Topic: Rebuilding Comstars?

[Slapguts]

I've got a set of Comstar wheels on my scoot, and I'd like to paint (powdercoat?) the spokes black. Has anyone ever tried pulling a set apart? Do they go right back together, or do they need to be trued up?

There's a Honda dealership locally that's been open since the 60's, and a mechanic that's been there the whole time, too. So if they need to be trued up I know a guy that can do it, but my desire for black wheels isn't as high as my desire to keep my money in my wallet.

[kghost]

I like the look of a polished aluminum rim with a blacked out steel center.

What you have to remember is a couple things......

Spokes on the comstar are Pressed Steel

The rim (aluminium) is riveted to the spokes.

The hub (aluminium) is bolted to the spokes. The bolts holding the hub to the spokes are staked after they are installed. If you look closely at the bolt protruding thru the nut on the hub you will see that the nut cannot back off the bolt.

So theoretically one could drill out the rivits and free up the bolts......but then you have to rivet the spoke back to the rim and stake the bolts/nuts back on the hub.

All that while keeping the sucker true.

I haven't gone to the effort. I've mulled it over and will probably try it when I have a free wheel and a lots of time to ponder it.

Until then I painted mine after careful masking.

Link if you would like to see a picture...http://www.sohc4.us/gallery/v/members/personal/kghost/Frankenbike/

Would love to hear from someone who has disassembled and reassembled one............

[scondon]

I only heard that it couldn't/shouldn't be done. Thanks for drawing out the particulars,kghost.

   I plan on painting the spokes on some Comstars as well and am wondering if prepping the surface with 400 grit is enough or if there is some other method that works better on the pressed steel

[mutters]

Hi Slapper,a couple of whiles ago I found a 250 Honda in our national motorsport museum.
it was an experimental job being developed by Honda Australia .
This bike was fitted up with comstar wheels and they had been built, (or rebuilt ),using socket head/allen head bolts where the spokes meet the rims,instead of the rivets . I don't know if they were; a repair ,to fit a wider rim or to strengthen the wheel.
the two bolts faced different ways in each spoke and looked really good, may have been stainless with nylon locknuts.
pics are not available coz I took the photo's myself and that's another story.
admittedly it was only a 250 ,but the whole idea was good enough for a honda race team.

[bryanj]

At the time they were current Honda said under no circumstances were you to dissassemble comstars.
There was a firm in the UK that made alloy discs to bolt to the hubs that enabled a spoked rim to be laced on for people who had accidents and only 3rd party insurance as comstars were mega expensive to replace

[Bodi]

I've seen them disassembled and put together with bolts. If you use good quality fasteners (not hardware store grade 3 junk) it should be safe - ie not fall apart while riding (although I would check those bolts regularly and use loctite or even safety wire). Truing would be a bugger, but with an undamaged rim it will likely go together quite tight and true. I don't think there's any way of repairing a dinged Comstar.

[upperlake04]

see  - http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=11836.msg112607#msg112607

[crazypj]

Comstars come in two types. The early ones had stainless steeel spokes with alloy rivets at the rim end. These had major issues with the spokes (rivets) loosening up and he rim moving independant of the hub. All the later wheels had alloy spokes. As far as I know all the reverse spoked wheels have alloy spokes. I have only ever taken one apart it was relatively easy with angle grinder.You have to be careful not to damage spokes (although there is probably plenty of reserve strength, it looks nasty)
I have a WM3 front reverse spoked 'black' front wheel if your interested? ( MT 2.15 X 19)
PJ

[nickjtc]

Honda was covering their butt (from  lawsuits) when they strongly suggested that on no account should Comstars be disassembled. Personally I wouldn't do it.

[kghost]

Comstars come in two types. The early ones had stainless steeel spokes with alloy rivets at the rim end. These had major issues with the spokes (rivets) loosening up and he rim moving independant of the hub. All the later wheels had alloy spokes. As far as I know all the reverse spoked wheels have alloy spokes. I have only ever taken one apart it was relatively easy with angle grinder.You have to be careful not to damage spokes (although there is probably plenty of reserve strength, it looks nasty)
I have a WM3 front reverse spoked 'black' front wheel if your interested? ( MT 2.15 X 19)
PJ

I fogot about the reverse comstars. They were in fact aluminium (cast) spokes.

I have about every rivet set known to man (aircraft mechanic  ) so I may at some point try one.

I'd probably use some handy dandy Aircraft hardware if I were to bolt them back together. An Or MS spec at very least.

[merc2dogs]

 Don't know if there will be any issues with reassembly, the wheels on my old riumph chopper were comstar rims, triumph hubs, and custom spokes (3 each side) kind of a bent Z made with heavy duty aluminum, assembled with four 5/16 sex bolts, with tamper proof torx heads. They were assembled and trued on the lathe during construction, but there was less trouble then truing spokes. they were dissasembled after roughly 5 years to clean and paint and went back together without any alignment issues (good thing as I got rid of the big lathe) 

Ken

[crazypj]

Comstars have never had cast spokes. they are rolled/forged. There is also a specific tension on rivets/bolts to allow a degree of flex which makes them feel more like spoked wheels.
PJ

[kghost]

Comstars have never had cast spokes. they are rolled/forged. There is also a specific tension on rivets/bolts to allow a degree of flex which makes them feel more like spoked wheels.
PJ

All the ones I've seen on the CB900 custom for example looked like porous castings.

