Frustrated with Front Wheel Hop; can’t find a shop willing to touch it
 

So, I’ve loosened and re-tightened the spokes on the front wheel 3 times now. I thought I had the wheel laterally “true”; I was pretty happy with the result. However, the radial hop was still there. I have a noticeable low spot and high spot on the rim. This issue has been there since I got the bike. At first, I thought it was in my head. It was only recently that I learned how to check for trueness. I just can’t seem to get that rim radially true. And, I can feel the hop as I’m riding on road. That’s how I noticed the problem in the first place.

So, I called several shops and they won’t work on the wheel. The first question they ask, “what kind of bike is it?” I say “Apollo”. They quickly figure out that’s its Chinese and the conversation ends there. “I don’t work on Chinese bikes!”

Ok...so, am I now left with a bike that’s not viable to ride?

Manny’s parts warranty has expired so I can’t even ship the guy the wheel and hope and wait for a replacement.

A new wheel for this bike is $200. Is that my only option here, because if it is...then this bike is going to sit for a while like a paper weight in the garage.

Anyone have any suggestions for me? i would greatly appreciate it. I got the lemon of the bunch I suppose...lucky me.

That's just crazy. Some people can be so narrow minded. It shouldn't matter where the bike came from it they are just going to true the wheel. Have you tried just bringing in the wheel to a shop? It's a wheel, they aren't working on the engine. There's got to be someone that will do it.

The chinese rim can be hard to true, they are far cry from a oem DID rim that are equiped on my kawasakis.
Two days ago, i went to change my tyres for my chinese motorcycle, they are not very eager or happy to work on chinese rims. But they did the job anyway, because they know since i was 10 years old..... and oh boy they had hard time to true them, but they able to to do it.

I would do what Jerry said take the wheel out of the motorcycle, go to a shop and if they ask question about it. "It's a backup wheel for my CRF230"

Seeing how the commercial war with China is going and i can see that some uber patriots won't even dare to touch a chinese made wheel xD (But the iphone is the exception to the rule)

That's exactly what I would do. :tup:

If I get the lateral true, but I still have a radial hop, is it ok to ride on dirt? Or, will I risk bending the wheel by riding it like that?

If you can fell the hop, then it's pointless to continue using it. Can you?? Sure, it will get worst eventually and you may run into problems.
The easy solution is to take the whell, go to a shop and lie to the technician. Unless it's really busted up, they can fix it with the right tools.

Other option is to start from scratch and loosen every spoke fully and begin from there. I had to do that with my Hawks front wheel. Its tedious and can take a few hours, but it is doable. It is a good skill to learn. I used to make money on the side doing it for people.

Otherwise, do as suggested above and take just the rim in and say its for a Honda if they ask.

I don't get the mentality of turning a bike away. Work is work.

I wonder if you can just buy the same size rim and replace it yourself for the same money a shop will charge. I see used rims for $100. A set sometimes on eBay.

Indeed paying 200 for a chinese wheel, unless the hub is busted is pointless. On Amazon you can find DID rims for 100 usd...

I just don’t get it. I’ve watched a dozen videos and I’m doing everything suggested on the videos. I just can’t get that hip to come down.

I can’t find a 17” x 2.50 wheel. All I find is 17” x 1.40.

Dan...the one guy’s tone on the phone was like it was “beneath” him to touch the bike.

I tried loosening them all and started from the beginning so to speak. I’m wondering if a major problem is that the tire is still mounted? I don’t currently have spoons to remove the tire, but maybe that is the next step. Would that be part of the problem the rim won’t budge?

What about a 18” ?

You changed the rims on the apollo??

True and Dish are 2 different things. When a bicycle wheel rubs the brake it’s out of true. When it stops being round it’s out of dish. Sounds like yours is out of dish or you have something up with your tire causing the skip.

My front wheel is out of true about a 1/4 inch at one area and it doesn’t skip. It’s just not efficient as it could be.

