Try it. You will become a believer. Tell me how not using a rim width suitable for the tyre is not a good thing>
I have Excel WM3 rims which are within the tolerances for my tires.
I also have a comnoz headseady and NYN kegler clamps.
On a budget I would do those two and stick to stock rims for bang for buck.
Replacing ISOs cant be underestimated.
Lansdowne dampers also make a huge difference.
WM4s arent a silver bullet.
+1 on that, very noble. Please keep the updates & pics coming !That is a very Cool and Noble gesture Sir.
Please keep us in the loop and show the final bike.
Looking forward to this.
I do believe that Lansdowne dampers have their limitations though, in hot weather and track use their performance dropped off a cliff.
My answer to having to polish alloy rims is don’t. I used Scotchbrite and went for the ‘brushed alloy look’...
Have you, or could you post some pictures of your bike please? I'd like to see what RD400 wheels look like on a Commando.I have WM3 18 on the rear and WM2-18 on the front. I have RD 400 aluminum cast wheels. Someone gave me those wheels and I didn't realize the front was 18 until I tried to put a 19 tire on it! I use Avon tires, 120/80 18 rear, 90/90 18 front, the bike handles great by any standard. I think the 19 front might have given a bit more ground clearance though. That might give you an idea about how good the handling is. I am planning on eventually raising the front of the bike a bit with the longer internal tubes and extra springs.
"Didn’t I put that in the advert" Yes, you were 100% honest about them.Didn’t I put that in the advert ?!
Seriously though, I only had issue on very hot days (by UK standards) and on the track. I never experienced any such issues on the road.
And thinking about it a bit more, lots of racers do use them. Maybe it was my choice of oil that was at fault?
Didn’t I put that in the advert ?!
Seriously though, I only had issue on very hot days (by UK standards) and on the track. I never experienced any such issues on the road.
And thinking about it a bit more, lots of racers do use them. Maybe it was my choice of oil that was at fault?
did you Scotchbrite the rims before they were mounted? I really like that look as well, but it's difficult to get close to the nipples without leaving a mark on them too.
It's funny you should say that. As I get older I think much more about the stuff I want to do. Is it right? will i screw it up? what will other people think etc? When I was younger I'd just steam in ( and admittedly often f#ck it up) but I had no second thoughts.In situ. It was one of those jobs that was much worse when thinking about it than actually doing it.
I used WD 40 and Scotchbrite pads cut up into rectangles, it was quite straightforward. Made almost enjoyable with the CD player going and a few beers on hand...!
Don't worry about the dirt, I wash it every nine months whether it needs it or not.
WM3...WM4...18"...19'... there are a whole bunch of other things that will make a bigger difference to your handling than these rim sizes with the same tires.
I beg to differ. I too have one of Jim's headsteadies which has been trouble free for 60,000 miles, which is more than I can say for the opposition's offerings. I too have the Landsdowne conversion as well as IKON rear shocks all well proven over many miles. All have been done at different times and all have contributed to the overall effect. However, the greatest single thing that contributed most was the addition of 2.5 inch x 19 rims. I can't believe how fitting the recommended rims for the tyres can be met by such resistance from those who haven't tried it. Why don't one of the disbelievers contact Avon and actually ask them what they think?