Transalp wheel spokes

[Hendy 73]

Hi all... the wheel spokes on my 07 Transalp have started to corrode and are pitted as the bike has only done 500 miles been used mainly on dry days and is kept in a brick garage i think this is cr*p as it takes the look off the rest of the bike and the fact that ive had an old mountain bike in a mouldy old garden shed for the last six years and its still got shiny spokes !!

The bike is due in this week for its first service so do you think i should mention them or is does this happen to most Transalps ? and i just have to live with them.

[Graeme C]

I hope this aint normal , cant comment but as the owner of a new Transalp for just over 24 hours I am interested.
I would def moan at the dealer though what is there to gain by not?
Maybe a pic would let others compare the corrosion with older bikes?

[MCsanandreas]

heck yes! have a word about that! my bike is ten years old and i am the third or fourth owner,spokes on mine are not too good and i am not impressed about that.
500 miles and going rusty is worth a word to the dealer and if they dont help give Honda themselves a rocket.
i think Hondas build quality has dropped over the years.

[AIRWOLF]

I would insist on replacement wheels.
corroding spokes on a nearly new bike is ridiculous.
don't let them fob you off with the old ' well you must have used it when the roads were salted, its just wear and tear'.
to my mind it is 'not fit for purpose'

[MCsanandreas]

to my mind it is 'not fit for purpose'

thats the phrase i was looking for! too late/tired for much thinking now.

[Raven]

My bike is 5 months old and for some reason the spokes on the rear wheel have correded badly . The fronts are perfectly fine, and have recevied the same treatment as the rear, so it is annoying to say the least . I think I might mention that to the dealer at the upcoming service...

[TopMarque]

I too have corrosion starting on the spokes of back wheel after 1k miles and the answer I have had from my dealer is exactly what Airwolf quoted.

My dealer has recommended that I get the rim relaced with stainless steel spokes, but that will be at my expense etc. This is the obvious solution, but why at my expense on a new bike under warranty?

In the meantime, I will be monitoring the situation and if it gets worse, then I see no alternative but to contact Honda direct for their assessment.

TM

[Falp]

My TA stays parked in the street since Jan 2006...

I've got no garage now...

And when it rains is stays for days there... I was expecting the worst, but I think I only seen some (not much) rust in the middle of handlebar (apart from the obvious exhaust).

[pale rider]

Hi Guys
my transalp is not that new (05 model) but is very clean everywhere except the spokes and particularly the back wheel . I have read plenty of posts complaining about rim rot and the newer transalps have the black rims as some kind of counter measure. it was one of the first things i noticed about the bike when i bought it especially since the front wheel seems in better condition spokewise, which is puzzling, since the back wheel does get a bit of spatter of oil from the chain and scottoiler etc i dont know why the alp doesn't have mag wheels like the 125 varradero does but i cant imagine you to have much joy at the dealers since this seems to be an inherent problem and one which i have moaned about to people before. two possible treatments either grease the spokes which could attract dirt and dust from brake linings etc or apply lacquer to keep the rust at bay personally it is something that honda got wrong but on the upside the rest of the bike is as clean as a whistle and I dont keep the bike for dry miles either it is used every day in all weathers and still loooks pristine everywhere else but the spokes..

[Yeti]

Bit of thinned silver Hamerite on a rag just rubbed along the spokes now and again will keep them looking ok.

Try and get plenty of wax or other soft sealer in around the nipple holes as that will be your real problem when the rims start to rot from the inside out!

As far as front v's rear a guess would be because anything behind the front wheel in the wet or dry gets to sit in the mist or muck thrown up.

Boring bit:

In terms of wheel building I guess it could be down to the rear wheel taking the drive to the road and the additional Cyclic tensile/compressive (never really actually compressive in a well built wheel) forces involved cracks the plating off quicker?? A spoked wheel under acceleration forces tries to 'wind up' and under braking tries to 'unwind' The reduction of this effect and the resulting twisting effect is helped by the number of times the spokes are 'crossed'. Not sure about motorbikes but push-irons are usually 3 or 4-cross but 4-cross weigh considerably more for the strength benefit because of the extra spoke length required. 3-cross is the happy medium.

Tangential spoking helps transmit the torque from the hub out to the tires, which is why rear hubs often have larger spoke flanges to increase the lay over of the spoke and trying to pull through more metal for strength (althouth it is usually the 'J' bend in spokes that is the weak point). Front wheels could effectively be radially spoked. This however shortens the length of the spoke and can make the wheel stiffer and more efficient but increase the chance of something 'giving' potentially catastophically! longer spokes give more boing!

sure one of the propper boffins on here can clarify the physics stuff?! we do actually have a rocket scientist here I believe!