Aermacchi Wheel Build // Paul Brodie's Shop 

My sentiments exactly.

Thank you very much :)

Like your RU-vid small town bicycle shop owner.

@@ericsn6158 joikkokoko

Paul is a nice person. Don't confuse soft spoken with gentile. The most dangerous person doesn't feel the need to to be harsh or loud because he or she knows you are not a threat to them in any way .

Erik, thanks for watching and commenting.

Yes I am a happy guy. Thanks for watching!

Simon, thanks for watching and commenting.

I would not say that Mitch is an old timer..

@@p5493 Which, really just means that I'm old.

@@paulbrodie 😎

Hello G58, that's quite the history! I was born in the UK, but now live in Langley BC. Thanks for watching!

Glad to help. Thanks for watching!

You bet!

I can't answer for that. We will have to discuss it with the editor...

Sometimes I even cut out the part where Paul thanks me🤷🏻‍♂️

Miss that too.

@@mitchellnurseproductions I think that was the very first time you did that...

If you Tig weld aluminum you lose the heat treat so I would not do it that way, but thanks!

That might be a good idea. Aluminum on aluminum can tend to seize!

I would have liked to have been there for that. Glad you were :)

Good story, thanks Jim!

Thanks for watching!

Your nipple driver also reminded me of the Bicycle Research Driver, that was one of the first specialty tools I bought right after I took the UBI mechanic course.

The grease was a raffle prize at the Trials Club AGM.

Snowfarmer, thanks for watching!

Greetings from Canada! That's a great story. I just insured the bike in the video. I have to work on getting the idle better. It wants to stall...

Thank you Peter! 😉

Thanks Steven.

Thank you Robert.

Yes, I like the exhaust note too. Now to make it idle properly. Thanks Rob.

I do have a book by Jobst Brandt on Wheelbuilding, but I haven't read it.

Thank you Glen.

It's like they skipped a step in the production.. I really did want polished dimples!

Thanks for watching 😉

Yes, I thought too much torque may have taken place.

Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I had not thought of that.

One of the tricks I’ve learned from an old factory enduro team mechanic/engineer. 👍 The small details that combined makes all the difference. Love stuff like that.

@@andli461 Yes, sometimes the small things can help transform a bike.

I pluck each spoke with a guitar pick and tune them to the same pitch. I do this mostly for bicycles. Motorcycles that are built out of harmony can be adjusted this way but in harmony results in a pitch that is weak and hard to hear.

Yes, we are going to say that air pressure made it much harder to install the upper handlebar plugs. I like that. Thanks for watching :)

Hello Germany! I have had to limit shop tours due to Covid, but let's hope the future is looking brighter :) Thanks for watching!

@@paulbrodie you are right. Lets hope for the return to normal. Thanks for your kind reply. I am looking forward for some more Aermacchi "porn " ;-)

@@polderfischer8565 I think we can help you out there :)

Are you talking about the throttle?

Ditto!

Yes. Akront brand too.

I think the Hit and Miss was referring to whether or not the dimples got polished. Either way, the dimple was consistent.

@@paulbrodie yeah sorry what i said sounds silly. I just thought they would be dimpling them in house as they offer that service from there website Not just receiving them like that from excel directly. