Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

by **Ratmick** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 7:09 pm

...Or do I need a new front wheel?

I just hit a very large bit of wood on the way home today, on the Tullamarine Freeway during rush hour. It was about 100x100mm square and about 1500mm long and appeared out from under the car in front and I had the choice of dodging (your natural reaction) or going over the top. I chose the latter, mainly because I had no time to dodge properly, it was too close, and also as it was cross-ways across the lane, I didn't want to hit the end of it at a severe lean. I did manage to get airborne, I don't think the rear hit it.

Anyway, I've managed to buckle one side of the rim, the other looks ok. Do I need a new/secondhand replacement one, or can it be repaired? If it can be repaired, who would repair it?

Many thanks

by **mike-s** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 7:58 pm

They can be repaired, i honestly dont know who can do them, but i do know that other bike riders have had them repaired in the past. i'll have a dig around on some other forums and see if i find anything, in the meantime does anyone else know of a victorian place that does these?

by **MadKaw** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 8:00 pm

Yep thats repairable.. Had one worse than that on my 9 after being run of the track and hitting the back of a ripple strip..

I think it was about $70 to repair...

by **Neka79** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 8:12 pm

yea mate mine was worse than that...cant rember who fixed it, but i kno they were in amcn-thats how i found em....

by **Felix** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 8:19 pm

I'll fourth that...my brother did much worse to his Audi wheel on a concrete gutter. It wasn't that dear, $100 or so. Just about any car dealer should be able to point you in the right direction.

by **Jonno** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 8:26 pm

aint look to bad but I would say being on the front It would pay to have it trued up, the biggest fear about that IMO is the unseen damage to the tyres structure. I personally would scrap the tyre and while you are at it get the rim checked.

by **Ratmick** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 8:27 pm

Thanks guys, my wallet's stopped fluttering now :lol:

The sidewall of the rim is bulging outwards slightly, is this an issue? No fractures, just the bulge. As I said earlier I got big air and I'm lucky the wood didn't go under the bike, as I think the ZZR doesn't have enough ground clearance to clear it, nor do I think I could have coped with my first launched stoppie in rush hour traffic.

BTW, I rode home 75-odd km with that bulge, was I an idiot?

...well, more than normal anyway :oops:

by **Felix** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 8:32 pm

I probably wouldn't continue riding it, but so long as it held air (maybe tube it for the mean time?), it isn't making things worse, like, say grinding the rim on the bitumen. A proper wheel repairer should be able to fix that up, and I guess they may also x-ray it to ensure it is structurally sound.

I'd second the new tyre as well. On a car you could just tube it and get away with it, but on a bike I'd take a bit more care. Or a lot more care even :lol:

by **Smitty** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 8:42 pm

Mick

thats fixable
pm sent..with details

by **Barrabob** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 9:00 pm

Frame straighteners useually do that sort of work.

by **Shifty** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 9:12 pm

If the tyre is bulging then it has been damaged and it is only a matter of time before it gets worse and eventually blows out. It may seem like a lot of money to chuck an otherwise good tyre but you got out of crashing once... I don't think you should volunteer yourself for a second go at it by riding on that tyre.

Whoever repairs the rim will probably (or should, at least) refuse to re-fit that tyre.

by **Ratmick** » Wed Aug 17, 2005 9:35 pm

Shifty wrote:If the tyre is bulging then it has been damaged and it is only a matter of time before it gets worse and eventually blows out. It may seem like a lot of money to chuck an otherwise good tyre but you got out of crashing once... I don't think you should volunteer yourself for a second go at it by riding on that tyre.

Whoever repairs the rim will probably (or should, at least) refuse to re-fit that tyre.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind

BTW, The tyre isn't bulging at all, and appears to be completely normal. The only thing that is bulging is part of the rim just below the lip, and even then it's only a few mm.

thanks

by **bonester** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 8:10 am

Up in Queensland Mike Warner wheels at the Sunshine Coast can fix them (he did my ZZR1100 when BOTH wheels got bent.) Also Dave Kellet In Brisbane fix them too. BUT they might not look as new- a slight discolouration where bent back, if you are fussy/anal like me. I paid around $75 a wheel to get fixed, but in retrospect would now have bought another wheel somewhere for it. My Virago 535 has a small buckle in the front rim, and the local mechanic said don't worry about it unless the wheel is imbalanced.

by **Glen** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 8:17 am

Good job keeping it rubber side down by the sounds of it.

As everyone else has said you can get them rolled out pretty cheaply. I've never had a bike done but I've bent about four rims on the SS's over the years (usually trailering dirt bikes down goat tracks) and cracked one due to the shit roads around Kellyville and they've all been fixed in a week.

Oh and ferchrissake wash your bike :wink:

by **mrmina** » Thu Aug 18, 2005 12:17 pm

Mick i got the same thing on my bike.

Need to get it fixed too.

Details:

Neway Wheel Repairs Pty Ltd
11 Beatrice Ave
Heidelberg West 3081
(03) 9457 3141

They quoted me $70 a few months ago.

The wheel has to have the tyre and disc removed.

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