Lacing and Truing a Harley Motorcycle Wheel

I finally got to finish building the front wheel for the UVL project. I used stainless spokes to lace this star hub to an 18" stepped aluminum rim. These techniques can be used to lace just about any wheel.

[@jwhitebwc]

Thanks Chuck! A very informative and helpful video.

[@ChucksCycles]

Thanks, Im glad it helped.

[@robertsmall1003]

That's how it's done. Thanks, great video.

[@patrickkatkaew9843]

Thank you for your great video…

[@BrewCityRider]

Thanks for the excellent tutorial 👍 I wish you had shown the torquing of the spokes though. I've seen a few different techniques for doing that. I'm doing my research before I tackle my first wheel truing job.

[@stanfischer6175]

Excellent video! I used to have a bicycle and a paper route when I was 14 (1967) and due to the weight of the papers some of the rear spokes broke. I went to this placed called Whites Hardware and Automotive and discovered I could buy individual spokes and nipples for less than a quarter. Took my wheel all apart and put it back together and spent a week truing it by eye. I had run all the spokes on one side the same direction and all the spokes on the other side opposite. Didn't last too long before it loosened and noticed how my buddys bike had the crossover pattern. Took it all back apart and spent another week lacing and truing and it was fixed! A scant 7 years later I was riding my chopped Pan when I hit a hard bump but kept going ok. Next day I discovered I had a flat tire and a bent 21" rim. Went down to this place called Stelters Harley Davidson and bought another rim. By this time I was a young machinist (or so I claimed) and had a travel dial and base. Lacking a truing stand I did just like the video, I trued it in the front end and easily got the rim to run out less than .015" in both directions. Found myself in the wheel truing business ever since having built 3 already this year and dozens decades past. I always try to true wheels where ever possible by indicating on the inside of the rim where the tire is seated, the little Starrett 1.00" button indicator is handy because it will fit inside most rims. The meanest spoke and true job out there is the Sporster/Superglide 19" wheels.

[@ChucksCycles]

Very neat, that's why I like spoke wheels, you could never get a cool story like that with mag wheels. Id like to get a little indicator like you said and try it out. I think Harley spec was 1/32". so id say anything under .030 is good to go. Thanks for watching!

[@stanfischer6175]

@@ChucksCycles Correct, HD spec is 1/32" (.031") and given a really good rim I can usually achieve half that but sometimes people bring me old bent rims so I do what I can.

[@ChucksCycles]

@@stanfischer6175 yep and ive had trouble with old spokes sometimes too, rounded nipples are hard to true. I like a nice new spoke set and a straight rim.

[@maxkullman4143]

Why is the Narrow glide 19” so bad to do? :)

[@stanfischer6175]

@@maxkullman4143 Whether its an older drum brake XL/FX wheel or later disc all 40 spokes have to be put into the hub and then put into the rim holes. Spokes must be "timed" plus their "long heads" and "short heads". Very easy to scratch a rim, check out a Harley manual to see whats involved. All HD "flanged style" hubs are so much easier as you can put in one spoke at a time. -'lil stan

[@DEATHMETALCYCLE]

Great videoooo

[@JiboiaExotics]

Hi Chuck great video thanks for the info. I just laced my first 16 inch after market rim with a OEM star hub . i was told the spokes were for a 16 inch rim but after lacing the rim i tightened the spokes so they were flush but still have too much play between the rim and the spokes . is there a specific size spokes for a star hub rim .thanks for your time

[@mrofnocnon]

Thank you

[@awedihdaira2786]

I noticed i got one missing spoke on my rear harley wheel , question is can i just add that extra one spoke & tighten it and good to go ... Without doing any alignment? Thanks

[@sallehnazri1588]

cool!!!!

[@patrickmuraszewski3606]

Can't believe no one has commented on this great video. Q never seen truing on the front end wouldn't u true up on truing stand then space the rim to the center of the bike ?

[@charleslawrence6553]

You could do it that way for sure. Get it close on the stand and then pull it over. I knew this wheel was going to be offset so I just did it all on the bike. This is also a good option if you don’t have a quality truing stand, the cheap ones move around a lot and it’s hard to get consistent measurements. Thanks again

[@bigcheeseman6570]

If I wanted to use my hub but put a larger rim in it how would I go about doing that?

[@ChucksCycles]

it will be the same method for any size rim. Check out Buchanon Spoke, they carry spokes for alot of different sizes.

[@noelleonard2498]

Or any 40 spoke wheel for that matter

[@barrywhite828]

the rim is bent.

[@mgshizzle2213]

I have a normal shitty mag wheel on my road king now i want to get a black 21 inch wheel, black spokes and nipples and black rotors where can i purchase evwrything surly i can build one cheaper rhen buying a complete wheel ive done motocross wheels looks similar

[@ChucksCycles]

I’m not sure where I I get black spokes. Call Buchanans, maybe he can make you some.