Similar in style to Kimtabs, these seasonally styled BMW wheels (one on US eBay now) would look darned kool on a street tracker I reckon - Although you'd have to use two fronts as the back hub is set up for shaft drive, and consequently you'd have to a narrow rear tyre to match. Apparently there were some factory recalls in the 70s when they were first manufactured - anybody know any more about them? BP
Sunday, 20 December 2009
19" BMW snowflake wheel
Similar in style to Kimtabs, these seasonally styled BMW wheels (one on US eBay now) would look darned kool on a street tracker I reckon - Although you'd have to use two fronts as the back hub is set up for shaft drive, and consequently you'd have to a narrow rear tyre to match. Apparently there were some factory recalls in the 70s when they were first manufactured - anybody know any more about them? BP
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7 comments:
This from the journalist and author, Jan Leek.
'Don't understand the procedure for sending mail to your sideblog, as I don't have a mail address for the blog itself or to BP, which I assume would be Ben Part(s).
The wheels he wants to know more about are rubbish. OK?
If that's not enough information: They came from a subsupplier to BMW from circa 1980 - only spoke wheels before that - and were simply too soft. The rim flanks would bend, sometimes break, often without the owner knowing that he had hit anything. One front wheel of my R 100RS (bought new 1982) I discovered had a deep bulb on one side almost 10cms long when I ran a sponge across, cleaning the bike. I then heard about a number of similar cases. Go for old Lester wheels, instead!'
Jan Leek
Thanks for that Jan.
They're a no no then.
If you want to leave a comment but don't have a Google email, then you can just click the 'Anonymous' button (& then sign your name at the end of the message if you want)
BP
Looks great though..
If Jan Leek says they are rubbish, I think we can be pretty sure that they are. He has been writing in bike mags for what must be half a century? Very cool to find him here!
/David (also from Sweden)
- including a few BMW books under his belt.
I had a quick Google for Lester wheels, but they don't seem to have a very reliable track record either...
BP
Lester made those ubiquitous Morris style cast wheels that came on alot of Yamahas in the 70's. An XS650 I have has them. The occasional honda had them too, I have them on a project I bought. They are very heavy, and as a result I wouldn't question their durability, I don't know anybody from the various vintage metric forums that has ever dinged one of these. I know a couple geezers that liked them for that reason alone due to their handling of pot-holed rustbelt roads, as well as never having to mess with spokes/nipples etc... lastly I think their "track record" might be okay, just because I have seen so many vintage racers wearing them, they can't be all that bad. Just my two cents.
My brother's 1984 BMW RT80 has wheels very similar to Snowflakes on it and rides those same potholed roads (although we are adept at avoiding the craters) and he hasn't had a problem with them with either, maybe they improved the composition for the later decade.
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