[ideola]

Maybe it's just me...but the different shades of silver on these bikes drives me nuts...chrome exhaust and bars, raw alu engine covers, brush alu kick plate and intake covers, painted abs fenders, fork brace, headlight brackets, alu rims, stainless spokes, control levers, engine block, cylinder head, ugggggh.

So I've purchased all new engine covers, will have them powder coated (chrome finish) and fit them during winter servicing.

I've also purchased spares of everything else, in black if available, and if not, and extra set that will be powder coated in gloss black.

The TEC silencers will be ceramic coated chrome finish along with the free flow pipes as soon as those arrive. I'm hoping that by blacking out most of the uninteresting parts and chroming the exhaust and motor it will focus attention on that cool retro engine look and the fuel tank.

The real problem is what to do with the wheels. RE do not sell complete assembled wheels in black. I will need to purchase new rims, new hubs, and new spokes, and then assemble them. All in, that will cost ~$1200 not counting any labor; the other option is to remove the existing wheels and powder coat them over the winter.

I prefer non-destructive editing so I can put the bike back to OEM spec if desired, but the cost of new wheels might make me change my mind for that part of it.

[RalphG]

One of the unavoidable follow-ons to the rather low MSRP of the Enfield 650s is that buyers cannot wait to get into the customizing business.  Some are wonderfully creative.  Others, less so. 

Ralph

[Jack Straw]

Wow.

[drums4money]

A coworker had his Ducati wheels powder coated over the winter while he had it apart doing service and other upgrades.  The wheels turned out spectacular and he had plenty of down time to make sure nothing got rushed. 

[Blazes Boylan]

I wish the spokes were stainless steel but, alas, they’re galvanized.

[mwmosser]

I wish the spokes were stainless steel but, alas, they’re galvanized.

I foresee this thread headed in the "where are the cast wheels?" direction....

[Jack Straw]

I foresee this thread headed in the "where are the cast wheels?" direction....

Yep.

[ideola]

One of the unavoidable follow-ons to the rather low MSRP of the Enfield 650s is that buyers cannot wait to get into the customizing business. 

This bike scratches that itch for me...barely had it a month and have already implemented many changes.

RE: cast wheels, i am not a fan of them on bikes styled as "modern classics" ... in my opinion, the period vibe is all thrown off with cast wheels. I rather like the classic spokes.

I'm also surprised to hear that the spokes are galvanized. Stuart Fillingham has mentioned in at least two of his vids that they are stainless. Hmmmm.....

[whippers]

This bike scratches that itch for me...barely had it a month and have already implemented many changes.

RE: cast wheels, i am not a fan of them on bikes styled as "modern classics" ... in my opinion, the period vibe is all thrown off with cast wheels. I rather like the classic spokes.

I'm also surprised to hear that the spokes are galvanized. Stuart Fillingham has mentioned in at least two of his vids that they are stainless. Hmmmm.....

Does it depend on which bike you get.  I thought the black wheels are stainless spokes with black anodised aluminium rims

[ideola]

Does it depend on which bike you get.  I thought the black wheels are stainless spokes with black anodised aluminium rims

Here's one such Stu Fillingham clip asserting anodized rims and stainless spokes. His bike is an Orange Crush with the silver wheels as on my Silver Specter.
https://youtu.be/iy2RnXgMSj8?t=410

[Hoiho]

Here's one such Stu Fillingham clip asserting anodized rims and stainless spokes. His bike is an Orange Crush with the silver wheels as on my Silver Specter.
https://youtu.be/iy2RnXgMSj8?t=410

Put a magnet on them

[drums4money]

Does it depend on which bike you get.  I thought the black wheels are stainless spokes with black anodised aluminium rims

If Excel supplies built wheels for the 650 model lineup, then alloy hoops - including black anodized- with stainless spokes would be consistent with their product offering.  My spokes are slightly magnetic- less so than the small Allen bolts securing the windscreen. 

[olhogrider]

Maybe it's just me...but the different shades of silver on these bikes drives me nuts...chrome exhaust and bars, raw alu engine covers, brush alu kick plate and intake covers, painted abs fenders, fork brace, headlight brackets, alu rims, stainless spokes, control levers, engine block, cylinder head, ugggggh.

So I've purchased all new engine covers, will have them powder coated (chrome finish) and fit them during winter servicing.

I've also purchased spares of everything else, in black if available, and if not, and extra set that will be powder coated in gloss black.

The TEC silencers will be ceramic coated chrome finish along with the free flow pipes as soon as those arrive. I'm hoping that by blacking out most of the uninteresting parts and chroming the exhaust and motor it will focus attention on that cool retro engine look and the fuel tank.

The real problem is what to do with the wheels. RE do not sell complete assembled wheels in black. I will need to purchase new rims, new hubs, and new spokes, and then assemble them. All in, that will cost ~$1200 not counting any labor; the other option is to remove the existing wheels and powder coat them over the winter.

I prefer non-destructive editing so I can put the bike back to OEM spec if desired, but the cost of new wheels might make me change my mind for that part of it.

Hey, I have a set of leftover rims you can have. I used the hubs when I changed wheel sizes but the rims are leftover.

[Dutch Rider]

I wish the spokes were stainless steel but, alas, they’re galvanized.

RE Interceptor MY 2020, Orange Crush with grey rims, spokes are stainless steel, magnet does (almost) nothing on them.

[ideola]

Most stainless steels have various levels of magnetic attraction. Only Austenitic stainless steels are non-magnetic.

I did the magnet test with a 1" diameter x 1/8" rare earth magnet. The spokes have a very slight magnetism, whereas the stainless fasteners have a very strong magnetism.

I'm pretty sure the spokes are some kind of stainless material.