Excel rim and excel spokes?

Discussion specific to the 1995 - 2006 KDX200 (H Series) and 1995 - 2005 KDX220R (A Series) models sold in the USA
Ewbarger
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: 03:12 pm Sep 09 2022
Country: United States

Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by Ewbarger »

Ordered new black excel rim and excel spoke set and they came in today. Im concerned about the aluminum nipples. Will the threads hold up? Anyone run this setup? And how do you like them? Is there a stainless nipple set that will work? Thanks
User avatar
Slick_Nick
Supporting Member
Posts: 1675
Joined: 10:06 pm Oct 22 2009
Country: Canada
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Contact:

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by Slick_Nick »

Aluminum is fine.
'00 KDX 220R
Ewbarger
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: 03:12 pm Sep 09 2022
Country: United States

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by Ewbarger »

This will be my first time lacing a wheel. I've rebuilt pretty much everything else on dirt bikes and I've got YouTube vids!
User avatar
KDXGarage
KDXRider.net
KDXRider.net
Posts: 14047
Joined: 06:45 am Nov 01 2004
Country: United States of America
Location: AL, USA
Contact:

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by KDXGarage »

Check old threads for info on using Excel on a KDX. It has been a while (17 years, but who is counting), but I seem to remember discussion of having to drill out the rim's nipple holes to use the Excel nipples. Measure the stock size and the Excel size.

Does anyone remember what the thing was about using them??

I searched a little.

viewtopic.php?f=115&t=19217&p=172568&hi ... le#p172568

viewtopic.php?f=77&t=6765&hilit=excel+nipple
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
To post pictures from a device: viewtopic.php?f=88&t=24128
Ewbarger
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: 03:12 pm Sep 09 2022
Country: United States

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by Ewbarger »

Yes, using a stoke rim you will have to drill out spoke holes to 8.5mm. I bought the excel rim cause my stock rim is crusty, it's seen better days. Pluse I wanted black rims.
User avatar
MoonStomper
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 560
Joined: 02:05 pm Jun 02 2020
Country: USA
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Contact:

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by MoonStomper »

Please take pictures of your process and progress. Looks like a fun project!
~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~
Let the good times ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
‘99 KDX 220 / '03 KDX 200 - @%@ '18 Trek Slash 8 @%@ ‘22 Rieju MR300 Racing

BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA USA
Ewbarger
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: 03:12 pm Sep 09 2022
Country: United States

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by Ewbarger »

I am waiting on some tools to arrive. It will be a slow process and I will take pictures of it.
User avatar
KDXGarage
KDXRider.net
KDXRider.net
Posts: 14047
Joined: 06:45 am Nov 01 2004
Country: United States of America
Location: AL, USA
Contact:

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by KDXGarage »

Thanks for the refresher. I appreciate it.
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
To post pictures from a device: viewtopic.php?f=88&t=24128
Ewbarger
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: 03:12 pm Sep 09 2022
Country: United States

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by Ewbarger »

You're welcome. I have done alot of reading on the different rim and spoke companies. I wanted to get the tusk rims but it states the tusk rim will only work with oem spokes or aftermarket direct replacements. And I did not want to drill out a new rim. So I paid alittle more knowing that there wouldn't be a fitment issue. It's too bad tusk doesn't make the complete wheel for the kdx, I would have dropped the coin for them.
User avatar
Tyl3r
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Posts: 1335
Joined: 06:51 pm Nov 26 2012
Country: USA
Location: SW Pennsylvania

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by Tyl3r »

You certainly did not make a bad choice going with Excel's over Tusk. Drilling out the rims and or hubs isn't that bad if you end up having to. It ends up only being a very small amount of material removed. I was nervous the first time I had to do it too, but wasn't a big deal.
04/05 KX220 Hybrid all decked out
18 KTM 500 EXC-F Dual Sport/Sumo toy
24 KTM 300XC-W Cheater bike
User avatar
ericr
Gold Member
Gold Member
Posts: 246
Joined: 06:57 pm Nov 06 2017
Country: USA
Location: Gig Harbor, WA

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by ericr »

Ewbarger wrote: 09:33 pm Jan 16 2023 You're welcome. I have done alot of reading on the different rim and spoke companies. I wanted to get the tusk rims but it states the tusk rim will only work with oem spokes or aftermarket direct replacements. And I did not want to drill out a new rim. So I paid alittle more knowing that there wouldn't be a fitment issue. It's too bad tusk doesn't make the complete wheel for the kdx, I would have dropped the coin for them.
I bought Tusk rims and Buchanan spokes which have oversized nipples. They installed without having to ream out the holes.
'02 KDX 200, '02 KDX 220 - My restoration thread
Ewbarger
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: 03:12 pm Sep 09 2022
Country: United States

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by Ewbarger »

Tusk wheel truing stand and Warp9 spoke torque wench should be here next week. All old spokes are seized so I guess I'm going to do some cutting!
User avatar
Tyl3r
Platinum Member
Platinum Member
Posts: 1335
Joined: 06:51 pm Nov 26 2012
Country: USA
Location: SW Pennsylvania

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by Tyl3r »

I think cutting them off with a cut off wheel is the better route anyways, 10x faster than unthreading and taking each one out.

