Ask Woody About Your Wheels

[Bartron]

Hey there Woody!

Any updates regarding F800GS hubs?

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by Bartron

Hey there Woody!

Any updates regarding F800GS hubs?

all i can tell you is the answer drrags gave me when i posted a similar ''wassup'' query..he said the y sent one to Wild West Honda/bmw,,had a local re-lace hi components to the new hub and sent him on his way,,so far allt he rocky mountain bmw dealerships answer ''what problem are you talking about and NO there are no updates/service bulletins or re-call notices,,,perhaps i'm just dreaming,,i've repaired half a dozen since that thread started,,,

keep me posted,,,

woody

ps on another thread i just posted the following :

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...4#post11445224

and here's drrags invoice,,i posted an updated reply to the latest info i found on Tmex's thread...

drrags
Dorkus Malorkus

[IMG]image.php?u=48376&dateline=1220842166[/IMG]

Joined: Jan 2007
Location: Pacific NorthWet (Portland/Vancouver)
Oddometer: 1,179

[Bartron]

Sorry Woody, I was referring to some replacement/billet hubs for the F800gs. Something like the ones you guys have for the R12GS - to complement your wheels. The bearing issue is a whole 'nother matter

Originally Posted by woody's wheel works

all i can tell you is the answer drrags gave me when i posted a similar ''wassup'' query..he said the y sent one to lonestar honda/bmw,,had a local relace hi components to the new hub and sent him on his way,,so far allt he rocky mountain bmw dealerships answer ''what problem are you talkin gabout and NO ther are no updates/service bulletins or re-call notices,,,perhaps i'm just dreaming,,i'v erepaired half a dozen since that thread started,,,

keep me posted,,,

woody

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by Bartron

Sorry Woody, I was referring to some replacement/billet hubs for the F800gs. Something like the ones you guys have for the R12GS - to complement your wheels. The bearing issue is a whole 'nother matter

hi mike et al,,,,

the deal is i have all the node points and drawings made for a downsized hub out of billet ala the KTM 950 hub i had RAD build,,,should be pretty strong and lighter,,dilemna is i can't sense a big enough demand ,,,it costs $8k to do the programing and set-ups per hub,,,,perhaps you can start a survey of F800GS owners,,,
i was going to drop the hammer last spring after i returned from Germany on a fact finding mission,,,i found the only 9 front hubs [have a few left,,but no rears much less rear wheel assemblies],,hence my crap detector going off that they may have a 'problem' that they are trying to contain....well we KNOW there was/is a problem,,,hoping they would sort it out way quicker,i dragged my butt hoping against hope some hubs would show up,,,drrags is the only person i know of that received one,,,perhaps you can ask your kid if he can source one ,,i have several customers who want spare wheel sets,,,

anyway they would look sorta like this...Waddaya think????



and here's the trick omni usable extra spoke holes instead of lightening holes,,,why not make it a universally capable hub ie for whatever lace pattern or indexing



ending up superlaced like this

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by Captain Morgan

Hi Woody

Would you be so kind as to advise/quote me for:
I'm looking for a complete set, front and rear, wheels for my F800GS. I want to fit this new set with appropriate tyres for off-roading and keep my existing, standard "soft" stocks, for my every day riding.
Many thanks.

i can build you a front wheel immediately,,,but haven't been able to source a rear hub,,,the last post deals with the issues surrounding the supply problem.
i can fix the bearing problems and recycle yours,,however that was'nt your intention

i'll keep ya posted,perhaps we can keep each other abreast of the rear hub availability,,woody

[HunSolo]

Hey Woody,

Can you (or I) make a set of '07 r1200S wheels fit and center properly on an '0712GS?

Good of you to be such a valuable resource for all of us.

Thanks

[DocW]

Hey Woody,

I was hoping you wouldn't mind giving me a 2nd opinion briefly.

The background:
Australian. Bought an '02 1150GS Adventure in another state and in order to register it in my home state it needs to pass a 'roadworthy inspection'...all good, except the front wheel which had too much runout to pass.

