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Opinions on using race Magteks on the road?

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:57 pm
by VFRkieran
So the story is ive got a chance to buy a front and rear race Magtek wheels for my NC, however they would be used on the road and i am worried about the chance of cracking them. Anyone use race wheels on a road bike? The roads i ride on arent terrible however there are are few hill crests that occasionally get the wheels airborn and a few bumpy bits of road.
Also how noticeable is it having a set of lightweight wheels fitted? 2 odd kilos of wieght saving doesnt seem massive to me when i think about it.

Kieran.

Re: Opinions on using race Magteks on the road?

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 8:58 pm
by alexwitham
No issues on the road.

Lots.

Re: Opinions on using race Magteks on the road?

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:17 pm
by porndoguk
1kg may not seem a lot, but fill a bucket of water and spin it around and see how long you can do it before your shoulder hurts from the centrifugal pull of that dear old wizard called gravity. its 1kg less and at speed that would maybe equate to like have 10kg less easy braking, better cornering, faster aceleration,

Roads, i wouldn't even entertain it, have a search for robert dunlop isle man wheel explosion and the decide wether a mag wheel is safe on a road, rest assured the tt course is probally a lot let bumpy than the UKs shitty roads i personally wouldn't risk it

Re: Opinions on using race Magteks on the road?

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:22 pm
by porndoguk

Re: Opinions on using race Magteks on the road?

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:25 pm
by alexwitham
I'm sorry dude but there's no way Mag wheels are unsafe for road riding.

If you're doing TT speeds on the roads all day every day, maybe you have a point, but at road speeds then they will last forever and a day.

Re: Opinions on using race Magteks on the road?

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 10:50 pm
by VFRkieran
I have seen that vid ricky and thats exactly what i was worried about. I have spoken to a few other people about it and opinion seems to be split down the middle. I think on a bigger bike when you arent reaching 180mph all the time like you would racing at the IOM then it would probably be safe but on our 400's we are reaching similar speeds pretty reguarly to what the 400's do at the TT so maybe the limits of these wheels are being pushed more often than not by us normal road riders.

I think im just going to be safe and stick with standard wheels, but maybe i will change my mind when the rest of the bike is done and i want to spend more money on it.

Re: Opinions on using race Magteks on the road?

Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2012 11:43 pm
by porndoguk
alexwitham wrote:I'm sorry dude but there's no way Mag wheels are unsafe for road riding.

If you're doing TT speeds on the roads all day every day, maybe you have a point, but at road speeds then they will last forever and a day.
Its not speed that damages them its the shock, there brittle because of there weight,
id sling a new one on no problem, but old ones even with a Xray, Ink & other NDT if they come back clean theres nothing to stop them from falling apart at the next bump,

Im not saying all mags are shit but old ones are!

And when they say for race use only its a warning....

Just my personal opinion ;)

Re: Opinions on using race Magteks on the road?

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:38 am
by CMSMJ1
There is a big difference between mag wheel, less than 5 yrs old and designed for the road and a race only mag wheel that is 15 years old that was never advised for road use.

I think you need to decide whether you want the risk. I would not bother for the road..who goes fast and hard enough to justify it? If you think you do then stop it and get a grip. Go racing..

Re: Opinions on using race Magteks on the road?

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:54 am
by force-v4
My No3 30' went through 3 wheels, (1 standard 18" rear, 1 standard front & a "light weight" 23' front) in 1 summer 2 years ago (I would like to add, I wasn't riding it) The 23' wheel looked like a 50p by the end of September & the rear had 2 huge flat spots in it & that was from riding around Bucks & Oxfordshire.

If they would have been mags, matey would have been dead.

Re: Opinions on using race Magteks on the road?

Posted: Sat Aug 04, 2012 4:25 pm
by jim157
As others have said I wouldn't risk twenty year old race magteks on the road. The MC28 road magteks would be a better option but are not really that much lighter (0.5k?) than standard; they'll be a whole lot safer than the race wheels because of their comparatively low magnesium content.