Triumphrat

Simmo

I am considering relacing front and rear rims to allow sport tyre selection. It seems that stainless spokes are commonly used by many.

Stainless is not the most forgiving material, and can be quite brittle and subject to 'work' stress.

So my query to those who have gone with stainless spokes is has anyone experienced breakages with them, particularly if you have travelled a reasonable distance with them. Short query, are they durable and reliable? Any thoughts out there?

Cheers, Simmo

__________________
Ride it while you can.

M.G.Vig

I can't comment on aftermarket spokes, but the factory fitted stainless spokes on my wife's 03 Thunderbird are all fine and dandy after 32,000 miles! And they still look like brand new!

rodhotter

stainless spokes on my american wire wheel custom sealed 18"ers on the harley, they still look NEW. have you seen or read about the kineo tubeless lightweight wheels a member had installed, pricey but beautiful. you could prolly have aluminum rims with stainless spokes laced to your hubs, remove wheels and strip down to hubs for new install and save $$$

Simmo

Rod,

Yep that is what I was considering. However the money gets scary. A price to lace in a 3.5 by 17 front and a 4.25 by 17 rear with stainless spokes to my hubs was abt $1600 AUD. The Kinieos look abt $2600 AUD for complete wheel assemblies, and Carrozzeria forged wheels look to be abt $2000 Aud. Going for Honda or Suzuki wheels will be a shirt load cheaper but I don't like the look.

With the stainless spokes a friend who has a road rocket BSA had them laced in stainless on the recommendation of the wheel builder with the comment 'they won't break' Well one did and it caused a blow out in the front while taking a fastish corner in the hills. It scared the beeejes..us out of my friend. Hence my caution with stainless spokes.

Thanks for the replies, Simmo

__________________
Ride it while you can.

bonza

the rear wheel on my T100 has factory fitted s/s spokes and about 70,000 kilometers later no breakages

__________________
2007 B&W T100.
AI & Snorkel gone, Dom Tourers, 40/120/1 shim 3 turns, TTP stage one, Dart screen, Pingel fuel valve, Monza gas cap, Avon Roadriders, Triumph fabric saddle bags sometimes

Crackon

Replaced front and rear wheels with alloy rims and stainless spokes about 9,000 miles ago, owing to crap chrome. No breakage problems. No need to clean 'em either.

rodhotter

quality is sometime the issue, spokes are not a place to skimp, in the USA wheel builders like buchanon use high quality parts, stainless is an alloy with many configurations of strength and other properties. my americanwirewheel.com are beautifully chromed and the stainless spokes are slightly thicker, aka for a heavier but lightest harley made the sportster about 550 lb dry advertised. bonnies being 100 lb lighter on average. i noticed the chrome wheels on showroom T-100's is not the best, spoke quality could be similar, depending where they are sourced from. read where some earlier bonnie's had spoke issues and triumph was said to have switched suppliers, had all wire wheel bikes in the past never any breakage, my 2012 bonnie is first mag wheel ride, love how the 17"s handle, still wire wheels say MOTORCYCLE to me, quality ones are BEAUTIFUL!! and easy to keep clean on belt driven bikes

LukiSevenAce

88K on a set of OEM wheels- though I did relace the rear mid stroke, using SS double butted, triple cross pattern.
40K on another set of OEM wheels.

NEVER any breakage.