Cast wheels...

I apologize if this has already been addressed - (did thread search didn't find squat)

Has anyone had any issues with the wheels yet?

I realize the majority of NC7X owners aren't going to ever leave blacktop let alone some of the stuff I've already put mine through. But every bump, rock, and jolt the bike takes there's a little voice in my helmet that says 'you're gonna crack a wheel you big dummy'. I feel like no matter what I do or add the this bike the wheels are always going to be its Achilles heel.

I welcome any thoughts to set my mind at ease and subdue the annoying little voice in the helmet.

Thanks,
Chris

I have not seen a post about a rim failure. However, if any thing can happen, it will happen.

Old Can Ride said:

I have not seen a post about a rim failure. However, if any thing can happen, it will happen.

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How are your wheels? If you hit that hole at speed hard enough to dislocate your shoulder, I would have thought, if a wheel were going to break, that would have done it.

Wheels are great. The part (meter stay) that holds your gauges and windshield is made out of pewter. It exploded on impact. Everything has to come off the bike to replace the meter stay. Lots of plastic. Now you know you have a good wife, when she tears your bike down for you, and gets your parts ordered. She likes working with tools and has watched and helped me over the years. She is extremely slow because of her joint problems, but her help and my one arm the bike's parts are in route. Still don't know about the shoulder. Go Monday for another MRI, if the shoulder is healing properly be up an riding in about 8 weeks , if not it will be about 6 months if they have to do joint replacement.

Old Can Ride said:

Wheels are great. The part (meter stay) that holds your gauges and windshield is made out of pewter. It exploded on impact. Everything has to come off the bike to replace the meter stay. Lots of plastic. Now you know you have a good wife, when she tears your bike down for you, and gets your parts ordered. She likes working with tools and has watched and helped me over the years. She is extremely slow because of her joint problems, but her help and my one arm the bike's parts are in route. Still don't know about the shoulder. Go Monday for another MRI, if the shoulder is healing properly be up an riding in about 8 weeks , if not it will be about 6 months if they have to do joint replacement.

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I wish I lived close to you OCR. I'd love to help fix Nana back up and maybe listen to some of your adventures while doing it.

I've said it before... "When I grow up I wanna be just like OCR"

I've been reading this report over on advrider (was linked in a thread here last week or so) where the NC is keeping up with a couple KTMs and a Tenere and...I don't remember what else. And it's making me think that the NC can handle anything you can. If that guy hasn't bent/cracked a wheel yet, maybe it won't happen.
There was also a post a while back about having spoked wheels made. I don't plan on needing them (I aspire to be comfortable on maintained gravel and groomed trails, not goat tracks) so I didn't pay too much attention.

Old Can Ride said:

Now you know you have a good wife, when she tears your bike down for you, and gets your parts ordered. She likes working with tools and has watched and helped me over the years. She is extremely slow because of her joint problems, but her help and my one arm the bike's parts are in route. Still don't know about the shoulder. Go Monday for another MRI, if the shoulder is healing properly be up an riding in about 8 weeks , if not it will be about 6 months if they have to do joint replacement.

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I think it's wonderful that your wife is willing to put your bike back together. Beyond wonderful. You definitely found a good one.
A few years ago I sailed the Channel Islands on a tall ship. One of the older guys tripped and fell on deck, breaking his hip. I'm sure it wasn't nearly as bad as your shoulder, we pulled him off the ship in Santa Barbara and they did some new, less invasive hip replacement procedure. A week later when we pulled into San Diego he met us on the pier. On his own two feet. I don't even remember him using a cane, although it's possible - it has been a while.

Chestnut said:

I've been reading this report over on advrider (was linked in a thread here last week or so) where the NC is keeping up with a couple KTMs and a Tenere and...I don't remember what else. And it's making me think that the NC can handle anything you can. If that guy hasn't bent/cracked a wheel yet, maybe it won't happen.

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The RR over at ADVRider did post about his front tire leaking air and his damaged front rim although he mentioned he wasn't totally sure they were both related after all the bashing the NC took.

After reading that~my curiosity led me to asking my dealer the replacement cost~over $750 each

I think if one were to venture off the pavement, I'd be sure to carry a tube, an inflatable device and keep the air pressure up.

modeselector said:

my curiosity led me to asking my dealer the replacement cost~over $750 each

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Of course price doesn't necessarily correlate with longevity/good quality but one would think, for that kind of coin, they should be practically indestructible!

Yeah, at that price for one, if I ever break a rim, I'll spring for some custom spoked wheels from WWW!

draco_1967 said:

Yeah, at that price for one, if I ever break a rim, I'll spring for some custom spoked wheels from WWW!

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Is there a vendor that has done this conversion?

Seems tricky with the front disk.

Woody's Wheel Works makes a lot of custom stuff over on ADVforums. I bet they could figure something out. I don't think they have done an NC yet.

Sent from a Speak & Spell wired to a record player, a saw blade, a fork, and an umbrella.

IMHO, it would take a fairly ungodly whack to actually break an NCX rim or spoke, so the likelihood would more likely be a bending of the rim lip.

I also think unless it was a purely unavoidable accident, going into terrain rough enough that you'd have to start sweating about needing wire spoked rims on your NCX versus the stock wheels, you are more than a bit over the 700's abilities, and are tempting fate. Hey, if you have a support vehicle or many other riders in a good group, etc., heck, why not, I would give it a go!

Kind of a good thing about tubeless cast aluminum rims, is that when they do (a minor hit of course) bend, it's pretty easy to bang them back with a rock or hammer into air-holding condition. With tube type wire wheels, I've had mangled rims and broken spokes, where they could not be man handled back into any usable service.

What is the advantage to a wire spoke wheel? Lighter? Stronger? Dirt doesn't stick? Is there an advantage to having to use tubes?

bamamate said:

What is the advantage to a wire spoke wheel? Lighter? Stronger? Dirt doesn't stick? Is there an advantage to having to use tubes?

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Pretty much, yes. They can*usually* sustain greater impacts without damage like a cast wheel, and it's hard to beat a lighter wheel for off road use.

Even off road, I've always preferred tubeless to tube type, but with a tube, you can air up a wheel that has some pretty significant damage to it, that a mangled rim or slashed sidewall would prevent continuing on, if it couldn't hold a seal between rim and tire.

Having said that, though, there's a certain unique feeling of tear-your-hair-out frustration, that can only be duplicated by loose/broken wire spokes poking holes through a tube, or pinching a tube during install, multiple times in a row, that make tubeless rims and tires seem like the best thing ever invented, lol

Oh, and experiencing a blow out on a tube type tire really, really, sucks big time, compared to a tubeless type! IMHO.

Thanks LBS. Sounds a bit like the steel vs aluminum fight on a 4x4 forum.

Does anyone have a link to the ride report on ADV?

ADV ride thread. Only a few posts by Dr Zed, but his NC700 performed well by all reports.

CannonTrek.CO - Bashing Big Bikes in the Backcountry of Colorado - ADVrider

Thank you!

netizen said:

I wish I lived close to you OCR. I'd love to help fix Nana back up and maybe listen to some of your adventures while doing it.

I've said it before... "When I grow up I wanna be just like OCR"

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Seems like they had the same problem I've always had when I go on a ride like that with other folks, about a third of the folks just drop out for some reason. Wish I could get it across to folks, there ain't nothing wrong with dropping your bike now and then. Drops just come with the territory. The fellow who is the first to drop his bike always wants to quit, but don't. Just stick around a little bit, I promise I will go down.