The question:
There's a bloke here in Brisbane - Ash of Ash's Spoked Wheels, who's supposed to be one of the top guys in Australia. Unfortunately, my rim is stuffed, so it's either a new one from BMW (>AUD$700) or I've asked Ash to look at building a new wheel based on the GS hub but using a conventional spoke pattern and thus requiring tubed tires.

Just wanted to touch base with you, since you're the expert on the board. Given I'm looking at around AUD$1000 going either custom wheel or the bmw option (actually $850 for the custom job, but will end up a little more as the rim will be coming from US and I've asked to speed the shipping up so I can have some of December to bike around), the thought occurred to me that with the AUD and the USD so close these days it might even be worth my while to ship to you...

Do you have any thoughts on the best way to go? My gut feeling is that since this is a bike that will be going round and round Aus, a tubed wheel is simple (ie. easy to carry spare tubes), and a more standard spoke pattern would mean almost anyone could repair it, rather than just a few ppl around the country - ie. if I damage the wheel, it would be devastating to end a trip to bring the bike to a bmw wheel expert.

Is there an advantage to staying with the stock bmw way that I'm not seeing? I mean, most of the cost now is the custom build, but after that, repairs are cheaper (eg. the custom rim is AUD$300 as opposed to bmw's >AUD$700 rim), and can be done by anyone who can repair regular spoked wheels.

Do other GS owners have this problem too? What are we supposed to do to repair these wheels? (AUD$1895 from BMW - almost exactly 1/5 the cost of my bike!!!!!)

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by DocW

Hey Woody,

I was hoping you wouldn't mind giving me a 2nd opinion briefly.

g'day my mate i'm at your service ,,,,,i've been ready willing and able to return a favor or two to all of you down there,,,'twas some of the best times in my life back in '87 while you all were celebrating your 200th b-day,,,i wa sweating my arse off taking care of anyone that needed my services repairing their wheels in the first transcontinental solar car race,,,from Darwin to Adelaide,,,climaxed by the return of wayne Gardners world championship in the 500cc GP class,,,,couldn't believe that 26,000 aussies greeted him in sydney,,couldn't believe that your sports pages carried 10 pages of motorcycle sports/racing coverage..FYI while here in the USA kenny Roberts gathered 3/4of a column inch of coverage after winning his 3rd 500cc world championship
FYI,,i built all the wheels and brake and drivetrain for John Paul mitchel Haircare Systems entry ''the Mana La'' #32 from Hawaii.... and when it was all over they ran the final leg of the Formula I race series through the streets of Adelaide,,,,what a year!!! sucking down Darwin stubbies and green tinnies,,I LOVE down under
here's alttle link with picks..http://www.superlite.org/hnarticle.pdf

ok back to work

The background:
Australian. Bought an '02 1150GS Adventure in another state and in order to register it in my home state it needs to pass a 'roadworthy inspection'...all good, except the front wheel which had too much runout to pass.

The question:
There's a bloke here in Brisbane - Ash of Ash's Spoked Wheels, who's supposed to be one of the top guys in Australia. Unfortunately, my rim is stuffed, so it's either a new one from BMW (>AUD$700)
FYI,,,,we routinely repair straighten etc the oem X-laced wheels for less than $300 US,,,,or I've asked Ash to look at building a new wheel based on the GS hub but using a conventional spoke pattern and thus requiring tubed tires.
FYI,,, we have an alternative solution for that too,,using my Monzter spokes that adapt an oem hub to the rim of your choice with an optimal lace pattern,,,you are looking at $180 for the trick ss spoke and ss npiple set...

http://photos.woodyswheelworks.com/d...album=6&pos=23

custom rims are circa $200-300 depending on size n color,,check out all theoptions on the website,,nows agood time to improve that front of yours and get something that serves you even better

Just wanted to touch base with you, since you're the expert on the board. Given I'm looking at around AUD$1000 going either custom wheel or the bmw option (actually $850 for the custom job, but will end up a little more as the rim will be coming from US and I've asked to speed the shipping up so I can have some of December to bike around), the thought occurred to me that with the AUD and the USD so close these days it might even be worth my while to ship to you...

that could be because the $1=.9542 aud...i could send a complete kit to you and your mate could lace n true it for less than 100aud

Do you have any thoughts on the best way to go? My gut feeling is that since this is a bike that will be going round and round Aus, a tubed wheel is simple (ie. easy to carry spare tubes), and a more standard spoke pattern would mean almost anyone could repair it, rather than just a few ppl around the country - ie. if I damage the wheel, it would be devastating to end a trip to bring the bike to a bmw wheel expert.

