Stainless Steel Spokes

[MIKE R]

Although I try and look after my bike, the spokes are starting to corrode.

I am considering fitting stainless ones but have been told they are not as strong as mild steel.

Anyone out there thats fitted stainless had any problems?

Cheers

Mike

 

[Dallara]

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Old Git Ray, from England, over on ADVrider had both his front and rear wheels entirely re-laced with stainless spokes before his epic trip through North, Central, and South America on down to Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, and he had nothing but trouble with them. They broke so often he finally had both wheels re-laced entirely with stock OEM spokes. The stainless steel spokes even caused him some issues with his rims, IIRC, and he had to replace the rear, I believe.

I'd steer clear of the stainless if it were me.

Just my two centavos... YMMV.

Dallara



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[stevent]

New Triumph Bonneville T100's came with stainless steel spokes for awhile too, they had a number of instances where spokes would break and puncture the innertube, often at the most inopportune times. I'd stay away from them too.

 

[Berg_Donk]

I fitted them to my DR650 on advice from one of Oz's top wheel builders when I asked for a rugged solution for adventure riding.

I caryy spares and am routinely replacing them.

Never again

 

[Don in Lodi]

Metallurgy and strong... LOL. ::024:: I learned everything I know about stainless and steels through spending a lot of time around firearms and a couple smiths many years ago. Stainless has it's place and uses. Stainless spokes look awesome on a custom bar hopper. Something that's getting used and abused, stay with the soft, flexable, forgiving, mild steel. Lot's of work, I know, but spokes can be waxed.

 

[trikepilot]

Keep 'em well slathered with mud and the oxidation will stay away!!!

 

[MIKE R]

Many thanks for your replies.

I'd much rather live with a little corrosion than worry about the spokes breaking.

Thanks again

Mike

 

[Rasher]

I'd much rather live with a little corrosion than worry about the spokes breaking.

Thanks again

Saved me asking the same question, mine have some tarnishing despite being quite well looked after, still shiny from more than a few inches away, but when cleaning them I can notice the tarnished areas are growing larger.

Luckily I bought the bike to ride on rather than pose with.

The only question I have is at what point do they become weak, obviously the tarnishing is only a thin layer on the surface, but will they eventually get weak enough to break if not replaced :question:

And are there no other options for "treating" the spokes, or other spokes out there that are less prone to this tarnishing effect.

 

[Dallara]

Saved me asking the same question, mine have some tarnishing despite being quite well looked after, still shiny from more than a few inches away, but when cleaning them I can notice the tarnished areas are growing larger.

Luckily I bought the bike to ride on rather than pose with.

The only question I have is at what point do they become weak, obviously the tarnishing is only a thin layer on the surface, but will they eventually get weak enough to break if not replaced :question:

And are there no other options for "treating" the spokes, or other spokes out there that are less prone to this tarnishing effect.

No, they do not "become weak" as long as you pretty much leave them alone. They have a zinc-cadmium plating that is sacrificial, but in a sense self-healing, much like galvanizing. As long as you don't sand them clean, use some overly aggressive polish or chemical stripping agent, or otherwise damage the zinc-cadmium plating then they should easily last the life of the motorcycle. Best thing if you want them to look good is to clean them with water and the same mild detergent/soap you would for normally washing your car or motorcycle, and then wipe them down with some sort of surface corrosion inhibitor, like Boeshield, CorrosionX, etc. Many of these have capillary action that will spread them to areas your wipe rag cannot touch, or you can spray them directly on the spokes. But do be careful not to spray you brake pads. You can get some overspray on the brake rotors, as you can clean that off quite easily with some acetone, contact or brake cleaner, etc., but you never want to oil a brake pad.

But honestly, if you want them to last the longest the best thing to do is leave them alone and let the zinc-cadmium plating do its designed job. Only caveat there is if you ride in highly salted road environments, on sea beaches a lot or other saltwater marshes, etc.... Then you will need to clean and treat them as above.

Dallara



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[AndyCBR]

I've had SS Buchanan spokes on both my wheels and have had one break in 15k miles.

This includes a 10k trip on the CDR. And a 5k trip on the UTBDR and COBDR.

Both trips required a true and straightening of the bent rims afterwards.

I think the right SS spokes from the right vendor can be reliable.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Dallara]

I've had SS Buchanan spokes on both my wheels and have had one break in 15k miles.

This includes a 10k trip on the CDR. And a 5k trip on the UTBDR and COBDR.

Both trips required a true and straightening of the bent rims afterwards.

I think the right SS spokes from the right vendor can be reliable.

When did you get your Buchanan's spokes?

