Loose Spokes Possible solution ??

[aage]

I´m enjoying my new 2016 Super Tenere ES. I have been reading here about mods, small problems and everything and nothing to educate myself about the bike.

After reading about few here with loose spokes and what to do to prevent it happening.

Would it be possible to put a little NUT on the Spokethread before tightening the SpokeNut. Then tighten it against the spokenut to prevent it get loose ???

 

[Dogdaze]

I think the best method is to zip tie where the spokes intersect loosely, then check the spokes often, at least the first few thousand miles/kms, once the spokes 'bed in', and they build up a little corrosion you should be good between oil changes. Most often it only happens to the rear spokes. I really don't think adding the stress of a nut would benefit the spokes, more likely put undue stress on them, imo.

 

[colorider]

::026:: ^^^^^^

Plus, some of the loosening could be the result of the spokes stretching as they age.

 

[tomatocity]

I am guessing if you tune the spokes a time or two they will stop loosening up.

 

[Juan]

Just watch out during the first couple of thousand miles. They will settle in after that. As said, the ones more prone to getting loose are the rear spokes and, to be more specific, they'll probably be the ones on the left side of the rim (by the final gear hub). Just regularly tap the spokes with a screwdriver and if the ping is sharp then the spoke is not loose. If the ping is blunt, the spoke would need a little tightening.

 

[silvergoose]

::021:: Spokes have been beaten like s ::002::, it is part of the service required for this and I am sure all any bike with spokes.

As it has been said many times, the spokes will settle in. Woody's Wheels, and any number of wheel service company tell you the spokes will need attention from time to time. Motorcycle with drive chains require service and I don't hear the level of concern that has surrounded the spoke issue on this forum. It must be that the spokes are the only maintenance item on an otherwise perfect machine.

Machines, all machines, need regular review and maintenance.


Good luck

 

[OldRider]

::021:: Spokes have been beaten like s ::002::, it is part of the service required for this and I am sure all any bike with spokes.

As it has been said many times, the spokes will settle in. Woody's Wheels, and any number of wheel service company tell you the spokes will need attention from time to time. Motorcycle with drive chains require service and I don't hear the level of concern that has surrounded the spoke issue on this forum. It must be that the spokes are the only maintenance item on an otherwise perfect machine.

Machines, all machines, need regular review and maintenance.


Good luck

I'll have to disagree with some of this. Most motorcycles live their entire life and never have the spokes come loose and need tightening.

Ya they should all be checked from time to time, but the S10 has more spoke problems than I have seen on any bike. The only thing close would be a Honda XR80, they eat spokes.

First thing is the S10 has a very weak wheel design. It only has 32 spokes that only cross two other spokes and attach to a rib around the wheel, which has been known to break. Beef up that rib in the wheel and make it a 40 spoke design and most all these spoke problems will go away.

When you buy a bike with a chain, you can look right at that new chain and think, I'll have to replace that some day, but you should never look at a rear wheel and think you'll need to replace those spokes one day.

 

[aage]

Ys interesting points. I have only driven mine now about 1000km and time for Oil change , just checked the spokes and they are all fine. I hope it will stay that way.

Took it out on a dirt road yesterday and it´s just a fantastic machine. Cant wait to take it on the highland.

 

[greg the pole]

there ya go
https://thetenerist.wordpress.com/2013/11/10/fork-rebuild-v2-0-steering-head-grease-up-and-front-rim-grease-spoke-tigtening/

 

[taskmaster86]

I torqued my spokes for the second time yesterday at 3,000 miles. I found 3 spokes on the back and 2 up front about a quarter turn loose. The job took me all of about 15 minutes with a 1/4" torque wrench, a 4" extension and a 5mm Hex bit socket.

I really don't understand what all the fuss over the spokes is about. Torque the spokes every few thousand miles while the bike is new and then check them occasionally after that. Keep them clean and properly torqued and you won't have any problems. If you are hard on your bike and want a little extra piece of mind, you can loosely zip tie the spokes where they cross each other.

As to the original question, adding a jam/lock nut to every spoke would make the wheel considerably heavier, probably throw off the balance and put unintended stress on the spokes..... Bad idea.

