Spoke drain holes

As any of you who have read some of my ramblings know, many of my trips seem to be over muddy roads. Not something I worry about, 'cos they're often all I've got. Anyway, the bike was filthy.

This-morning was bright and sunny, thought to myself "I'll wash the bike". The unwritten, but inviolate, rule is that if I want to wash the bike, I have to wash Her car first, which was also dirty, something she abhors. So, I wash Her car, all is well. She even brings me out coffee .

So I get round to the bike. Hose it down, get the bucket and car-wash stuff I use, proceed to give it its bath. I always do the wheels towards the end, starting with the front one, go round the rims, spokes and as best I can the hub, then haul up on the front of the wheel to rotate it 180 to get to where it's hidden by forks and brakes. At this stage I notice that the drain hole at the end of one of the spokes. At least, it's meant to be a drain hole, it's totally clogged with dried mud. Ain't going to drain anything.

Sorry, rather poor pictures, snapped with phone.

(Click on image for larger view)



Held the hose against it, barely takes the surface of the mud off (the above picture taken after playing the hose directly on the hole.

Finally I have to get a piece of insulated wire to poke it through (insulated so I don't scratch the surface of the wheel's casting). All three spokes' holes are the same.



I've no idea how long it's been like it, but I don't like the idea of (inevitably) salty water held against the end of the spokes of my wheel, it may cause corrosion. Ok, I've never heard of anybody's spokes corroding through, but I don't want to be the first.

Checked the back wheel's spokes' drain holes, they're ok.

Something else to check on occasionally.

If nothing else the balance should be improved. I think it would take something much more caustic than salty mud to harm the wheels.

Maybe it works like dyna beads?

You could call it dynamud.

Well spoken

Klubis said:

Well spoken

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Can we get a dislike button!!!!

BOOO!!!

Would water that accumulates cause a wheel imbalance problem?

Couple of years ago a suicidal mouse terminally centrifuged in one of my front wheel spokes. It definitely caused the wheel to go out of balance, noticeable at +100KPH.

The small mouse couldn't have weighed more than a few ounces, but it was sufficient to create a vibration.

once had a spare wide wheel which I used to mount a slick for the drags.....it was about 3 oz. off balance so I melted 3 oz of lead and poured it in a spoke hole....worked like a charm...

bluesdog said:

Couple of years ago a suicidal mouse terminally centrifuged in one of my front wheel spokes. It definitely caused the wheel to go out of balance, noticeable at +100KPH.
The small mouse couldn't have weighed more than a few ounces, but it was sufficient to create a vibration.

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I hope you started a gofundme account for the mouse's family.

Pterodactyl said:

bluesdog said:

Couple of years ago a suicidal mouse terminally centrifuged in one of my front wheel spokes. It definitely caused the wheel to go out of balance, noticeable at +100KPH.
The small mouse couldn't have weighed more than a few ounces, but it was sufficient to create a vibration.

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I hope you started a gofundme account for the mouse's family.

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Sadly, the mouse had no ID, and centrifugal force had rendered the corpse unrecognizable. The RCMP said no one filed a missing mouse report.

She even brings me out coffee?

I didn't know you Englishmen knew what coffee was. Is that a translation from tea for us Muricans?

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="bluesdog" data-cid="1285699" data-time="1454010214"><p>

Couple of years ago a suicidal mouse terminally centrifuged in one of my front wheel spokes. It definitely caused the wheel to go out of balance, noticeable at +100KPH.<br />

<br />

The small mouse couldn't have weighed more than a few ounces, but it was sufficient to create a vibration.</p></blockquote>

I suppose the logical solution was to find additional dead mice for the remaining spokes?

NTXFJR said:

She even brings me out coffee?
I didn't know you Englishmen knew what coffee was. Is that a translation from tea for us Muricans?

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You Muricans don't make good coffee, at least never when I've been there. If you want good coffee, go to Spain or Italy. Makes either of our swills pale into insignificance.

As for tea, our every-day tea is impossible in America. The concept of pouring boiling water into a warmed teapot with proper tea-leaves is either outside your health and safety rules or simply beyond your comprehension. Getting a cup of warm water and a tea-bag is, frankly, pathetic. Bears no relationship whatsoever to a decent cup of tea.

/

mcatrophy said:

You Muricans don't make good coffee, at least never when I've been there. If you want good coffee, go to Spain or Italy. Makes either of our swills pale into insignificance.

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That's because too many of us buy into marketing hype and run to the place where all the "Cool kids" get their coffee on every corner.

They say "Oh my goodness, they have the BEST coffee!"

I say "If their coffee is so good then why did you need cream, froth, chocolate, cinnamon and hazelnut put into it?"

Same can be said for our motorcycle sales here too.

Klubis said:

<blockquote class='ipsBlockquote'data-author="bluesdog" data-cid="1285699" data-time="1454010214"><p>Couple of years ago a suicidal mouse terminally centrifuged in one of my front wheel spokes. It definitely caused the wheel to go out of balance, noticeable at +100KPH.<br />

<br />

The small mouse couldn't have weighed more than a few ounces, but it was sufficient to create a vibration.</p></blockquote>

I suppose the logical solution was to find additional dead mice for the remaining spokes?

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The scientific solution would be to pour a couple ounces of mouse turds through the valve stem, in order to dyna-mically balance the wheel

Those holes also act as deer whistles during rotation. Make sure they are open when you come to Oregon. I had emu poop in mine once and that morning on the way to work I almost took out seven deer.....one with a red nose. Oh, best if you blow them out with compressed nitrogen to keep the flutes clean for the deer whistle effect.

mcatrophy said:

NTXFJR said:

She even brings me out coffee?
I didn't know you Englishmen knew what coffee was. Is that a translation from tea for us Muricans?

Click to expand...

You Muricans don't make good coffee, at least never when I've been there. If you want good coffee, go to Spain or Italy. Makes either of our swills pale into insignificance.

As for tea, our every-day tea is impossible in America. The concept of pouring boiling water into a warmed teapot with proper tea-leaves is either outside your health and safety rules or simply beyond your comprehension. Getting a cup of warm water and a tea-bag is, frankly, pathetic. Bears no relationship whatsoever to a decent cup of tea.

/

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I understand that they brew some pretty good tea in Boston Harbor. You could try a bit of that........

I once was sent to Italy to evaluate a joint US-Italian Armies training event. The Italians got their tanks moving at the crack of 11 AM after some Cappuccino and animated conversation, broke in the early afternoon for some Cappuccino and animated conversation, and broke for the day around 4 PM for some Cappuccino and animated conversation. Must say I greatly enjoyed my time training with the Italians.

Pterodactyl said:

...broke in the early afternoon for some Cappuccino...

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I call bullshit. No Italian would have a cappuccino after noon. An espresso, sure, but never anything with milk because it wouldn't agree with the tomatoes!