Author Topic: random thought (Read 5245 times)

kingrock · **on:** June 18, 2011, 07:14:17 am

While the Green Goddess is in the shop.(first service for break in) I was thinking about wheels. Rims. I was watching a show with cars from the 30's. With solid steel wheels. It might look good on my machine. They would have to be alloy for weight reasons. Similar to the rims on dare say a Harley fatboy. Also green the stealthiest of all colors. Any thoughts? Or am I nuts??

tooseevee · **Reply #1 on:** June 18, 2011, 02:50:55 pm

Quote from: kingrock on June 18, 2011, 07:14:17 am

While the Green Goddess is in the shop.(first service for break in) I was thinking about wheels. Rims. I was watching a show with cars from the 30's. With solid steel wheels. It might look good on my machine. They would have to be alloy for weight reasons. Similar to the rims on dare say a Harley fatboy. Also green the stealthiest of all colors. Any thoughts? Or am I nuts??

I would never call you nuts. I'm a "to each his own" kinda guy - you don't step on my dick, I won't step on yours ;>)

BUT I do not think you will be happy with the solid wheel look on an Enfield for very long. My personal opinion is that the look would suck on an Enfield, but don't let ME influence you.

I'm a lifelong harley person since the '50s (whatever the hell THAT means) & I HATED the FatBoy the MOST of all the bikes out of the company since about 1981. I thought it was a purely salesman-driven design idea. They also increase side wind problems along with looking stupid. Harleys AND Enfields should have wire wheels.

But that's just me.

PS: I don't really mean I HATED them. I just didn't care after about '79 & lost all respect for The Company..

Okie Enfield · **Reply #2 on:** June 18, 2011, 03:58:34 pm

Kingrock, there are some pics in member's rides. You know our Indian brothers are big on moddin out their rides. I have seen a few examples of alloy wheels on the enfields, cant say I liked em'. To me, they seemed to cheapen the bike. I agree with tooseevee, wire wheels look the best, but again this is your bike, you should make it your own and be damned our opinions. Look around in members rides for those tires and see if thats kinda what your going for.

Vince · **Reply #3 on:** June 18, 2011, 04:28:38 pm

Here is something that is not usually considered: The spokes are actually part of the suspension. They flex under load. When alloy wheels first became popular on street bikes in the '70's, the manufacturers experimented with alloy wheels on dirt bikes. The experiments didn't last long. The ride was jarringly harsh, making the suspension almost impossible to tune. Handling suffered greatly as a result.
A modern street bike won't usually have this issue, and on smooth roads alloy wheels may be of some advantage to handling, but in road racing it was noted that a certain amount of flex was necessary. In hard cornering the suspension binds, so the frames were modified to flex a little so as to minimize wheel hop.
Stock Enfield suspension is not very supple. Rough city streets would probably give you a real rough ride with alloy wheels.
The look is your personal choice. Just consider the underlying technical issues.

barenekd · **Reply #4 on:** June 18, 2011, 05:24:32 pm

Solid wheels would change the handling characteristics considerably. the extra mass of the wheels would increase the gyroscopic forces and really make you steering very heavy. As mentioned, the wind is also a factor as to why you never see these things on any production bike or racer. they don't work.
Bare

GreenMachine · **Reply #5 on:** June 18, 2011, 06:57:23 pm

Here is something that is not usually considered: The spokes are actually part of the suspension. They flex under load. When alloy wheels first became popular on street bikes in the '70's, the manufacturers experimented with alloy wheels on dirt bikes. The experiments didn't last long. The ride was jarringly harsh, making the suspension almost impossible to tune. Handling suffered greatly as a result.

Vince: great point...Something I didn't consider but sure does have logic to the principals behind the configuration..

drbvac · **Reply #6 on:** June 19, 2011, 12:54:12 am

Having owned 2 fatboys with the solid wheels and not because of their looks but the seat height you want to also consider the wind, Yeah the wind -- even on a 600 pound HD the wind on the side of the bike would see me leaning 20-30 degrees with a high side wind and God knows what it would do to an RE - plus they would look weird

bman734 · **Reply #7 on:** June 19, 2011, 01:23:12 am

Solid wheels on an Enieild, in my opinion, which, after all, is only another opinion, but since you asked, would be a travesty! Part of the appeal to me, when I saw my first Military, was that it was retro and a large part of that retro look was the spoke wheels. As mentioned in earlier posts, who cares in the end what we feel about it. Lets face it, having a military in the first place is a personal choice and the guy who buys the chrome thinks that we are nuts to think the military is even an option.
If you like it go for it and who the F has the right to say you are wrong.
In my opinion of course.

bman734 · **Reply #8 on:** June 19, 2011, 01:44:00 am

Being a neophyte sucks. At what point can I graduate to a "skooter"? I don't want to post meaningless posts just to attain that lofty status.

bman734 · **Reply #9 on:** June 19, 2011, 01:45:58 am

I'm sorry, that was a meaningless post and now I regret it but it's too late now! Not saying that there are meaningless posts out there. I'm just sayin.

