Rear wheel problem - again... what are my options?

[dcstrom]

Hey guys, in Georgia now (the ex-Soviet one). A while ago I replaced the rear rim with a new one after finding a number of cracks emanating from the spoke holes. I got 88,000 hard miles from it, so wasn't too disappointed. Fitted a new one then, 12,000 miles later, I found a single crack. I was in Armenia at the time, found a good welder and he fixed. Now there is a second crack, about 4 holes around from where the first was. If I could find an equally good welder, I'd get it welded too, but I suspect I need to look at replacing the rim again.

Why did this one only last 12,000 miles? I suspect the guy who laced it in France over-tightened the spokes. I have no way of telling, inch-pound torque wrenches are very common around these parts.

At this rate, I'm not going to put a Yamaha rim back on. I know Woody does Excel conversions, but they are very expensive - add shipping onto that and it's not really the way I want to go... I plan to talk to him again though.

These guys have rim and spoke kit (SS spokes and nickel nipples) for 419 euro /$470
http://www.off-the-road.de/XT-1200Z/Fahrwerk/Excel-Behr-Felgen-XT1200Z.html

This one is from Czech Republic for $355, but without spokes it seems
http://www.berantuning.cz/Detail.aspx?Ids=1783

And this one from the US, about $300 including shipping to Europe
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Supermoto-Rear-Rim-4-25x17-36-Hole-Kawasaki-KTM-Suzuki-Yamaha-Silver-/271486782727?hash=item3f35df8d07

All of these option would require me to use a tube, which I hate... but Woody's with tubeless conversion is going be be a few hundred $$ more I think. I did notice this "tubeless kit" for $90 on Ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tubeless-kit-for-17-4-00-or-4-25-EXCEL-DID-BEHR-etc-No-354-OUTEX-/291398513195

So, which direction should I be heading? My two main concerns are cost, and getting the lacing done right (since it seems it wasn't last time). Any other suggestions?

 

[Dogdaze]

Sorry to hear about your problems, is this any good to you? It is in the US........

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13-Yamaha-XT-1200-XT1200-Z-Super-Tenere-rear-back-wheel-rim-/311374672904?hash=item487f607408

 

[Checkswrecks]

Wasn't the replacement wheel off of a wreck, meaning you don't know the history on it? Plus the field of baby head rocks you just rode?


I'd suggest getting a new OEM wheel, spoke set, and a torque wrench. Stadium Yamaha shows new OEM rims are $311 and a spoke set is $64. With shipping it may be less from France or further east.Then when the wheel is assembled, be there to learn how, and how to recheck the spoke tensions on your own. You could then also carry the current rim as a spare if you think you ought to.


My 2nd choice would be the German rim.

 

[markjenn]

As per previous suggestion, I'd go back to OEM and try and get a good wheel-builder to do a very careful wheel build back to stock configuration. And check the spokes pretty regularly for the first few thousand miles until things bed in. There is no way I'd want to give up tubeless on a traveling bike like this and an after market spoke-hole sealing tubeless system is decidedly inferior to Yamaha's system. And I'd stay away from stainless.... almost everyone who has tried it has had problems, often within a few thousand miles.

- Mark

 

[Dogdaze]

I am sure that dc bought a new rim unlaced not a used unit.

 

[dcstrom]

Yeah, thanks - the replacement rim was new, not used, and the first crack happened well before the babyheads... the second one I noticed when I checked afterward, but it might have been there before too.

I've already czeched (!) with the dealer in the Czech Republic that sold me the other stock rim at a really good price. He can't do anything like the same price again. So that's out.

Whether I go with the Yam rim or an Excel, seems like a key thing is going to be to find someone to lace it properly...

Oh and Mark "And check the spokes pretty regularly for the first few thousand miles until things bed in." Here's a curious thing - I expected to find some loose spokes after the rebuild and was checking, but there were none. Another indicator that they were too tight?

 

[markjenn]

Another indicator that they were too tight?

Sounds like a workable theory to me.

I don't know about motorcycles, but I build wheels on bicycles and premature spoke hole cracking is generally due to too-tight spokes. In fact, the maximum spoke tension is generally a number governed by the rim strength and type of construction around the spoke holes, not the strength of the spokes or hub. That being said, with enough miles, almost all rims will eventually fatigue and start cracking around the spoke holes (or in the case of the S10 around the hole in the flange).....if your original service period involved much off-road or heavy loads, then I'm not surprised you had issues at 88K miles. What you want to do now is get back to that config so you can get another 88K miles.

I remain a bit perplexed why Yamaha has two flanges in the lightly-loaded front and one in the heavily-loaded rear.

- Mark