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8 Dec 2010
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Registered Users
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: on the road
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good call from turbo charger!
you would be hard pressed to damage the rear rim on the f650. i did some super stoney tracks with 1 bar whist cruising down the east side of lake turkhana in nw kenya.
i was carrying a 12L fuel bladder and 2x5L fuel bottles, plus water, spare front tyre (it was a hardly worn tourance i was gonna use further south), all my gear etc (and its a bmw so you know it was heavy).
i dented the front. i installed a tube. it would have been fine indefinately except i wanted it tubeless again because i paid 400 bucks for the tyre pressure monitors (RDC).
ok if you want, change the front rim. but not both. honestly, save the bucks. if you do damage the front in bum-f*ck-nowhere, pay the freight and replace the one you damaged.
my first trip, i cracked an excel rim on an xr250 while riding gravel. sh*t happens. i kept riding until i got to a nice town where i airfreighted a new front rim/spokes/hub. happened to be luang prabang, laos. cost me 100 bucks inc freight. bargain.
read the posts above. plenty of km with no completely unrideable situations resulting from rim damage. i find it hard to believe the same situation where the alloy is damaged beyond repair would NOT cause the same issues with a steel / spoke rim.
finally, i rode botswana a couple months back with a mate on a dr200. broke 1 spoke, then 2. no spares, no spoke tool. broke 7 & thats the end of it - the wheel was too warped to continue. truck it back to jo'burg. sure, he should have had the tools and spares, but this is weight i didn't need to carry on the f650.
happy travels
d
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8 Dec 2010
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Registered Users
HUBB regular
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: New Westminster, BC, Canada
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TurboCharger
Did you ask if any of these people have actually done a full RTW trip on their OWN motorcycle? If they have first hand experience.
Thats what I'm on the Hubb for. 
You came supposedly on the HUBB looking for advice from people with first hand experience when actually you were only looking for confirmation of your own opinion. Then you're right, go back to TouraTech and your dealer and spend lots of money on changing your wheels. 
Sorry dude but this is bordering on being trollish. 
Did you ask who was riding the bikes with the problems. You're only getting half truths and not the full story. Were the bikes ridden by people on short tours that are loaded with money? Were the bikes rentals? Were the riders inexperienced?
Again thats what I'm here for, advice. You are right though the manner in which the bikes are ridden isn't consistant with the way my wife will ride her 650 twin. She will be riding much faster/harder. She has 15 years of extensive moto experience and will be riding the bike places tours will never go with a much heavier bike. 
You're right about one thing, wheels are not cheap to fix, but the mentality of believing dealers trying to sell you a bullet proof solution is even more expensive in the long run. At the end of the day it's your money and you'll be the one riding the bike. All I'm saying is a little common sense goes a long way ie don't thrash you bike with alloys at 15psi along a stone track and expect no damage.
Very cool that you and your alloys (nice pics on your site) have had a good experience. 
Let us know how carrying spare rims and spokes for the spoked waterproof hub wheels works out for you.  |
Seriuously you took the time out of your day to right this. :confused1:
Thanks for the info, I guess??
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8 Dec 2010
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Super Moderator
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: London and Granada Altiplano
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If BMW's spoked rims were high quality there might be an argument for having spoked wheels, but the BMW rims are made of cheese. I've done literally thousands of km off road on alloy rims on a R1200GS and an F650GS twin, and they are just fine so long as you ride with compassion for your bike.
I've seen/heard of two examples of damaged alloy rims, one caused by a head-on accident, the other by hitting a kerb at 100kph. I've actually seen more examples of damaged spoked rims than alloys.
And the advantage of tubeless tyres... I've only ever had one puncture in tubeless tyres in more than 200,000km. But on my tubed Yamaha Tenere I've had five punctures in 20,000km and two have been real show stoppers.
__________________
"For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)
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9 Dec 2010
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Gold Member
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Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Posts: 201
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BcDano
... The rims will bend or crack under a bike that isn't loaded even on just marginal roads. Mick at compass expeditions has kindly let me know that their 650 twins have had many rim issues and their tour groups ride with no luggage on not overly nasty routes. He says change them if you can....
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And then there's Sjaak Lucassen who's ridden around the world on a Yamaha R1 street bike with cast rims and a huge top case. He definitely didn't stick to nicely paved roads either.
I don't think anything about overland travel is black and white. Definitely nothing related to the bikes we take. Yes, spoked rims are probably better, but that doesn't mean you're guaranteed to have problems without them. No matter what you're intending to ride, someone has done a harder ride on something far less suited, and had a great time doing it.
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9 Dec 2010
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Registered Users
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: New Westminster, BC, Canada
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Thanks guys the info, it's great and I hope for a lot more.
I guess I should have clarified what I'm looking for and that is the best solution for the rims. As part of my search I thought I would put it out to the Hubb to see if there has been problems and so far very little has been reported, which is great. I'm also very aware that the bike will go around the world on it's alloys but again thats not what I looking for, I'm looking for the best solution, not the most rewarding solution, cost effective or spiritually uplifting, etc. Kinda like why I'm not riding my wr450f on the trip but instead got a F800GS which is in my very, very humble opinion the best solution for me on this trip.
