4K gets me a 103 conversion plus, and I still have money to go drinking.
$4500 gets me a 125" conversion through S&S with cams, pistons, and the works. I would have to see some support for these wheels making that much of a difference. Removing 20-40Lbs tops has never seemed to affect my horse power any where close to increasing it by a 30% or better. Show me some you-tube's of you running these rims. I wanna see a track slip, of before and after the wheels.

 

I might spend that kind of cash if I had a racing bike, but not for regular street use. If you were to hit a pothole hard enough, an aluminum wheel will flex a bit, where a carbon fiber wheel isn't so forgiving and may shatter.

 

• Aluminum wheels bend and not flex, that is why truckers use steel rims over challenging roads in the outback of Australia and not aluminum. You can also bang out a steel rim but not aluminum on a truck (so I have read). BST is now making C/F wheels for the truck trains that transverse Australia's outback where pavement is a luxury. The C/F wheels are designed and manufactured to handle the load for this application. These wheels are much heavier than a motorcycles, however.
• If you hit any sharp corner deep hole like a removed man hole cover, any wheel will break. Carbon fiber wheels are 3 X stronger than aluminum wheels if the same WEIGHT. This of course depends on HOW THEY were made and for what application. My wheels are rated by TUV and DOT for 760 lbs/each.
• Airplanes such as the new F-22 Raptor are all composite material. Your wheels are not exposed to the same punishment as a fighter jet. If the composit material is too week, do you think the US government would use it? In motorcycles, especially HD, the technology has far outpased the riders abiity to comprehend these improvements.
• "Removing 20-40Lbs tops" You are not removing 20~40 lbs. Please read my web site concerning inertia and Newton�s 1st law.
  • For instance, a stock set of Chrome ThunderStar� Custom Wheel 16" front & rear weighs in at a hefty 65+ lbs w/o tires. Add the 6 Lb each rotors and the 7 lb rotor they get heavy real quick.
  • Carbon fiber 16" wheels weigh in at 4.2 & 4.7 lbs (rear) each.
  • Now with same tires and Chrome ThunderStar� wheels they weigh in at 105 lbs for the set w/o rotors & pulley. Tires weigh in at less than 20 lbs each for a bagger. You now can do the math to get static weight (weight at rest).
  • When you start spinning a wheel the wheel becomes heavier as the RPM's increase. At 40 mph your wheel weighs in at 4 X more than it did at rest (static).
  • You can proof it out by searching the internet and doing the math.
  • The faster you go the heavier the wheels become but it is not linier but logarithmic (they get heavier but more than 4 X over 40 mph)
• "I wanna see a track slip, of before and after the wheels." Go to the track and view it yourself. The wheels get on average 0.2 of a second on the top classes. To also proof this out you may call Sandy @ Kosman Specialties, you should know who he is. Tell him Howard sent you. 0.2/second is the difference between winning and loosing by a lot.
• I do not use carbon fiber wheels for the quarter mile application, however.
• I designed these wheels for a bagger application which is far superior in:
  • The lighter the wheel the less resistance you need to compensate for and you can than adjust your suspension accordingly. Of course you must have good suspension to begin with which leaves out stock HD which is non-adjustable. This means that the wheels move over the surface irregularities and not your bike frame.
  • The lighter the wheel the easier it is to accelerate and decelerate.
  • The lighter the wheel the less gyroscopic effect they have which means your bike transitions (turns) easier so you can than go around a corner faster than before.
• There are many sport bikes with this wheel on it and many riders say that this is the best improvement they have done to their motorcycles. Ask those who have them and than ask them for their experience with them. Avoid the people who can not afford them and will always speak negatively on anything they can not or do not have or have experienced first hand. Approach every learning experience with an open mind or just stay home.
• I personally use them on my 2 bikes for the smoothness in ride, faster handling, easier to ride longer distances, and it does start and stop faster. Is this a noticeable difference, yes! Very noticeable.
• Are C/F wheels for everyone; NO. Only for those discerning riders who require the best life has to offer and can afford it.

Thanks for all of your interest and questions!

 

Why do you keep stating the "I designed these wheels for" and "I am the originator" These wheels have been on the market for over 5 years years for Sportbikes and 3 years ago they started building them for Harleys. The are BST Carbon wheels manufactured by Blackstone Tek. I'm pretty sure you had little to do with the extensive R&D involved in them being that they are in South Africa. I can even see their logo on the box in your picture. Here is a link to their website with extensive info http://www.blackstonetek.com/index.php Do not mean to start an argument but I think credit is deserved where credit is due.

