(http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu94/scduc/DSC01057.jpg)
Ive procrastinated and I have a problem. Is this a serious problem, or can I let it go for 2k more miles under normal riding conditions until I can afford a new rim? May also need new tire as I ran for quite a while with it under inflated and now I have the center running flat.
I would text that picture to Willsrimrepair.com to see if it can be fixed. Doesn't look safe
Is this caused by an under-torqued wheel nut? I can't think of anything else that would cause this...
What did you procrastinate?
Yeah I think so, I went and bought some bling from TPO. 1 piece nut and when I installed the nut, all felt good. But for the past couple of weeks I've been noticing a little wobble when slowing down with no brake. So tonight I put her on the rear wheel stand and noticed that the wheel was loose. Finally got the wheel off (should have used antiseize) and noticed the slop on the holes. So now the dilemma. try to have it fixed. (I guess I could have a guy at my shop weld the holes and I could re-machine them) or buy new rims with two piece wheel nut.
Me personally, as long as the vertical hub and rim surfaces have not come out of plane and the nut cone is still true, I'd say yes. From the nut side I would rotate the rim CCW with the bike in gear to take out the slack and be sure to torque the nut to spec. It's the hub/rim interface and the cone that matter most. Use a paint/wax pen and mark a spot at the hub/rim interface and check it to see if there is any movement. I've seen people with mag wheels add steel inserts for the pins, claiming that magnesium was more prone to ovalizing, so repair is also an option if yer worried. I'm not expecting many to agree, but that's got more to do with "Ducati" folk than just motorcycles in general.... :o [thumbsup]
Ghetto Fix:
JB Weld it on. It has great compressive strength, which is all you really need to keep the wheel from moving around.
if not i would definitely go with a custom spacer of some sort. Repair shouldnt be a big deal.
If not, id be weary of using that wheel, even with the proper torque, the wheel can move back and forward making the rear feel like jello and making your ride quality suck.
judging by the paint thats still there I'd have to assume the surface is still true, especially in all the areas that matter most once the wheel is properly torqued.
that said, the obvious need for repair is the 4 holes. I feel inclined to suggest milling the holes out larger and on center (and round of course) and installing some custom steel bushings, or welding the ovalized portion back (not the entire hole) and milling the holes to the proper size. or a combination of all these