THE BASICS
of
CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE WHEELS

So you got the bike paid for and have a little money on hand before you go spend it on custom motorcycle wheels that you know absolutely nothing about. Shouldn't you know a little something about the equipment that your very life depends? Safety and performance of your motorcycle depends not only on the engine but on the wheels. Sure, you can have cool looking wheels that work just fine. But take a minute to know what you should be looking for in your custom motorcycle wheels, whether it's spinning wheels or flames.

Besides safety issues you need to know what the proper size would be for your motorcycle. If it doesn't fit it won't work on your bike, and you may have spent a lot of money on wheels that you cannot take back for a refund.

The very best case scenario here would be that they charge a restocking fee for returning lightly used custom wheels and rims and let you start the selection process over from scratch. Hopefully you will be proceeding from this point with a little more information and knowledge about custom motorcycle wheels under your belt.

A knowledgeable motorcycle tech is always a big plus and a timesaver. But don't wear out your welcome and expect him to do all your legwork in your shopping for custom motorcycle wheels parts and accessories. Break out the owners manual and do some of your own thinking. You will impress the parts counter guy with your knowledge of chrome and custom motorcycle wheels, and it will be nice to go in the motorcycle shop, and not see the techs all scatter and run for the hills.

Bikers love to talk about custom motorcycles, chrome accessories and custom motorcycle wheels and rims are some of their favorite subjects, but they can spot a lazy biker who wants to steal all their ideas for customizing cars and motorcycles from a mile away. This applies to all motorcycle accessory shopping and not just wheels. Leeches are not appreciated. Bring something to the table so that you won't be shunned.

If you have rims that you like okay and you know that they fit it may be cheaper simply to improve them with a new finish. Get them re-chromed or even gold plated. Send them off to a plating shop and in about a week the UPS man will ring your doorbell with your shiny new/old custom motorcycle wheels an rims. Well, they may not exactly be custom, but they will do in a pinch until you can afford a different design.

If you really want your bike to look super cool and stand out at the rallies come up with something unique and different. Design your own custom motorcycle wheels and rims! Create your own cool designs and have them forged to suit your individual taste. There are plenty of stock designs that will give your bike a whole new look and feel without having to go through the creative process.

Lots of bikers want new wheels so that they can change the tire size and get some of those super wide plus size tires. This is not a job for amateurs as this may create all kinds of warranty not to mention safety issues that relate to the braking system. It's my opinion that if you jump in and change the basic structure of your motorcycle in this way the manufacturer of your bike may wash his hands of you. And should you encounter misfortune (Read: have a bad ass motorcycle wreck) from this customizing process you may find yourself up a creek without a paddle. I would advise for you to proceed with extreme caution in regard to structural changes of your motorcycle. You can dress up your bike with custom motorcycle wheels with out compromising your safety and the looks of your bike so long as you seek the advice of experts (and I don't profess to be one!). Do NOT endeavor to alter the basic structure of your motorcycle without expert assistance. Always consult with the manufacturer before switching to non-warranted rims.

I'm certainly not trying to discourage you from getting custom motorcycle wheels or rims in any style, budget range or flashy finish. Just know what the options and implications are before you lay your money down for something that you can't use or that may cause you harm.