My First Front and Rear Lace Job, Tell Me What You Think!

[awoitte]

I haven't owned a bike in years and decided to pick up an 09' YZ450F. One of the first things it needed was a new set of rims so I bought some spokes to go with it and this is my first pass.  Do my rims look like they're laced properly?  Looking forward to getting back into it and being active on Thumper..

Cheers!

[mikedabike]

That front is definately not correct.

[Doc_d]

I know absolutely nada, zip, zero about lacing motorcycle rims.  But I do build wheels for mountain bikes, cross bikes and road bikes.  In bicycles, there are different lacing patterns usually referred to by the number of times a spoke crosses another spoke on the same side of the hub.  So they are called radial (0X), 1 cross (1x), 2 cross (2x), 3 cross (3X), etc.

Looking at my KTM the wheels are laced with a standard 2X pattern.  It's hard to tell for sure from your pictures but your lacing pattern looks odd.  But again I know nothing about motorcycle wheel lacing.  Where did you get the lacing instructions from?  Or did you just wing it?

Doc

[A Tool]

Take them apart and try again, or pay someone to do it.

[wielywilly-g]

The rear looks fine, your front is not. That is why it looks like your spokes are too long, not enough cross.  There are many book and videos showing how to start the lace. Might be easier for you to just look at an OEM front. 

[William1]

When building a wheel, you install 25% of the spokes first. All inners on one side of the hub. Nipples in just three tuns, max. Keep track of the number of turns.  Then grab the hub, hold the rim and rotate the hub. Install the other sides inner spokes going the opposite direction. Just three turns, no more no less. The wheel should 'hold its own'. Install the rest of the spokes. Then turn each nipple 1/2 turn. Repeat until snug. Then turn each one 1/4 turn until tapping changes from a thud to a slight twang. Then tighten 1/8th turn, check tension for a C note. Repeat as needed.

[awoitte]

32 minutes ago, wielywilly-g said:

The rear looks fine, your front is not. That is why it looks like your spokes are too long, not enough cross.  There are many book and videos showing how to start the lace. Might be easier for you to just look at an OEM front. 

Thanks for the quick how-to guide, Willy! Glad I checked with you guys before taking it in to be true'd. I've watched several tutorials online and must've screwed up with the initial setting of the front spokes =\ ... I'll give it another go tonight and see what happens. Appreciate everyone's feedback..

Cheers!

[wielywilly-g]

Good Luck. 

Remember do not tighten your rear until you set the dish offset.  The rim is not centered on the hub in the rear because of the spacer for the rear brake caliper. Offset on mine is 0.5"

[awoitte]

Just now, wielywilly-g said:

Good Luck. 

Remember do not tighten your rear until you set the dish offset.  The rim is not centered on the hub in the rear because of the spacer for the rear brake caliper. Offset on mine is 0.5"

Is that something I need to worry about when lacing, or something the mechanic who true's my wheels will have to take into consideration? 

[wielywilly-g]

It may affect the lacing as far as spoke len but not pattern.  Some will put 2mm shorter spokes in on the rotor side since those spokes are more straight up and down and have less distance hub to rim. 

The shop should know the offset.  I don't know, maybe all 450s are half inch offset.

Unless you are real bad at mechanical things, you should buy a cheap jig and true them yourself.

Edited July 6, 2017 by wielywilly-g

[Still Bill]

Both look wrong to me.

[wielywilly-g]

Careful trusting Still Bill. He is a prankster.

 

[awoitte]

I watched several videos, and after removing the spokes and putting them back together several times, the only way I could get it to seem to work was the original way I had it in the beginning (see image). Something interesting I noticed (see other image + edit), are my rim lock and valve stem holes supposed to be that close together? Just a thought, I heard one guy say his rim had come drilled incorrectly..

[Jrs Turn]

Still not right, your spokes need to cross. 

[Flagstaff]

1 hour ago, awoitte said:

I watched several videos, and after removing the spokes and putting them back together several times, the only way I could get it to seem to work was the original way I had it in the beginning (see image). Something interesting I noticed (see other image + edit), are my rim lock and valve stem holes supposed to be that close together? Just a thought, I heard one guy say his rim had come drilled incorrectly..

They are often like that. Don't know why.

[A Tool]

I'd guess you are most likely starting your spoke pattern in the wrong rim hole for that spoke. Once you start one off in the wrong angle/hole they will all be off.

Can't say for sure, but it is an easy mistake to make.

[wielywilly-g]

I've had to re-lace wheels before when I wasn't paying attention..  And all my rims have a bead lock hole near the valve stem hole.

Following the video posted by metalanddirt, do the first 9 in the outer hub holes and put them in every 4th hole in the rim. I think you are good up to this point. The next 9 drop into the hub inner holes and out to the rim in the hole midway between the other spokes, but cross over 4 spoke holes farter than you have. Take a pic with just these 18 spokes installed and post up.

 

Edited July 7, 2017 by wielywilly-g

[awoitte]

I stared at it for a while and came out with this.. Any better?

[Jrs Turn]

Much better! 

[Marcus Robertson]

That is correct.