Rims too heavy...

[WMarshy]

Any one ever try lightening the stock rims on these beasts? The thought came into my head, maybe dilling some holes in the webbs of the spokes and maybe removing some other material from them... Might be a crazy idea but, dont plan on going XSessive and making them unsafe... just reduce unsprung weight...

Any ideas...? With a little luck, this might be the next 'oil' thread!

[BA80]

Maybe it's just me but I don't think I would want one to fold up on me going down the highway. THAT would leave a mark.

[mjpxs11sh]

if its not broke, dont break it!

[crazy steve]

You're not going to be able to remove enough material to be meaningful, as most of the 'weight' in these is in the hub and rim. The tubeless front wheels are lighter than the tube versions, so if your '79 has the early tube wheel you can lose some weight by swapping. The rears are the same casting for both.

Here's a front wheel I smoothed and polished...
[IMG][/IMG]

After all the work, the wheel was only 8-10 ounces lighter. You'll get more bang for your buck by drilling the rotors.

[XSive Okie]

I would be afraid of balance issues.

[WMarshy]

Maybe it's just me but I don't think I would want one to fold up on me going down the highway. THAT would leave a mark.

Pish posh...

if its not broke, dont break it!

If it aint broke modify it!

You're not going to be able to remove enough material to be meaningful, as most of the 'weight' in these is in the hub and rim. The tubeless front wheels are lighter than the tube versions, so if your '79 has the early tube wheel you can lose some weight by swapping. The rears are the same casting for both.

After all the work, the wheel was only 8-10 ounces lighter. You'll get more bang for your buck by drilling the rotors.

Nice looking wheel Steve! I was just considering removing that web on the ID of the rim between the spokes and blending in the casting lines. Might consider some thru holes inbetween the webs of the spokes just for looks, probably only like 3 or so, IDK... the main goal isnt weight savings, just to have a custom look...

Thanks!

[WMarshy]

I would be afraid of balance issues.

Shouldnt be that bad, nothing that cant be balanced with normal amounts of tire weight.

[crazy steve]

I would be afraid of balance issues.

Trust me, that won't be an issue; the factory castings are far from being 'precision'. I found variations in the rim thickness of up to .1" and the front wheel had a obvious heavy spot. This can be addressed when you balance the tire/rim assembly...

[James England]

the main goal isnt weight savings, just to have a custom look...

Yep, you'll definitely get a custom look if your wheel collapses at 90mph. Or did you mean a custom look for the bike?

[WMarshy]

Yep, you'll definitely get a custom look if your wheel collapses at 90mph. Or did you mean a custom look for the bike?

The bike.

Like I said, highly doubt the structrual integrity of the wheel will be compromised. I could draw it in cad and do some FEA on it to make sure though.

[crazy steve]

Nice looking wheel Steve! I was just considering removing that web on the ID of the rim between the spokes and blending in the casting lines. Might consider some thru holes inbetween the webs of the spokes just for looks, probably only like 3 or so, IDK... the main goal isnt weight savings, just to have a custom look...

Thanks!

Thanks... Keep in mind this was a god-awful amount of work (I'll never admit how long this took, but this will likely be the only set I ever do...) as these are very rough castings and the 'register' between the two mold halves wasn't all that good either. If you decide to attempt this, get yourself some 'aluminum' files (yes, there is a difference) as regular files and die grinder bits will clog quickly. I found that spraying the die grinder burrs with WD40 helps...

[WMarshy]

Thanks... Keep in mind this was a god-awful amount of work (I'll never admit how long this took, but this will likely be the only set I ever do...) as these are very rough castings and the 'register' between the two mold halves wasn't all that good either. If you decide to attempt this, get yourself some 'aluminum' files (yes, there is a difference) as regular files and die grinder bits will clog quickly. I found that spraying the die grinder burrs with WD40 helps...

Thanks for the tips! And, yes I did know aluminum clogs regular files but I didn't realize they had special ones for it, great news. I might see if I can get access to a rotary table on a vertical mill, would make quick work of the bulk material removal!

[James England]

The bike.

Like I said, highly doubt the structrual integrity of the wheel will be compromised. I could draw it in cad and do some FEA on it to make sure though.

That would be good. I've always felt uneasy about those spiral-ly casted wheels that they use on some XS1100's.... I had them on an XJ750 and always wondered why they didn't collapse. They were supposed to break up in an accident in order to absorb some of the shock, I believe. I was always a bit careful about going up kerbs and down potholes with them..... They look a lot flimsier than a standard XS1100 wheel with a few holes in it.....

[natemoen]

Steve, are you running those rims on anything at the moment? I kind of wanted to do that over winter but never did.

[crazy steve]

Steve, are you running those rims on anything at the moment? I kind of wanted to do that over winter but never did.

Nope, they're waiting for the next-in-line project. As soon as I get the SG painted and sold, that one's up next....