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BST wheels?

BIG186

BIG186

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Location
Austin TX
Moto(s)
R1250GSA
How many people have had any first hand experience with Carbon Fiber wheels. I know the performance is incredible, but I am curious about maintenance, cleaning, and durability. If I could get three years out of track days and SC mountains I think they would be worth it.
 

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forged magnesium seems to be the best, I don't know about carbon fiber. I don't really need any help beatin' :squid
 
Kingof_9 said:
I wouldnt do it. One good pot hole or something hard and they will probably be toast
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:rolleyes

Please post up creditable data on your conclusion. Funny how people pass judgment on things they don't have. I personally know a fellow rider who got a set of these 3 years ago. The same set of wheels have been on two GSXR1000's and have seen nothing but everyday street use. I recall seeing both bikes several times.

Not a single issue with these wheels.
 
Hooli said:
:rolleyes

Please post up creditable data on your conclusion. Funny how people pass judgment on things they don't have. I personally know a fellow rider who got a set of these 3 years ago. The same set of wheels have been on two GSXR1000's and have seen nothing but everyday street use. I recall seeing both bikes several times.

Not a single issue with these wheels.
Click to expand...

Any chance he's on Barf?
 
Hooli said:
:rolleyes

Please post up creditable data on your conclusion. Funny how people pass judgment on things they don't have. I personally know a fellow rider who got a set of these 3 years ago. The same set of wheels have been on two GSXR1000's and have seen nothing but everyday street use. I recall seeing both bikes several times.

Not a single issue with these wheels.
Click to expand...


please notice the word "probably" in my statement. had I said fact then ok
:rolleyes
 
2 seasons ago a BST carbon wheel came apart on a racers duc and caused a pretty big crash. i personally would get a metal wheel. PVM makes a couple models that weigh a little more than the carbon, but have a lower MoI and thats what really counts. not to mention you can't straighten the carbon wheels. having bent several DOT legal stock wheels i can't imagine having to replace a carbon wheel instead of having it straightened. :2cents
 
elskipador said:
2 seasons ago a BST carbon wheel came apart on a racers duc and caused a pretty big crash. i personally would get a metal wheel. PVM makes a couple models that weigh a little more than the carbon, but have a lower MoI and thats what really counts. not to mention you can't straighten the carbon wheels. having bent several DOT legal stock wheels i can't imagine having to replace a carbon wheel instead of having it straightened. :2cents
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I remember that one , which happens to be the only one I'ver heard of .
There's a few ST4 owners that have them and have thousands of trouble free miles on them . It's just a cost thing , if you have the extra $$$$$s then I say go for it . The next choice would be Forged Magnesium Marches , then Magnesium , then forged alum .
 
elskipador said:
2 seasons ago a BST carbon wheel came apart on a racers duc and caused a pretty big crash. i personally would get a metal wheel. PVM makes a couple models that weigh a little more than the carbon, but have a lower MoI and thats what really counts. not to mention you can't straighten the carbon wheels. having bent several DOT legal stock wheels i can't imagine having to replace a carbon wheel instead of having it straightened. :2cents
Click to expand...

But did the break cause the crash, or did the crash cause the break?

The world may never know...
 
I got my set of BSTs in 2001 for my GSXR1000, did hundreds of laps on every track on the West Coast, from Cali to Wash.,including Fernley, Nev. I also rode a lot on the street including Stage, Marshall, Skaggs, Berryessa/Knoxville, Mines, and every other harsh road within 300 mi. of Berkeley. When I sold the '01 and got an '05 Gixxer 1k, I made adapters and mounted the BSTs. More track and street followed. I have hit the usual (and unusual) potholes and a two inch thick steel road plate cover on the Rich/San Rafael Bridge that I couldn't avoid. The plate launched my two hundred+ lbs. into the air so hard that I stopped to file a complaint w/the toll plaza/CalTrans.
Dozens of tire changes and inspections later I've never had any problems with my BSTs. On the other hand, I've bent two Mag wheels and two OEM alum. ones on other bikes.
No wheel is indestructable, either from a road hazard or crash. I've collected info on every BST problem, that I could find (because it's in my interest). It has never been proven that a failed BST resulted in a crash.
Study the data concerning the MOI, Gyro, unsprung, duty life, inertial, etc. issues and I think you will find that BST wheels are the single best improvement you can make for your bike.
 
elskipador said:
2 seasons ago a BST carbon wheel came apart on a racers duc and caused a pretty big crash. i personally would get a metal wheel. PVM makes a couple models that weigh a little more than the carbon, but have a lower MoI and thats what really counts. not to mention you can't straighten the carbon wheels. having bent several DOT legal stock wheels i can't imagine having to replace a carbon wheel instead of having it straightened. :2cents
Click to expand...