I have a dial indicator with a magnetic base that I use to help the truing process. Its definitely not needed, but I think it helps me get there faster when I can relate how much adjustment I need to do based off of numbers on a dial rather than visual interpretation of how far the tip of a bar is from the rim, for me at least.
04/05 KX220 Hybrid all decked out
18 KTM 500 EXC-F Dual Sport/Sumo toy
24 KTM 300XC-W Cheater bike
User avatar
KDXGarage
KDXRider.net
KDXRider.net
Posts: 14047
Joined: 06:45 am Nov 01 2004
Country: United States of America
Location: AL, USA
Contact:

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by KDXGarage »

DO NOT cut any spokes before recording wheel dish!! (offset it has it)
Thank you for participating on kdxrider.net. :bravo:
To post pictures from a device: viewtopic.php?f=88&t=24128
User avatar
SS109
KDXRider.net
KDXRider.net
Posts: 5770
Joined: 05:11 am Aug 23 2009
Country: USA
Location: Tucson, AZ, USA
Contact:

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by SS109 »

ericr wrote: 03:05 pm Jan 17 2023I bought Tusk rims and Buchanan spokes which have oversized nipples. They installed without having to ream out the holes.
I did the same but with Warp 9 rims. Fit perfectly and I'm still beating the hell out of those Warp 9 rims all these years later.
KDXGarage wrote: 06:50 pm Jan 20 2023 DO NOT cut any spokes before recording wheel dish!! (offset it has it)
This is sage advice right here. :supz: I thought they were all the same until I took my Warp 9's I built for my E-series and then swapped them to my H-series bike. Had to shift both rims over 5mm in relation to the hubs.
Youtube Channel: WildAzzRacing
AZ State Parks & Trails OHV Ambassador - Trail Riders of Southern AZ
Current KDX: '98 KDX220
Old KDX: '90 KDX200 -White/Blue
'11 GasGas EC250R
Ewbarger
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: 03:12 pm Sep 09 2022
Country: United States

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by Ewbarger »

20230318_233642.jpg
20230318_233642.jpg (3.49 MiB) Viewed 1283 times
Well, it's been awhile. I have the rim together but still working on getting the dish right. I measured the old wheel with brake side down and it was 3 cm and the sprocket side was 5cm. Rig
20230319_145749.jpg
20230319_145749.jpg (3.04 MiB) Viewed 1283 times
ht now I have 4cm.
User avatar
SS109
KDXRider.net
KDXRider.net
Posts: 5770
Joined: 05:11 am Aug 23 2009
Country: USA
Location: Tucson, AZ, USA
Contact:

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by SS109 »

Good job! I know truing the rear is harder than the front. Well, it was for me anyway!
Youtube Channel: WildAzzRacing
AZ State Parks & Trails OHV Ambassador - Trail Riders of Southern AZ
Current KDX: '98 KDX220
Old KDX: '90 KDX200 -White/Blue
'11 GasGas EC250R
Ewbarger
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: 03:12 pm Sep 09 2022
Country: United States

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by Ewbarger »

It wasn't that bad. I still need to get the dish right. The one thing that I'm pissed at is, one dang nipple is stripped. The spoke and nipple kit is Excel. The nipples are aluminum and I only tighten them to 10 in pounds. So I ordered a nipple set not knowing if I'm gonna have fitment issues.
User avatar
SS109
KDXRider.net
KDXRider.net
Posts: 5770
Joined: 05:11 am Aug 23 2009
Country: USA
Location: Tucson, AZ, USA
Contact:

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by SS109 »

I don't trust torque settings for nipples. I do the sound test and if they all sound similar when tightened I'm good and have been for over 8 years on my Warp9 rim. Honestly, I found that when trying to torque them to a spec the rim would always end up being out of true. I now only worry about getting them true and then will go around on the nipples, from side to side (start tightening at 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock) and work my way around, and I tighten them by turn count and only to what I feel is tight enough. I always use a little anti-seize on the spoke threads to help lubricate them and to make down the road adjustments possible.

If you have the rim true then it's easy, but tedious, to adjust the dish. Mark your spoke (super important!) where you plan to start the dish adjustment, I recommend different colors for each side. Now, let's say you need to move the whole rim to the left 5mm. You first start by loosening all the spokes on the right by a 1/4 turn (keep it at 1/4 so as to not cause the spokes to actually be loose - you want to keep them under tension) and then immediately follow that up by tightening all the spokes on the left by that same 1/4 turn. Now, check your measurement to see how much the rim moved for you and you''ll have an idea of how many times it will take to get the rim where you need it. Also, front and rear rims will move a different amount per 1/4 turn due to their different diameters so just be aware. Anyway, it's slow but it works well without creating any issues once you have it trued. Test for that proper spoke sound and call it good! Fot the first few rides I check them for any loosening and then check only when I change tires.
Youtube Channel: WildAzzRacing
AZ State Parks & Trails OHV Ambassador - Trail Riders of Southern AZ
Current KDX: '98 KDX220
Old KDX: '90 KDX200 -White/Blue
'11 GasGas EC250R
Ewbarger
Member
Posts: 73
Joined: 03:12 pm Sep 09 2022
Country: United States

Re: Excel rim and excel spokes?

Post by Ewbarger »

20230328_133938.jpg
20230328_133938.jpg (2.37 MiB) Viewed 1237 times
Finally got it all together.
Post Reply