Adventure wire wheels v alloys

[Bendy toy]

I'm stripping down my wire wheels to have the corrosion sorted out (hopefully) before it welds the spokes into the rims.

I have had some used alloys stripped and powder coated because they were rotting under the paint. All well and good and the bile now has shiny black alloys.

The alloy wheels are no lighter than the wires so contrary to popular rumour the handling is likely to be just the same. Actually I lie - the front spoked is 1.3Kg lighter than the alloy. Those SKF bearings must be very special

Alloys (singled spoke type)
Back 12.1 Kg
Front 14.4 Kg

Spoked
Back 12. Kg
Front 13.1 Kg

 

[Bobbin-Man]

The earlier twin spoke wheels were apparently lighter .... maybe I should have weighed mine before I sold them. It does make a difference where the weight is in the wheel though, ie. how far the mass is from the rotating centre.
Personally my riding style doesn't need alloys over spokes ... I think the spokes suit the bike better so that's what I have (tart ).

 

[Neil W]

Had both on mine , same tyres etc and it handles better on alloys

 

[(RIP) Miff]

I was told that the spoked wheels don't corrode

Sorry. I'm on the phone.

 

[Bob Jeffries]

Alloys are MUCH easier to clean

 

[autogs]

Alloys are MUCH easier to clean

aint that the truth my spoked wheels are sparkly clean all wrapped up in the loft.i never noticed any handling change going over to alloys(single spoke 2009 gs alloys).

 

[Bendy toy]

I like the looks of both and the 5 spoke alloys do look great in shiny black. Handling(?) I cant feel any difference so I'm thinking its a myth that wires dont handle as well. Maybe the "rule" applied with 1150s but I cant see it making any serious difference on the 1200. If its about where they carry the weight, the 1200 wires *might* be better the the alloys - thinner rims. But as said above the bike feels unchanged to me.

The next job is to get the wires stripped. Kev Blurton the Derby wheel builder has quoted me saying he will use the old spokes but only if I take them out. It seems they can get jammed into the rim or hub or both.

 

[Schtum]

I like the looks of both and the 5 spoke alloys do look great in shiny black. Handling(?) I cant feel any difference so I'm thinking its a myth that wires dont handle as well. Maybe the "rule" applied with 1150s but I cant see it making any serious difference on the 1200. If its about where they carry the weight, the 1200 wires *might* be better the the alloys - thinner rims. But as said above the bike feels unchanged to me.

Perhaps you're just not sensitive enough to feel the difference. Also, as someone has already pointed out, the earlier twin-spar alloys were lighter than the later ones.

 

[Bendy toy]

Maybe, I do ride around handling problems, but I can also tell when a tyre is down by 5psi and my rear tyres has almost no chicken strip. There's a good chance I'd notice something different.

The myth said that alloys handle better, because they are lighter. That makes sense, but, my wires and alloys weigh the same so its highly unlikely the alloys could ever handle better. So I'm calling it a myth. If its about where the wheels carry their weight, the wires should be better than the alloys. (thinner rims).

I'm sure the bike will handle better with light weight wheels (the front is very heavy in either flavour). But I have no evidence to suggest that original R1200GS 5 spoke alloys will have any effect other than looking different and being easier to clean.

 

[autogs]

Maybe, I do ride around handling problems, but I can also tell when a tyre is down by 5psi and my rear tyres has almost no chicken strip. There's a good chance I'd notice something different.

The myth said that alloys handle better, because they are lighter. That makes sense, but, my wires and alloys weigh the same so its highly unlikely the alloys could ever handle better. So I'm calling it a myth. If its about where the wheels carry their weight, the wires should be better than the alloys. (thinner rims).

I'm sure the bike will handle better with light weight wheels (the front is very heavy in either flavour). But I have no evidence to suggest that original R1200GS 5 spoke alloys will have any effect other than looking different and being easier to clean.

i agree,tbh i doubt if anyone could tell in a test if they were riding on single or the double spoke alloys.

 

[Nutty]

Maybe, I do ride around handling problems, but I can also tell when a tyre is down by 5psi and my rear tyres has almost no chicken strip. There's a good chance I'd notice something different.

The myth said that alloys handle better, because they are lighter. That makes sense, but, my wires and alloys weigh the same so its highly unlikely the alloys could ever handle better. So I'm calling it a myth. If its about where the wheels carry their weight, the wires should be better than the alloys. (thinner rims).

I'm sure the bike will handle better with light weight wheels (the front is very heavy in either flavour). But I have no evidence to suggest that original R1200GS 5 spoke alloys will have any effect other than looking different and being easier to clean.

I'd have thought the handling would be related to the way the wheel flexes, not the weight. A cast wheel won't flex as much as a spoked wheel, so would give better handling on the road.

 

[Wilsdorf]

Having had the spoked wheel and alloy off at the same time (rears), the spoked was noticeably heavier, regardless of what the figures say. Oh & both had new tyres fitted.

 

[Wreford Miles]

I'd have thought the handling would be related to the way the wheel flexes, not the weight. A cast wheel won't flex as much as a spoked wheel, so would give better handling on the road.

I think that's the nub of it...

Which is why a GS on Street off Street bike has wire wheels so the can take a bash off road and survive to tell the tale or at least be put back straight.

The main difference though is:

If you own a GS with wire wheels you are a Tosser
If you own a GS with mag wheels you are a Tosser

There's a subtle difference between the two but trust me its there

 

[Bendy toy]

Im sure there is a difference between the two types, but its very subtle.

If it is weight related, the wire spoked will be better handling because the front weighs 1.3Kg less that the cast alloy wheel.

If its related to wheel flex who knows. However the early 1980s rigid beam framed race bikes handed badly because there was not enough give when the bike was laid over. Designers had to engineer in some frame flex.

What's to say the extra flexibility of a wire wheel isn't a useful feature that a rigid alloy wheel wont have.

But for all practical purposes on the road there is no difference.

 

[Neil A]

Cleaning

Alloys are MUCH easier to clean

That is soooo true. Mine's a GS but it came with wire wheels the original owner had specced and they are a total PITA to clean

 

[Giles]

I have some cast wheels for sale but no bugger wants to buy them ...


Definitely notice the difference between spoked and cast, and I guess that difference is a little bit of weight and a little bit of flex.

 

[Neil A]

Buying alloys

I have some cast wheels for sale but no bugger wants to buy them ...

I want to, but I don't have the spare cash, especially now I have to get the final drive replaced

 

[APE]

It makes no sense that they are the same weight. IIRC the alloys are about 4kgs lighter. Isn't alloy a lighter material

 

[Bendy toy]

The alloys I have are the 5 spoke type from a 1200GS. The wire and alloy back wheels with tyre are same weight within 0.1Kg. With discs, tyres and bearings, the GS alloy is more than 1Kg heavier than the GSA wire wheel.

The 1150 GS / GSA wheels might have a weight difference and there may be lighter weight wheels from other 1200 models but the 1200 GS 5 spoke alloys and GSA wires are to all intents the same weight.