Ducati Monster Forum

I've always liked Alpina tubeless spoked wheels, but they seemed like they were out of my price range.  I think they used to cost something like $2,600.  I see they are listed on MonsterParts.com for $1,599 now which seems more reasonable.  Does anybody have any first hand experience with these wheels?  Does anyone here have them on their bike?  Are there any problems I should know about?  http://www.monsterparts.com/pc/ALP1/Wheels/ALP1.html (http://www.monsterparts.com/pc/ALP1/Wheels/ALP1.html)

I keep coming back to this picture of a JVB Moto Ducati with Alpina wheels.  This is the look I want.
(http://jvb-moto.com/rocknroll/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/scrambler-studio8-top352.jpg)
(http://jvb-moto.com/rocknroll/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/scrambler1web740.jpg)

I haven't "ridden" on a set -- just carefully inspected a set of them while visiting Jeff / MonsterParts in late 2007.  I was highly impressed by the quality of the Alpina spokes wheels. (Enough so that I almost acquired his from the showroom floor but didn't have a Ducati they would fit -- everything I have is singlesided) I dislike the factory Sport Classic wire wheels as they are heavy, not sealed and aren't that very nice cosmetically.  I wouldn't have a problem recommending the Alpina wheels at all.  If they had a singlesided rear wheel version, I'd be running a set myself.

Mark, Thanks for your thoughts on these wheels.  You mentioned the factory Sport Classic wire wheels are heavy.  Are the Alpinas lighter?  I know these are tubeless, but this will only save about 1 lb. right?  Do you think these Alpinas will be any lighter than the stock Ducati 3 spoke cast wheels?

What wheels will you be using on your upcoming custom Sport Classic?  You could use these Alpinas which would also allow the larger 4 caliper brakes. 

threadjack: I want that tank.

http://jvb-moto.com/rocknroll/ (http://jvb-moto.com/rocknroll/)  Maybe JVB Moto can sell you one.  I like the headlight too.

i love the wire spoke look, but the thought of keeping them clean makes me not want them.

(http://crs-america.smugmug.com/photos/496142886_vvdBU-M.jpg)
(http://crs-america.smugmug.com/photos/496142840_U8QqH-M.jpg)

I got these from Jeff, and I'm still working on getting them on.  If you have a 25 mm axle bike, go for it.  If you've got an older bike, I'd be more than happy to share my tale of woe and misery.  ;D  Suffice it to say that in the end, the easiest and best solution, for me, was to go to 25mm SS forks, and I found a nice set of adjustable ones for a good price.





The ASystem wires are heavier than the OEM cast ones, but IIRC are lighter than SC wheels because I think the SC wheels use a steel rim.  The ASystem uses alloy rims.  I may be wrong.  For me, on this bike, the cosemtics outweighed the weight.  [thumbsup]

No trouble at all.
(https://www.bikedevils.co.uk/shop/images/P/DSCF6629.JPG)(http://www.transportation-b2b.com/b2b/pics/Car_Wheel_Brush.jpg)

Thanks for sharing pictures of your bike and your experience with the Alpinas.

The GT1000 has chromed steel rims.  All of the other Sport Classics including the Sport 1000s and Paul Smarts had aluminum rims

I often hear people comment about how hard spoke wheels are to clean, but I've never thought of them as difficult.  It's not like you clean every spoke individually.  I just run a sponge over them.  If the spokes are stainless steel (like the ones on the Alpinas) they should look good and not corrode.  Cheaper spokes are coated with some sort of zinc coating that will eventually corode no matter how much you clean them. 

mmmmm... want!  [drink]

I like the color options Alpina has and now they have a carbon rim...

http://jcpakbikes.com/nakedcarbonmatrix/index.html (http://jcpakbikes.com/nakedcarbonmatrix/index.html)

now i want them more

whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
















did you have to show me those?

that's a great looking bike man.  love those wheels on there.

For those of us with the single sided swing arm, D.I.D. made the spoked wheels on the Hyper 1100 evo sp. I haven't done any research as to how to obtain a set. I can say that you can't get them through Ducati...

that website needs to be updated.
they no longer make the carbon rim (for monsters anyway)

supermoto guys love them, thats all i know [bacon]

The Carbon Matrix STS wheels for Monster model year 2010-2011-2012 is available.

(http://jcpakbikes.com/cgbg/image/p9192155.jpg)

For earlier models we only have the Alloy rims in the tubeless A-System type wheels at this time
(http://jcpakbikes.com/goldredblackblack/image/red_black_black_6.jpg)

As you can see the nipples are different on the STS from the A-System
(http://www.jcpakbikes.com/alpina3g/image/alpinafront15.jpg)

I looked at getting Alpinas for the SC a while back, as I wanted to stay with the spoked look.  For what these cost though, the benefits just weren't with it from a performance stand point; they aren't that much lighter than the alloy rimmed wheels that came on my SC.  Couple that with the fact that it wasn't that much more (relatively) expensive to go with BSTs, and...  You get the idea.

Ben...you know you love your BST's.  I just wish I was baller status and had CF wheels. :(

I do love them, but that's not really the point.  I was looking at the Alpinas originally.  Decided against them when I saw how little weight difference there with those wheels compared to the price.

interesting hat like device on the SSA spoke wheels for hyper 100 sp. it appears to hold the left hand side spokes that would have interfered with the brakes.

http://worldmotorcyclez.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2011-Supermoto-Ducati-Hypermotard-1100-EVO-SP-Rear-Brake.jpg (http://worldmotorcyclez.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/2011-Supermoto-Ducati-Hypermotard-1100-EVO-SP-Rear-Brake.jpg)

Did I read that correctly?? There are spoked wheels for M1100?  [evil]

Steve I'll have a good look on the Alpina Wheels stand at the milan show next week to see if they do anything for the SSS monsters.

Geoff... [coffee]

Geoff,

trying to come down to Milan Thursday morning through Saturday morning.
will you have a way to be contacted?

Geoff...

1) Thanks  [thumbsup]
2) I'm jealous   ;D

I really hope they don't.

What is the weight difference, and how much do tubes weigh?  My guess is that the tubes are 1 lb. each.  I should have weight them before I mounted the wheels.   :P

Nick me a set of the SC wheels: carbon rims, silver spokes and gold hubs.   ;D

Be careful Dave... :-X

One of my nick names when I worked was Diesel... :-[

Geoff... [coffee]

 [laugh]
 [popcorn]
 [coffee]

I don't remember the exact numbers between them, as it was a couple of years ago when I did the research and I have no idea where the paper is that I wrote the numbers on.  I do recall that there was close to double the weight savings by going with the carbon wheels instead of the Alpinas.  All in all, the spoked wheels look better on the SC bikes IMO, but I was going more for performance than looks.