SS spokes

Hi All,

I read back up there ^^ somewhere that fitting SS spokes was something
that some folk do to replace rusty chrome / plain steel ones but are
there instances when doing so may not be a good idea?

ie. Her XV750 spokes have lost chrome in many places and so are a
bugger to get looking tidy (and you can guess who cleans them eh) so I
was wondering if I got (say) Mr Hagon (fairly local to us) to rebuild
the wheels but with SS spokes, would that be a good /
easy_to_keep_tidy / safe thing to do?

My caution is that her XV750 has flanged (I can say that here can't I
<g>) rims and with the fairly large rear drum means the spokes end up
at some pretty weird angles and fairly short (so I guess little 'give'
in them) and unsure if SS would be as resilient (with whatever grade
of 'SS' they would make such spokes out of etc)?

So, do we go for SS, get some std chrome ones or get the old ones
re-plated please?

All the best ..

T i m

p.s. 17 year old daughter passed her CBT today and really enjoyed it
...<weg>

 

Stainless. Hardly more expensive, inb the context of the whole wheel
rebuild, and they do the job.

Reminds me: Hagon's phoned yesterday: the re-spoked wheels for my SL125
are ready. That'll be £300, then.

 

Stainless.[/QUOTE]

Ok ..

Agreed and indeed (a mate who is a bike mechanic has offered to just
re-spoke but I'm not sure he has the experience / machinery Hagon
does).

Ouch .. mind you, there's probably about 2 miles more spoke on your
SL125 than this XV750!

All the best ..

T i m

 

It's a popular mod on older R-GS with steel spokes, and BMW started fitting
them as OE after 2001ish

Not bothered on mine. I rarely wash it and DGAF about manky spokes.

Apparently, the SS ones are not as robust as the steel ones according to
the mad fuckers that go off-roading on their R-GSes.

 

Ok ..

Me neither .. and my wheels are painted alloy (91 R100RT Mono).

Well that was my 'concern' Wessie. My RT came with nearly every
fastener rusted in place as it had spent all it's life out doors
(still is but at least under canvas now) so I replaced most of them
with SS ones. However, some of the bits weren't available in SS
because I was led to believe (at the time anyway) they weren't strong
enough in SS?

Re the spokes .. someone else suggested I got the old spokes cleaned
up and nickel plated as that wasn't porous like chrome so at least
they would (should?) stay tidy looking? [1]

All the best ..

T i m

[1] Much as though I have no interest in 'cruisers' for myself, I do
admit her XV750 does look nice when I've given it a good going over
once in a while. That makes her happy then she makes me happy <weg>

 

Well, that includes new rims, polished hubs and new bearings. Brand new
wheels, effectively. A helluva lot of dosh to spend on a 125, I grant
you, but the SLs are fetching stupid money atm, and I'm getting mine to
look really, really good now.

 

Well, that includes new rims, polished hubs and new bearings. Brand new
wheels, effectively.[/QUOTE]

Shiney! ;-)

I bet and why not if you like doing such things?

Fir some bizarre reason I'd rather take summat a bit unloved and tidy
it up than spend similar money on something that's already 'tidied'?

Something to do with getting to know it or making it 'yours' etc
....<shrug>

I took an old CB "Two Fifty" off the local MC shop (cheap) as it had
been taken in PX, was fairly high mileage and they couldn't really be
bothered with it. I noted the front tyre was losing pressure and on
closer inspection it turned out to be corrosion on the inside of the
rims. So, I took both wheels off, removed the tyres, sprocket, disk
got out the Nitromors ... (never liked white painted wheels on that
anyway ...) ;-)

All the best ..

T i m

 

Isn't it just though
*owch*

 

'91 Mono!

Nice.

 

Really? ;-)

My first foray into BM's was when I bought an old twin shock off a
mate ... an R100RT done up as an R90S. It turned out to be pretty shot
(although still went ok, just wouldn't stop) and I didn't know enough
about them at the time to want to get that involved that soon. So I
sold it to a mechanic mate and picked up the Mono R100RT as it seemed
to be the most practical for my needs.

Shaft drive and in an oil bath and pretty straight (unlike the GS
UJ's). Electronic ignition. Mono = easy wheel removal, fairly cheap
(because it was scruffy) and it had only done 35k miles with a full BM
sh.

I also liked the 'sound' (not that you can hear it much) the upright
riding position, twin disks and the big screen. The heated grips and
500cc foot warmers were an added bonus. ;-)

I've since fitted a towbar and it happily tugs us (typically daughter
and I) and the Squire D10 full of family camping gear all over the
place. Well, it was till the clutch splines stripped out of the
friction plate whilst we were in Leek one year ... (175 AA miles back
to London). *Apparently* they are something you are suppose to grease
fairly regularly .. (yeah, and so easy to get to) ..??

I stripped the gearbox, replaced the damaged worn bits (mainly the
input shaft) / bearings (having a 10 tonne hydraulic press comes in
handy) but just didn't trust myself to rebuild the box and get it
shimmed up correctly (too much to risk if I got it wrong) so go it
done by a BM guru. And that's how it's sat for the last few years ....
;-(

At the time it went and in frustration with the BM I borrowed the
local shops 900 Divvy for a week. (In comparison with the RT) .. it
was fast, planted, brilliant brakes, reliable yada yada ... but just
not what I wanted ... (so only rode it twice all week).

All the best ..

T i m

 

<snip>

I found all the Mono bikes ludicrously thirsty. My old 1978 heavy
flywheel R100RS (OK, an S dressed up with RS bits) sipped fuel in
comparison.

You're right about the Divvie. Really, really good at what it did, but
as boring as hell. I admired mine for its efficiency, but I wouldn't buy
another.

 

The Mono is a bike to change the carbs and exhausts on.

 

There's one on eBay at the moment that would probably be the ideal bike
for a winter hack and the Elefantentreffen, but I just can't bring
myself to consider bidding on anything that dull.

 

<snip>

I found all the Mono bikes ludicrously thirsty. My old 1978 heavy
flywheel R100RS (OK, an S dressed up with RS bits) sipped fuel in
comparison.[/QUOTE]

Hmm, I seemed to get ~ 55 mpg .. maybe 50 towing? How does that
compare? I wouldn't say I was a fast rider but I do get_on_with_it etc
...

Sfunny, being and engineer, always taking function over form I though
the Divvie would be the perfect solution but it just wasn't. Maybe if
I was using a bike for other than fun / holidays these days I might
think differently ..?

All the best ..

T i m