Fixed front wheel wobble on 2011 GSA

Neil W

Well-known member
UKGSer Subscriber
Joined
Sep 2, 2003
Messages
11,599
Reaction score
1,925
Location
Northumberland
Well I've fixed the wobbly front spoked wheel on my GSA (7000 miles no accidents but still had 2.5mm lateral movemnt and couldn't be balanced and it was getting worse.)
Devon Rim Company are going to sort it out but in the meantime this will keep the bike on the road
 

Attachments

  • 001.JPG
    001.JPG
    39 KB · Views: 718
Snap !:beerjug:

I also have mag wheels on my 2011 GSA. Handles better. Looks great. I won't be going anywhere near the road-a-bones so didn't need the hassle of spokes.

Happy days.
 
I might well get a set of the cast wheels - I think they look good on a GSA. Then I can fit road tyres to those and put a set of proper knobblies on the spokes so I can learn how to take the Bavarian Battleship off road properly.
 
Spokes

Snap !:beerjug:

I also have mag wheels on my 2011 GSA. Handles better. Looks great. I won't be going anywhere near the road-a-bones so didn't need the hassle of spokes.

Happy days.

Now then.....I'm thinking I should be worrying about my spokes - hassle involving cleaning or maintenance ?
 
Best mod I made to mine. Improvement in ride was amazing. I only did it because I didn't like cleaning spokes.

4e954f0c-73c4-6986.jpg
 
Wheels?

Well I've fixed the wobbly front spoked wheel on my GSA (7000 miles no accidents but still had 2.5mm lateral movemnt and couldn't be balanced and it was getting worse.)
Devon Rim Company are going to sort it out but in the meantime this will keep the bike on the road

Yes those do look good
Does anyone have a link to were I can get a set?
What did they cost?
Any problems or issues with ABS, or tyre pressure sensors or any other electricery that comes with the Dynamic and Premium options of a GSA?
Cheers:beerjug:
Andy
 
Strange thread this, GSA going for cast wheels, cos us GS riders get wire wheels to put TKCs on and to improve the look of the GS.

If you do go for a set of spare wheels and have RDC(Tyre Pressure Monitoring) then you need to make sure the new wheels have sensors fitted and get the dealer to match them up to the bike so they are recognised. The bike will handle a max of 2 sets of wheels with sensors. Then to make it easy to switch wheels, best to go for disks for the front and an ABS ring, all this is not cheap though. Then it takes about 30 mins to swop wheels.

The black cast wheels do look good on the GSA though.
 
Strange thread this, GSA going for cast wheels, cos us GS riders get wire wheels to put TKCs on and to improve the look of the GS.

If you do go for a set of spare wheels and have RDC(Tyre Pressure Monitoring) then you need to make sure the new wheels have sensors fitted and get the dealer to match them up to the bike so they are recognised. The bike will handle a max of 2 sets of wheels with sensors. Then to make it easy to switch wheels, best to go for disks for the front and an ABS ring, all this is not cheap though. Then it takes about 30 mins to swop wheels.

The black cast wheels do look good on the GSA though.

You also need a set of rear wheel studs as the GS alloy wheels are different hub thickness to spoked wheels.
Takes about 10 minutes front and back to swap discs and ABS ring
 
Alloys must be half the weight of the spoked ones and it does handle a lot better.

It was done as a matter of expediency to keep the bike on the road as the alloys were almost new and £300 a set (I would have had to pay that s/hand for a front spoked wheel with no guarantee of it being true)
 
Alloys must be half the weight of the spoked ones and it does handle a lot better.

That's not true actually. From what I understand there is a slight weight difference, but the improvements come from where the weight is positioned within the wheel area. Evidently it improves the gyroscopic effect.

This is the gospel until someone puts me right!
 
Neil, can I ask you what tyres you were running out of interest?

I had a problem with Conti Trail Attacks- when slowing down under engine braking at around 40mph I get a wobble which stops at about 25mph.

Interestingly- when the tyre dealer fitted a Conti Road attack to the front the problem went.

Now I have a trail attack on again its back.

:confused:
 
Yes the spoked wheels were running trail attacks, the problem was probably compounded by the tyre but the wheel itself is out of true by well over the manufacturers recommended limits.

Thing is when the trail attacks were fitted at 4,000 miles (to replace Tourance EXP's ) they didn't cause any problems initially and the bike was handling okay but it gradually got worse .

I have no doubt that a problem has developed with the front tyre but he wheel was getting worse as well.

The alloys are running an old set of Michelin Pilot 1's that I dug out of the loft in the garage.

They were fitted and required no weight at all to balance them and the handling is better than it ever has been.

When I send the front wheel away I'm getting my dealer who supplied the tyre to get it sent back to Continental and have it checked out.
 
Got my original spoked wheel back from Devon Wheel Company yesterday (it is run by Doug Richardson - who used to own Devon Rim Company- he is specialising in mainly newer Triumph wheels and BMW rims).

Put it on a balancer without a tyre and it is now back well within manufacturers tolerances. Cost £70 including return postage (7 day return). The owner says he has done quite a few GSA wheels (especially rears)

I'm going to stick a new Dunlop TR91 on it next week and give the bike a go.

I'm not that keen on the look of the alloys BUT they may stay just for the improved handling.(the spokes and original shocks can go back on when I sell it)

Anyone needs Devon Wheel Company they area at 20 South Street, South Molton , Devon , EX364AA tel 01769 574108
 
But .... if anyone with a GSA does fancy going the alloy wheel route I have a very good condition pair available, £300 c/w with the correct rear wheel bolts :thumb2

Stu.
 


Back
Top Bottom