FYI,,,i hear there is one place in germany/Holland that can repair these wheels,,,i'm the lone survivor in north and south america from what i' hear/am told...one fellow died not to long ago and the other get's migraines ,,we get em in and out within a day or two in order to keep those beemers rolling!!!....so if ya don't have access to someone with similar skills avail yourself of the second alternative,,,

OBTW if ya choose the oem size 2.5x19 we can seal it to run tubeless,,,, an extra $100

Is there an advantage to staying with the stock bmw way that I'm not seeing? I mean, most of the cost now is the custom build, but after that, repairs are cheaper (eg. the custom rim is AUD$300 as opposed to bmw's >AUD$700 rim), and can be done by anyone who can repair regular spoked wheels.

Just curious,,what size are you looking for ,,,better question is where do you spend most of your time riding??? we hav ebetter solutions but i gotta know your vision of what and where and how hard ya ride..i'll bridge the gap for ya

Do other GS owners have this problem too? What are we supposed to do to repair these wheels? (AUD$1895 from BMW - almost exactly 1/5 the cost of my bike!!!!!)

Well i can get them for $1200+/- a little depending on which one,,,or ya can the trickest wheels on the planet for the same amount!!!!!

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=288592

of course every BMW owner on the planet has similar problems,,,,i happen to have more than one solution to em though

holler and we'll sort you out mo ricky tick

woody

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by HunSolo

Hey Woody,

Can you (or I) make a set of '07 r1200S wheels fit and center properly on an '0712GS?

Good of you to be such a valuable resource for all of us.

Thanks

i'm almost certain the fron twill swap,,the rear i believe end sup being circa 15mm to the left of centerline neccessitating a narrower muffler ala akropovic ..will double check my notes

woody

[DocW]

Originally Posted by woody's wheel works

holler and we'll sort you out mo ricky tick

woody
[/B]

Hey mate,

Thanks for your reply - appreciate the input!

Have you been back downunder since '87?? You owe another visit I reckon, things would have changed a bit since then! You don't want to know how old (young) I was in '87.

Anyway, to some of your points...

Somewhere around $500 for the rim and spokes and get the wheel guy here lace it up to the hub sounds like a pretty good option. I'll give him a call tomorrow and see what he thinks and how much his labour would be worth.

I know you're pretty cheap to straighten and true the oem wheels, but by the time I pay postage it'd be the same cost as getting it done here...and then I'm stuffed again if I bend 'em again So I'm pretty sold on going with an alternative to the stock bmw design given it's such a pain to get fixed...

In terms of what I'm after - I was planning just sticking with the stock wheel size, mainly because I didn't really want to have to do up the rear as well ($$$)...Although, if I'm only looking at $500 for the ingredients, and a few more bucks for the lacing, what are your thoughts on going to a bigger 21"/18" (stock is 19"/17" isn't it, and the 21/18 keeps the geometry the same?)? ~$1000 for front and rear parts from you plus a bit of labour here getting them laced up isn't such a bad deal, and better than paying $1000 just for the front...

My knowledge is pretty limited...I somewhat grasp that a 21 front would give me slower turn in on the tarmac, but be easier off road - are there any other important points I should keep in mind? Any considerations re: strength? Durability?

I guess the key question would be is a 19" front going to be the limiting factor on such a giant beast off-road? I can't imagine doing anything with a 21 that I couldn't do on the 19, but you'd know better than me!

