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Spoked wheels


Charlotte3
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Hi Guys,

Can anyone tell me the best way of refurbishing a rusty spoked wheel?

The front one is OK but the back wheel is quite rusty and takes the whole look off the bike.

I' m looking for something I can do at home rather than having to pay lots for it to be done professionally!

 

Thanks in advance,

Aly

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You don't say but I imagine it is the rim, the spokes and the spoke nipples that are corroded. You can usually get a temporary good shine on the rim with ordinary chrome cleaner and a bit of elbow grease but the spokes and nipples are more difficult.

It's not that difficult to fit a new rim and spokes yourself. We still get ours from the UK ( http://www.central-wheel.co.uk/cwc/rims.html ) but there are good French suppliers as well. If you do attempt it yourself take plenty of photos before you cut the spokes.

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Hello Heath,

Thanks for your prompt reply.

I have today (first sunny day for weeks) been out in the garden with a beer and my good friend the tube of chrome cleaner and things are looking much brighter now! (on my bike that is).

Unfortunately it's the spokes that are the problem. As you say, they are more difficult.  I wonder what would happen if I used a brillo pad type of thing - would I do some sort of irreparable damage, or do you think it would be worth a go?

Sorry to be so thick,

Aly

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Got any photos of your motorbikes.  I love them.

We used to have a Moto Guzzi T3 which saw us a couple of trips to France before we had to sell it (lack of cash in our younger years).  In our "senior years" (50 and 55 - lol) I quite fancy a Honda Goldwing (the armchair in the back quite appeals), so I'd love to know what everyone else has got and your age group and whether you plan a trip to Pompadour in the Limousin so me and OH can drool over shiny crome and sparkly metalised livery.  No seriously, I have often coveted some of the bikes I've seen passing through Pompadour in the summertime and in fact, only last weekend there were 4 Goldwings parked in the Chateau carpark, all gleaming and spotlessly clean.

So please let's see some photos.

Jan

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Thanks guys (and girls),

Great ideas both.....I'll start with the WD40 first, and then if that fails go on to Heath's idea. (Sorry Heath, I'm feeling really lazy this weekend).

I'll let you know how it goes,

Aly

PS. I haven't a clue how to post photos.(I'm a bit of a technophobe)

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[quote user="Charlotte3"]

Can anyone tell me the best way of refurbishing a rusty spoked wheel?

The front one is OK but the back wheel is quite rusty and takes the whole look off the bike.

I' m looking for something I can do at home rather than having to pay lots for it to be done professionally!

[/quote]

I've just found this thread and offer my five-penneth. You don't say which bike you have and thats important. It is also difficult without actually seeing the amount of rust, to give advice. Light, surface rust should be OK to remove but if you find pitting on the spokes they should be replaced. All I would say is err on the side of safety, spoke wheels can collapse if badly corroded and new ones are cheap compared to the accident you will have when a wheel collapses.

I don't want to sound negative but just think safe....................[:)][:)]

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Hello Bugbear,

Thanks for your five-penneth,  it is very welcome!  It had never occurred to me that the wheel could collapse. (Logical really when you think of it).

The rust is very much of the surface variety but every spoke is affected which is why I wanted advice before starting.

It's chucking it down here today, so I'll have a go with the WD40 next weekend.

My bike is an old CM125 Indian.......yes I know she's small, but when I'm finished restoring her she will be perfectly formed (I hope).

When I agreed to buy her she had all her original bits and pieces and she was georgeous, but the garage decided to replace lots of parts with modern black plastic bits. I was horrified when the mechanic handed me a carrier bag full of broken chrome indicators etc., and explained that they had been broken when dismantling!  The sad thing is he couldn't understand why I would want a bike with lots of chrome instead of nice new black plastic. It's the same old problem.......the French have no appreciation of history!

Anyway....onward and upward!

Aly

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  • 2 weeks later...
My boyfriend and I are in dispute at the moment as I love the spoke wheels on his Z1000 however he has taken them off because of the state they are in a put mag ones one. I would like to get the spoked wheels re-done and believe there are places that will do them at a cost. Does anyone know of anywhere in the UK that will do them and roughly how much they cost please so we can get them done before moving to France. I can then persuade him to put these back on ready for crusing on the French roads.
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Here's a few useful sites:

[url=http://www.srm-engineering.com/]SRM Engineering[/url] of Aberystwyth do a full repair/restoration service.

Paul Jackson, Spoked Wheel Repairs, Outlane, Huddersfield.  Tel: 01422  378100

[url=http://www.biker.force9.co.uk/features/feature_06_thor_mc.htm]THOR Motorcycles[/url] of Bodmin, Cornwall specialise in Gas Gas Traillies and custom spoked sets.

 

 

 

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Hi I have refurbished loads of bikes over the years and invariably steel wool or a scotchbrite pad and t cut to remove the scale and rust then polish with solvol autosol is a good way to clean spokes. BTW its highly unlikely  rusting would amount to much other than .aesthetically

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