Check your spokes!

[Kidder]

When I got home yesterday from my commute to work, I was pushing my bike in the garage when I heard a tinking noise when I rolled over the garage threshhold. I didn't think much of it until I was rolling the bike out of the garage this morning. I heard the same thing. So, I looked the bike over and noticed a severely bent spoke on the rear wheel. I guess I will pull the wheel and take it to the dealer to let them check for damage and to explain why this happened. I assume it backed out from the threads although I haven't had a chance to inspect anything. I hope nothing else is damaged. But, with the severity of the bent spoke, I'm afraid something else may have been damaged. I will take pics tonight.

 

[colorider]

When I got home yesterday from my commute to work, I was pushing my bike in the garage when I heard a tinking noise when I rolled over the garage threshhold. I didn't think much of it until I was rolling the bike out of the garage this morning. I heard the same thing. So, I looked the bike over and noticed a severely bent spoke on the rear wheel. I guess I will pull the wheel and take it to the dealer to let them check for damage and to explain why this happened. I assume it backed out from the threads although I haven't had a chance to inspect anything. I hope nothing else is damaged. But, with the severity of the bent spoke, I'm afraid something else may have been damaged. I will take pics tonight.

Do you recall hitting anything like a pothole, etc?

 

[Kidder]

Do you recall hitting anything like a pothole, etc?

Nope. All the other spokes in the region of that one look perfect.

 

[colorider]

Nope. All the other spokes in the region of that one look perfect.

Sounds like a mfg defect and should be a warranty item.

 

[Kidder]

Sounds like a mfg defect and should be a warranty item.

I don't know, maybe. It probably could have been prevented by checking to ensure they were all snug.

 

[tomatocity]

Sorry to hear this.

If you have a roadside service do yourself a favor and have the bike towed to the dealership. Check your insurance company for roadside service.

 

[Kidder]

Sorry to hear this.

If you have a roadside service do yourself a favor and have the bike towed to the dealership. Check your insurance company for roadside service.

I was just going to pull the wheel and take it to the dealer.

 

[stevepsd]

It is part of the normal service interval to check the spokes.

In my experience with spoke wheels is that they tend to loosen, sometimes quite a lot, within the first several hundred miles then settle down and are pretty much maintenance free (until you hit something) after that.

How many miles are on your bike and have the spokes ever been checked?

 

[Kidder]

It is part of the normal service interval to check the spokes.

In my experience with spoke wheels is that they tend to loosen, sometimes quite a lot, within the first several hundred miles then settle down and are pretty much maintenance free (until you hit something) after that.

How many miles are on your bike and have the spokes ever been checked?

3100 miles. Visual inspection only.

 

[AlsoRan]

It is part of the normal service interval to check the spokes.

Make sure the dealer is aware of this. After the 600 mile service I asked the mechanic if he checked the spokes and I got the blank stare and then an uh huh. So I went home and double checked them myself. In fact I did the whole thing over because there were some mistakes and so I didn't trust any part of the service they performed.

 

[markjenn]

A bent spoke sounds like wheel damage to me, probably from a rock. I don't think routine loosening would result in a "severely bent spoke." If the wheel doesn't appear to have unusual runout, I would have no issue riding it to get ti repaired.

- Mark

 

[stevepsd]

A bent spoke sounds like wheel damage to me, probably from a rock. I don't think routine loosening would result in a "severely bent spoke." If the wheel doesn't appear to have unusual runout, I would have no issue riding it to get ti repaired.

- Mark

Very true...and a slight wheel hit (pothole, rock, curb) with a loose spoke can cause a spoke (or two or three) to snap.

Where did the spoke break?

 

[Kidder]

The spoke did not break. The part that it screws into is gone. I also discovered why it bent so severely. It came in contact with the drive shaft. I can't find where but that is how it bent so much. I will pull the wheel this weekend and do a thorough inspection.

 

[rem]

Hope it all works out for you. Glad you spoke up. R

 

[stevepsd]

The spoke did not break. The part that it screws into is gone. I also discovered why it bent so severely. It came in contact with the drive shaft. I can't find where but that is how it bent so much. I will pull the wheel this weekend and do a thorough inspection.

Yep...a loose spoke. When it eventually gets loose, it will go from slightly loose to very loose very quickly (is that to many 'very's' in one sentence!?). I would guess that the spokes were not inspected correctly. You can't really tell if a spoke is loose or not just by looking (unless the nipple is ready to fall off!), you really should do the 'ping' test or grab test >

-steve

 

[colorider]

. You can't really tell if a spoke is loose or not just by looking (unless the nipple is realy to fall off!), you really should do the 'ping' test or grab test >

-steve

I'm headed out to 'ping' mine now!!!!

Back from 'pinging'...... All sounded good!!!

 

[Firefight911]

The spoke did not break. The part that it screws into is gone. I also discovered why it bent so severely. It came in contact with the drive shaft. I can't find where but that is how it bent so much. I will pull the wheel this weekend and do a thorough inspection.

To help minimize this you can zip tie the spokes together at their crossover point. If you have ever seen Long Way Round you see Charlie doing just this on his GS Adventure during prep. It prevents an errant spoke from getting out of line and tearing up other spokes, etc.

 

[stevepsd]

To help minimize this you can zip tie the spokes together at their crossover point. If you have ever seen Long Way Round you see Charlie doing just this on his GS Adventure during prep. It prevents an errant spoke from getting out of line and tearing up other spokes, etc.

Thanks god for zip ties! We used to tie our spokes together with safety wire, back in the day. Took forever!

 

[ptfjjj]

Hope it all works out for you. Glad you spoke up. R

)

 

[mrpincher]

I just did the 8000 mile service. Service tech said I had a loose front spoke. He mentioned it wasn't uncommon on spoked wheels. I've been running on some rough gravel potholed roads lately.

BTW - the shop had a Black Tenere sitting on the floor - Altus Motorsports in Oklahoma. Black sure makes a purdy Tenere. ::013:: Mines blue - just the way I wanted it.