I have just purchased my first road bike, a '70 sportster. It has rusty spokes and steel wheels. Although the steel wheels are in fairly good shape, I would like to replace them with Aluminum rims when I re-spoke. 2 questions. 1. Were aluminum rims an option for my '70 sporster and if so, how do I identify correct ones, and 2. Can I use Stainless spokes and Stainless nipples with anti seize? When I respoked my TR3 Trimumph wheels, they said to use stainless spokes, but steel / chromed nipples because the Stainless on Stainless would gaul. The nipples are not, flaky and rusty, I hate rusty nipples.

 

Yeah, I hate rusty nipples too! That's why I told my wife, "no more cheap metal pierced rings on her nipples"!


Why not just get an aluminum billet 1 pc rim?

 

Everyone that I know, who had respoked with stainless steel spokes had trouble with them breaking.

 

All Harleys back then had the same style steel rims and the spokes went rusty after a while! The rims are safety rims that help prevent the tyre beads coming off, in the event of a puncture. They are a pain in the proverbial because they trap water and road grime in the groove each side and wear away the chrome.

Contemporary alloy rims have a deep flange, if you want to have correct period alloys rims, but stock bikes never had them, except possibly XRs. You could look up photos of racing Harleys to see what they used. Otherwise shop around wheel builders to see what they can supply and have your wheels professionally built. I've never come across stainless spokes breaking, in fact have never had a wire spoke break, in over 40 years.

 

Domapoi,

 

I sent my aluminum rim & aluminum hub to Buchanan Spokes. They built with stainless spokes & stainless nipples. They are best in the business.

 

And they make their own alloy rims, a one stop shop! Look no further KShrack.

 

The H-D "smooth Profile" rims look better & are available in many sizes, some black anodized.