Motocross/Dirt Bike Wheels

The wheels are the end points that receive the power of your high-performance engine. Without durable and reliable wheels and tires, you cannot unlock the full potential of your dirt bike. If style is your main priority and you don’t plan on performing high jumps on your machine, you can choose a set of forged or cast aluminum alloy wheels that feature a unique, timeless design with smooth lines. They can be polished or powder coated with black accents or machined grooves. Cast wheels are designed to be equipped with tubeless tires that can carry heavier loads and transfer more torque. Also, they don’t require regular maintenance and are easier to clean than their wire-spoke counterparts.

The majority of motocross/dirt bike wheels feature the wire-spoke construction with extruded aluminum rims. The main advantage of such wheels is that they tend to deform but not fail in case of a hard impact on a sharp edge of a large rock, while cast rims can crack and break. Also, wired wheels feature up to 40 spokes, each of which can handle up to 1.500 pounds of tension. The tension is distributed equally along the whole circumference of the rim. In case of an impact, tension disperses the force over the large area where almost all spokes are working on balancing forces and ensuring the perfectly round shape of the wheel.

Usually, the front wheel of a dirt bike has a larger diameter than the rear one. The larger front wheel provides better comfort when riding on rough terrain. Rear wheels are made smaller for easier acceleration in off-road conditions. Nipples are used to connect steel spokes to outer aluminum or steel rim. On the other side, spokes are attached to the center wheel hub. Rubber rim strips are used for covering spoke nipples on the inside of the wheel so that they don’t puncture the tube. Some may use duct tape for this purpose, but it is not a very reliable method of protecting inner tubes which may result in a flat tire during the race.

If you want to prolong the service life of your wire-spoke wheels, you have to carry out regular maintenance, check if the spokes are tight often and adjust them when necessary. Loose spokes affect the wheel’s balance and can lead to problems with handling. Also, they tend to bend and break causing tube punctures and hub malfunctions. If spokes are too tight, they can snap leading to similar problems. Use a dedicated torque spoke wrench to adjust the tension of your spokes. Make sure to tighten all spokes with even torque recommended by the wheel manufacturer. Check the tension as often as you check your tire pressure.

In case you have bent or broken spokes or outer rim on one of your dirt bike wheels, or if spoke nipples are seized preventing you from tightening spokes when needed, you have to replace them. In such a case, visit our store to find a huge variety of rims, spokes, nipples, and tools that you may need to lace your dirt bike wheels. Disassemble your wheels, remove the tires, rim strips, and rim locks. Before removing the spokes, check their lengths, angles, and location to know which type of spoke goes where. One wheel may have spokes of up to three different lengths. Attach all spokes to their corresponding holes on the rim tightening them evenly but not completely. The final truing of the wheel must be made on the truing stand to make sure that it has no radial and lateral run-outs.