Reason I ask is that when I first got my Super Tenere back in August of 2011 I contacted Buchanan's and asked if they would be doing any heavy-duty spokes for the XT1200Z. At the time they were not sure as they had not seen one yet nor its unique spoke and lacing arrangement. They offered if I sent them my wheels, or at least a sample of each spoke, that they would look and see it they already had any, could make any, etc. Needless to say at the time I didn't want to be without my brand new bike while the wheels were off to Buchanan's, nor did I want to pull any spokes out to send them, so I figured I'd just wait until they contacted me or I saw a Super Tenere spoke kit on their site.

That was over 2-1/2 years ago... And I never heard from them, nor have they ever shown a Super Tenere spoke kit that I can find on their web site - http://www.buchananspokes.com/

I have used Buchanan's spokes on different bikes for years, and as you say, they have been quality stuff, and always reliable. I even had them lace a bunch of MX wheels for me "back in the day" that were especially problematic at blowing apart, and Buchanan's did a I thought impossible cross-4 lacing that proved to be bulletproof from then on.

You're most assuredly right... With the right stainless material, spoke cross-section, diameter, thread cut, etc. a stainless spoke can work fine, but so far I had not heard of such an animal in the marketplace. Besides, I haven't had any problems with my stock spokes and the tarnishing they've done hasn't bothered me, as I bought my S-10 to ride, not sit and look at. ::025::

Anyway, I'd love to hear about how you got onto Buchanan's having spokes for the Super Tenere, when you got 'em, if they are the same diameter and cross-section over their length as the stock spokes, etc., etc., etc.

Thanks!

Dallara



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[AndyCBR]

When did you get your Buchanan's spokes?

Reason I ask is that when I first got my Super Tenere back in August of 2011 I contacted Buchanan's and asked if they would be doing any heavy-duty spokes for the XT1200Z. At the time they were not sure as they had not seen one yet nor its unique spoke and lacing arrangement. They offered if I sent them my wheels, or at least a sample of each spoke, that they would look and see it they already had any, could make any, etc. Needless to say at the time I didn't want to be without my brand new bike while the wheels were off to Buchanan's, nor did I want to pull any spokes out to send them, so I figured I'd just wait until they contacted me or I saw a Super Tenere spoke kit on their site.

That was over 2-1/2 years ago... And I never heard from them, nor have they ever shown a Super Tenere spoke kit that I can find on their web site - http://www.buchananspokes.com/

I have used Buchanan's spokes on different bikes for years, and as you say, they have been quality stuff, and always reliable. I even had them lace a bunch of MX wheels for me "back in the day" that were especially problematic at blowing apart, and Buchanan's did a I thought impossible cross-4 lacing that proved to be bulletproof from then on.

You're most assuredly right... With the right stainless material, spoke cross-section, diameter, thread cut, etc. a stainless spoke can work fine, but so far I had not heard of such an animal in the marketplace. Besides, I haven't had any problems with my stock spokes and the tarnishing they've done hasn't bothered me, as I bought my S-10 to ride, not sit and look at. ::025::

Anyway, I'd love to hear about how you got onto Buchanan's having spokes for the Super Tenere, when you got 'em, if they are the same diameter and cross-section over their length as the stock spokes, etc., etc., etc.

Thanks!

Dallara



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When I first got my bike a few years ago and learned of the spoke issues I decided I wanted stainless ones.

I got a set from Woody's but had to go round and round with them over spoke lengths as they took the stock spokes (4 lengths) and had Buchanan make a set that would work with both front and rear wheels with 2 different lengths. I worked with Zach and he assured me he had laced a set of wheels with those spokes but he takes the wheel all the way apart and does it that way. If you do that 2 different lengths will work.

To relace a factory OEM rim 2 spokes at a a time (which is what I did) you need the 4 different lengths. Also, if you want to replace one spoke without relacing the entire rim you need the 4 different lengths (2 different lengths for each wheel). You have to take 2 off to get one in if memory serves me right.

Anyway that is what is on my bike now with Zartan nipples from Woody's.

When I was gathering parts to build a second set of wheels last year I decided I didn't want to go through that again so I sent 4 stock spokes (one of each length) to Buchanan and had them duplicate a set in those lengths. I encouraged them to copy the spokes on the xerox and keep them on file for others. Which they said they did. The nipples from Woody's could not be duplicated by Buchanan.

Call Buchanan and ask for them. They have measurements of stock spokes and they will work if you lace your OEM rim like Yamaha does.

Also the front spokes are thicker in the Buchanan SS version. i think the rears are the same diameter as OEM but they are SS.

FWIW the one spoke failure I had was at the radius.