Cast wheel conversion to wire spoke?

[CookMySock]

Right I need some of this wire wheel lovin'.

<img src="http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photogallerys/04_Ducati_Sport.jpg" width="500" height="400">

How common is it to simply swap wheels over, resizing wheel bearings and spacers? Not very? Didn't think so. <_<

What about machining the hub out of a cast wheel and modifying it to take a spoked rim? Unheard of? Impossible?

Brainstorm mode on.

Steve

[Kickaha]

How common is it to simply swap wheels over, resizing wheel bearings and spacers? Not very? Didn't think so. <_<

Very common in Bucket racing, biggest problems are normally getting the chainline right and discs to line up with the calipers, sometimes means making adapters or spacers to remount calipers or discs


What about machining the hub out of a cast wheel and modifying it to take a spoked rim? Unheard of? Impossible?

I've seen it done the opposite way around with a alloy wheel having the centre machined out of it and drilled to take spokes

[FJRider]

ANYTHING is possible ... just do you have the finances to do it ...

People put V8's in toyota starlets ... what you suggest is more simple ...

[CookMySock]

I've seen it done the opposite way around with a alloy wheel having the centre machined out of it and drilled to take spokesUh, I guess thats what I mean.

Start with a perfectly good cast alloy wheel and cut the cast rim and spokes off of it, and drill the hub to take spokes and new rim.

Anyone know who might do the drilling job and not make a hash of it?


Steve

Steve

[AllanB]

I doubt there is the meat in the right places to cut out the spokes of a cast wheel and machine for a wire spoke hub. In fact I cannot think of one cast spoke rear wheel that has any form of lip near the sprocket or brake that would work.
You could feasibly machine and weld on a 'lip' that would suit.

In all cases I have read about a new hub has been machined, usually from a hunk of billet alloy. If you search for 'Klasmo bikes', they are a German crowd dealing is specialised bits and stock exactly that - spoke wheel hub conversions for popular Street fighters GSXR etc. Fair few bucks when converted into NZ coin.

I've also seen in magazines cast spoke wheels that have been been widened to accept a bigger tyre (a V-max springs to mind).

[Kickaha]

Uh, I guess thats what I mean.

The conversion I was talking about they machined the hub out and drilled and laced the outer alloy rim to an existing spoked hub

[jonbuoy]

I think the ally in your cast rims is the wrong grade for what you are asking. I´ve got wire wheels yet to go on my cafe but then I was lucky that they made CB750´s in cast and alloy. A front end transplant from a supermoto or similar could be the go, rear end is a bit trickier expect to pay some coin to get it done and looking right.

[CookMySock]

I doubt there is the meat in the right places to cut out the spokes of a cast wheel and machine for a wire spoke hub. In fact I cannot think of one cast spoke rear wheel that has any form of lip near the sprocket or brake that would work. You could feasibly machine and weld on a 'lip' that would suit.
In all cases I have read about a new hub has been machined, usually from a hunk of billet alloy.Hrm, well that is not a particularly horrific thing to contemplate.

Cut off the outer part of the wheel, and machine the surface off smooth.

Construct a new interference-fit outer hub with the lip to take the spoke holes, and either heat it and press on, or glue it and press on. Drill and roll-pin it. HPC coat "chrome".

Send the newly-modified hub away to be drilled and have a new rim laced to it.

What am I missing?


Steve

[R6_kid]

Just go the route of machining wheel spacers and possibly brake caliper spacers to make it work. It's just a matter of finding a bike that has the right wheel sizes you want. I'd start by looking at Ducati Sport Classic rims and go from there.

[CookMySock]

Yeah I guess that'd be less dicking around, and an attractive and reliable solution.

At what price though... Will look further at that.


Steve

[Kickaha]

Cut off the outer part of the wheel, and machine the surface off smooth.

Construct a new interference-fit outer hub with the lip to take the spoke holes, and either heat it and press on, or glue it and press on. Drill and roll-pin it. HPC coat "chrome".

Why bother, buy a GN250 wire wheel front hub, they can be fitted with Twin discs, and look for a rear off a big trailbike, XR650 or simialr and adapt to fit

Yamaha XS650 or early RD350 would be better as they use the same bolt pattern for discs as Ducati so you can get the 320mm discs fairly easily but the hubs can be harder to find

or make it hard for yourself and do it the way you describe

[AllanB]

Cut off the outer part of the wheel, and machine the surface off smooth.
Construct a new interference-fit outer hub with the lip to take the spoke holes, and either heat it and press on, or glue it and press on. Drill and roll-pin it. HPC coat "chrome".
Send the newly-modified hub away to be drilled and have a new rim laced to it.
What am I missing?

For that effort you may as well just machine up a complete hub from a piece of solid alloy that will fit your existing bearings and axle. Lace to a suitable alloy rim and presto!

[R6_kid]

Is it for a Hyosung GT?

Have a look on Ebay, I think you'll find it's cheaper than you think.

[CookMySock]

Is it for a Hyosung GT? Have a look on Ebay, I think you'll find it's cheaper than you think.GT650 Comet, yeah. Picture this with wire wheels. Even the 250 comet in black with twin front disc and wire wheels will be pretty smart-looking.

<img src="http://i34.tinypic.com/262slxl.jpg" width="500" height="400">


There's one Ducati Classic Sport rear wheel on ebay for US$419. Two plus freight will be NZ$1500 approx. I guess thats not too pricey, as you say.


Steve

[rusk]

hello, anyone know where i can get my 21" ,18" wired wheels re-wired as both 17" wired motard wheels?? help please!!!

[CookMySock]

Just ask at your local bike shop.

Steve