I built my first set of motorcycle wheels in 1968 just before I turned 15.
Since then, I’ve built several thousands and have learned a few things about the science and physics of spoked motorcycle wheels. Number one: They are incredibly strong for their light weight. And as long as they are maintained properly, they will continue to take be abler to incredible abuse and provide reliable service. Proper maintenance includes keeping sprocket and rotor bolts tight, wheel bearings checked for roughness and play every oil change, checking spoke tensions periodically, and nipples should be actually be lubricated every 15-20 hours – place a tiny drop of any kind of oil into where the spoke goes into the nipple to keep nipples from seizing up. When the spokes corrode, it is nearly impossible to properly tension and true a wheel without removing the nipples and cleaning and lubricating the spoke threads… And when washing your bikes with a pressure washer, be very careful to avoid directing high pressure water into the nipple openings… This practice will force debris into the nipples and will almost guarantee that you won’t get an accurate reading on tensioning spokes.