Ice · **Reply #10 on:** June 19, 2011, 04:31:18 am

IMHO It's the post that counts not the count of the posts that matters.

Other forums have their own interpretation of rank and status and title and whatnot but to me a post count is only a measure of activity and nothing more.

olhogrider · **Reply #11 on:** June 19, 2011, 05:40:54 am

Some antique bikes had solid wheels and some streamliners had solid wheel covers to reduce drag. If it is a look you really like, go for it! Just be aware it will be a lot of work and includes the limitations listed above.

r80rt · **Reply #12 on:** June 19, 2011, 01:50:44 pm

Quote from: bman734 on June 19, 2011, 01:44:00 am

Being a neophyte sucks. At what point can I graduate to a "skooter"? I don't want to post meaningless posts just to attain that lofty status.

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php/topic,69.0.html

Maturin · **Reply #13 on:** June 19, 2011, 03:18:27 pm

Quote from: bman734 on June 19, 2011, 01:45:58 am

I'm sorry, that was a meaningless post and now I regret it but it's too late now! Not saying that there are meaningless posts out there. I'm just sayin.

Meaningless posts only count half (cough). In this respect I had a good laugh about your post, so it wasn´t meaningless and counts full

olhogrider · **Reply #14 on:** June 19, 2011, 03:38:47 pm

Also you can troll the Campfire section. Just post some political crap. Doesn't matter what your position, left, right or even anarchist. You will get responses and then you can respond to those.

Maturin · **Reply #15 on:** June 19, 2011, 03:40:16 pm

Quote from: kingrock on June 18, 2011, 07:14:17 am

While the Green Goddess is in the shop.(first service for break in) I was thinking about wheels. Rims. I was watching a show with cars from the 30's. With solid steel wheels. It might look good on my machine. They would have to be alloy for weight reasons. Similar to the rims on dare say a Harley fatboy. Also green the stealthiest of all colors. Any thoughts? Or am I nuts??

If you ask bluntly: yes, youre nuts. Aloy wheels on a bullet look like totally weird in my eyes.
But what about painted spoke wheels? Like this one:

http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=1547

There are some examples in the member´s gallery section that were created by chris-bartlett by using a paint software.
In the earlier days, when chromium was unafordable, the wheels of the basic versions were usually painted in black or in the bike´s basic colour (including green

). I always liked this special look, but it will be quite an efford to remove the chrome from the wheels in order to paint them. I remember, though, that one forum member had done it and published the photos on his website, but I can´t remember the name...

olhogrider · **Reply #16 on:** June 19, 2011, 03:59:15 pm

How's this? Chicks dig it.

kingrock · **Reply #17 on:** June 20, 2011, 03:50:34 am

This was just a thought. I like the solid art deco on cars. Thought it could be a different look to the enfield. In green of course. I'm going full military on mine. As I put in another post I'm running. My home made ammo can panniers now have 2 coats of flat clear on them. I'm working on dechroming. Heat shield next.Chrome is nice but I'm not a pimp.

Desi Bike · **Reply #18 on:** June 20, 2011, 04:11:09 pm

i resemble that remark lol!

Okie Enfield · **Reply #19 on:** June 20, 2011, 10:50:02 pm

Yes! Carefull with that mouth Kingrock lest I let the power of my pimphand fly!

/walks rather clumsily on maroon platform shoes with goldfish in the heels/
I will have you know the this Gold and Purple sequined ridding jacket provides excellent visibility and the shoulder pads, while may look like the 80's threw up on me and it collected there, are both protective and stylish at the same time! And those feathers sticking out of my custom made helmet are real Peacock! Is it wrong to have a horn that plays "We want the Funk!"? I beg to differ.

gashousegorilla · **Reply #20 on:** June 21, 2011, 02:18:22 am

You is a super Freak Okie

Okie Enfield · **Reply #21 on:** June 21, 2011, 04:08:27 am

Fo' shizzle!