anybody ever bent their rims? i thrashed my front on a pothole at ~ 20 mph, lost air, fixed it in "Dave's Garage" with a sledge hammer (3000 miles ago). noticed there was a second wowy too. i don't ride too hard and am generally careful of curbs, holes, etc. i only weigh 175 on a heavy day (8.5% body fat btw). are the stock rims cheap? maybe i need to sit back more. i now stand on the pegs more to reduce weight on the bars/front wheel.

i just was looking at the new Suzuki DL650, which is supposed to be an enduro, but it has the 3 spoke rims in which i no longer have any confidence, whereas most of the dual purpose machines have multi-spoke wheels like a bicycle.

There are shops that will straighten wheels safely. The hammer method is bad because it can introduce cracks and lead to a spontaneous failure--very bad. Also, the tire is suspect as this can cause a separation. I've had that happen on cars.

Look for wheels on eBay, keeping in mind that 97/98 wheels are different from 99 and later.

WHOA! i heard about the hairline cracks, but thought that if they existed at all, then the tire would lose air, which its not, i've been checking pressure religiously before and after every ride ever since my repair. however, spontaneous, or sudden failure does not sound like fun
costs were generally quoted as follows:
new rim (ronayers) ~ $360
used rim (local salvage yard) ~ $250 if available
repair rim (some shop in Denver) ~ $150

e-bay sounds like a good alternative
there's a 2001 cbr929 front on e-bay (9/17/2003), i wonder if that would fit my bike (2001 XX)

front wheel part numbers:
XX 44650-MBW-000
929 44650-MCJ-670, or 44650-MCJ-750ZA

any thoughts on compatibility?

THXX!!

David

Very unlikely, but I don't know.

Yes, I put a slight, yet quite noticeable, dent in the bead lip on the front rim of my 03 when I drove across a group of 2 or 3 inch elevated rumble & reflective strips in the highway. Cost me about $100 to get it fixed. IMHO, stay far away from all potholes, roadside curbs, rumble strips, and anything else taller than a new-born grasshopper. Lynx60

I bent my front wheel the same way a year or two ago.

Sent it to Woodys Wheel Works in Denver
303-936-0232
It was about $125 to get fixed. My only complaint was they painted the repair with flat paint while the rest of the rim is obviously glossy...oh well...its not noticable when the wheels are a bit dirty.

Thxx for the info. I'll send my next bent rim to Woodys in Den. For this one, I'll play it safe and replace it. I look forward to hearing from you Joe.
. ________ ~ * ~ _________ .

XXers: Do you(z) know that Joe called me just to make sure I was all right, since I hadn't posted in a while and he missed me at NEXXT and at the drag strip. I should get such consideration from my childrens' mother!!

[size=18]JO Rockme, you make this world a better place.


David

http://www.mcwheel.com/
MC Wheel
165 Martel Court
Keene, NH 03431
1-888-MC-WHEEL

WOODYS WHEEL WORKS
2225 S PLATTE RIVER DR, DENVER, CO 80223
(303) 936-0232

I took mine to a local shop called Fast Track. I paid $70 to repair a dent similar to the above pic.
Fast Track Motorcycle Frame Straightening
1734 E Main St
Mesa, AZ 85203
(480) 649-1093

My wheel: