Wheels

Back on my Silver Streak replica project. This bike will probably the best detailed project I have done. I have 83 wheels for it but I dont like the faded gold. I'm thinking of going aftermarket wheels and a different color. I was told Buchanon is good, other experiences? Good friend has a wheel truing jig and hopefully alot of advice to go with it!
Thanks in advance, Scott

Except for that GORGEOUS Husky gold, I'm not a very big fan of colored rims. However...

I once saw a silver streak with rims painted same silver metallic as the tank and holy 'mokes did it look good. Wish I had a pic of that to show you. It was a custom paint job done at the same time as the tank. I think I liked it because I don't really care for colored rims, as I said, and it was subtle... at first glance it looked as though they were just regular old aluminum rims, but rims that POPPED out at you and then you noticed. Very nice.

You should be able to lace the wheels yourself and save some $$$, especially since you have access to a truing stand. Take a couple pics of the spoke pattern before you disassemble, then take your time. It just takes some patience. Work a bit, walk away if you're getting tired, come back when you want to. The biggest lesson for me was proper spoke torque. There's a desire to make them tight tight tight, and they don't need to be WAY tight. Sometimes, the hardest part is knowing when to stop!

You and I will have to keep in touch over the next several months... I'm about to start on mine, too.

Be sure to make note of any offset, before you disassemble the wheels.
Lay a straight edge across the brake drum and measure the distance to the rim.
Measure 4 places at 90 deg apart around the rim and use the average.
Assuming a standard cross two pattern, do one side at a time.
Put your inside out spokes in first, then the outside in spokes.
Set the hub inside the rim (somewhat centered), all of these spokes go into the dimples on the rim facing up and are directed at the spoke.
Each pair of spokes (1 inside and 1 outside) will lay nearly straight across from one another and slip through the rim. If the spoke seems to long or to short, you've got the wrong hole. Install a nipple, but only thread it three turns on "all spokes".
Next turn the wheel over and do the same thing, except on this side the inside and outside spokes will point in the opposite direction, from the other side.
When the wheel is all laced up, put it on the truing stand.
Starting at the valve stem hole, tighten the first spoke one turn. Count three spokes and tighten that one one turn.
You'll notice the pattern, your tightening the spoke on the opposite side of the rim as you go.
Once you've gone around the wheel, move to the second spoke from the valve stem and go around again, counting three spokes.
You'll have to go around four times to get all the spokes.
Keep checking your offset as you go.
You will need to loosen all the spokes on one side and tighten the other side to pull the rim over, but loosen and tighten equally to keep the rim true.
Don't try to pull to one side without loosening the other side. You'll end up with spokes to tight.
Once your getting a tight wheel, use a spoke torque to set the final tension.
PS: Make sure to use some oil or anti-sieze on the threads of each spoke. Torque readings will be off otherwise.
Good luck and have fun,
Ron

Wow, great information, already printed it! Pick- the wheels will still be Gold. Only "deviation" will be maybe a different tank color. I restored three tanks last summer, one "fat 83 500" tank in red metallic with shiny sides, one 82 CR tank in another red met. variant. Another was a trashed 81 WR tank, beyond salvaging shiny sides, did it in metallic blue. Have one good 82 tank left to do in Silver or ?

wow....I have difficulty tying a half hitch knot....I'll screw that lacing up for sure