The Art of Building Motocross and Supermoto Spoked Wheels: A Craft Reserved for the Wheel Smiths
Building a set of motocross or supermoto spoked wheels is an intricate process, a rare craft that blends precise engineering with the discerning touch of an artisan. It's a skill set held by few - the wheel smiths.
Firstly, let's delve into the core components of a wheel - the hub, spokes, and rim. The hub is the wheel's heart, often crafted from lightweight, durable materials like aluminium. Its primary function is to connect the wheel to the bike and provide a mounting point for the brake disc and sprocket.
The spokes serve a critical function in transferring load and stress from the hub to the rim. They are generally made of high-tensile strength steel or titanium for weight savings and robustness. The rim, typically an aluminium alloy, gives the wheel its form and supports the tyre.
Becoming a proficient wheel smith involves mastering several nuanced skills.
1. **Selection of Components:** An experienced wheel smith understands the compatibility of different hubs, spokes, and rims. This knowledge goes beyond just fitment but extends to the performance traits imparted by different materials and designs, such as a hub's flange design or a rim's cross-section profile.
2. **Lacing the Wheel:** Lacing refers to the process of threading spokes through the hub's holes and into the rim's spoke nipples. It is a meticulous process, requiring attention to detail and a solid understanding of the wheel's cross-lacing pattern.
3. **Truing the Wheel:** Truing the wheel ensures it rotates evenly and maintains its shape under load. This process requires a delicate touch and a keen eye. An expert wheel smith can detect minute inconsistencies and make the necessary spoke tension adjustments.
4. **Stress Relieving and Final Truing:** After initial truing, the wheel undergoes a stress-relieving process. Spokes are manually flexed to seat them correctly, followed by a final truing.
5. **Quality Assurance:** Finally, every wheel built by a professional wheel smith at 727Moto undergoes rigorous checks to ensure optimum performance and safety.
Only a select few possess the skillset to be a true wheel smith, and at 727Moto, we cherish this craft. We ensure every motocross and supermoto wheel we build represents the pinnacle of quality, performance, and craftsmanship.
Discover the 727Moto difference – where the mastery of wheel smiths is brought to life, and the wheels of your motocross and supermoto dreams become a reality.