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WheelsOfGrace.com | Volume 12 Issue 2 | 11 What kind of rim is the best for your ride? Most motorcycle wheels fall into one of two categories: You've got your wire-spoked wheels and your one-piece alloy wheels. What's the difference, and which design is better? We break it down for you. What Are The Benefits Of Wire-Spoked Motorcycle Wheels? Back in the 1960s, motorcycles came with wire-spoked wheels. Then, in the 1970s, one-piece alloy wheels rolled onto the scene. These days, the vast majority of bikes come with cast wheels. But, we still see wire-spoked wheels on modern-retro motorcycles— like Honda's CB1100—and on motocross, dual sports, some cruisers and serious adventure motorcycles. So, what's up with that? Spoked-wheels still hold a fairly large market share because they outperform cast wheels in one respect, and that is durability. Spoked-wheels have more flex and give so they are much more tolerant of rough and abusive terrain. Which is exactly why you put them on a bike that will see the dirt. Spoked-wheels are also easier to repair, so if you do happen to bend a rim or smash some spokes, most of the time you can replace the individual parts. Meanwhile, cast wheels are brittle and when they fail, they tend to bend harshly or break. And then you're on the hook for a whole, new wheel. So, durability and ease of repair are the primary reasons we see spoked-wheels on dual sports and motocross bikes, but there is a styling aspect to consider. Motorcycles like the BMW R nineT Scrambler have spoked-wheels not because BMW wants you to thrash the bike off-road, but because it suits the image that BMW is after. The same goes for all of the other modern and retro bikes that are looking to capture a little bit of that classic look and feel. What Are The Benefits Of Cast Motorcycle Wheels? Even with all of the cruisers and modern-retro motorcycles out there on the road, alloy wheels are still more common, and that's for a couple of reasons. First and foremost is manufacturing. Big companies like Honda and Kawasaki crank out thousands of alloy wheels without any human involvement in the process and that makes them cheaper. Meanwhile, spoked-wheels still entail some amount of manual labor. More importantly, alloy wheels are much more rigid than spoked-wheels and it adds a lot of benefits to road riding. To name just a few, alloy wheels can handle bigger tires, more horsepower, and they are going to handle better. Alloy wheels are also universally tubeless, which makes tire change and plugging punctures a lot more simple. Some modern, high-end spoked wheels are sealed and tubeless, but the vast majority of them run tubes. Which Is Better? And finally, we have the topic of weight, which is a huge point of contention when we did our regular vs. upside-down fork comparison. Just like forks, there is no hard and fast rule that says that one design is going to be lighter than another. It is wholly dependent on the motorcycle and the given application. Of course, a $4,000 set of forged magnesium racing wheels is definitely going to be lighter than any spoked-wheel design out there, but most alloy wheels are made of cast aluminum and they are fairly heavy. Wire-Spoked Vs. Alloy Motorcycle Wheels Wire-Spoked Vs. Alloy Motorcycle Wheels T I P S F O R R I D I N G Y O U R M O T O R C Y C L E T H I S S U M M E R T I P S F O R R I D I N G Y O U R M O T O R C Y C L E T H I S S U M M E R T H E M a C S L E D N E W S T R E E T R O D TM FOR THE RIDER WITH TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES MAGAZINE Published & Printed in the USA Biker Church Directory Wind Therapy TM FOR THE RIDER WITH TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES MAGAZINE Published & Printed in the USA DIGITAL EDITION AT: WheelsOfGrace.com Volume 9 Issue 2 (#36) $5.45 T H E M a C S L E D THE MAN BEHIND THE VEST An Exclusive Wheels Of Grace Interview with Marty Edwards Founder of Black Sheep HDFC What You Should Do If You've Been Injured In A Motorcycle Accident e d i t o r ' s S A D D L E EDITOR'S SADDLE EDITOR'S SADDLE Indian Custom Trike 115th ANNIVERSARY STREET GLIDE SPECIAL HAVOC 1 V-ROD Published & Printed in the USA Volume 9 Issue 5 (Issue 39) $5.45 Value www.WheelsOfGrace.com TECH TIPS Reader's Rides FOR THE RIDER WITH TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES BIKER CHURCH DIRECTORY LAS VEGAS BIKEFEST ® SEVERELY INJURED MARINE PREVAILS by Susan Handel DAY TONA Bikeweek vs. Octoberfest BIKER SLANG WheelsOfGrace.com | Volume 9 Issue 6 | 1 THE 2018 INDIAN MODELS Would You Make The Change? Volume 9 Issue 6 (Issue 40) $5.45 Value FOR THE RIDER WITH TRADITIONAL AMERICAN VALUES BIKER CHURCH DIRECTORY See the Digital WOG E-Mag at: www.WheelsOfGrace.com Published & Printed in the USA The NEW Harley-Davidson Sport Glide THE 2018 INDIAN MODELS Would You Make The Change? 40 YEARS OF THE LOW RIDER READER'S RIDES IRONHORSE CHOPPER LOW & MEAN 48 By DK Customs By Susan Handel WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOU'VE BEEN INJURED IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT By Law Tigers Motorcycle Safety & New Rider Tips By Law Tigers Motorcycle Safety & New Rider Tips BIKER J ARGON Debut Feature Biker Devotionals Debut Feature By subscribing to Wheels Of Grace you help us bring the Gospel in a unique way where Bibles and other magazines do not reach. You are helping us reach the Unreachable in 5 Military Bases, 154 Prisons, 30 National Events, 129 Churches, 32 Motorcycle Attorney Offices, and soon in Truck Stops across A M E R I C A ! (951) 777-0503 www.WheelsOfGrace.com WHEELS OF GRACE m a g a z i n e