First off - NO this does NOT have to happen. My FLH now has just over 167,000 miles on it on the original rear wheel (the front was replaced somewhere along the line). When the tires are replaced you must take the time to inspect and clean the wheel inside and out. Laced wheels should only be serviced by someone who knows what they are doing. Just tightening spokes is a bad thing to do - it will untrue the wheel and cause more stress on certain spokes as a minimum. They also need to be checked at regular intervals for loose spokes (I do 5,000 miles). It is not hard - just tug on them and see if there are any loose ones. If you are really worried check with these guys Wheel Works in Garden Grove, California (714-530-6681) and get the sealant for your wheels and run tubeless tires.

There is no reason you can not fix your own flat on a tubless tire on the side of the road, you just need the right tools.

With proper care, you can run a VERY long time on laced wheels. It is just like anything else on a motorcycle - it all depends on maintaining your stuff.

To me, the extra affort is worth it.

 

I have read every forum on here and feel I for one am sticking to the cast. I did hear about a place over in IL that can do a chrome cover over the cast wheels that runs about $300 (don't quote me on price). Heard it looks really sharp. A fellow rider is thinking about having his ultra done. I will let you all know.

 

When I was younger all they had was laced wheels, what a pain.[:'(] When cast wheels came out I was an almost instant convert. I will almost never buy something the first year it comes out(let someone else get the bugs out of it). They look good and are almost maintenance free. Sometimes newer is not bad.

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I've never had a bike with cast wheels. Never had a problem with spokes either,Knock on wood!

 

Wash bike....water sits in spoke holes...gets rusty and nasty..I don't like spokes becuse of maint and longevity, nor do I think the look good. But, I don't care for chrome either. My .02.

 

Derek
Since this is a project bike you are starting, you may want to talk to these guys. Spokes are their specialty and they will seal the rim during the process is you want to use tubeless tires.

http://www.hdwheels.com/index.htm

They have some beautiful examples of their work. Not cheap at all.

My guess is that the bad occurences you described had a lot to do with someone taking very good care of the visible parts, but not the hidden ones. How could anyone miss rust developing?

Best of luck on the project. I am voting for spokes!

 

[sm=smiley20.gif] Don't suppose i need to express my feelings on the subject.

 

Thanks for the replies. I should clarify that the person tightening the spokes is an experienced wheel builder, and made sure the wheel was true. He didn't just tighten them. As far as the rust on the wheel. It was on the inside of the wheel under the rubber band that protects the tube from the end of the spokes. Other than some break dust, the outside of the wheel looked fine. Maybe it was just a freak occurence. I think to keep the "old school' theme going on the bike, I'm gonna stick with a stock cast wheel on the back, and do a profile rim with the Buchanan ripple spokes up front. The bike is going to be quite low, so the rear wheel don't really matter looks wise. On the fron't, I'm switching over to a Heritage style fork with a HHI 4 or 6 piston caliper on the left side only. So a lot of the front wheel will be visible. My "trinket" or "project" bikes stay inside, covered up. They may get washed twice a year. Most of the time I can just use some quick detailer and a microfiber towel, then I'm good to go. I think if I use a lil WD-40 every now and then around the spoke holes, I'll be alright. If I'm wrong, I'll be back here to let you know.

 

And they don't have any freakin tubes either, and I like the look of cast wheels.