's a moot point anyway. You need a new tire and rim. Replace them and move on.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2016
Posts: 386
Likes: 117
From: Beaver Falls PA
Do not know what year your bike is, but Harley just recently closed down their New Castalloy rim making plant in Adelaide Australia . They have been making world class alloy and steel rims for years , About 120 union workers lost their jobs . Harley has been slowly moving production to China for the slave labor . A few years back there were made in China alloy car rims that were cracking and it was later discovered that the plant in China was using scrap alloy ! So you might have one of those high quality China made rims ?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 16,013
Likes: 7,139
From: Sandy Eggo's North County
That's scary right there.
I don't see any tire damage on the pictures. The rim is garbage though.
I doubt a split that size and direction is from an impact. That appears to be a materials failure.
I was thinking a severe over pressure situation (maybe to seat the bead?)
Just another reason why all riders should T-CLOCS their bikes every ride.
Admit it, you all knew I was going to write that, right?
EDIT~ Upon further review, it looks like the spokes are showing at least 5-6 threads at the nipples. This is unusual as there should be no threads showing.
I don't see any tire damage on the pictures. The rim is garbage though.
I doubt a split that size and direction is from an impact. That appears to be a materials failure.
I was thinking a severe over pressure situation (maybe to seat the bead?)
Just another reason why all riders should T-CLOCS their bikes every ride.
Admit it, you all knew I was going to write that, right?
EDIT~ Upon further review, it looks like the spokes are showing at least 5-6 threads at the nipples. This is unusual as there should be no threads showing.
Last edited by NORTY FLATZ; Jul 9, 2018 at 09:02 AM.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,179
Likes: 683
From: Forest Hill, Md
I had just ridden about an hour and stopped at my fathers house for a second. Got off the bike and heard a hissing sound. looked at the rear wheel and saw this. I am not a person that doesn't check his ride before every ride and I kept the bike in close to showroom condition. The pictures were taken quite some time after I replaced the wheel and had been sitting in the garage, that's why it isn't polished up. This shocked the **** out of me.
Last edited by elPrez; Jul 9, 2018 at 01:36 PM.
Stage II
Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Oregon
Yes
This just recently happened and harley davidson doesn't seem to be concerned. 2015 softail deluxe rear wheel.
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