I never true a wheel with a tire on, especially if I fully loosen all of the spokes. The extra weight and pressure can throw things off.

You might have got the rim 'close enough', and be careful the spot you're seeing isn't the seam, which is often slightly out.



Check your tyre is seated properly; it's unbelievably common for them to not be. Worse still, if it is has worn while not seating correctly it will forever hop due to the uneven wear.


It may also just be a defective tyre. I know this kind of thing can be infuriating, but if you've learnt all that, spend a bit of cash and lace yourself up a new good quality rim.

I don't know. If some stroke shop owner has that opinion then he won't be getting any business from me regardless of my make of bike.... Its really too bad you've got some jackass haters to deal with....I'm sure you are frustrated and don't blame you at all. For most of us older riders here we remember the same bs about anything Japanese in the 70s...I'm betting you've got a good bike there....just needs a little extra care right now. Try giving Dan's advice a whirl.

You’re not kidding...and there’s a Kawasaki dealership near me that has a repair shop. Despite another shop recommending that I call him about doing this, I refuse to deal with the guy. Here’s why. Last month, I needed a front tire installed on my Magna. I called and asked if I could bring him a loose tire and wheel for a mount and balance. He refused. He went into a anti-Chinese diatribe and assured me that any tire I buy online is a Chinese knockoff and will kill me. I assured him I would buy the tire from a legit seller like Revzilla, Bike Bandit, or Dennis Kirk. He again assured me that only real shops like his get the real tires and all other dealers get Chinese knockoffs. He then described how the bikes are bad too. I didn’t want to waste any more time, so I didn’t engage him. But, I’ll never work with him that’s for sure.

Since tire spoons are so cheap at HF, I will try to remove the tire and true the wheel again. It’s worth another shot. Thinking about it now, the tire and air pressure were probably a big problem in me getting this right.

If I can’t do it, I was able to find one guy who will work on it but he doesn’t come cheap! He wants $120 for this...which is about double what I thought he’d say. Hence, I want to try myself again before dropping that kind of coin.

The Apollo deluxe comes stock with 17x2.50 in front and 17x3.00 in the rear for wheel sizes. It’s a funky wheel size as far as buying tires.

Shops are getting pretty finicky around here. The Honda/Suzuki shop in Zanesville will not mount a tire unless you buy it from them, and it has to be on the bike so they can charge more labor. And they will tell you it's for liability reasons but it's really about the almighty dollar. And I guarantee you they wouldn't touch any China bike.

Honestly, $120 to true a wheel and dismount/remount a tire/tube is pretty reasonable. I used to do it for about $100 if I had to remove the tire/tube and about $80 for just the wheel with 40 spokes or less. That would be to get the radial and lateral runout less than 1mm.

Sounds like someone who was born dumb and worked hard at perfecting stupidity. I hope you get this done on your own and let the hater loser keep running off current and future customers. Chinese branded bikes are only going to increase. . . and whether the jackweds are accepting or not eventually Chinese branded automobiles will be rolling up and down the highways.... Look no further than Buicks current Envision.... I believe I read it is entirely manufacturer in China and shipped here. I'm not saying their products are superior.... I'm just pointing out the fact they are here now and will only increase and that morons like the dealer you spoke of had better readjust his business practice or prepare for dwindling business.

I know a couple of the guys at the local Suzuki dealership..
there issue with Chinese bikes is not really the bike but the owners..
they fix the bike... because it is a piece of crap and keeps braking down
and they were the last to work on it then the new problem becomes
there fault in the owners mind... and then they bad mouthing the shop
to anyone who listen... fixing Chinese bikes can do the shops reputation harm..

And getting compatible parts can be a nightmare...
they can't just go to the computer and link the bike/model/ part
to a part number as with a jap bike.. then order it knowing it is the right part..

I work 5 minutes away from the Suzuki shop....Yamaha shop is on the other side of the city
I order a lot of my Yamaha parts though them.. not a issue as everything is linked on computer....
try doing that with Chinese bike parts..



