How easy is replacing a spoke

[AustinW]

I was giving the bike (V85TT) a second once-over if you know what I mean after our trip to Sardinia, Corsica and Spain and spotted a missing spoke in the rear wheel. The nipple is still in place but spoke is AWOL. It could have gone any time from day1 to yesterday. I need to give the rest of the spokes a ping test tomorrow but I hadn’t noticed anything untoward.

Assuming the other spokes are ok, and assuming that I can get hold of a spoke (Gutsibits don’t list them) and assuming I can find a way to hold the spoke and tighten the nipple (hmm lots of assumings in there) is it just a case of putting it in and tightening until it pings about the same as its neighbours? Or do I really need to get someone who knows what they are doing to replace it, check the wheel over and retighten everything?

The wheel is a standard V85 tubeless wheel and looks remarkably similar to those on GSs.

I think I know the answer having written it down now.

 

[rovert57]

Have a look on YouTube,I think there was a video of someone replacing a spoke on a gs wheel .
I assume the spoked wheels on the guzzi i a similar design .

 

[GSian]

Is the wheel still true? If it is it's a simple job. Just as you say, stick another spoke in and tighten it without over-tightening. If it's buckled, there's a bit of work to do with the other spokes to make it true again.

 

[parkys100]

I was giving the bike (V85TT) a second once-over if you know what I mean after our trip to Sardinia, Corsica and Spain and spotted a missing spoke in the rear wheel. The nipple is still in place but spoke is AWOL. It could have gone any time from day1 to yesterday. I need to give the rest of the spokes a ping test tomorrow but I hadn’t noticed anything untoward.

Assuming the other spokes are ok, and assuming that I can get hold of a spoke (Gutsibits don’t list them) and assuming I can find a way to hold the spoke and tighten the nipple (hmm lots of assumings in there) is it just a case of putting it in and tightening until it pings about the same as its neighbours? Or do I really need to get someone who knows what they are doing to replace it, check the wheel over and retighten everything?

The wheel is a standard V85 tubeless wheel and looks remarkably similar to those on GSs.

I think I know the answer having written it down now.

Should be simple.
Hopefully Guzzi do single spokes (Yamaha full set only)Rears usually have 2 different lengths (due to dishing)If only the Yamaha dealer understand that after fitting mine .I said I would be fine fitting it but they insisted.Then suggested I was being to critical when I suggested they had fitted the incorrect spoke.Once new spoke is fitted a small Nm 3-5 torque is handy.Compare tension with the spokes on the same side only .Good luck

 

[xsgraham]

If you can't buy a single spoke from Guzzi you should be able to get something from one of the wire wheel builders who advertise their services. You may need to know basic details for them to match something from their suppliers. Length is obvious but also the angle of any bend in it.

I've used Colwood Wheel Works to build a pair of wires from my old 70's Z1000. Very knowledgeable and did a lovely job.

Vintage Motorcycle and Bicycle Wheel-building Workshop in Sussex

A Sussex based bicycle workshop. Motorcycle wheel building and bicycle restoration. Sturmey Archer hub gear repairs. Bicycle restoration tuition courses.

colwoodwheelworks.co.uk

 

[AustinW]

Well I went to visit a very nice young Chap in Culcheth today who trades under the name Cheshire Motorcycles Spoked Wheel builders. Operates out of the most unlikely looking bicycle shop. Young, enthusiastic and knowledgeable and a bit nerdy about wheels. All good things. But as he described himself as an artisan motorcycle wheel builder what he wanted to do was a proper job and strip all the spokes and replace with new custom made ones (from a supplier in Essex). Cost would be north of £200 which is probably reasonable for a full rebuild but as I can get a couple of spokes and nipples for a £10-£15 I said no I would fit my spoke, it’s actually two now having inspected the wheel more closely, and unless I thought I had a problem I would just go with it. He said that would probably be fine and if I felt at all unhappy with the result I could bring the wheel back for him to check over and give it a final tune (at cost of course). So I’ll be doing that. I’ve ordered the spokes from Teasdales plus a few spare to cover cock ups. Lead time allegedly from Italy is 2-3 weeks. But it’s Guzzi so it could be 2-3 months.

 

[cbritton]

Well I went to visit a very nice young Chap in Culcheth today who trades under the name Cheshire Motorcycles Spoked Wheel builders. Operates out of the most unlikely looking bicycle shop. Young, enthusiastic and knowledgeable and a bit nerdy about wheels. All good things. But as he described himself as an artisan motorcycle wheel builder what he wanted to do was a proper job and strip all the spokes and replace with new custom made ones (from a supplier in Essex). Cost would be north of £200 which is probably reasonable for a full rebuild but as I can get a couple of spokes and nipples for a £10-£15 I said no I would fit my spoke, it’s actually two now having inspected the wheel more closely, and unless I thought I had a problem I would just go with it. He said that would probably be fine and if I felt at all unhappy with the result I could bring the wheel back for him to check over and give it a final tune (at cost of course). So I’ll be doing that. I’ve ordered the spokes from Teasdales plus a few spare to cover cock ups. Lead time allegedly from Italy is 2-3 weeks. But it’s Guzzi so it could be 2-3 months.

The suuplier in essex may be Hagons

 

[Wrinkly]

Well I went to visit a very nice young Chap in Culcheth today who trades under the name Cheshire Motorcycles Spoked Wheel builders. Operates out of the most unlikely looking bicycle shop. Young, enthusiastic and knowledgeable and a bit nerdy about wheels. All good things. But as he described himself as an artisan motorcycle wheel builder what he wanted to do was a proper job and strip all the spokes and replace with new custom made ones (from a supplier in Essex). Cost would be north of £200 which is probably reasonable for a full rebuild but as I can get a couple of spokes and nipples for a £10-£15 I said no I would fit my spoke, it’s actually two now having inspected the wheel more closely, and unless I thought I had a problem I would just go with it. He said that would probably be fine and if I felt at all unhappy with the result I could bring the wheel back for him to check over and give it a final tune (at cost of course). So I’ll be doing that. I’ve ordered the spokes from Teasdales plus a few spare to cover cock ups. Lead time allegedly from Italy is 2-3 weeks. But it’s Guzzi so it could be 2-3 months.

I ordered my new alloy wheels through Teasdales. They arrived 10 days later. If anyone else is considering this, the cush drive plastic cover is different on the alloy wheels than the spoked wheels so one of those is also needed.