I also don't mind running tubed tyres - don't have a preference either way, and I was going to carry tubes with me anyway in case I seriously stuffed a tubeless tyre.

So sounds like I'm best getting the spokes and rim from you - somewhere round $500. And the only remaining question is whether I'd see enough benefit to do both wheels or change wheel size while I'm at it?

Cheers mate,

Antony

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by DocW

Hey mate,

Thanks for your reply - appreciate the input!

Have you been back down-under since '87?? nope but i dream about itYou owe another visit I reckon, things would have changed a bit since then! You don't want to know how old (young) I was in '87.,,,were you in diapers???

Anyway, to some of your points...

Somewhere around $500 for the rim and spokes and get the wheel guy here lace it up to the hub sounds like a pretty good option. I'll give him a call tomorrow and see what he thinks and how much his labour would be worth.

I know you're pretty cheap to straighten and true the oem wheels, but by the time I pay postage it'd be the same cost as getting it done here...and then I'm stuffed again if I bend 'em again So I'm pretty sold on going with an alternative to the stock bmw design given it's such a pain to get fixed...,,,that's why i came up with that idea,,it sucks being at the mercy so to speak of the design

In terms of what I'm after - I was planning just sticking with the stock wheel size, mainly because I didn't really want to have to do up the rear as well ($$$)...you don't really have to,,, it'll work just fine with your oem rear wheel
Although, if I'm only looking at $500 for the ingredients, and a few more bucks for the lacing, what are your thoughts on going to a bigger 21"/18" what i've learned from using this combo is that it works great 95% of the time,,,ie,,everywhere 'cept when ya need to go real slow and climbing uphill over a rockfield,,,i'm inseam challenged so the extra inch it raised the bike added to my woes when i wanted to dab my foot,,not to mention it raises the gearing when i longed for the lower gearing,,,so i reverted to the oem rear wheel ie 4.0x17,,,which i now recommend as a great alternative....here's why with the 1.85x21 up front it tracks better off-road/sand/mud and rolls over everything more smoothly,,,,by raising th efront that inch the steering geometry changes increasin gtrail which gives more straight line stability and slows the steering a tiny bit,,which actually makes it eveneasier to ride in the dirt
(stock is 19"/17" isn't it, and the 21/18 keeps the geometry the same?)? ~$1000 for front and rear parts from you plus a bit of labour here getting them laced up isn't such a bad deal, and better than paying $1000 for the front,,,,a better idea maybe to find another used oem 19''wheel for the front then you'll have a tubeless road set and get a21'' front kit,,,and your rear will be tubeless to make plugging thorns/nails a lot easier in the outback....best of both worlds

My knowledge is pretty limited...I somewhat grasp that a 21 front would give me slower turn in on the tarmac, but be easier off road - are there any other important points I should keep in mind? Any considerations re: strength? Durability?,,,if you get the Superlace kitted wheel,,i'll have all the blue printing stuff already done here,,you wheelwright should be able to do the rest,,this set-up is damn tough

I guess the key question would be is a 19" front going to be the limiting factor on such a giant beast off-road? I can't imagine doing anything with a 21 that I couldn't do on the 19, but you'd know better than me!

I also don't mind running tubed tyres - don't have a preference either way, and I was going to carry tubes with me anyway in case I seriously stuffed a tubeless tyre.

So sounds like I'm best getting the spokes and rim from you - somewhere round $500. And the only remaining question is whether I'd see enough benefit to do both wheels or change wheel size while I'm at it?,,,,i believe i covered most of the bases already,,,a silver 21'' with the ss and zartan nipple Monzter kit will set ya back only circa $400,,,with ss nipples and black rim it would be around $500...Superlace n true is $99 with a on eyearw arranty that the wheel won't come apart!!

Cheers mate,

Antony

cheers to ya mate

woody

[WOLVERINE]

Hey Woody!
In the soon to be new year, I will be finally sending my 08 GSA wheels to you for repair. I have a factory double hop with 2 small factory bends in the front and the rear has a little bigger factory bend and single hop. What are my options again for repair? I don't want to get too carried away as I have a 2nd set of GS cast wheels I use on the road that work well. This is how I found out that the spoked wheels caused my vibration.
When is a good time to send them in the new year? I guess you're always busy!
PM me if you like for pricing and options...

