Topic: New wheels laced up, now off center?

[Rufus2010]

Hi. Just purchased a 1974 CB550 with a cafe racer treatment. The previous owner had the rims and hubs powder coated black. Looks great. There is no front fender and I was thinking of buying a fork brace and shorty fender for it.

While looking closely at the front tire where it sat between the fork tubes I noticed that it was not centered between the forks. It appears to have about 1/4" more clearance on one side vs the other, therefore, it is off center by about 1/8".

I then looked at the rear wheel and it is also off center, but by more, about 1/4" off center, and unfortunately, towards the other side of the frame.

I don't know where he had the wheels laced up and I remember him saying that he didn't do it. Was a fundamental mistake made in lacing up the wheels by someone who didn't "appreciate" this issue (translation - no experience with Honda 550 wheels), or is this the way they are supposed to fit?

[Rufus2010]

Some pictures

[cadman]

I am having a problem figuring out you could lace up a wheel "off center".  I suppose if you tightened all the spokes on one side of the hub first then went to the other side that  might do it.  I am not sure. You  might try loosening all the spoke nipples on one side and see what happens.

In any  case the front and rear wheel must run in the exact same "track".

[MiGhost]

Sometimes there is an offset to the wheels for clearance with the speedo cable, and drive chain. The offset is set through items like speedo drive, and spacing collars on the axle shaft. The important thing to check for is that both wheels are centered to each other.

[Coyote13]

I know on the Cb750's the front wheel is offset from the rear wheel by 3-4mm.  Not sure if it's the same for 550's but if that wheel isn't stock to your bike, or there's a mismatch between hoops/hubs/spokes, you could have an increased or decreased offset from stock?

[Rufus2010]

Another, rear, right side. Much closer to the swing arm than left side photo above.

[cadman]

Lay a straight edge across the tire (both sides) and measure the distance from the straight edge to the hub.

[calj737]

The pictures show the more likely culprit to be either improper assembly of the wheel spacers, or non-stock spacers. Can you take some more expanded pictures and show the axle assembly from either side, front and rear?

[tlbranth]

I am having a problem figuring out you could lace up a wheel "off center".  I suppose if you tightened all the spokes on one side of the hub first then went to the other side that  might do it.  I am not sure. You  might try loosening all the spoke nipples on one side and see what happens.

In any  case the front and rear wheel must run in the exact same "track".

It's actually easy to lace a wheel off-center. As you tighten the spokes in your truing jig, you have to make sure the runout is OK, the wheel has no wobble and it's not off-center. When I did mine, I was unable to find out if the rim was supposed to be centered to the hub or not so I just centered it. But it would've been just as easy to do it off-center. I'll bet the rim in Rufus' case should be centered between the forks. But as Calj mentioned, the off-centeredness could be on account of 'custom' spacing.

[MCRider]

I just reread the part of Mark's CB750 book about the front hubs, offset, etc. It was done to qualify the CB750 for certain roadrace rules about using a twin disc front brake. Mark says to retrue it to center to get a better ride and get rid of some headshake. I had an aha moment as my K1 I bought new in 1971 had headshake and many here have complained of it. Mostly on decel at modest speeds but it was annoying.  And no shop or mechanic I've ever met other than Mark had a clue.

Before knowing all this history, I'd replaed several CB750 rims and spokes and always just assumed they should be centered. No problems.

My guess is the 500 should be also.

My experience with shops other than specialists has been atrocious. I've always had to redo it. True enough but offset like crazy with no explanation.