[mrunderhill1975a]

I sound a broken spoke today. Can spokes be replaced with the tire on the bike or will there be a problem with the nipple?  Does anyone know a  compatible spoke?  I went to the local Honkasukiama shop today and asked for a spoke for a 19 inch wheel on a Royal Enfield and they looked at me like I had two heads!

[Chasfield]

I think tyre, tube and rim tape have to come off. I don't think that you would be able to depress the nipple inward enough to start it on the new spoke. Even, then you couldn't be sure that it wasn't chewing a hole in the rim tape as you tightened. The final deal breaker is the need to make sure that the spoke end doesn't extend inwardly beyond the base of the nipple - you would file or grind it flush as necessary.

Along the way, it would be advisable to check for any other slack spokes and tension them a little, particularly if there is a some rim run-out in the area of the broken spoke. You can't safely tighten spokes with the tyre and tube in place because you need to make sure that you aren't extending the spoke ends such that they can punch holes in the tube.

[motomataya]

Also if the spoke broke from fatigue, you must replace them all, the rest will mosy likely continue to break.  If some object broke it you should be OK replacing one.

[mrunderhill1975a]

Thanks for the info.  I think this spoke broke from fatigue.  The break was straight across the spoke, like a broken glass rod.

Does anyone know if all the spokes are the same length?  I notice on the Hitchcock parts book it lists an inner spoke (143790) and an outer spoke (143792).  Is there any difference between the inner and outer aside from the lenght (differnent thread or angle on the spoke head?).

[cochi]

Mrunderhill, the head angles do differ in outer and inner spokes. Don't get them  mixed up. If you put an inner spoke in place of an outer or vice verse the head tension will be increased and you will have another busted spoke. I found a broken spoke on my rear wheel a couple of months ago. I replaced and checked and tuned the rest of them. So far I've had no more problems. And yes, you do have to remove the tire. cochi