Thanks,
Mike

[woody's wheel works]

Originally Posted by 96KLR650

Hey Woody!
In the soon to be new year, I will be finally sending my 08 GSA wheels to you for repair. I have a factory double hop with 2 small factory bends in the front and the rear has a little bigger factory bend and single hop. What are my options again for repair? I don't want to get too carried away as I have a 2nd set of GS cast wheels I use on the road that work well. This is how I found out that the spoked wheels caused my vibration.
When is a good time to send them in the new year? I guess you're always busy!
PM me if you like for pricing and options...

Thanks,
Mike

hi mike et al,,,

NOW is always /usually better than later,,because later is when all the procrastinators take up my time ,,not to mention the racers who usually leave everything to the last minute

mike ,,,would you and your friends pass it on to the rest of your R1100GS/R1150GS/R1200GS/HP-2 riders that the main cause for those vibrations is out of true wheels the oem tolerances quoted from their spec sheets leave much to be desired,,,.060''/1.5mm is an anomally in the history of BMW wheel specs. i've been building and truing wheels for 36 years an dcannot recollect such a standard coming fromthat great company

FYI,,,over the last 5 years on this and other forums their has been a consistent bad rap given to Metzler Tourance tires and the shaking/vibrations they cause the GS series....

Folks ,i have put 2+2 together for quite some time,,it's not he tires that are doing this to your bikes,,it is the fact that the
Tourances stick so well that they provide better feedback and send it back to you via those vibrations,,,,in fact the stickier more road oriented the tire the worse the vibrating gets,,,

BWOE,,,the massive weight of the bike and the rotational mass of the wire wheels and heavy double discs when used in conjunction with more dirt oriented knobby rubber causes those tires to essentially squirm beneath you...thus masking what's really going on with your wheel...add the fact that the X-laced wheels are extremely susceptible to unevenly torqued spokes and you set the stage that by the time you get a few miles on them the spokes and rim settle/seat in ,,,,often resulting in the wheel getting out of true ....then you put a new tire on and you're off to vibration land

Rx..get em re-trued circa $180-250each,,,,if the weld divots are too deep ie greater than circa .040''/1mm get em filled and machined down....circa $25 per bead..every once in a blue moon only one or none need to be filled


woody

[WOLVERINE]

Originally Posted by woody's wheel works

mike ,,,would you and your friends pass it on to the rest of your R1100GS/R1150GS/R1200GS/HP-2 riders that the main cause for those vibrations is out of true wheels the oem tolerances quoted from their spec sheets leave much to be desired,,,.060''/1.5mm is an anomally in the history of BMW wheel specs. i've been building and truing wheels for 36 years an dcannot recollect such a standard coming fromthat great company

I have been since I found out! I have Met a few fellow riders from all over this year who have been touring Newfoundland and they all have the same problem. They're all running knobbies so they don't realize it's the rim causing the Vibs.
I will be away from home until 9 Dec. Seeing its the Xmas rush at that time and Canada Post isn't reliable during this time I will wait until after Xmas to send for reassurance to myself. Expect them in the Early New Year! I will contact you at that time for suggestions on packing and such....
Thanks,
Mike

[dorkpunch]

K so here's one I'm guessing you dont get very often....

I have this pipe dream (meaning the chances of it happening are slim to none) of building a motorcycle from scratch that looks like an early 1900's board track racer. I want to use a set of hubs from a newer dirt (?) bike that has disc brakes, but I want to lace up some BIG rims to it. Where do I find rims and spokes that size? Am I going to be stuck with bicycle rims? I want it to be fairly sturdy- hopefully it will be hauling me around fairly regularly at about 50 mph. I think for now its going to be powered by an old XL350 motor. I need the tires before I can really start mocking up a frame around the engine... any suggestions for me? Heres the bike I will be basing it on: