Anyone out there buy, build and true your own wheel set for your 950/990? I haven't found a lot of posts of someone who went through this.
I haven't done any work on the 950. However, if you're looking for reassurance that the process itself is achievable, I did replace the front hub on a KLR recently, and - for a first time effort - the experience was fairly uneventful. Using a couple of Dial indicator/mag base combinations borrowed from work (although Harbor Freight sells them for low $), an arrangement to simultaneously check concentricity and side to side runout was easy enough to rig up. It was then just a case of progressively tightening the spokes (go around the wheel working on every 3rd spoke is the preferred method IIRC). Achieving well within the OEM specs for trueness was a piece of cake. The tolerance on spoke torque is pretty wide, so the conflict between correct tension and wheel trueness didn't complicate the process. And, since the acceptable torque range was so wide, Rather than blow $100 on a dedicated spoke torque wrench, a cheap scale (callibrated with a known weight) was used to apply the correct force at the wrench head (which was calculated from a combination of required torque and wrench length). Douf
Same here, just north of you- found a deal on a new set of 18/21, and I relaced a 19" rim to replace my bent up 21. Not much different than lacing a bicycle wheel. You'll have to make up something to check wheel dish.
Sounds straight forward. I have a tools and the knowledge, think I might take this on. Last wheel I built was for a Harley, 20 years ago. Are KTM spokes on a 950 identical inside and out, unlike HD? Where can I source a Excel 18 x 3.5 and spokes?
Buchanan's. Or maybe Woody's wheel works. I have seen people on here having problems with a rim drilled by buchanans, but mine was fine. I bought a spoke wrench from them too. I don't understand your question about spokes being identical. All the spokes on the front wheel are the same, not sure about the back. My 640 uses different spokes on the different sides on the back. Buchanan's or Woodys will set you up with correctly cut spokes.
