1260 Carbon Wheel Safety

I’m still unconvinced with carbon motorcycles wheels.

After seeing this report a few years ago about a journalists wheels disintegrating, I was a little worried but thought it could have just been a brand issue. https://www.motorcycle.com/features/carbon-fiber-wheels-and-a-trip-to-the-moon.html

However a quick google on carbon rim failures on the new bmw s1000rr and it is clear that even, quality German approved wheels aren’t robust/reliable enough for routine use.

I would rather spend my money on a decent forged set (+ maybe some shinny stickers I found I was fused about the looks.) The peace of mind they would offer me, outstays the weight penalty.

 

I looked at a BMW carbon rim that had come off a 1000RR road bike. One of the strands near a spoke well had lifted very slightly. Only really noticeable if you ran your handihand across it. The tyre lost no air and the wheel was still structaully fine. They (BMW) had a few replaced under warranty due to issues.
Their track only 1000RR runs carbon rims made by a different company; TKCC. Who are a huge manufacturing concern.
I run a carbon TKCC front rim and BST carbon rear rim on my road going 899. No issues with pot holes and speed humps. If they failed at an alarming rate I do not think BST or TKCC would last long as a manufacturer of carbon wheels. Especially given the litigation that would follow a failure if a rider in the USA had a crash on the road.
We all asses risk differently and I'm happy with my choice.

 

I hope that 'body fan' is computer controlled and not directly engine driven (haven't watched full video yet)? When he tried that on F1 cars, the drivers initially struggled to keep the engine revs at 12k rpm, mid-corner, so they would lose down force. Can't see your average punter for one of these, having those skills!

 

I've seen the videos and see the wheels bounce when dropped etc etc, but it's different when it drops into a pot hole and it's got 200KG bike and 100KG behind the point loading on it, this is what worries me a bit more. Also, the issue remains around ageing of them (same as magnesium) and whether their integrity suffers, and what happens when wheel changers damage the rim?

Ultimately for me, if they were the same money as forged aluminum I would take the risk, because I've seen plenty of good experiences of them, but they are still 'bleeding edge' in terms of being for example 30% more expensive than a really high end forged wheel like OZ Gass, for maybe 10% more of the benefit.

It's a bit like computer gaming... you get to a point of cost versus return and for me Carbon wheels are kinda still there.

 

I trust my tyre changes to one place; who do a fair few. Including the guys own 1000RR carbon wheeled track bike. The TKCC rims also have a reinforced rim. The BST ones don’t.

 

my 996 carbon/mag wheels are proberly 15+ years old now, i did have them refurbed about 7 years ago though.

 

I have BST'S on the MV. Clean them after every ride and they look great, mind u we dont have a lot of pot holes around here.