..

This, has to be one of the biggest reason, why some dealership and shops don't like to stock parts for Chinese bikes.....
The biggest shop in my city, refuse to sell parts for any brand sells chinese parts, because of what you say.

About breaking all the time.. They don't break more than any entry level yamaha (xtz 125, ybr) or honda (xr 150, titan).
But even so, we are talking about truing a wheel.. The shop owner can just say "look buddy this rim is not very good, is not going to hold true for long, just get a new rim and spokes or live with it"...

They can't be any worse than here lol

They are I’ve not seen anything like this before in a place that’s semi modern

buddy of mine that works on vintage harleys wont fool with the new spoke rims. he said they are mostly from tiawan and can take up to a whole day just to get close. just not built round enough. the shop probably knows this too and knows you will freak out when you get the bill for 6-8 hours of shop time so they just say no thanks. take a day or two and work at it till you get it close enough.

Yes, you are lucky. You are lucky because you will now have the opportunity to learn how to do this yourself. There is a site on youtube called Britannia Motorcycles, which explains EXACTLY how to lace up a wheel when you don't know how. He starts a "Trials Iron" build. He does these in like 45 minute threads. There are a guzzillion Quick and easy methods shown on how things were done 'back in the day'. Sometimes it's good to know this kinda stuff. I have trouble understanding him, you probably will as well. Just soak it up, what this guy is teching is very hard to find theses days....ARH :tup:

You can do this! We need a positive review on the new Apollo!

200.00 for a rim? Seems awfully costly. What size?

You can climb this hill brother...watch the videos...get your mind right...open up a big can of patience and go slow. Like LZ said....we are looking forward to a review and some ride reports.

I hear ya, and I appreciate the support. I have not had any luck selling the bike. I figured I'd post it and would get a few nibbles from Craigslist. I was able to sell my Hawk/Bashan from an online ad. Not one single email; and I'm not counting the one from a Nigerian prince who wanted to send me a check to arrange shipment of my "item".

I still need to remove the tire from the rim and need to spend $45 on new tire spoons and legit rim protectors. I returned the tire irons I got from HF because they were not the "spoon" type. I only got those because I was desperate. I'm at a weird place with the bike.

On one hand, I'm very pissed that I've had it since February and can't ride it because of a damn "oval" wheel. I'm also pissed at myself for not acting on this sooner and sending it in for a warranty item, which has now expired so I'm on my own. So, from this perspective, I want to do whatever I need to in order to actually use the bike, which I might be stuck with due to not being able to sell it.

On the other hand, I don't want to really sink any money into it, even if it is just $45 for new tire spoons. The thought of spending any money on this bike annoys me. I spent money that I did to buy the damn thing, and can't even use it. So, spending $45 on the new spoons isn't appealing because it could be just a waste of more money on a rim that might very well never be true.

I found new 17" rims on Ebay from China. But, there are three issues with them. One, since they are also from China, they will be of the same poor quality as the rim on my bike. Two, there is no guarantee they will be straight and true. Three, even though they are also 36 spoke rims, there is not guarantee they will work with this hub.

So, I'm stuck at the moment.

If you are not getting buyers, the best thing you can do, cooldown. Don't do anything with the bike, ride the honda. After the cooldown, think about what are you going to do with it. Sell it, change rim size, etc.

That's exactly what I've been doing. I've tucked the DB36 in the corner of my garage and tried not to think about it. I've just been enjoying the Honda. Yesterday, I went on a 3 hour ride with it! It was nice to get out and ride.

It's possible the 2 sides where the rim was welded were not aligned properly so you might not be able to get it perfectly straight. Best bet if you are paying anyone is lace up a new rim. Truing wheels is something I've done, but I have a buddy who's a lot better at it than me. He can do it in 30 minutes but it takes me 1/2 day.

I like doing things myself, but sometimes the hassle and stress are just not worth the savings. I think $120 to get this figured out and enjoy the bike would be money well spent.

