| Author | Message | ||
     Gentleman_jon |
Any body know anything about light weight wheels? I know the XBRR has lightweight wheels for about $2000 a pair, but I don't know how much lighter they are than stock. Does anyone know of any other supplier of light wheels for the XB. I don't. Thoughts? Anyone? | ||
| Jaimec |
You do realize that the wheels of the XB are already the lightest for any production motorcycle, right? The wheels for the XBRR are not designed to take the abuse of street use and wouldn't be safe for every day street riding. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
"You do realize that the wheels of the XB are already the lightest for any production motorcycle, right? " Well, actually, no. Like many other items of Buell mythology, this is not exactly correct. The Buell wheels are among the lightest wheels, but they are no longer the lightest, even among production wheels, according to a Buell Engineer who gave a talk at a recent Buell event. As admirable as the stock wheels may be, they are, after all, cast aluminum, so forged aluminum wheels could be stronger AND lighter. This would be true of magnesium and carbon fiber as well. The ultimate strength of a wheel, (and any other part), depends on its section modulus, modulus of elasticity of the material, it's tensile and compressive strength, and fabrication method, among other factors. I believe the Buell racing wheels may be forged aluminum, but I would like to get some more information on them. | ||
| Black9 |
XBRR wheels are magnesium | ||
| Aldaytona |
What production bike has lighter wheels?  | ||
| Tigerbythetail |
hi................PVM does a very nice and light rear wheel. They initially did it for the tubeframers, but you can use it for the XB. We are talking 1000 euros+......I will use it for my race bike..........The RR front wheel is about 1/3 lighter than the original one.............but as you have mentioned its got a hefty price tag. tiger | ||
| Jaimec |
NO production bike has lighter wheels. That was my point. Just because some exotic racetrack bikes have lighter wheels doesn't mean a thing. Production street bike wheels are designed to withstand punishment race-only track bikes never see. Carbon fiber wheels are incredibly light weight, but when they fail, they FAIL (as in disintegrate). As one man in a seminar pointed out: "If you see the word 'racing' in a product description, substitute 'disposable' and you've got the idea." | ||
| Pwnzor |
Ever held a pair of stock wheels in your hand without the hardware attached? Jesus they are as light as can be. If you want to lighten them up, polish the paint off them. Worked for me  | ||
| Josh_cox |
There is a huge difference in weight btw the stock wheels and the xbrr versions. I've had both in my hands. The xbrr wheels are much lighter. I have a set of front and rear in stock if you are interested. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
Thanks Josh. I have a few questions. 1. I am right in assuming that these wheels are cast magnesium made to the same shape as the stock wheels so that they can use the the stock rotors and sprockets, bearings and axles? 2. Do you know what the actual weight of the front and wheels are? 3. What finish do they have ? 4. Do they come "naked" or do they have bearings and rotors attached? | ||
| Josh_cox |
1. Yes. 2. No. Buell advertises 33% lighter though. 3. They don't have the super smooth finish of the standard XB wheels. They are just cast. They are powder coated black. 4. Naked. | ||
| Zac |
My '94 TZ250 could be considered a "production" bike (they actually made decent numbers back then and it has a US market VIN), it's just not street legal. It's wheels are substaintially lighter than the Buells (same sizes) and these are the old aluminum Yamaha wheels before they started putting mag Marchesinis on the TZs. But the TZ wheels are also marked "closed course use only", and I can tell you how easy they are to bend from experience. They would not survive on the street. The XB wheels are indeed very light, especially when including the single front rotor as opposed to most bike's twin rotors. -z. | ||
| Jkhawaii |
Josh... just how much are those RR wheels going for? | ||
| Cityxslicker |
and here I was wanting the ULY wheels in black for a more durable ride for the fire roads |
