Just received this from a bud in email. Didn't check into it's validity as I don't have laced wheels so it doesn't affect me.

> Subject: SAFETY NOTICE FOR HARLEY WHEELS
>
>
>
> F Y I !!!!

> SAFETY NOTICE
>
> Tell everyone with a Harley with wire wheels about this problem.
>
>
>

> law firm investigating rim failures
> Dec 12, 2010

> A Texas law firm says it is investigating motorcycle rim failures in two
> accidents that may lead to more claims.
> The Edwards Law Firm says rim failures may have led to catastrophic
> deflations of tires on Harley Davidson Ultra Classics. Both were steel
> chrome-plated 40-spoke factory rims manufactured in Italy.
> The firm operates the web site _unsafemotorcycles.com_
> (http://www.unsafemotorcycles.com/) , where it says consumers contacted the firm about
> incidents in Michigan and Ohio.
> “Failures of two rims manufactured at the same plant could mean defective
> metals or processing. If this is the case, other riders could be at risk,”
> says Billy Edwards, attorney and motorcycle rider. “We will be sending
> the rims to experts to see if they can determine what caused the failures.”
> A Michigan man riding a 2001 Ultra Classic reported he was traveling in
> October 2009 along a two-lane state highway at about 40 mph when his rear
> tire suddenly deflated.
> “There was no warning, no sound, and all of a sudden the rear of the bike
> became extremely loose, squirrelly, uncontrollable,“ he said. He credited
> experience as a lifelong rider and Motorcycle Safety Foundation classes
> for his ability to stop without going down. “I knew, don’t panic, don’t
> slam on the brakes, bring it down easy. I was fortunate,” he said.
> The tire had less than 1,200 miles on it and had been installed at a
> Harley-Davidson dealership, which also reported they had inspected the rim, he
> told the law firm. He said there was no hole in the tire, a D402, just a
> shredded tube and a long, lengthwise crack in the rim.
> The Michigan rider, an engineer, says he contacted the firm after a
> fellow rider from Ohio experienced a similar rim failure in September, 2010. In
> the second instance, the Ohio rider reported he was traveling 78 mph on
> I-75 when the tire gave way.
> “He crossed three lanes of traffic before he reached the berm where he
> could start applying brake to the front wheel. He almost didn’t make it,”
> according to the Michigan rider’s account. He said the Ohio rider, an auto
> mechanic, was on a 2003 Ultra Classic with Messler tires, again with no sign
> of puncture, but the rim shows a long, vertical crack.

 

hmmm. That would suck if it turns into a trend

 

If it were true, I'd suspect the NHTSA would get involved. The rims are manufactured in Italy? I would think it's the other direction, say China.

 

Is it just the Ultra Classic's, or does it affect all models with the same 40 spoke rims?


__________________
2006 Road King / 1960 Fat Boy

 

This is an example of a bad economy. Here is a group of lawyers trying to find enough people to start a class action suit. They have a total of two alleged failed rims. That usually means the lawyers get the money and you get a rim. Not long ago a lawyer started trying to find riders who had their rear tire blow out. A bunch of riders ran down to their dealers thinking they could get new tires. No, this lawyer only had one alleged blown tire. The DOT handles what would become recalls but I doubt they will be troubled.

 

I personally know of three rim failures from three different friends over the years, and that's just me. Two were noticed and didn't result in catastrophic failure. One put my friend and his wife in the hospital when the rear split apart suddenly.

It's been a known issue, but I doubt anything will be done about it short of paying off the attorneys assuming they get any momentum. There is at least one other firm attempting the same. Class action suits almost always only benefit the bottom feeding attorneys.

Bottom line, if you have stock spoked steel rims, keep an eye on them. They can rust from the inside out and then crack and separate.

 

I've got 3 of the popular high dollar 18" chromed aluminum rim wheels that the spoke nipples have either partially or fully pulled through the rim and they all have big stress cracks all along that area . Came from different bikes and non were beefed up or hotdog riders . it's more common than you know .

 

someone has been smokin to much there are failures on every mechanical thing made guys it is made on a machine

 

Just keep drinking the Kool-Aid.........

 

laced wheels fail from time to time. not always the rim is at fault. low tire pressure, poor upkeep, loose spokes, **** man just ride its all a crap shot no matter how you look at it. the more you know and care for your ride the better off you'll be.