Glad you found a good shop willing to work with you. As a last resort I would have recommended finding a good mountain bike shop and see what they can do if you bring them the wheel and a stand. The concept is the same, and these guys are truing 27.5 and 29 inch wheels which takes skill. I learned to adjust spokes/true on mtb wheels... well enough at least.

Setting it aside, riding the Honda and letting some time slide by is all part of getting your mind right. You'll get to your own conclusion ...just don't get yourself in a hurry. Honestly in the long run the tire tools are a great tool to have regardless your make of bike and will be there if needed for years to come.

Well, now you know why to stay away from oddball sized rims. 18 inch rims are available just about everywhere. You can find very good Japanese aluminum 36 hole rims on e-bay. Then buy the spokes that fit. If you have a 17 inch rim now, the 18's will need to be 1/2 inch longer. Don't file down any spokes until you KNOW you've got the wheel built accurate. It may help to think about your wheel as built in 12 sets of 3 spoke groups. When I used to do this, I made a wooden jig to set up the wheel and locate the hub and take care of the off-set, if any. I"ll go into this a little farther tomorrow........ARH :zzz:
So. When I started doing this for myself, I cut a piece of 1/2 inch plywood slightly proud of 18 inch square. Then I rasped, filed and sanded until the four sides of the plywood just touched the outer edges of the wheel rim. Now mark the center of each place where the rim is just touching the outer edges of the plywood. Now remove the wheel and run the lines in a "plus' sign or crossing one another. Where the lines cross is where the wheel center is. The axle will go there, eventually.
But for now I make an axle pattern out of easily obtained red oak. Next, taking the wheel off-set measurements from the old wheel, accuratly "pack out" the rim to get the correct off-set, IF ANY. Remember that the hub is always wider than the rim, which explains why the rim must be always "packed out". The rim "saddle" that is. Where the spokes go. I guess that's all I have to say, except this thechnique is the easiest I've ever found to keep the whole thing in relationship while lacing up a wheel. I fervently hope this helps someone in his/her endeavors to stay away from $100.00/hour shop rates.

and if you remember i was the only one that told you not to buy a china bike. they are not for everybody.:shrug:

If you don't want to spend more money on it then sell it if you can, but be prepared to take a huge loss on it. Otherwise, spend a bit more, make it better than it was, and ride it until it returns to the earth.

It's a shit position to be in, believe me I know. My VFR essentially doesn't have 6th gear, and if I buy a good used engine assembly for 1200 bucks, spend MANY hours of my time fixing it myself and still several hundred dollars, or a couple thousand having a Honda dealer fix it, I am out all of that money and/or time for a bike I literally paid several thousand for already. That negative part of my brain wants to just sell the stupid thing and move on, but I wont. Fixing it wont make it worth more than it already was before, but it makes it worth more than it would be if I left it broken and then I will at least have a bike I love to ride again.

Buy the new rims. If they are warped or not to your satisfaction return them.

Buy the tire spoons. Good tools are never a waste of money. Ever. They will pay for themselves the first time you use them, and save you money every time after that.

Or, sell the bike, and maybe get 500 bucks for it IF you can find a buyer willing to buy what is essentially a broken chinese motorcycle that can't be ridden.

Lose a couple hundred bucks, or a thousand bucks. What sounds better?

I am not trying to be a dick, but this is part of owning and riding bikes as a whole. The same thing can happen to that Honda of yours. One big failure and it becomes a worthless brick, and then you either have to spend a bunch to make it right, or eat the loss. Buying a cheap chinese bike is a lot more like buying a used bike. The parts might all be new, but they aren't great either. You should see the warp in my Hawks front rim. It took me 5 hours to get it remotely ok. I eventually will get new rims too, even though I would rather not if I didn't have to, entirely because I don't trust that front wheel to hold up to a hard hit.

If you are truly done and wanting to sell it then I might make you an offer for it, but I doubt it would be one you would be happy with.