2012 r1200gs spoked rim question/s

Do most BMW dealers know how to or have the ability to really fine tune and true a spoked wheel?

I thought I read somewhere members recommended some member [ maybe not a member ] who was the best of the best at this operation. That got me to thinking, if one guy is recommended for this service by a lot of members, whether the dealers are considered experienced enough to be tursted to get the job done correctly.

Also, how often should they be checked, tightened and trued?

Others may contradict but in my experience lacing a wheel from scratch takes skill and there are just a few specialist outfits I would trust for that. Routine maintenance checks are pretty basic - even just the "screwdriver method" - and I've never had a need for major adjustment or truing other than damage repair.

talmadge_w said:

Others may contradict but in my experience lacing a wheel from scratch takes skill and there are just a few specialist outfits I would trust for that. Routine maintenance checks are pretty basic - even just the "screwdriver method" - and I've never had a need for major adjustment or truing other than damage repair.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the reply, what's the screwdriver test you speak of? I'm new to spoke MC wheels.

I found this guy is the go to for truing and respoking bmw wheels.

https://woodyswheelworks.com/

Woody's is great but overkill for routine spoke maintenance.

Tap and listen for tink-tink-tink-tink-TUNK. If you get a TUNK, Read this...

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/spoked-wheel-maintenance.155827/

beemerphile said:

Woody's is great but overkill for routine spoke maintenance.

Tap and listen for tink-tink-tink-tink-TUNK. If you get a TUNK, Read this...

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/spoked-wheel-maintenance.155827/

Click to expand...

thanks

So read that thread and bookmarked the two links to the tools. Is this something the dealer would normally be able to do if asked or not. My mechanic might know how to do that as he's a big dirt bike rider and must have dealt with spoked wheels over many years on the smaller bikes.

I'll ask when I call him Monday to see where we're at on delivering the bike back to me from the 12K service and repairing the two throttle bodies which had those cracked plastic pieces that replaced the steel parts some years back. He can't get the throttle bodies in as they are back ordered but ordered an upgrade kit which takes the plastic piece out of the equation so I should have the bike back next week sometime.

Dealers should do the "loose spoke test" and tighten the occasional spoke. The technician may or may not be checking for true; the wheels are so stiff that a single spoke doesn't really become a truing operation.

If the wheel is out of true to the point that you want it to be better, I would sent it to Woody's. Truing a cross-spoke wheel is beyond what a typical dealership is expected to do.

I have rebuilt cross-spoke wheels from scratch but it's a PITA and I am sending my latest one to Woody's.