Replacement wheels for Alpino 500

L

liebig

New member
Location
Sweden
Hi Boys and Girls,
New here.
I've been trying to find my answer in old posts, trying not to bring up a new old question, but can't see to find the answer.
The wheels on my newly purchased Alpino are a bit too bent and I can't seem to get the tyres to settle on the rim (needing to keep an inner tube as they both leak) after putting new rubber on. Tried it all, including running pressure up as far as my pump'll take it (6 bars, and turning my back...).
Is there a viable option to the original wheels (I found a new set of nice Italian wheels for 2500 euros, but that's more than I peid for the bike, so...)?
 
I'm fairly sure that's because the Laverda wheels are not designed and, potentially, not safe to run tubeless.
I'm sure many of the "Never do it! You'll die!" and the "I've done it for years with no problems" people will join in. I tend to take the manufacturer's word on it, but it's easy for me, I've got wire wheels.
There are wheel conversions, if you want to run 'tubeless'.
 
Locally we have an old bloke who runs a bike shop that specialises in crash repair business, used a lot by the bike race blokes. Laurie Alderton. He repairs cast wheels that are not completely pretzeled, bent out of shape, dinged trail bike expansion chambers, bent frontends etc etc everything except alloy bike frames. Look at getting your wheels repaired and round. Have you searched around your bike scene for such a shop?
 
Thanks both!
I talked a bit to my local Ducati dealer (got 3 of those as well - Ducatis that is) as he's sometimes sending batches to a guy in Denmark. Only thing is nowadays people don't repair old stuff anymore, so it's been donkeys years since he felt he had a lot big enough to send to DK.
I'll give it some more elbow grease with a mate of a mine and maybe his compressor can push it some more too. Local tyre guy won't touch the stuff but happily informed me a mate of his went all the way up to 8 bars before the tyre for his moped exploded.  :-X
 
Oh. Mr Sock. I'm not aversed to running tubes as such. Just looking for wheels that will work. Any tips on what to look for? Does wheels for other models of Laverdas work f i? I'm at the deep end here.
 
You can certainly run triple wheels on the rear if you swap the swinging arm as well, I did that with one of my race bikes. I expect you could also run a triple front as well if you can get everything aligned okay. May require some changes to the spacers and speedo drive etc. But if you lose the speedo drive you could perhaps use a gps speedo?
 
8 Bar is 116psi, that's crazy dangerous. Are you having trouble seating the tyres or just holding air after the tyre seats. Just send the wheels out to get the damage. if any repaired.
 
I?ve got a spare set of Montjuic cast wheels that I?ve been meaning get sprayed and fit new bearings to so I can have a second set for track use. As is frequently the case with me I?ve never actually got round to doing them  so if you?re interested in buying them let me know and we can work out a price and a way of getting them to Sweden. 
 
Andy, pls drop me a line on what price you may come up with - as long as the wheels are good and true.

Super forum this!!!
 
I?ll drag them out later and take a couple of photos then email them over to you. I?ve never had them on the bike and I?m waiting for my forks to arrive back after being chromed and emulators fitted but as soon as they?re back I can put the wheels on the bike and check them. I?d sooner check them and know they?re good before going to all the trouble of posting them and if I were you?d I?d strip them and fit new bearings before using them. They won?t come with discs or sprocket carrier/cush drive assembly, just bare wheels.
 
Hi
Laverda cast wheels are notoriously tight. The best results I've found over the years is to warm the tyres, use plenty of tyre lube, inflate to around six bars (90 psi) and leave them overnight. It helps to get a rotary wire brush and polish the bead surface inside the rim. If it seats and you're nearby there will be a hell of a bang and it'll frighten the crap out of you. Maybe throw a blanket over the wheel if you leave it overnight orthe neighbours will be calling the police. Don't give up.
 
Bob, many thanks for your tip. Next on my list was actually to get over to me mate and use his tyre warmers (don't have any anymore meself) and lube her up properly. Also, I haven't let the tyres sit with more than 4 bar overnight yet.

Again. Great forum and thanks for all the suggestions!
 
Vince said:
8 Bar is 116psi, that's crazy dangerous. Are you having trouble seating the tyres or just holding air after the tyre seats. Just send the wheels out to get the damage. if any repaired.
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Absolutely right. You will not find any tyre shop resorting to this. People have been killed over-inflating to get beads to pop. Get some patent tyre fitting goop, make sure the tyre is good and warm, hot even (I have used tyre warmers for this in cold weather) and inflate to what is safe, probably no more than 60psi, otherwise take it to a tyre shop.
Surely England has some wheel straighteners, I can't believe they have to send them to Denmark. It used to be the world's centre for clever, surely they aren't all dead.
 
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