FedEx tracking says...
Scheduled delivery: Friday, 1/14/2022 by end of day
Scheduled delivery: Friday, 1/14/2022 by end of day
Thanks, specbebop; just the info I needed.JerryG, same here. Across the board the tolerances are extremely tight on these wheels. I had to use a rubber mallet to tap my sprocket hub onto the wheel. I also had to use the mallet on the rear axle when installing the wheel on the bike. That said, I love these wheels. Pics in a bit.
Re lubing the absorbers, I considered that and I checked the OEM absorbers, they were dry and clean, not a drop of lube. Of course, dry and clean rubber means friction, which is the problem. During my Army days, I recall rubber like this being lightly coated in a dry powder. Perhaps some graphite powder would work; I think I'll give that a try that.how about some type of rubber lubricant ? I would think that tighter is better in this situation.
Use baby powder (talcum powder). I used it when I had tube type tires to minimize friction between inner tube and outer tire. The purpose of the talc in tires is to lessen heat induced friction over heating the tire, specially when off-roading with low tire pressure.Re lubing the absorbers.....
Great suggestion hasselman. I put the absorbers in a plastic bag with talc-based body powder, shook the bag, and then installed them. With that done, I was able to gently tap the sprocket in place with a small rubber mallet. Twice during the process, I pulled the sprocket out to make sure it wasn't getting too tight to remove; it came out easily by hand alone. Apparently, it was just the rubber's friction causing the problem. You made my day. 🙏Use baby powder (talcum powder). I used it when I had tube type tires to minimize friction between inner tube and outer tire. The purpose of the talc in tires is to lessen heat induced friction over heating the tire, specially when off-roading with low tire pressure.
The same question occurred to me once I realized the OEM absorbers were not used by the KKE/VMX wheels. I've sent a query to my KKE contact; she has been very responsive on all my queries so far.I'm concerned tho about replacing / availability of the cush rubbers & bearings as it appears they use non-OEM parts only available from China? Is that correct or am I misunderstanding something?
Excellent reference, thanks. Especially MichaelJ's contribution to the question, how can you tell the absorbers are going bad (paraphrased): "You will have driveline snatch. The quick way to check is to put your bike in neutral (engine off) and see if you can wiggle the rear sprocket without the rear wheel moving. A little play is normal, but if you can rotate the sprocket one tooth or more, the rubber inserts are wearing out and need replaced."Thats good to hear JerryG, as these wheels are exactly what I was hoping for. I doubt the rubbers used are unique, so an alternative from another bike may be a possibility, its only a matter of finding the right one!
Playing devils advocate for a moment tho; its not unheard of, some bikes chewing through cush rubber like consumables. Heres some examples on G310R's on this forum, which was the reason for my concerns.
Cush drive rubbers? | BMW G310 R/GS Forum (g310rforum.com)
I want to jump on these wheels, but I need to research this a little more for my own peace of mind. One advantage the Rally-Raid wheels have is they use all OEM parts, but they are tubed and don't look nearly as cool as these VMX -and I am a sucker to good looks!
@JerryG Offtopic, What Handlebar and exhaust did you fit to the bike?
My handlebars are Fat Bars by Renthal mounted on G310GS Fat Bar risers by Rally Raid, both bought from Rally Raid.@JerryG Offtopic, What Handlebar and exhaust did you fit to the bike?