rims and spokes

[totty]

Hi,

As I need to replace worn tyres I'm considering replacing the scabby (flaking chrome and surface rust) rims and tidying the hubs while I'm on. I've never laced a wheel but there are plenty of guides online.

I've shopped around and found RoyalSpare​s on ebay who have quoted the following prices:

The price of 19" wheel is GBP 29.99 and Mild steel is GBP 26.99
The price of 18" wheel in Mild Steel is GBP 36.00

They are allot cheaper than I've seen elsewhere, but I haven't yet convinced myself if that's a good thing or not! Has anyone ever hared of a cheap rim failing?
Stainless appeals, but they only do it in 19"

Also does anyone have specs for both the front and rear spokes? (length, thickness, head angles etc.)

Cheers

Allan

[Seamus]

Not sure it helps, but I have bought CB750 rims from Dave Silver. You can also get spokes from them, but I used Hagons for stainless spokes. Laced the wheels myself. Read a lot and take your time. Get a decent spoke wrench as well.

[UK Pete]

Seamus i see you mention re spoking your own wheels, i have read up about it and it all seems achievable by the average person ,would you recommend it or would you say its better left to the professionals i have a few wheels to do but am not to sure what to do
Pete

[Seamus]

Hi Pete

I think it is really just confidence. I did the front in my CB750 as I could not find anyone who could do the job in less than 4 weeks. Read a lot and had a go, that was a couple of years ago. Since then I have laced up a pair for another CB750, a pair for a KH250, and a few more besides.

You will need a decent stand that will hold the hub and then a method of measuring the radial and axial runout. I believe Honda use something like a 2mm tolerance on both, but it is possible to get a good bit better than that (more like 0.5mm). It is important to measure any rim offsets before you strip the wheel and take lots of pictures to show the spoke pattern (although a lot are the same). I also write the offset on both sides of the hub when I photograph them.

Hope that helps

Cheers

Seamus

[Bryanj]

Pete, et al lacing just takes patience and for just 2 wheels no specialist kit at all, anybody who wants a talk through call me on 07795162623 Sunday to thursday inclusive after 8pm. Make it from a UK landline and i will call back! (NOT till after this next weekend as I'm away

[AshimotoK0]

Did I read somewhere Bryan that you said the CB750 wheels have a zero offset?

Cheers

AshD

[Seamus]

Do you mean that the rims are central to the hubs? as the hubs are wider than the rims.

Hondaman's book has some info on this as some CB750 front wheels had a small offset which made the wheels slightly out of alignment.

The last CB 750 front had an offset of 7mm on one side and 4mm on the other (before dismantling). I think the rear was central, but would not swear to that

[Bryanj]

I have never noticed an offset to the hub on the 500 and the 750 wheel I was always of the impression was exactly the same except for rim width.

I have always used either genuine spokes or DS kits and if there was that much of an offset i would have expected 4 different spokes, not just the two.

Whwn i have time i will get round to writing a how to, or rather how I do, for the tricks and tips section

[matthewmosse]

I just put the spokes in and finger tight / even all round when I rebuilt mine, copying a spare wheel, then trued up as well as I could using a swing arm in a vice as a stand or jig and a bit of wire to check roundness etc. I reused the original spokes etc as I was re lining a rear hub where the drum had cracked and my lathe will only take a bare hub. I took the oppertunity to replace the rim with a good used one. I'd be a bit more careful measuring if I wasn't using spokes I knew were right from the off

[Seamus]

This article any use??

[basketcase]

Hi all, I bought my rims from David Silvers and a local guy (local to Staffordshire) laced them using stainless spokes all in for

[z1100r]

 I forgot I was a member here....!!!
 
Literally 1 hour ago I rang Central wheel for a quote on rebuilding both my wheels. I wanted Stainless rims and stainless spokes on my brand new hubs.
 

[SteveD CB500K0]

Don't bin them.

One of the guys on here had my old Rickman rack for a rechrome and those old black Rickman boxes must be collectors items!

[totty]

I've decided to just replace the tyres for now, the rims don't look good but they are solid and straight - pretty much like the rest of the bike.

[kaceyk2]

Having read loads on lacing, especially articles entitled "you CAN do this"  I invested in a dial gauge. I then bought both rims from D.silver and also new stock spokes for my cb750 K2.  I read the articles carefully and kept them to hand for the building event...my first on lacing wheels.  At the very last moment I caught a television program where a chopper wheel was being laced and I am glad I did... what they did was to place ALL the spokes in the hub first, and then to gently spiral them out so as the hub and all the spokes could be just dropped inside the rim first. Then its just a matter of moving them back one at a time untill they are in the right place and you have all the nipples fitted... none of my articles had mentioned this method, but I can totally recomend it, it does seem to have the advantage of a "no struggle " approach to the last few spokes should you have fitted them one at a time into hub and rim...
D.silvers rims and spokes in  my k2 hubs fitted like a dream and soon I got something that was coming together really well. After tightening each spoke a quarter turn at a time, I got the wheels down to .5mm run out and true, which I was very proud of for my first attempt.... BUT, ( oh no, fear and paranoia crept in especially when thinking of 100mph!) I was very aware , (maybe too much) of not "overtightening" so much so. that I am not certain of just how much to tighten, and none of the articles said exactly how tight, tight should be... so allthough my wheels look good and are true....can I trust them? well I would like an expert to look at them first!!! (before I ride!) This is probably more of a self confidence issue, as I firmly believed the job would be harder than it was...but wheels are pretty damn important! I had an old f1 wheel and I have "dinged" my new spokes with a plastic handle of a screwdriver and "dinged" the f1 spokes and they sound the same pitch... But the f1 wheel is old...so if anyone has a trustworthy wheel they have rebuilt and they could record the sound of "dinging" I could compare it to mine. I am a musician and have near perfect pitch, this is the only way I can think of to compare correct tightness, unless I am missing something. ( which I believe I am or I would trust me wheels!) Thanks...