Topic: Cracked Rim

[budman]

A buddy of mine and I have been planning a day trip for this weekend, so last night I was giving my bobber a good once over making sure it was ready to go.  I found a big crack in the rear wheel.  I was cleaning the rim and the rag got snagged.  I thought something was stuck on the rim.  I went to try to scrape it off and felt the sharp edge of the crack.  Whoa!  There went my weekend riding plans.

I had a new tire mounted a few weeks ago and all was good until last week when I rode the bike a couple of times and noticed it was riding a little rougher than usual.  I thought maybe the wheel weights fell off, but when I checked they were still there.  I didn't see the crack at that time.

10 years and 50,000+ miles.  I guess that's all it's good for.

A new wheel is on its way.  I've got another ride planned next weekend too.  Not sure I'm going to make that one either unless that wheel gets here quickly.

[Bankerdanny]

Yikes. I'm glad you found it rather than it finding you.

[Stev-o]

Unbelievably Bud, sorry to hear that. Honda rims dont do that!!   Curious to see how much, if any[?], rust is on the inside.  Are the nipples rusty??

[budman]

Unbelievably Bud, sorry to hear that. Honda rims dont do that!!   Curious to see how much, if any[?], rust is on the inside.  Are the nipples rusty??

Nipples are good.  I'm pretty sure they're stainless.  I replaced the rim band two years ago and don't recall seeing any rust other than maybe some light surface rust film.  I just had the tire and tube changed at my buddy's shop.  I didn't see anything weird and neither did he or he would have said something.  The crack is right on the bend where the metal is thinnest.  Must have just happened.  There was a noticeable difference in the ride.  Riding on smooth asphalt felt like it had small ripples in it.

I really hope the new rim gets here before Friday so I can make the ride next Saturday.  I'm not ready for long rides on the CB750 just yet.

[754]

Lucky it didnt blow out. Had a bicycle rim I had tried to work on the rim on the bike, may have cracked it, sometime later just as I was starting to ride it let go, sounded like a gunshot..
Had a jagged spear of rim out the side, about 6 or 7 inches long.

[budman]

Lucky it didnt blow out. Had a bicycle rim I had tried to work on the rim on the bike, may have cracked it, sometime later just as I was starting to ride it let go, sounded like a gunshot..
Had a jagged spear of rim out the side, about 6 or 7 inches long.

 No gunshots here.

Kind of hesitant about using that brand new tube again.  It's still holding air.  I suspect it will get dragged across a jagged edge when it's removed.  Even though it might survive the removal I'll probably replace the tube for piece of mind.

[budman]

This annual crack thing needs to stop.  I just replaced the oil tank on the Bobber this morning.  What started out about 6 weeks ago as a starter replacement turned into a new exhaust I built and new oil tank.  At first I thought the rear caliper blew a seal ‘cause there was fluid all over the back of the bike, which I thought was brake fluid.  I should have tasted it.  It was oil coming from a small crack in the oil tank that only leaked when the oil was hot.  It was cracked at the weld around the vent tube coupling on the bottom of the tank.  I went ahead and replaced the hoses, the hose clamps, the fittings and the drain plug.  Just did 60 miles on it and no leaks.  We’re going for a ride tomorrow too.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Bud be sure your tire is not damaged too. Pot hole?

[budman]

Bud be sure your tire is not damaged too. Pot hole?

This was an old thread from exactly a year ago.  The rim was replaced.  The tire was/is good.  I’m still riding on it.

I was just commenting about my struggles with stuff cracking on this bike, ie the oil tank.  But you gotta do what you gotta do to keep them on the road, right?

[ekpent]

 Not unusual for a big twin to crack and break stuff from vibration.

[budman]

Not unusual for a big twin to crack and break stuff from vibration.

Yeah, only took 11 years for the oil tank to crack.  I’ve vibrated at least half a dozen speedometers to death.

[ekpent]

 That works out well, the more you ride it the lower the miles get--