Ithought I’d give you a rest from the inner workings of the Z900 mill this month and take a look at the wheels.
Back in the day we all wanted the super-sexy ‘mag wheels’, though only those with very deep pockets could run to the real ultra-light magnesium wheels which were then the preserve of the racing fraternity, but we all called the alloy wheels we could afford, at a push, mag wheels.
Apart from anything else, alloy wheels are a bloody sight easier to keep clean than traditional wire wheels and the spokes don’t rust. Many a bike of the 1970s was modernised with cast wheels, but nowadays people restoring them want to go back to the original wire wheels, rather like the original four-into-four pipes that we discarded in favour of the four-into-one systems. Rims and spokes are readily available for sensible money, but sourcing hubs, particularly rears, is becoming tricky and one needs deep pockets; I know, I had to get one for the rear
