KDXRIDER.NET

Perhaps it is age, perhaps both bikes have had abuse, but I've seen a scary pattern on the two KDX250s I'm using to build my "good bike."

The first bike came with an additional set of front and rear rims from a KX250 (many guys up here have an alternate wheel set of snow/ice tires, complete with either screws or spikes). One rim (front) had been replaced with an older Excel unit. Of the remaining five rims, FOUR have cracks at the weld point. Most run over the bead edge of the rim, all go down the outside profile of the rim from 1/4 to 1/2 inch, and one looks to have "turned" and has traveled laterally along the radius of the rim.

Is this that common? Did the period DID rims just suck? Is this an expected wear/fatigue issue? I never remember having issues like with my my old IT200, even with the Z-spoke design problems.

I had mounted new tires and tubes to one set before really noticing the crack pattern. It will suck to pull those tires/tubes for wheel rebuilds.

When I do, what should I replace with? DID again? TUSK? Notako Excel? Are Takasago Excel really worth the money? What about the new A-60 line?

Here is an example of what I'm talking about...

It depends on the year. I had the same problem with both an 86 KDX200 and an 86 KX250, but not any other years. Just bad alloy batch.

The donors were:
'92 KX250
'93 KDX250
'94 KDX250

...three-year run, over two models. Anybody else with bikes in this vintage seeing this?

Are they high-time rims? Aluminum stress-hardens and gets brittle...just a thought.

just weld it

Yamaha late 90's-early 2000's excels break welds all the time. newish KTM's will straight fold in two. OEM spec wheels are generally not super strong. excel takasago are nice, but even those bend. I wouldn't blame DID on a broken wheel thats 20+ years old. If you ask me, thats testament to how good they are, for a factory wheel even.

most of the broken wheels I see are from people not maintaining proper spoke tension. too tight or too loose is bad.

I would say you just had some bad luck.

If you want new rims, glook into DID Dirtstar.

Takasago or DID OEM is NOT the same as DID and Excel Takasago aftermarket rims. Hell, even some of the Excel Takasago OEM rims are not the same as the aftermarket ones. Look up KTM recent info on those.

Okay...I should assume that nobody has had decent results with the other brands of rims I asked about, then? I should just expect that I need to drop an immediate $400 (rims, spokes, nipples, sudries) out of the gate? Nobody makes a worthwhile rim below the $150-each ballpark?

On the DID DirtStar (and most others) the 1.85x18 is no longer available. Will I run into chain or swingarm clearance issues on the KDX running the same tire (110/100-18) on a 2.15 rim? Every manufacturer I've contacted has stated that they will not accept a return once I lace the wheels should the package not fit right.

I have a set of a60's on the kdx. I have a set of takasago's on the hybrid. Both are working great and I don't ride then with any kind of caution. My buddy has a set of warp9's on his 450exc and he rides the pi$$ out of them with no problems, however he also has a wr500 with BIG dings on his takasago's.

stay away from prowheel, those are JUNK.

also mentioned earlier about OEM wheels... don't be thinking OEM wheels, even from DID or Excel, are even close to the quality of an aftermarket purchased DID or Excel wheel.

The stock rim size is 2.15 x 18, not 1.85 (on 1991 - 1994 DX250)

Is it not??

Thanks, Jason...I had conflicting info. Online fit-guides from various retail sites listed 1.85. Service manual and BikeBandit list 2.15. That opens up a few brand options.