Author Topic: Which front wheel would you use - a conundrum (Read 2237 times)

Kong · « **on:** February 01, 2011, 10:12:40 AM »

Tell me what you would do. I am putting together my wheels, the rear is done, the front is next. I had two Honda rims powder coated a silver color that should match my engine case color; the rear was one of those rims. After I had them powder coated I got a good deal on a really nice Akront 18" rim that I might have used on the back, but it turned out to be too narrow at 1.85", but could conceivably use for the front.. I decided to set it aside; after all, I already have a pair of new tires for the front (19") and the rear (18").

Now that I'm getting ready to order spokes I'm thinking about that aluminum rim again. The thing is in perfect condition, still in the original wrapping, its light as a feather, and its just soooooo beautiful. So that's the up side. On the down side it doesn't match the rear wheel I just put together and I already have a tire for the powder coated wheel (which looks pretty damned good in its own right). But of course the stock powder coated wheel is heavy as an anvil and just nowhere near as sexy as that aluminum she-devil.

And its gotta be one or the other. So, which would you chose? Would it be the matching stock wheel for which I already have a new tire and tube or will it be the super sweet non-matching smaller wheel for which I'd have to buy another tire and tube? I know the answer might seem simple, but my gawd that aluminum wheel is pretty. The future of the universe depends on your answer, what do ya say?

fmctm1sw · « **Reply #1 on:** February 01, 2011, 10:31:56 AM »

I vote for the matching wheels.

mlinder · « **Reply #2 on:** February 01, 2011, 10:35:32 AM »

Save it for your next build, go with what you've already done for this one.

18" front wheels look weird on these bikes, in my opinion, but that's entirely subjective.

You'll find the weight differences, once laced and mounted to a hub, to be minimal on those, in any case :/

Toxic · « **Reply #3 on:** February 01, 2011, 01:08:27 PM »

change the rear to match the sexy she-devil front you just found.

Hey it's not my money. If it were, I would use the Akron on the next bike.

Miss matched rims would look odd.

Goofaroo · « **Reply #4 on:** February 01, 2011, 01:34:26 PM »

Quote

Miss matched rims would look odd.

I agree. Something just doesn't seem quite right.

MoMo · « **Reply #5 on:** February 01, 2011, 01:38:50 PM »

No way would I put mismatched rims on a bike, it'd be an aesthetic no-no...Larry

MCRider · « **Reply #6 on:** February 01, 2011, 01:53:20 PM »

some might say they were mismatched from the factory. 19 on the front and 18 on the rear? Who comes up with these things.

Going to 18s front and rear is just making things right.

My 68 Cb77 has 18 f&r, the hawk and FJR have 17s F&R.

The 18 will look a little spacey under a 19" fender though.

seanbarney41 · « **Reply #7 on:** February 01, 2011, 02:08:31 PM »

I think this conundrum is strongly affecting your mental and physical health and well-being. You must escape this conundrum. The easiest way is to get that Akront out of your life forever. I will pm you my address.

MoMo · « **Reply #8 on:** February 01, 2011, 02:14:23 PM »

Quote from: MCRider on February 01, 2011, 01:53:20 PM

some might say they were mismatched from the factory. 19 on the front and 18 on the rear? Who comes up with these things.

mismatched in style. The Akront would have the deep side whereas the Honda rim would have the short rollover. Seems as though it could look strange...Larry

MCRider · « **Reply #9 on:** February 01, 2011, 02:25:35 PM »

Quote from: photolar on February 01, 2011, 02:14:23 PM

Quote from: MCRider on February 01, 2011, 01:53:20 PM
some might say they were mismatched from the factory. 19 on the front and 18 on the rear? Who comes up with these things.
mismatched in style. The Akront would have the deep side whereas the Honda rim would have the short rollover. Seems as though it could look strange...Larry

Oops sorry, yeah that would be a little weird.
Was the Akront shouldered? I'll have to read back a ways.
Kong, by mismatched do you mean the Akront is shouldered (has the mudcatcher channels) or just that it is aluminum vs the steel?

mlinder · « **Reply #10 on:** February 01, 2011, 02:30:33 PM »

quote hell

octagon · « **Reply #11 on:** February 01, 2011, 03:30:51 PM »

18 inch front sounds like a good idea - should give better handling - should doesn't always work out though. don't know how often it's actually been done. i was thinking of lacing a cb550 1.85 rear rim on my 750k front hub

mlinder · « **Reply #12 on:** February 01, 2011, 03:45:40 PM »

When people can get away with it (the rules allow) people will move to an 18" front for racing.

Roach · « **Reply #13 on:** February 01, 2011, 04:59:12 PM »

you need a pole...

my votes on the 19 fron 18 rear keep them the same style mismatching is ugly inless you find anothe r 18" rim for the rear to match the front

swellguy · « **Reply #14 on:** February 02, 2011, 09:19:42 AM »

I'm slow to pick up this thread . . . what kind of bike are you building, and what are your tire choice(s).
Mismatched front and rears can look great depending on what you're building - any Harley prostreet or rat bike often has a crazy set of wheels. Mine are 19 front, 18 rear based largely on the tire choice I made (Dunlop K180s).

But here's an example of something I think looks awful:

A Ducati Hypermotard, with carbon fiber wheels. The front has a flattrack style knobby tire, the rear is a 190 wheel and a tire that matches the front isn't even manufactured.

Plain silly in this case.

Kong · « **Reply #15 on:** February 02, 2011, 12:01:34 PM »

Well, I didn't get the insistent answer I was hoping for. In my dreams every one here would have told me that for ascetic and safety reasons the only sensible choice would be to use the sweet aluminum wheel on the front and then find a matching rear wheel no matter what the cost. That I should buy the best of spokes for it too - safety of course. I could then have taken all of your good opinions to the great she-ape and used them as evidence to support my own preferred outcome. Might have worked, might not; 50-50 chance.

Instead I am driven to the rational answer; stick with the original plan - use the powder coated rims and new tires* I already have and save 'my precious' for later use. It hurts, specially coming from you all, it really hurts.

* Bridgestone BT-45's (100/90 and 120/90)

swellguy · « **Reply #16 on:** February 02, 2011, 02:06:44 PM »

Quote from: Kong on February 02, 2011, 12:01:34 PM

I am driven to the rational answer; stick with the original plan - use the powder coated rims and new tires* I already have and save 'my precious' for later use. It hurts, specially coming from you all, it really hurts.

You can do a lot with powdercoated rims. I've done a number of spoked wheels with different blacks, an army green and most recently a powdercoat silver that really looks nice. With matching hubs, they really look good and are very easy to maintain.

As more of an exercise, I wondered what it could cost to obtain a set of hubs, have them powdercoated locally and sent of to Buchanan for new alloy wheels, spokes, wheels building and tire mounting. Looks something like this:

Not cheap.

seanbarney41 · « **Reply #17 on:** February 02, 2011, 04:08:01 PM »

Swellguy, you shatterer of dreams!

Grnrngr · « **Reply #18 on:** February 02, 2011, 09:23:41 PM »

You need to put the powdercoated ones on while you shop for a matching rear Akront...then you can swap matched pairs when ever you want to go with a different look, sorta like having a set of stock and a set of ribbed Frankensidecovers, different colors for different moods...it takes what..15 minutes to pull the front off and put another one on? maybe half hour for the rear?

News:

Author Topic: Which front wheel would you use - a conundrum (Read 2237 times)