Spoke wheel thoughts and concerns
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HDF Community Team
Joined: Nov 2012
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From: USA
Spoke wheel thoughts and concerns
I've ridden bikes with spokes and tubes or cast wheels and tubless since the 70's. Hardly ever have I had a problem with either type of wheel or tire type. Oh, a few dented wobbly spoked rims and the odd broken spoke here and there. As well one tube blowout.
But, these were all bikes I could easily pry the tire off on the side of the road and replace the tube in. Plus, I was younger and more bullet proof.
Never owned anything nearly as heavy as my 04 Road King. And having done one tire myself, it ain't gonna happen on the side of the road! So if I puncture a tube on a trip, I'm hosed.
So what I've been ruminating is taking the tires off and sealing the rims for running tubeless. It's a simple enough process, sealing up the spoke holes with silicone goo. Then I could plug a puncture and keep on riding. Something I can't do with a tube.
But what I don't know is how often on a Harley wheel one has to twiddle with the spokes. Never found much of a rhyme or reason for it with any of my other bikes, other than I hardly ever had to do it. Don't know if Harley bikes are worse because of their weight, or not.
Also just lightly watching for a set of cast wheels to simply replace my spoked wheels with, and then not worry about any of it. Money of course is an issue with replacement wheels. Mostly the lack of it.
But, these were all bikes I could easily pry the tire off on the side of the road and replace the tube in. Plus, I was younger and more bullet proof.
Never owned anything nearly as heavy as my 04 Road King. And having done one tire myself, it ain't gonna happen on the side of the road! So if I puncture a tube on a trip, I'm hosed.
So what I've been ruminating is taking the tires off and sealing the rims for running tubeless. It's a simple enough process, sealing up the spoke holes with silicone goo. Then I could plug a puncture and keep on riding. Something I can't do with a tube.
But what I don't know is how often on a Harley wheel one has to twiddle with the spokes. Never found much of a rhyme or reason for it with any of my other bikes, other than I hardly ever had to do it. Don't know if Harley bikes are worse because of their weight, or not.
Also just lightly watching for a set of cast wheels to simply replace my spoked wheels with, and then not worry about any of it. Money of course is an issue with replacement wheels. Mostly the lack of it.
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Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Phoenix '53, '88, '09 Big Twins
post just the other day from a rider whose spoked wheel sealer failed and left him with no air in a good tire.
I'm with you, spokes are an anachronism...used for style, not utility.
I do have spokes on my classic rides, but no way I'd choose spokes over mags these days.
my roadside strategy is to call Road America...if you are a HOG member you get basic coverage with membership $20 upgrade gives unlimited mileage towing to dealership, unlimited occurrences.
Mike
I'm with you, spokes are an anachronism...used for style, not utility.
I do have spokes on my classic rides, but no way I'd choose spokes over mags these days.
my roadside strategy is to call Road America...if you are a HOG member you get basic coverage with membership $20 upgrade gives unlimited mileage towing to dealership, unlimited occurrences.
Mike
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Joined: Apr 2010
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From: Southern Oregon
I would take my chances of a road side flat with a tube before Id try to modify a rim thats not made for tubeless applications. You can plug a tire on the road but you cant plug a rim
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Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
The dealership put spoke wheels on my RK before I bought it. I should have made them swap them back out before buying it.
Haven't had any real issues with it, but there's always that one chance that something will happen 100 miles from the nearest town. And you're right, there is no chance of me repairing that kind of flat on the side of the road. Bags just aren't big enough for all the necessary tools.
I really like the new wheels on the 2014s. If I don't trade the bike in for one this next summer, I may watch the classifieds section for someone wanting to sell their cast wheels for a good price.
Haven't had any real issues with it, but there's always that one chance that something will happen 100 miles from the nearest town. And you're right, there is no chance of me repairing that kind of flat on the side of the road. Bags just aren't big enough for all the necessary tools.
I really like the new wheels on the 2014s. If I don't trade the bike in for one this next summer, I may watch the classifieds section for someone wanting to sell their cast wheels for a good price.
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Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Northern California
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??
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From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Portland, Oregon
Ride-On tire sealant. Check out their website. Their product is installed into a tubeless or TUBED tire. It coats the inside of the tire (or the tube) in the puncture prone area with a fiberous membrane that also doubles as a balancer. I haven't used it yet as I recently found out about it, but I am going to. Having any kind of a puncture on the *** end of my Ulta sounds like a PITA to me. My Harley dealers service department has installed it regularly with good results. You can easily install it yourself.
As far as spoked rims go I love them. At the oil change interval I do the ol tink tink clunk test with the spoke tool. At tire changes which seem to be 10k or so the dealer checks them for true and makes adjustments as necessary.
As far as spoked rims go I love them. At the oil change interval I do the ol tink tink clunk test with the spoke tool. At tire changes which seem to be 10k or so the dealer checks them for true and makes adjustments as necessary.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2011
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From: Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
Mine are the "Smoothie" type ( 2009 FLHTCU ) spoked wheels and they definitely have ( and came from HD with ) tubes in them. If your wheels are not specifically designed for tubeless tires you are flirting with disaster by putting tubeless tires on them. They are not designed to maintain a bead seal under lateral loads and they can/will seperate from the bead.