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I can certainly understand the frustration evident here... And if I were in the same boat I'm sure I'd be pissed.
But on the other hand I'm interested in seeing if we can find some sort of common thread or cause in the case of the folks who are losing the spokes. Seems to me that, first and foremost, is the path to coming up with a true and proper solution, for everybody, for the long term.
For instance, I have more than 24,000 miles on my Super Ténéré, and mine was one of the initial ones to come into the USA. Even at that point the word was already out that often the rear spokes in particular had a tendency to loosen in the first few miles. Because of this I was fastidious in checking mine early on, and sure enough, along the way I found a really loose spoke. Fortunately the nipple on mine didn't come off and I simply snugged it up. As the miles rolled on I continued to check, and re-check, the spokes F & R. Never did I find any truly loose ones up front, though often I found one or two that could take a bit more snugging. There were always more spokes in that kind of shape on the rear, but again, as the miles piled on any evidence of loose spokes began to disappear, and all would be tight.
Now I have gotten to regiment of checking them only about every 3,000 or 4,000 miles and at tire changes (averaging about 5,000 to 5,500 miles per). on a *RARE* occasion I have found one or two rear ones that could take some more torque... Not "loose", mind you... Just that could take an eighth turn or so.
Now I ride my S-10 primarily on pavement, but it does get taken off-road, too, occasionally. Whether on-pavement or off- I ride my bike pretty hard (some here have seen how hard), and don't baby it in the slightest. I'm also a pretty big sized gent, and often my S-10 is loaded up pretty heavy with gear, too.
So my question is this: Why do some folks have the broken and/or missing spoke nipple issue, while others don't?
It's apparent that even some who do fastidious maintenance still have the problem, while there are others who do little or no maintenance, other than taking their bike to the dealer from time to time, and they have no spoke issues at all... And it seems every scenario in between.
Some other questions:
- Is this perhaps a quality control issue at Yamaha, either with the rims or the hubs, or even the spokes and nipples? Where perhaps their accepted tolerances are perhaps too lax, and as such some parts get through that cause the spoke issues, whereas any that get out that are well within spec have no problem?
- Or is this an assembly issue at the factory? Where perhaps some wheels are not getting sufficient initial spoke tension, and as such some spokes never *seat* properly?
Perhaps somebody like Woody at "Woody's Wheel Works", or someone else similar, could shed some better light on the issue... And even possible solutions?
Just wondering...
Dallara
p.s. - I'll take this relatively minor issue with the spokes over the potential for final drive problems with a BMW any day...
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