After all these years you are still talking bad about CF wheels. :laughing I thought we had this discussion multiple times already? If you actually understood anything about CF wheels you would also know that CF does not bend out of shape, therefore you would never have to worry about being able to straighten the wheel back. :rofl I remember you talking about this same incident years ago but can't remember you ever posting up any details of this incident. I would really like more details on this BST wheel just flying apart on the Duc rider.

I've had BST CF wheels on my bikes since 2002 and had no problems. I used them for track days but mostly for street. I even had a nasty crash at Laguna where my bike did about 4 flips end over end, destroying the frame, tank, forks, plastics, and everything except the motor and the BST wheels which were pretty much unscathed with the exception of gravel embedded in the tire beads of both wheels. Those wheels were sold for $2,000 to a friend who used them on his bike and then later sold them to another guy who used them on their bike. People think these wheels are made of crystal or something. People need to do a little research before making statements like "one good pot hole and it will shatter". :rolleyes
 
Setting aside the durability or safety issue (it always degenerates threads like this to a point where one side never convinces the other side), the only reason they aren't on my sportbike yet is simply the cost for the expected performance gain. The fastest motorcyclists in the world, whose class rules allow for carbon wheels, still don't use them. Not in MotoGP, WSBK, BSB, AMA SBK, you name it. These people fight for tenths, and have the money to replace the entire bike each weekend if the need arises, so the longetivity issue simply doesn't apply in their case.

If it isn't any faster for any of them, at my pace I'd have to be pretty arrogant to think it would help me get around THill any better. Imagine how much more skilled I'd be if I put that same $4K toward several race schools.
 
Thanks for the input. I've done plenty of reading myself and formed my own opinons. I'm not looking to break any track records, but I am looking to upgrade the fun factor in my riding. I found a killer deal, one that really has the gears turning. I was going to buy a new bike this year but I love my current bike so much that I decided to put the new bike money into it. I know I could take the money and put into others things like track days and schools but I still have enough leftover for that too.:):cool See you at the track and SC mountains
 
aciurczak said:
Setting aside the durability or safety issue (it always degenerates threads like this to a point where one side never convinces the other side), the only reason they aren't on my sportbike yet is simply the cost for the expected performance gain. The fastest motorcyclists in the world, whose class rules allow for carbon wheels, still don't use them. Not in MotoGP, WSBK, BSB, AMA SBK, you name it. These people fight for tenths, and have the money to replace the entire bike each weekend if the need arises, so the longetivity issue simply doesn't apply in their case.

If it isn't any faster for any of them, at my pace I'd have to be pretty arrogant to think it would help me get around THill any better. Imagine how much more skilled I'd be if I put that same $4K toward several race schools.
Click to expand...

Point taken. But street riders slap mag wheels on their rides. Hey, if it's their bike and their money, they should be able to do whatever they want to it, be it CF wheels or blinging it with chrome.
 
Hooli said:
:rolleyes

Please post up creditable data on your conclusion. Funny how people pass judgment on things they don't have. I personally know a fellow rider who got a set of these 3 years ago. The same set of wheels have been on two GSXR1000's and have seen nothing but everyday street use. I recall seeing both bikes several times.

Not a single issue with these wheels.
Click to expand...

Would that be an older gentleman with a sick carbon fiber Gixxer that frequents the B. Hills?
 
Hooli said:
:rolleyes

Please post up creditable data on your conclusion. Funny how people pass judgment on things they don't have. I personally know a fellow rider who got a set of these 3 years ago. The same set of wheels have been on two GSXR1000's and have seen nothing but everyday street use. I recall seeing both bikes several times.

Not a single issue with these wheels.
Click to expand...

+1

I've had Forged Magnesium Marchesini's on my 1kRR since it was new in May of '04...NO problems whatsoever and I've tracked them, streeted them and hit more than my share of potholes, high lips on gas station entrances, etc. I heard the CF and FM wheels were "delicate" from a couple people when I decided to go that route, but they've been plenty tough and well worth it on the performance side.:thumbup
 
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