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Laced Wheels

Laced Wheels

Spoked wheels for Harleys

Vintage and Classic Harley-Davidson motorcycles are hardly conceivable without wire wheels. Spoked wheels have never went out of style, so Milwaukee still equips certain models with them. And of course, choppers, bobbers and even extreme custom bikes are equipped with them. Spoked wheels also offer the mechanic the most variation of possibilities: rims, hubs and spokes are interchangeable and can be combined with each other. W&W Cycles offers a large selection of fully assembled wheels with the most common hub types, as well as optional steel rims or universal aluminum rims.

Spoked wheels historical

The first (wire) spoke wheels on Milwaukee bikes looked a lot like bicycles: slim hubs, narrow rims and on the rim a tire of the dimension 28x2, from 1908 28x2-1/2. The spokes were laced on each spoke flange on the hub from the outside and from the inside and crossed 3 times. Harley-Davidson paid strict attention to stability. This way of lacing was also used for the half-hub brakes in the front wheel.

With the 1935 star hub arrived a new way of lacing: instead of from the outside left and outside right, the spokes were threaded into the spoke flange from the inside. After tightening the nipples, the thick spoke ends were radially adjacent. The matching rims were 18" and 16" in diameter and had a drop center to facilitate mounting of the new wire-inlay tires.

With the end of the half-hub brake, the Sportster models got a new spoke type in the front. From now on, spokes with long heads and short heads were distinguished. The spokes were threaded from the outside of the spoke flange and laid over each other on the inside. Since the spoke further inside has to go around the outer one, so to speak, the inner spoke has the longer head. The classic Sportster front wheel is 19" in diameter.

By the way, Harley-Davidson has been using 40 spokes per wheel since 1913. That is continuity in action.

Have any questions?

Our service team will be glad to help out: Mondays - Thursdays 08:00-17:00 CET, Fridays 08:00-16:00 CET, Phone: +49 / 931 250 61 16, eMail: service@wwag.com