rim locks

seattle##gs · Dec 19, 2021

what's the latest opinion on rim locks? for sunday bikes.

Stephen Hill · Dec 19, 2021

Ditch them. They are heavy, make the wheel hard to balance and difficult to change a tire. If decent air pressure is maintained they are unnecessary.

Torontonian · Dec 19, 2021

Stephen Hill said:
Ditch them. They are heavy, make the wheel hard to balance and difficult to change a tire. If decent air pressure is maintained they are unnecessary.

After you ditch the rear rim lock , cover the hole from the inside with a cut and glued to rim thick piece of rubber , then fit a quality tube.

maylar · Dec 20, 2021

Umm... I still use mine.

Flatspot · Dec 20, 2021

When I did my ‘bringing back to life’ of my 74 a couple of years ago it was missing, and for period originality I put on a new one. Perhaps I needn’t have bothered, especially as the ongoing build is leading it away from original.

cyclegeezer · Dec 20, 2021

I remove them and put a proper sized round headed carriage bolt in their place. This smoothly fills the hole and also gives a stock appearance from a distance.

MikeG · Dec 20, 2021

If you decide to ditch them (I did) rather than tape over the hole I put a round headed carriage bolt in it's place. There was a recent thread on this on the Brit Bike board and my take away from it is this:
With the original WM2 WM3 rims and the Dunlop tires of the day, the tire could walk off the rim in the event of a flat or too low pressure-I've seen it happen up close and it ain't pretty.
I stopped using them years ago because they are a ROYAL PITA to install, especially on a skinny front tire. That and none of my other bikes BMW/Suzuki/Gold Wing/Hinkley Triumph, or any other street bike made in the last 30 or 40 years has them.

baz · Dec 20, 2021

I always ditch them
Well I store them in my neighbour's garden with choke slides center stands exhaust locking rings etc etc

Derek Wilson · Dec 20, 2021

Great for trials bikes, not required on a road bike.

Schwany · Dec 20, 2021

I took them out a long time ago. Wheels balanced easily without them. No weights required with the last 3 tire changes. I ran two strips of duct tape around the center of the rim to prevent the tubes from coming out and popping. Not recommending it, although the duct tape held up for 30 plus years.

seattle##gs · Dec 20, 2021

Then out they go. thanks for the almost unanimous agreement.

CanukNortonNut · Dec 20, 2021

I went to 2.5" WM4 Morad Spain alloy rims. These rims have radial cuts on the inside where the rubber meets the rim for grip. The same as Akront... so long ago.... which
Morad took over .... No need for rim locks. But , Wm2 chrome rims...I'm not too sure?
Cheers,
Tom

Schwany · Dec 20, 2021

Just cut back on the power wheelies and stoppies. Don't under inflate the tires.

I think the rust in most WM2 and WM3 rims locks the tires in there.

joe czech · Dec 21, 2021

ditched mine. made a dummy stud, pretty much for the OE look. stainless round head bolt and machined under the head to fit the contour of the rim.

kommando · Dec 21, 2021

If you use modern tyres then you will be using higher tyre pressures reducing the need for the rim locks, if you still have concerns then fit a TPMS system and get your phone to vibrate when the pressures drop.

acotrel · Dec 22, 2021

You will not usually pull a valve out of a tube, unless you run the tyre under-inflated. Usually the rubber of the tyre sticks to the aluminium at the sides of the rim - as happens with tubeless tyres. Some guys drill through the sides of their rims and put 3 self-tapping screws evenly-spaced on both sides. With my 850, I have never needed to do that, and it produces massive torque. When I ride it, sometimes the rear wheel slips as I accelerate. But usually I have tons of drive.
I have only ever pulled one valve out of a tube on a motorcycle. It was the first time we raced the Seeley and the rear tyre had not been checked. After that we have never had a problem. I think the self-tapping screws are un-necessary. But some of our top guys used to do it, back then.

rim locks

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