Laced Wheels
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,034
Likes: 1
From:
RE: Laced Wheels
Tubeless tires have two advantages.
(1) They are a lot less likely to blow out. The inter wall of a tubeless tire has a sticky layer that helps seal a puncture and the tire will stay sealed to the rim. Put a hole in a tube and the tire starts coming off the rim instantly.This is why you don't see tubed tires on cars anymore.
(2) You can plug a tubless tire on the side of the road and ride the bike home or to a dealer. You just need a small kit and some co2 cartridges. I speak from experience as I have plugged two nail punctures in the past 3 years and one I rode 250 miles before I could get a permanent patch. Towing service is a great thing to have but if you get a flat150 miles from nowhere on a week end it's not going to do you much good.
Laced wheels are OK for around town stuff but if you tour or take a lot of long remote rides then cast wheels make more sense.
(1) They are a lot less likely to blow out. The inter wall of a tubeless tire has a sticky layer that helps seal a puncture and the tire will stay sealed to the rim. Put a hole in a tube and the tire starts coming off the rim instantly.This is why you don't see tubed tires on cars anymore.
(2) You can plug a tubless tire on the side of the road and ride the bike home or to a dealer. You just need a small kit and some co2 cartridges. I speak from experience as I have plugged two nail punctures in the past 3 years and one I rode 250 miles before I could get a permanent patch. Towing service is a great thing to have but if you get a flat150 miles from nowhere on a week end it's not going to do you much good.
Laced wheels are OK for around town stuff but if you tour or take a lot of long remote rides then cast wheels make more sense.
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 991
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Laced Wheels
QT,
When I ordered my Ultra, it was up in the air as to the availability of the Profile Laced Wheel for my bike. And actually the dealer didn't get it to come in with them from York. (This same time last year)
They did a swap with a showroom bike to put them on mine.
I think the problem was a supply thing, and maybe his dealer doesen't want to go that little bit extra to satisfy a customer.
When I ordered my Ultra, it was up in the air as to the availability of the Profile Laced Wheel for my bike. And actually the dealer didn't get it to come in with them from York. (This same time last year)
They did a swap with a showroom bike to put them on mine.
I think the problem was a supply thing, and maybe his dealer doesen't want to go that little bit extra to satisfy a customer.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 3,108
Likes: 9
From: Lincolnton, NC
RE: Laced Wheels
The inter wall of a tubeless tire has a sticky layer that helps seal a puncture and the tire will stay sealed to the rim. Put a hole in a tube and the tire starts coming off the rim instantly
Every time this tube / tubeless debate comes up it reminds me of when I took my first road trip. I had trouble sleeping the first two nights, I was worried to death that someone was going to steal my motorcycle while I was asleep. This tubeless / laced wheel argument is like that, you can worry about it or you can go ride and enjoy your motorcycle.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 696
Likes: 0
From: Charlotte
RE: Laced Wheels
ORIGINAL: QT Hush
So if the dealer says long distance riding is a problem with spokes, why do they put them on a Touring model?
So if the dealer says long distance riding is a problem with spokes, why do they put them on a Touring model?
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 991
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Laced Wheels
ORIGINAL: jd_underdog
20,000 miles and have never had a flat!
20,000 miles and have never had a flat!
But you know what, them Lace wheels are still on her.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,033
Likes: 29
RE: Laced Wheels
I have had a problem with a late model laced wheel. My '00 RKC's rearspokes loosened up at 31k miles and gave me a bad wobble. I pulled the wheel and had them tightened and the wheel trued. Last May, I put my bike on a lift and went over it, checking the spokes, before a 350 mile trip to Myrtle. The spokes were tight. Half way there, the spokes started to loosen. I thought was the wind. By the time, I got to Myrtle, I had several broken spokes, and several pulled out of the hub. That was at 62k miles. I had to get trailered home.
I have an indy buddy that mounts about 200 tires a year. He says that ever since the TC came out he has seen a lot of loose rear spokes. He blames it on two things....1.) Cheap spokes. 2) The fact that the TC makes more torque than any HD to date.
I personally know others that have had this kind of thing happen on late model bikes and have seen several threads on it. Go to VTwin Forum and do a search. More than one guy over there has delt with it.
I put a new take-off spokedwheel on my bike and have been riding it. However, I have a 1200 Custom rear wheel waiting in the wings for the next tire change.
[IMG]local://upfiles/17633/3166282EB31946A8AFBA48B67E7F8FBB.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/17633/8749AC9554A346FCAF4C2A416ADFBF11.jpg[/IMG]
I have an indy buddy that mounts about 200 tires a year. He says that ever since the TC came out he has seen a lot of loose rear spokes. He blames it on two things....1.) Cheap spokes. 2) The fact that the TC makes more torque than any HD to date.
I personally know others that have had this kind of thing happen on late model bikes and have seen several threads on it. Go to VTwin Forum and do a search. More than one guy over there has delt with it.
I put a new take-off spokedwheel on my bike and have been riding it. However, I have a 1200 Custom rear wheel waiting in the wings for the next tire change.
[IMG]local://upfiles/17633/3166282EB31946A8AFBA48B67E7F8FBB.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/17633/8749AC9554A346FCAF4C2A416ADFBF11.jpg[/IMG]
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 10,033
Likes: 29
RE: Laced Wheels
One more thing to consider is the rust inside a steel wheel. Check out my wheel after 62k miles and 6 years. The rust in the rim is pretty bad. Some of the nipples are starting to rust. I don't see these late model wheels lasting decades like wheels of the past.
FYI,the bike is kept in the dry and doesn't sit out in the rain. I change my own tires and use Murphy's Oil Soap as a lube, so don't blame the rust on a corrosive tire change lube.
[IMG]local://upfiles/17633/79896F1F0B2B46D5ADBFBE0B331599EC.jpg[/IMG]
FYI,the bike is kept in the dry and doesn't sit out in the rain. I change my own tires and use Murphy's Oil Soap as a lube, so don't blame the rust on a corrosive tire change lube.
[IMG]local://upfiles/17633/79896F1F0B2B46D5ADBFBE0B331599EC.jpg[/IMG]
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Tourer
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 434
Likes: 0
From: Santa Maria di Camisano, Italy
RE: Laced Wheels
I've never had anything but lace wheels and have ridden countless miles and gone long trips with them. This last weekend a buddy of mine got a screw through the rear tire of his '03 FXST (still laced wheel) and rode it from downtown Savannah to the HD shop on I-95. It just lost about 1/4 of the air and he mushed along at low speed taking it easy.
Not an issue. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Besides, they look much better IMO on a classic design like the RK classic.
Not an issue. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Besides, they look much better IMO on a classic design like the RK classic.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,034
Likes: 1
From:
RE: Laced Wheels
ORIGINAL: Neckball
Not true. The same tubeless tires are mounted on all H-D Touring bikes whether there's a tube inside or not. There is not a "Must have tube" tire. The difference is not the tire but the wheel. Sticky layer?
The inter wall of a tubeless tire has a sticky layer that helps seal a puncture and the tire will stay sealed to the rim. Put a hole in a tube and the tire starts coming off the rim instantly