Ask Woody About Your Wheels

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by rjdills

Ok Woody, this might be a an odd question. I'm a relatively new owner of a KTM 640 Adventure, and it is too damn tall for me. I've worked with it long enough to know I'm not going to be happy with the height.

So I know about the lowering links, and I'll probably install those. I know that causes risk of slamming the rear tire into the fender, although I ride it on nothing more demanding than dirt roads. I bought it as littler option to my BMW 1150 GS.

I think the wheels are 19", although I have not measured them. Would building a smaller set of whells be an option?


I'm thinking a set of 18" wheels and lowering links would get it down to a height I would be happy with, and the smaller wheels would give me additional space before contact between the tire and fender.

Problems?

your bike comes with a 21''front 18'' rear

check out post #2 in this thread,,,going to a 19''front 17 rear,,,lowers the bike circa 19mm/3/4'' on both wheels,,,hence your steering geometry is unaffected,,,you'll end up with enhanced braking,,,better handling on the road and in the curves plus lowerto the ground,,,,,it's the most highly loved mod we do on the LC-4s and 8s,,,you do give up some handling in the real dirt,,,the 21/18 combo works better on single track and rough stuff

[OR Trail]

So I discovered 2 loose spokes last night on my front wheel. 1150 GS Adv. The wheel is slightly bent where it hit a monster pothole - when it had about 500 miles on the bike. Now it's at 6,000 and heading for a big week long dual sport trip this Saturday.

Questions:
Any reason not to snug up the loose spokes before leaving?

How long do I lose my wheel for on a rebuild?

If the ding in the rim is minor (at least in appearance) does it get repaired or replaced generally?

Is there a stronger rim to replace the BMW one? If so is that a good idea? This ding was on a monster pothole at speed (filled with water - looked like a small puddle) and the stock wheels have held up to lots of offroad use. I do tend to ride this thing through stuff where I wonder why I don't use that perfectly good KLR sitting in the garage, and the wheels have otherwise survived.

How big of a deal is shipping? It would really be a shame if I had to ride out to Colorado but I'm guessing this is pretty well figured out.

Thanks for the input.

[cjracer]

Another ? for you.

I have a set of Behr rims from my LC4 640. (3.25x17" and 5x17" from the KTM Hardparts catalog) I was wondering how much it would cost, if possable, to swap in a set of hubs that fit my KTM 950?

Thanks Woody.

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by cjracer

Another ? for you.

I have a set of Behr rims from my LC4 640. (3.25x17" and 5x17" from the KTM Hardparts catalog) I was wondering how much it would cost, if possable, to swap in a set of hubs that fit my KTM 950?

Thanks Woody.

check the ktm section on my website,, www.woodyswheelworks.com

peruse the pics,,,talk with my kid chris toll free 1-866-936-0232

i'm in Vermont til july 18th...just tell him and he'll take care of you,,woody

[woody's wheel works]

[quote=OR Trail]So I discovered 2 loose spokes last night on my front wheel. 1150 GS Adv. The wheel is slightly bent where it hit a monster pothole - when it had about 500 miles on the bike. Now it's at 6,000 and heading for a big week long dual sport trip this Saturday.

Questions:
Any reason not to snug up the loose spokes before leaving?

loosen 2 mm grub screw,,,tighten to match average pitch re -tighten grub screws...get wheel to me at earliest convenience to get it straightened and retrued,,,VISUALIZE how long you'll fire your shotgun if ya hold it loose to your cheek,,,,get it??? your spokes rims n nipples feel the same way when left loose

How long do I lose my wheel for on a rebuild?

a day or two when i'm there,,ill be back in denver 18 july,,get wheels there a few days before and my troops will have it all prepped and ready for me to do my magic


If the ding in the rim is minor (at least in appearance) does it get repaired or replaced generally?

the minor ding ALWAYS ends up being bigger than what you see once all the spokes are loosened!!!! ,,,the good news ,,,i've figured out how to straighten 95% of em

Is there a stronger rim to replace the BMW one? If so is that a good idea? This ding was on a monster pothole at speed (filled with water - looked like a small puddle) and the stock wheels have held up to lots of offroad use. I do tend to ride this thing through stuff where I wonder why I don't use that perfectly good KLR sitting in the garage, and the wheels have otherwise survived.

if you are doing lot's of off road work,,consider me lacing ya up a 21 rim aka HP-2/100G/s,,,x-laced,,,tubeless too!!!,,the guys that did that love them,,,cRash,,yellow pig,,Afekete

the oem x-laced wheels are generically very tough by virtue of their design,,we make em tougher using beefier spokes,,,,or by rebuilding em with liighter/tougher alloyed rims like Excel/Sun doing my Superlace using the MONZTER spokes n nipples...side benefit is that any good wheelsmith can then re-build/true the latter

How big of a deal is shipping? It would really be a shame if I had to ride out to Colorado but I'm guessing this is pretty well figured out.

we prefer ya ship it with tire on and a few pieces of cardboard taped to the sides,,,otherwise pack it REAL GOOD to avoid extra damage enroute...

if for some ungodly reason you have to drudge through colorful COLRADO to get to my door,,you'l leave considering your self blessed by the god's of fate,,,,'tis truly one of the best watering holes in the mid west,,,hot and cold beer n women n plenty of tall tales

Thanks for the input.[/quote

[Kaumajet]

Hey Woody,

I just bought this Dnepr sidecar, which is in very good shape, but I'm not horribly fond of the wheels (19"). The hack will be mounted on this GSPD Classic in pristine condition.



