Bent rim advise

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Well because it is snowing today, I am tinkering in my garage and notice the rim on my 1300 is bent, as in the photos below. I am the only one to ride it, have never hit a curb or anything that I recall so I have no idea if this has been there since i bought it used or ???. The bike rides true, no vibrations or indication of any issue with tires or rims, so I am looking for opinions on do I just ride it, hit it straight with a piece of wood and a hammer, squeeze it with a clamp or get a new wheel? Tire was mounted locally here about 5000 kilometers /3000 miles ago at a good dealership and no mention of it then. Ideas?

IMG_4659.JPGIMG_4657.JPGIMG_4658.JPGIMG_4660.JPG
 

Mark

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I had a bent rim on a front tire on an ST1100 that looked about like yours.
I had hit one of those half moon traffic/lane separators and didn't notice the bend for some months (but, I remembered hitting the d*** beast).

I kept riding it without messing with it because, although it was bent, it didn't affect the handling or seating the bead when I changed the tire.
 
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oh Wow!! The fact that the rim is bent outward would make me think the bike was rode over a sharp bump with a low tire. If you didnt do it, the PO must have and nobody noticed til now. Is the rim bent/flared on the other side? If it is still holding air, you could leave it. Myself, I would try and bend it back with a hammer and a block of wood, but that is just me... that would irritate me. The fact that it bent and didnt break would make me think it is not too brittle and could be bent back. I should add that I am assuming that just the bead is flared out from a hit. If a hit was hard enough to distort the circumference of the rim, I wouldnt think you could fix it.
 
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Nasty. I don't know about your MOT test over there, roadworthiness etc. But this would IMO fail a British MOT because of rim distortion.
It's difficult from the photographs to judge the exact amount of out of true but it looks considerable.
I would change it but I'm sure others will say otherwise. If an impact has done this to the wheel or indeed a tyre change then the forces were large.
Upt'North.
 
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cdnemsguy
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I tried to take a video but it didn't turn out very well. The rim is running true in the sense of the tire holds without wobble, and it holds air. I just took a block of oak and a good size hammer to it. after some very stern hits the rim is close to true but not quite there. It is a strong piece of aluminum I say. After some thought I did do a few wheelies with the 1300 and maybe one set down a bit harder than the rest, but not to bend the rim like that I would think. It is only on that one spot on that one side.
 
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I had a damaged rim repaired on my Mustang some time ago, and the shop did a commendable job on it for $80 (US), if I remember correctly. I don't know if shops that do this on auto wheels will do the same on motorcycle wheels or not but it would certainly be worth checking out. You may be able to save mucho $ compared to a replacement wheel. If there are no rideability or handling problems, I would probably elect to ride it as is for now, just keep an eye on the tire wear pattern. Seriously consider wheel repair or replacement before replacing the tire that's on it now.
 
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I have no idea if this has been there since i bought it used or ???. The bike rides true, no vibrations or indication of any issue with tires or rims, so I am looking for opinions
sounds like you answered your own question. No symptoms, never even noticed it before for how many years? Leave it alone.
 

drrod

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I tried to straighten out a bend like that and it did not go well. The rim cracked. I was in the middle of nowhere and didn't have a lot of choice but to try. Wished I had just waited for the flat deck.
There is outfits that will straighten it out. Cars with very low profile cars bend the rims a lot and they are fixed.
Here is one in Edmonton, but there are others as well.

http://www.thewheelclinic.ca/

If it was me, I would leave it since it does not appear to be causing any issues. The first thing you will notice, if it worsens, is a gradual but constant loss of pressure.
 
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Unless you are lucky, bends in aluminum rims (and cases, and covers) will crack. Cast material bends once really well. Not always back, unless the bend is slight. It will work harden at the bend and crack parallel with the normal/hard gradient. I have seen major dents/bends worked out with the assistance of heat, but have no first hand experience doing it as the process is different with different aluminum alloys.
 

Kevcules

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My rim has a similar but smaller sized bend to it. My initial thought was it was from a "do it your selfer" trying to change his own tire and was really prying on the last bit of tire to get the bead on. I might try a little heat and a few taps with a soft material like wood also.
 
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I've got a slow leak in the rear tire. Enough to see bubbles at the rim with the good old dish detergent test. Slight ding in the rim at that point. We've got so many pot holes that it did not surprise me. I did in a front rim royally about 6 years back. This one I am going to try to heat and tap (bang) out and see if I can't get the tire to seat properly. Wish me luck.
 
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We've got so many pot holes that it did not surprise me
Good luck Jim! I do not want to downsize your statement about potholes, but until you try to navigate around the city of Grande Prairie Alberta, I don't think you have seen real potholes. It is ridiculous here. In Grande Prairie they say that the only time you drive over a pothole and it is smooth, is when it already has a car in it. Let us know how the rim repair goes. I have left mine after getting it fairly good. No air leaks or wobbles here.
 
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My friend had a cast wheel fail that caused him more that a few health problems and time off work - I'd find a good wheel before too long.

Roger
 
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Jim,
I would be very careful about attempting to bend your rim either cold or heating it. The typical grade of aluminum used for wheels tends to crack when deformed and may also lose its metallurgical properties when heated.
I realize you have had success with this in the past but I believe it is very risky
Jack
 
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saw a car wheel guy come out in his truck to straighten some wheels and he just hammered them. He had curved metal plates and hard plastic hammers, basically he just hammered them straight as long as the flat part (not side)was not bent.
 
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First time taking a tubeless tire off I think. Used the zip tie method. Not as slick as I had hoped. The ding in the rim was not as bad as I thought and I did manage to get a little bit of it banged out with heat, a piece of dowel and some hammering. Got the tire back on and used some "Rim & Bead Sealant" on the tire and rim before seating it. 2 days later and she's still holding air. Of course I have rain and snow in the forecast all weekend!
 
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I'd try to find a local shop that repairs aluminum wheels. I would also talk to the guys in the shop and try to figure out if they really know wheels or are just 'guys with a hammer'. Talk to them about alloys and work hardening, and decide if you want them to work on your wheel. In the end, I would probably ride on it for the short term while scouring ebay and junk yards for a replacement. As Roger said, failure of a front wheel is no laughing matter and the consequences far outweigh a few hundred bucks spent on a replacement (used) wheel.

My own philosophy is its stupid to die or get hurt when a little effort could have prevented that. Not everyone agrees with me. Most disasters happen when multiple things go wrong, and would not have happened with only one problem at a time. I try to decrease the odds by cleaning up the easy things. YMMV.
 
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Woody's in Colorado does a fine job on straightening them out if they are not cracked. They fixed one of my ST1100 fronts that looked about like that. When they were done, you would never know it was bent.

http://www.woodyswheelworks.com/
Woodys is good but not cheap. I would call them monday and see what they charge, don't forget shipping costs both ways. A new wheel assembly from Partzilla is $477.
 

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Woodys is good but not cheap. I would call them monday and see what they charge, don't forget shipping costs both ways. A new wheel assembly from Partzilla is $477.
I wouldn't disagree with that at all! ;-) I did remove the rotors to reduce the weight of shipping. But when compared to the price of a new rim for a ST1100, it was a deal at the time.
 
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