11 gauge spokes in crystalyte hub??

[mr.pibb]

I was thinking of running 18 or 19in motorcycle rims. Problem is they take a 10 gauge spoke and the hub takes a 12 gauge. I just visited my LBS and he actually had a motorcycle rim he was working on lacing it with 11 gauge spokes. Nipples fit fine because the rim is dimpled. Coincidence I think not.

So now the only question is:
Do you think I should be fine to drill out the hub to fit in the bigger 11 ga. spokes? Its only a fraction of a mm anyway. I was just curious if there is someone out there that has done something similar. I have tried to look online myself but only found people drilling bicycle rims to fit the 12 gauge spokes. Im going to probably do it anyway, but just want some feedback if this was a good idea or don't do it you idiot you will ruin your hub.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[GiantEV]

I had a wheel built using a 19" ProWheel rim and a Crystalyte HS4040 hub using 9/10 gauge spokes and it came out great. No drilling or washers required.

 

[Tench]

You can go too big on spoke size, bigger is not always better. The more tensile stretch on a spoke the lower the chance of the spokes coming loose and the wheels integrity will remain intact for longer . If you fit spokes that are too large the tension needed to stretch them may not be achieved resulting in a wheel that will come loose far sooner. And broken spokes occur when their are some loose ones as the load becomes unevenly shared amongst the remaining tight ones and constant loading and unloading of the spokes cause fatigue failure.

I appreciate the problem with moped rims on bicycle hubs but I tend to think a compromise is better than going for the biggest possible. Steel motor flanges are less of a problem, its the big rims on bicycle hubs that present the greatest incompatability.

 

[mr.pibb]

I would use 12 ga but they are too small for rim

 

[mr.pibb]

I had a wheel built using a 19" ProWheel rim and a Crystalyte HS4040 hub using 9/10 gauge spokes and it came out great. No drilling or washers required.

Cool then I shouldn't have a problem other than spoke calc

 

[GiantEV]

Like Tench said, you'll have to torque these down pretty good using such large spokes, but I've beat up on my wheel for a few weeks now with no issues so far, and my wheelbuilder at the motorcycle shop said when built right a wheel shouldn't require spoke maintenance very often, if at all.

I measured the spokes just now and they look to be right around 0.12" (3.0mm). The nipples are about 0.23" (5.8mm) where they come out of the rim. Not sure of the nipple size on the outside of the rim because I didn't measure before putting in the tire.

 

[Tench]

I built this wheel a few weeks ago, 17" Prowheel rim on an Hope 20mm DH hub, the spokes are Sapim 13g stainless in 4X, my supplier for these also stocks an over size nipple which while still having a little clearance fits these rims fine without the need for washers. The wheel tensioned up lovely! The rear has the same rim with an HT3525 in it 1x pattern with the same gauge spokes. The hub did not need to be drilled.

Using a 4x pattern changes the direction the spoke applies stress to the hub flange and allows greater spoke tension with less outward "pull" on the flanges. I certainly don't think I would go heavier than this.