They are 'chrome' spokes, with painted rims and very ugly cast hubs.

Questions:

- Can these be reconditioned and chromed to match the PD wheels, and still look good?

- Would I be better off buying new wheels?

Cheers,

Brad

[kellyk7]

I have a CR80 that we just bought and the front wheel seems to be egg shapped, out of round but straight, and not dented and the spokes are in good shape all seem to be tight, to my untrained eye I am wondering if the previous owner may have adjusted the spokes wrong, is there a way to re set this wheel and see if it may be the spokes pulling it out of round, If I have to change the rim what is the method to insure the hub is properly centered in the rim and this does not happen again

[woody's wheel works]

brad,,,call toll free 1-866-936-0232,,to discuss it,,or all me at my farm in vermont 1-802-368-7149,,if ya want to talk direct,,have done many sidecar projects over the years,,,,you want a very tough wheel because of all the lateral loads placed upon it.same goes for the front and rear of your bike!!!
have done 15'' rears to handle the small citroen car tire,,wire and tubeless,,we have many options depending on your vision of where ya want to take it on/off road,,,etc

BTW,,,nice lokin rig,,,we'll trick it out together!!

Originally Posted by BradVardy

Hey Woody,

I just bought this Dnepr sidecar, which is in very good shape, but I'm not horribly fond of the wheels (19"). The hack will be mounted on this GSPD Classic in pristine condition.



They are 'chrome' spokes, with painted rims and very ugly cast hubs.

Questions:

- Can these be reconditioned and chromed to match the PD wheels, and still look good?

- Would I be better off buying new wheels?

Cheers,

Brad

[woody's wheel works]

[quote=kellyk7]I have a CR80 that we just bought and the front wheel seems to be egg shapped, out of round but straight, and not dented and the spokes are in good shape all seem to be tight, to my untrained eye I am wondering if the previous owner may have adjusted the spokes wrong, is there a way to re set this wheel and see if it may be the spokes pulling it out of round, If I have to change the rim what is the method to insure the hub is properly centered in the rim and this does not happen again[/quot

that's the first step,,,the rim should be centered between the flanges,,,and ya have to end up with all the spokes doing the same amount of work,,ie the same torque spec

egged rims often occur when some spoke s are waayyyy tighter than the others,,,ya hit the wheel just right and BOING!!!ya have what ya got

ya can always send em to us or another person who specializes in these repairs,,we always give ya an analysis and several options to improve what ya have,,,1-2 day turn around,,usually!!!

good luck and holler if we can help,,,woody

[advridergirl]

Hi Woody,

I have a set of your 19/17 tubeless wheels and have a couple of quick questions...

1. Will using products like Slime, the spray in flat repair stuff, compromise the epoxy or whatever it is you apply to make the wheels tubeless?

2. Can you lace (new/custom/etc.) spokes from a BMW rim to a KTM hub?

BTW, I absolutely love my wheels!

Jacqueline

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by advridergirl

Hi Woody,

I have a set of your 19/17 tubeless wheels and have a couple of quick questions...

1. Will using products like Slime, the spray in flat repair stuff, compromise the epoxy or whatever it is you apply to make the wheels tubeless?

2. Can you lace (new/custom/etc.) spokes from a BMW rim to a KTM hub?

BTW, I absolutely love my wheels!

Jacqueline

yes,,,the slime is just good for a quick emergency and should be thoroughly washed out at the soonest convenience....

sorry,,,the BMW x-laced rims need to be used on bmw hubs...that's just the way it is,,,we can lace up regular rims to all GS seies BMW hubs

thanks for the kudos/warm fuzzy

[advridergirl]

Originally Posted by woody's wheel works

yes,,,the slime is just good for a quick emergency and should be thoroughly washed out at the soonest convenience....

sorry,,,the BMW x-laced rims need to be used on bmw hubs...that's just the way it is,,,we can lace up regular rims to all GS seies BMW hubs

thanks for the kudos/warm fuzzy

The slime will not compromise the tubless sealant then? Any recommendation of what to use to wash it out with (again, just so I don't compromise the sealant )? I've never used the slime, just considering it as an option.

Thanks Woody's! Oh, BTW, did I tell you I love my wheels

[MysteryRider]

Woody,
I have a set of BMW Cross Spoke wheels off my 1100GS that I want to send up to you for anodizing and respoking.
Any chance that you have an extra set laying around that you could fix the way I want and take mine in exchange?
If not, how long are we looking at for a turn around time?

Regards,
Vettster

[KenR]

Hey Woody!

I've got an '03 640 Adventure that is just begging for black wheels. I spoke to Chris about the project several months ago but got sidetracked. I understand that the front wheel hub is considered under-sized (20mm I think) and that an aftermarket hub would beef things up, along with the Superlace job.

I want to stick with 18" rear 21" front and ride the bike 80% dirt/20% road and intend to ride it in offroad rally events. I'm using the Dunlop 908RR Rally Raid tires. What width wheels do you recommend?

Thanks for sharing your wisdom on this site!

[beefjerky]

how much to lace up some fancy colored rims to my f650? 17/21

How much to sell me the rims and spokes?