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9 Dec 2010
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Contributing Member
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Aus. Qld. Mackay
Posts: 474
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Cast Wheels
As I said in an earlier post I have ridden my bike 2up fully packed over some
of the most gruelling roads in Cape York Nth. Australia, and then overland thru Africa including the big tester of Mayole-Isililo road as well as the potholed roads of Kenya and Uganda. You are aware of the bike you are riding like clearance, cast wheels etc. so if you value your equipment you take care, now most people I have met on the road do take care of there machines as they are travellers out there doing it. Enduro riders would not like cast wheels, but I have not met many of them on the road, but there is no shortage of them offering opinions that are relevant to them but not to relevant to someone riding his own bike on a RTW.
So I give them a cautious thumbs up based on my own experience.
Paul 
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9 Dec 2010
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Registered Users
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Aussie expat in Switzerland half way RTW
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BcDano
Seriuously you took the time out of your day to right this. :confused1:
Thanks for the info, I guess??
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Yes, I manage to do about 9hr work day in 6hrs so it leaves me with plenty of time to trawl the forums for unsuspecting nuts looking to replace perfectly good alloy rims with spoked ones. 
All I guess I'm saying is take the opinion of others with a grain of salt and make up your own mind, only you know whether you have the money to spend on spokes and only time will tell if it was the right decision.
Personally I like to look after my investments Francois (my 1200GS) included so i ride very slowly over bad/rough/rocky terrain.
There are quite a few factors at play here and not just whether I have alloy or spoked wheels, because when I'm riding I don't usually think about the wheels. - Avoiding potholes
- Keeping the ride smooth and predictable if not for me for my pillion
- Keeping the bike in good working condition means pacing yourself especially important on RTW trips
- Avoid (avoidable) accidents
- Avoid potholes
At the end of the day, it's what you feel comfortable with and what gives you confidence whilst riding that counts. Oh and enjoying it as well
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17 Dec 2010
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: brighton
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I've been away for the past couple of weeks, and boy has this thread taken off!
Im gonna stick with my cast alloys, don't seem to be any reason to change! As a rider I would rather take it slow and enjoy the ride!
Might not be doing russia in 2012 as planned due to money and job not going well!
But there is talk of doing morocco on 2011! 
Good times!
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27 Feb 2011
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Vancouver BC Canada
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Check on ADVrider, there's a guy that's done the spoke conversion (Markymcd is his user name I think, from Vancouver BC), a F650GS single front will bolt right on and for the rear he used an F800GS hub and had Woody's lace it to an Excel rim. He's pretty happy with the results. I think it should be available from BMW myself...
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22 Oct 2011
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Woody's on an F650GS Twin
Hi Guys,
Just thought I'd chime in. We stopped by Woody's on the way home from a 6 week trip around the western US and had wheels installed on my wifes F650GS. Firstly, Woody's Wheel Works is a great shop with great bunch of folks that work there. Getting the wheels ordered was easy, and they offered us a fair trade-in on the OEM cast rims that made the price totally reasonable - not sure if they always do that. Our setup uses excel rims, Superlaced to a 650GS hub on the front and a modified KTM hub on the rear. And it's tubeless  During the install they explained every aspect of the wheels, the shop and their process.
The wheels are rockin! They're a work of art. I got to take Nita's bike for a spin in the dirt and the difference was remarkable. I honestly didn't think I'd feel that much of a difference but the bike felt noticeably more planted. On the highways the ride was also super-stable. I can't recommend them enough.
The full story is here:
Day 36: Woodys Wheel Works. And Denver. | welovemotogeo
The full gallery is here:
Western US Gallery | welovemotogeo
Here are some pics showing the set-up:
:clap
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22 Oct 2011
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HU CanWest Meeting Organiser
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Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Redwood Meadows, AB, Canada
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Nice!
Those are indeed beautiful wheels Issa. How did they make them tubeless? Did they use some kind if sealant where the spokes come through the rim?
Out of curiosity, how much did the wheels set you back?
__________________
Ekke Kok
'84 R100RT 141,000 km (Dad's!)
'89 R100GS 250,000 km (and ready for another continent)
'07 R1200GS Adventure 100,000 km (just finished Circumnavigating Asia)
[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
www.ekke-audrey.ca
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Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
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helps answer the question - Why Go? Inspirational stories by veteran travellers Greg Frazier (5 times RTW), Peter and Kay Forwood (193 countries), Tiffany Coates (Mongolia Mayhem) and Rene Cormier (University of Gravel Roads).
Get Ready! covers planning, paperwork, medical and many other topics! "Inspirational and Awesome!" See the trailer here!
What stuff do I need - riding gear, clothing, camping gear, first aid kit, tires, maps and GPS? What don't I need? How do I pack it all in? Lots of opinions from over 150 travellers!
break down language barriers, overcome culture shock, ship the bike and deal with breakdowns and emergencies."Just makes me want to pack up and go!" See the trailer here!
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