lilneddy Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 Recently purchased a 2016 that is in OK shape. It runs perfect and only need few improvements to be made. What I thought was uneven streets, turned out to be a bent ft rim. Its not noticeable above 20 mph but of course its something I want to take care of. One side of the rim has a small bend in it where it looks like the previous rider hit a pothole or something. The tire has not lost any air in the 2 months I have owned it. Can it be fixed? I live in Portland OR if anyone knows a good wheel shop. Its not the best photo, but you may be able to see the dent on the lower left of the rim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossrider Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 Just now, lilneddy said: Recently purchased a 2016 that is in OK shape. It runs perfect and only need few improvements to be made. What I thought was uneven streets, turned out to be a bent ft rim. Its not noticeable above 20 mph but of course its something I want to take care of. One side of the rim has a small bend in it where it looks like the previous rider hit a pothole or something. The tire has not lost any air in the 2 months I have owned it. Can it be fixed? I live in Portland OR if anyone knows a good wheel shop. Its not the best photo, but you may be able to see the dent on the lower left of the rim. It very well may be able to be fixed if you choose to do so. It is also possible to continue to use it if it doesn't bother you excessively. When they are bent they can wobble or pulsate a little at slower speeds because the weight of the bike and rider causes the tire to deflect into the deformed wheel profile as it rolls. At higher speeds the effect appears to go away since it rolls through the damaged area more quickly. If you Google 'motorcycle wheel repair', you'll get any number of shops, some possibly in your area. Unless you're lucky you'll have to ship your wheel for service. I've had some fixed, quite satisfactorily, had some declared unserviceable by the repair shop too. I've also run some with minor damage for many thousands of miles w/o trouble. Good luck whatever you decide to do and have it professional looked at if you're not comfortable evaluating it yourself. Cheers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilneddy Posted March 20, 2019 Author Share Posted March 20, 2019 Yeah, that’s what I thought. It’s annoying as hell at low speeds, but it may not be worth the cost/hassle of fixing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyribs Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 It can be fixed! I have straightened a few rims myself. You cant just beat it back in to shape with a rubber mallet, though. Check the phonebook for your area and you can probably find someone that specializes in wheel repair. If you can dismount the tire and don't mind possibly needing to repaint, you can get the rim good and hot and reshape it. Doesn't have to be glowing hot, but it will most likely crack if you try to straighten it cold. It also helps to keep a little heat on the repair after it's fixed and slowly let the temp normalize. If you have a press available you can push it back in to shape. Offers a bit more control vs swinging a mallet. Not to be an alarmist, but your tweak looks a bit more pronounced than the one below. This one rode fine but had a slow leak. Another impact and it could be looking like a very quick deflation. Just food for thought. Be safe! https://i.imgur.com/abVr2su.jpg https://i.imgur.com/StVtnbv.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member cornerslider Posted March 20, 2019 Premium Member Share Posted March 20, 2019 I'd check eBay.... I have a MUCH smaller bend in my front (from a shop that changed my tire "cheap"). I change all my own tires now ..... I've been waiting for the "right" deal to come along. I don't like the idea of straightening/repairing a bent rim. You can probably buy a straight rim for about $200 - $250 max? We have so little contact with the road already, why gamble with less than perfect? ""W.O.T. until you see god, then brake" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilneddy Posted March 30, 2019 Author Share Posted March 30, 2019 It is most likely a bit unsafe, but to me its more annoying to me than anything else. Like I said, anything between 10-20 mph feels like a washboard effect. So I bought a used one off eBay for a total of $140. Thats WITH shipping. I have been rolling it in my kitchen and it appears straight. Swapping rims next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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