Did ya get that info from anywhere in particular PJ?

[crazypj]

I worked foir a Honda dealer when the Comstars first came out. Honda sent out a lot of information to dealers about why we shouldnt mess with them. I remember replacing quite a few wheels that had the spokes come loose. Part of the reason for changing to the all alloy wheel was stainless reacts badly with alloy and the rivets corroded. It may be a British phenomena as various manufacturrs had issues with bikes sold in Britain. I believe its because 'we' ride all year no matter what the weather is doing.
 Bit of road salt and some water causes all sorts of problems..
 Kawasaki had to change carburettors on the ( I think) 600 as the slides would freeze open. they sent water heated carbs
PJ

[kghost]

I worked foir a Honda dealer when the Comstars first came out. Honda sent out a lot of information to dealers about why we shouldnt mess with them. I remember replacing quite a few wheels that had the spokes come loose. Part of the reason for changing to the all alloy wheel was stainless reacts badly with alloy and the rivets corroded. It may be a British phenomena as various manufacturrs had issues with bikes sold in Britain. I believe its because 'we' ride all year no matter what the weather is doing.
 Bit of road salt and some water causes all sorts of problems..
 Kawasaki had to change carburettors on the ( I think) 600 as the slides would freeze open. they sent water heated carbs
PJ

Thats my understanding on the aluminium spokes. They were changed to eliminate the dissimilar metal corrosion.

I just didn't think that ALL the comstars had rolled / forged spokes. Some of the reverse comstars...you know the ones with the curve of the spoke facing outward...sure look cast.

Was just curious if you had a source on the info. I'll take a closer look at the next reverse one I see.

[pae]

I like the look of a polished aluminum rim with a blacked out steel center.

I haven't gone to the effort. I've mulled it over and will probably try it when I have a free wheel and a lots of time to ponder it.

Until then I painted mine after careful masking. Link if you would like to see a picture...http://www.sohc4.us/gallery/v/members/personal/kghost/Frankenbike/

Would love to hear from someone who has disassembled and reassembled one............

Just found this thread after a search. My wheels look like they're laquered and it's chipped badly. Were your's the same and therefore did you have to clean off the laquer? If so, how did you do it? Did you laquer your rims and/or spokes after painting and polising?

Love the look you've got, would like to do similar with painted spokes and polished rims.

regards, Phil

[Soos]

I've got a set of Comstar wheels on my scoot, and I'd like to paint (powdercoat?) the spokes black. Has anyone ever tried pulling a set apart? Do they go right back together, or do they need to be trued up?

There's a Honda dealership locally that's been open since the 60's, and a mechanic that's been there the whole time, too. So if they need to be trued up I know a guy that can do it, but my desire for black wheels isn't as high as my desire to keep my money in my wallet.

Well I just recently powdercoated my rims on my '79 CB650, and only removed the easily removed items.
Bearings, drive hub, and anything else that would come off.(I didn't even contemplate removing the rivets holding it together)
tape up what doesn't need powdercoated, and go.....

haha, got a pic. it's of my rear rim



they turned out great....


l8r
-=Soos=-

[kghost]

I like the look of a polished aluminum rim with a blacked out steel center.

I haven't gone to the effort. I've mulled it over and will probably try it when I have a free wheel and a lots of time to ponder it.

Until then I painted mine after careful masking. Link if you would like to see a picture...http://www.sohc4.us/gallery/v/members/personal/kghost/Frankenbike/

Would love to hear from someone who has disassembled and reassembled one............

Just found this thread after a search. My wheels look like they're laquered and it's chipped badly. Were your's the same and therefore did you have to clean off the laquer? If so, how did you do it? Did you laquer your rims and/or spokes after painting and polising?

Love the look you've got, would like to do similar with painted spokes and polished rims.

regards, Phil

I painted the spokes with polyurethane so no laquer needed on that.

The polished part was waxed only.

My thinking is....if as is the case with most wheels (including yours) if the laquer chips, peals or cracks your back to square one.

If the rim is polished and protected...when it dulls a quick polish brings back the shine.

[pae]

Thanks kghost, I'll be doing something very similar to you. Not just yet, but will post the results when I'm done.

regards, Phil

[pae]

Got the rattle can out at the weekend, and this is what we have (it's a UK Ford colour, Nimbus Grey metallic).

The spokes are actually a bit darker than this picture shows them, see the speedo hub picture for the true colour (pictured in better light). And yes, I've only polished a little bit to see how they'll come up. Next job is to finish polishing.







regards, Phil

[Freaky1]

I found a front comstar on E-bay that the guy said he sand blasted, powder coated the spokes, and polished the rims, I thought they looked great. The only question I have is, is it possible to get the plastic caps over the rivets off without distroying them and how do you do it. I have poked around with mine and am somewhat paranoid of breaking them so I figured I'd ask before I get myself into a jam.