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Aftermarket Rims

armerdcatfish

Well travelled
I just got this email back from Buchanan's after inquiring about set of rims. Thought I'd pass it along.

We offer Sun aluminum rims to match and they do have a safety bead. The estimated cost is as follow;

RSWM321=$245.00 each

RSWM617=$298.00 each

36, 7-9gauge stainless steel spokes w/nipples are $125.00 each front or rear set.
 

cwadej

Well travelled
Location
San Diego
azgsa in the ADV thread replaced his wheels. I dont remember what brand or cost though. He posted about it. He went with a 4" rear i think
 

Roy Gavin

Well travelled
That was the claim, but remember that, pound for pound steel is just as strong as aluminium. Using normal commercial grades of both, of course.
So if they are half the weight they are around half the strength.
There can be other problems too, with spoke angles, etc, which only show up when you try to torque them up to factory type figures. DAHIK
Whether this matters on a 20 hp soft roader, or whether you need a rim which will take a 160 wide tire on a Hima is a matter of opinion.
FWIW there is probably the same difference in weight between various brands and types of tires , yet it is rare that anyone who fits the uber heavyweights notices or comments on any changes in handling.
Shure on a 10/10 th race bike you want everything you can get, on a basic 20 hp bike there are probably better ways to get a decent bang for your buck
But if you have run out of things to spend your cash on, and like the look of a 160 wide tire----.
 

cwadej

Well travelled
Location
San Diego
A pair of alloy rims weigh 8 to 9 pounds less than the steel pair they replace.
yes, but unsprung rotating mass takes more energy to move than sprung weight.
example-
10lbs unsprung rotating mass takes 10 hp to move.
10lbs sprung weight takes 5 hp to move
5hp is needed to move 20lbs sprung weight
=losing 10lbs unsprung weight is like gaining 5hp, or losing 20 lbs sprung weight
 

TCBronson

Finally made it
Some folks feel that the ideal weight of an "Adventure" bike would be under 400lbs. Replacing steel wheels with aluminum would help as well as a lighter muffler maybe to achieve that goal.
 

Roy Gavin

Well travelled
completely fictional numbers to illustrate the point. would you complain had I said .1hp to move 100lbs?
Probably a bit closer, but I would like to see the calculations. But time and distance usually come into any HP calculation.
FWIW to lift 100lb 1 foot in one second takes 0.18 hp.
But my schoolboy mechanics stopped before radial acceleration, and it was over 60 years ago!
Simple way of getting a feel for the work required is to spin the different wheels , takes a fraction more to get the heavy wheel moving, but then it spins for longer, so input to output is the same, you dont loose much with the heavier wheel, and in a steady speed situation there is little difference, unless you are going uphill at extremely high speed!
 
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sam2019

Well travelled
Shure on a 10/10 th race bike you want everything you can get, on a basic 20 hp bike there are probably better ways to get a decent bang for your buck
I'd say, from a performance point of view alone this is crazy, our 450cc engine upgrade will be costing less than those rims with a torque and power enhancement way beyond what this weight loss could ever promise. But maybe these rims just look so very good ... ??
 

TN_twowheeladdict

Well travelled
Location
Tennessee
Some folks feel that the ideal weight of an "Adventure" bike would be under 400lbs. Replacing steel wheels with aluminum would help as well as a lighter muffler maybe to achieve that goal.
Before I started reducing weight on the bike I would have to get down to 165lbs, and I don't foresee that happening unless the hysteria driven media is right about a food shortage. LOL!
 
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