 

I set the specifications for the wheel. I gave BST the drawings I made (in the shop and at the desk (surface table) pictured below)


and this is my mold.

This is the manufacturing facility (been there 35 years) where Malcome (machinist & C.A.M. designer/draftsman), Jerry Schmid, and myself conceived, designed, measured, made mock ups for testing, made prints, and completed and compiled the research to bring this and other projects to completion.


There is nothing on this wheel which will work with a sport bike. This wheel was designed for the specifications I set forth.

Facts: please quote the right ones. They all (C/F wheels) look black and they look sort of the same. The problem is getting past the looks part and making them work for the application. I lived the experience and I paid the money.

Kylevonfile, for the record please state your qualifications and your experience in this or any other motorcycle related verifiable field. Statements that are written in a forum are to be truthful and not speculative. You did make assertions undoubtedly backed with facts. Please clarify them for myself and all HDF members. I will be waiting for any information you wish to publicly post.

Kylevonfile, since you are telling and not asking let me put fourth a few facts that are verifiable.

1.I contacted BST and negotiated a deal to manufacture C/F for Harleys. I did this with the help of Martin Wong of Motowheels (the US exclusive distributor for BST). His Tel # and e-Mail is on his web site. Feel free to give a call for verification as he received a copy of all correspondence.
2.BST had no prior knowledge of Harley Davidson motorcycles/FL series or what it took to manufacture wheels for this bike before my contact.
3.The specifications, drawings and measurements where all done on Maclome�s (SM employee) surface table (red arrow). The complete job was done in the same facility you see in the photo. This is also where my front end and numerous other projects are manufactured. At the time of the photo there were around 100 employees employed.
4.Several engineers designed the wheel in accordance with the specifications I contracted for. Drawings were made and the mould was made for this job only. These moulds only make one type of wheel. This mould costs $16,000 to manufacture in machine time and materials. You do not pay in green stamps but in cash up front. Much diffferent than talking about it for sure.
5.From beginning of conception to manufacturing the first batch of wheels took 1 � years or 15 months.
6.BST manufactures the wheels for me only with my mold in South Africa.
7.INFORMATION: Weight ratings on the wheels are as follows:
a.Sport bike front typically 3.5 x 17 = 150kg (330 pounds),Sport bike rear typically 5.5 x 17, 5.75 x 17 and 6.0 x 17 = 250kg (550 pounds).
b.MY �Bagger� (FL designed) wheel: 3.5 x 16 = 350kg (770 pounds) F/R
c.Typical 3.5 x 18 V � twin = 195kg (430 pounds)Typical 5.5 x 18 or 8.5 x 18 V- twin = 290kg (640 pounds)
8.Since all BST wheels are TUV & DOT tested verification of my or any other wheels are publicly verifiable.
9.It takes around 2 months to make 25 sets of wheels than I air freight it from S. Africa to San Francisco, CA. I than truck it overland to Fort Lauderdale where I distribute the wheels.

*In your statement These wheels have been on the market for over 5 years for Sportbikes and 3 years ago they started building them for Harleys.
>>> True but Harleys? You need an application for a wheel, a blanket statement such as yours only tells part of the story. What Harley? Read my statement, in a chat room reading is very important as well as reading comprehension.

I wished to service the Dresser market. With any C/F wheel made other than the 16� X 3.5� for a Bagger I make (have made):

• 2008 Harley-Davidson� FLHTCU Ultra Classic� Electra Glide� in Running Order: 851.0 lbs.
  • The nearest rated wheel is a pair of 18� x 3.5� is 860 lbs. The 2008 can not fit a 5.5 inch wide wheel without swingarm and frame modification.
• 2009 Harley-Davidson� FLHTCU Ultra Classic� Electra Glide� in Running Order: 924.2 lbs. (419.2 kg).
  • A 2009 is able to fit a 5.5� wide rim 180mm X 18�
  • The total load rating of this combination of wheels (18� X 3.5� & 18� X 5.5� is than increased to 1,070 lbs.
  • With full clothing and anything you put into the bike including the rider should not weigh over 145.8 lbs. Do the math.

I do hope I have answered your questions and concerns in full. Kylevonfile, are you a buyer or a talker? If this is a subject you are interested in, I do hope I have answered all your wants and concernes. There is a difference in those who talk the talk and those who actually do the job. Please respond back with useable information one way or the other. Are you a talker or an actual do'er?