 

[RhodeTrip]

I am guessing if you tune the spokes a time or two they will stop loosening up.

First checked mine at 100mi found 2 very loose on rear and 1 on front, found a few on each wheel that needed 1/4 turn; all checked with torque wrench. Checked again at 200mi found 2 on rear that needed 1/4 turn and 1 on front. Checked again at 4000mi and all were fine. I don’t believe in the tap and listen method; use a torque wrench. I also put Dyna Beads in I keep reading where tires are changed to a knobby off road tire and they don’t balance; what kind of vibration do you think that wheel is seeing?
I’ll continue to check every few thousand miles; I hope they have finally settled in.
Jim

 

[Juan]

I have a habit of tapping (striking lightly) all the spokes with a screwdriver before I go on a long journey. I had a mishap a couple of years back when the bike was practically new (less than a thousand km). A spoke came loose, the nut end fell off and the loose spoke scratched the hub a little. After that, spokes were checked regularly and none needed any adjustment.

Today I checked the spokes as I'll be going abroad on a longish journey soon. Surprisingly, one spoke (rear, hub side) had the dull noise on tapping it. Problem fixed in a minute with less than half a turn. Bike now has 33,000km.

I've learnt the lesson - spokes need checking, even after they've settled in!

 

[OldRider]

I would loosely tie a zip tie around where the spokes cross so If one does come apart it won't do any damage. A spoke spinning at several hundred rpm's can do a lot of damage before your hear it and get stopped.

 

[RCinNC]

Spokes can be weird. I've never laced a motorcycle wheel, but I have rebuilt spoked bicycle wheels. One thing that sometimes happens when you tighten a spoke is that you're slightly twisting the spoke itself. You're putting a load on the spoke, and the spoke wants to twist back to it's unloaded position. That twisting back to its unloaded position can be the start of the spoke itself loosening. One way to get rid of that loaded spoke was to grab the parallel spokes on each side of the wheel in your hand and squeeze them toward each other. Sometimes you'd even hear a slight ping when a spoke unloaded. Once you squeezed the spokes together you'd go back and check the tension again.

I know you can't squeeze the spokes together on a motorcycle wheel, but it may explain why they do come loose, and con continue coming loose. I zip tied all my spokes together at their crossover points back when I bought the bike; I definitely don't want a loose spoke flailing around at 70 mph.

 

[Ramseybella]

I had my rear rim go grenade on me in Moab, lucky i pulled over before i became a greazy slide mark a mile past hole in the wall, six spokes went four went completely awol..
After the guys at Mad Bros rebuilt it to the best they could and added a little loctite.
Lazy as i am sometimes, i took a sharpie and ran a line between my spoke and the adjuster so i could pull over once in awhile going home back to New Mexico that night without bothering to check every one with a hex head. Just pop it up on the center stand and turn the wheel and see if the sharpie marks shifted between the two.
That would be the one that loosened up.
lost two spokes a year later, it's been four years since and had never had any issues.
Use the Zip ties at the crossover points, i was lucky i didn't get shredded or cause any damage.
Once you start feeling a wobble like your getting a flat let off the gas to a cost use the front breaks lightly or the opposite of the wheel you feel is going pull over quick.

 

[Juan]

I think running a zip tie at the cross-overs would not allow you to test tightness by tapping with a screwdriver. I will try it.

 

[Dogdaze]

I think running a zip tie at the cross-overs would not allow you to test tightness by tapping with a screwdriver. I will try it.

I believe you would have them really loose, just to keep them from flailing around causing damage. That's all I did. Still hear a ping when tapping them.

 

[Juan]

Tried the zip-tie. Just taken off all the slack without tightening. I agree that you can still hear the ping when you tap them

 

[greg the pole]

I had no issues checking the spokes from time to time in 90k km with tie wraps on.

Also, as per blog post, use a low holding lock tite (wicking type to set the threads). Again zero issues in 90 hard kms

 

[Madhatter]

buy a spoke wrench.... I should probably buy one myself.... 27k and no issues with spokes ( before I get to high minded I should confess that my buddy checks my spokes when he puts my new tires on ) ....