Spoke wheel thoughts and concerns
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
I've been riding since the 60s and have to this day ridden more miles on wire spokes than alloys. I have also never been stuck by the roadside with a tube puncture I couldn't fix. The most memorable occasion that I have got stuck was on my current Glide, with alloys and tubeless tyres, when a rubber valve stem split! Nothing would fix that on the roadside. An earlier occasion on another bike, was when I picked up a monster screw, which also couldn't be fixed on the side of the road.
Modern tyre materials ensure we get far fewer punctures than in my earlier biking days, but bike design also guarantees we are less likely to be able to make repairs and carry on. Seems to be a fact of life.
There was a fascinating article in Big Bike magazine IIRC, back in the 70s. They looked at the contrast in damage sustained by bikes in frontal impacts. Wire wheels collapse much more readily than cast wheels, giving a much greater crush zone to slow the bike down and also transmitting less damage into the rest of the bike, I would however choose alloys over wires.
Modern tyre materials ensure we get far fewer punctures than in my earlier biking days, but bike design also guarantees we are less likely to be able to make repairs and carry on. Seems to be a fact of life.
There was a fascinating article in Big Bike magazine IIRC, back in the 70s. They looked at the contrast in damage sustained by bikes in frontal impacts. Wire wheels collapse much more readily than cast wheels, giving a much greater crush zone to slow the bike down and also transmitting less damage into the rest of the bike, I would however choose alloys over wires.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 11,814
Likes: 5,120
From: SW Ohio
I've been stranded with spoke wheels. There are but a few spoke wheel sets that can truly be tubeless. BMW and Yamaha both have them on their ADV bikes. You can see the spoke heads OUTSIDE of the tire bead. Everything else, claiming to be tubeless (that isn't a mag wheel) is some BS that I wouldn't ride to the end of the block.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 497
Likes: 8
From: New Egypt, NJ
I think it depends on how you ride it. My old Ironhead needed its spokes tightened (especially rear) occasionally. My wife's Dyna I check regularly and never needs tightening. Big difference in how those 2 bikes get ridden......
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 876
Likes: 4
From: Waskom, TX
They're not really tubeless. They came on my bike and I thought real hard about making the dealer swap them for the mags but I let him talk me into keeping them. Both times I had a tire changed they could not make the tire hold air. One indy did the rear, and another did the front. Ended up putting tubes in both.
Ride Safe
David
Ride Safe
David
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2,697
Likes: 10
From: San Angelo, Texas
I would think that doing a well thought out job of sealing the spokes would be easily doable, research the subject and see. As with anything using top shelf products and thorough prep is the key. I have sealed up many multi piece car rims and leaking aluminum wheels with never an issue using nothing but adhesive silicone.
I had spokes for many years and sealing them but allowing the spoke nipple to rotate while adjusting made me think of ways to accomplish the sealing. I thought of using a small piece of tape over each nipple with a small dab of Vaseline or grease coating the nipple to allow free movement and then applying a nice bead of adhesive silicone in the groove would work out well. Never did it though.
I love the look of spokes but found I was having loose rear spokes due to a stout 95" motor and overly aggressive throttle hand and I did a lot of long rides so I found a cheap set of street glide wheels and stuck them on. Those wheels looked good but I hated them for all the noise they reflected back at me.
I have a rear Profile laced wheel and tire and I think those are tubeless??
I had spokes for many years and sealing them but allowing the spoke nipple to rotate while adjusting made me think of ways to accomplish the sealing. I thought of using a small piece of tape over each nipple with a small dab of Vaseline or grease coating the nipple to allow free movement and then applying a nice bead of adhesive silicone in the groove would work out well. Never did it though.
I love the look of spokes but found I was having loose rear spokes due to a stout 95" motor and overly aggressive throttle hand and I did a lot of long rides so I found a cheap set of street glide wheels and stuck them on. Those wheels looked good but I hated them for all the noise they reflected back at me.
I have a rear Profile laced wheel and tire and I think those are tubeless??
I have the stock,wheels on my Bagger, a Fatboy solid rear wheel on my Heritage and the stock spoked wheel on the front of it. If I need to, I could swap the tube out of the front of the Heritage, or plug the rear tire...or plug either tire on the bagger. But my real plan is to use Road America and the road side plan I paid for just in case
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,833
Likes: 111
From: Sioux Center IA
I just bought the 12 SG spokes because I like the look and I had them on my RKC and liked them with no problems. These are HD and they are tubeless. I will put tubes in which I see no problem in doing and being more in the safe side I will put my factory tubeless tires on these also. If I have a flat I will use my roadside assistance like its supposed to be used. Never going to lift these heavy bikes up anyways
Last edited by davey019; Dec 21, 2013 at 10:21 PM.
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Thread Starter
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HDF Community Team
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,190
Likes: 2,419
From: USA
Thanks for the ruminations. Never considered the crush zone aspect of a spoked wheel.
I do carry aaa, but many times I'm out of cell service, and don't want to wait the hours or even days it can take to get the bike towed and repaired. I can replace the tubes in my Honda readily enough, but not this bike.
I also don't like the way a tube tends to rupture when punctured. Renders goo unable to fill the now huge hole.
Hmm. Sounds like I'm answering my own question with those comments! Either seal the rim (which I'm a wee bit uncomfortable with trusting), or finding a different set of wheels.
I do carry aaa, but many times I'm out of cell service, and don't want to wait the hours or even days it can take to get the bike towed and repaired. I can replace the tubes in my Honda readily enough, but not this bike.
I also don't like the way a tube tends to rupture when punctured. Renders goo unable to fill the now huge hole.
Hmm. Sounds like I'm answering my own question with those comments! Either seal the rim (which I'm a wee bit uncomfortable with trusting), or finding a different set of wheels.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 157,518
Likes: 57,070
From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
Thanks for the ruminations. Never considered the crush zone aspect of a spoked wheel.
I do carry aaa, but many times I'm out of cell service, and don't want to wait the hours or even days it can take to get the bike towed and repaired. I can replace the tubes in my Honda readily enough, but not this bike.
I also don't like the way a tube tends to rupture when punctured. Renders goo unable to fill the now huge hole.
Hmm. Sounds like I'm answering my own question with those comments! Either seal the rim (which I'm a wee bit uncomfortable with trusting), or finding a different set of wheels.
I do carry aaa, but many times I'm out of cell service, and don't want to wait the hours or even days it can take to get the bike towed and repaired. I can replace the tubes in my Honda readily enough, but not this bike.
I also don't like the way a tube tends to rupture when punctured. Renders goo unable to fill the now huge hole.
Hmm. Sounds like I'm answering my own question with those comments! Either seal the rim (which I'm a wee bit uncomfortable with trusting), or finding a different set of wheels.
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