Aftermarket Spokes for '99 KDX

[KelvinKDX]

OK - in an earlier post i told all that my rear wheel bearings were shot and ended up ordering bearings from CBR. I'm happy with that - they arrived today so i went to install the new bearings...

Upon closer inspection my bearings are not worn (at least not like i thought they were) but my rear wheel spokes were so loose that my hub was rocking back & forth. :silly: Now i know what that clunk noise was when i landed that jump!! :eek:

Yeah - there are several bent spokes and many frozen nipples. :confused:

Here's the important part: I need to replace my spokes. I went to the local Kawasaki dealer and he said that all he can get for the KDX is the rather pricey :flame: OEM spokes as White Bros. does not list spokes for the KDX. Where is a good place to get aftermarket spokes for the KDX? Who out there have replaced their spokes and from where did you get them? I noticed Buchanan spokes web site. Has anyone used them for KDX applications? Advice is appreciated.

Now I wish i would have picked up those 1/2 price new Excell rims last week that i saw! :(

 

[BRush]

I went through this with mine. There are some White Brothers KX spokes that fit. KX250 I think, but I'm not sure about the years that are compatible. Fredette has all the info and can hook you up with a set. They are around half the cost of OEM and heavier duty to boot. In fact I think the spokes that White Bros sells are actually made by Buchanan.

 

[owenlo]

call sages street and dirt, they hooked me up with aftermerket (buchanan) spokes for my 2002 KDX200. here is a link. I used e-mail to communicate with them and they were very quick to respond. http://www.sagesdirtandstreet.com/pages/273392/index.htm
Hope this helps

Obie#8 :thumb:

 

[KelvinKDX]

Thanks for the advice guys. I ended up calling Buchanan Spokes and ordering them direct from them. They were extremely helpful & knowledgeable. Cost was around $58 for rear wheel spoke set (spokes & nipples). I ended up getting their heavier gauge spokes (.165" SS) which may require some slight reaming of the hub holes. They did say that they could also provide the "to spec." spokes for the KDX.

I actually called Fredette first but being a Saturday (I got his answering machine) he was not open, Buchanan's was. :thumb:

Now - To lace & true!!! :confused:

I have read many of the past posts on this topic & think that i can get through it. Worst case i will lace them myself & get the wheel as true as possible with my skeelz and then take the wheel to a local "expert" to do a final truing.

 

[keetkdx]

good luck lacing the spokes up...i ended up sending my hubs to fredette and having excels w/over sized spokes put in for a little over $500...was a good deal

 

[KelvinKDX]

$500 - i hope that was for the front & rear wheels.

 

[owenlo]

I figure 500 is about right. I just paid 366 for fr and rr black excels and buchanan spokes and nipples through PROLINE MTOTOSPORTS (same price as sages street and dirt) but that is without lacing truing and without mounting tire. Proline wanted 70 a wheel to lace and true. So figure 366+70+70 and you have 500, Needless to say I am lacing and truing my own. KeetKDX paid the going rates, good job KeetKDX

Obie#8 :thumb:

 

[keetkdx]

yes...it was for both front and rear..they still look awesome looking...i suggest everyone to get excel's w/over size spokes. they do take a beating well.

 

[23jayhawk]

Obie/Keith - still running the stock hubs? What's the cost of going to Talon's? Or are the KDX hubs considered pretty tough?

 

[WoWman]

I did the rear spokes over with White Brothers. They are made by buchanon, and I got the heavy duty stainless series. Very nice! Laced it up and trued it my self, really wasn't that hard. Only took about an hour and a half to get the new spokes on and wheel trued. Took a few hours to get all the old spokes (or what was left of them) out, most were frozen and needed to be cut out.

 

[KelvinKDX]

:thumb:

Thanks for all of your replys.

Well - the new spokes arrived Thursday of this week. While i was waiting for them i started to remove the old spokes. Some were frozen and required the use of some heat via the trusty propane torch. Some came right off without too much pain. As i took each one off i cleaned up the spoke body & threads with some scotchbrite and cleaned up the nipples and their threads.

I soon realized that i was going to be able to salvage the spokes that were on the wheel after all. Last night i laced & trued up the rear wheel. Didn't take too long and was actually much easier to true than some bicycle wheels i have done in the past. :)

So - now i have a nice round solid rear wheel. :thumb: I am happy.

Funny thing is this all started out with me thinking that i needed new wheel bearings - then changed to me thinking that i needed new spokes. I was able to get things back to where they need to be and didn't really need to spend any $$. Just time and a little propane. ;)

I do have a set of new CBR rear wheel bearings and an unopened pack of Buchanan's oversized SS spokes & nipples sitting in the KDX spare parts box. :|

 

[shr]

KelvinKDX,

You have made a very good choice in getting a spoke set from "Buchanan" I have used their product now for 30 plus years and they make a superior product.

Many factory manufacture through out the world use their product.

Note as your original spokes are shot, so just use a bolt cutter and cut the old spokes in half to remove them.

 

[KelvinKDX]

shr: Have you read this whole post? In particular my latest reply???

 

[shr]

Sorry..., I guess that I was half asleep late last night when I posted, hope your not upset with me.

Oh well, just shoot me..... I'm old anyway!

 

[yzeater]

Kelvin, why do you use the number you use?

 

[KelvinKDX]

??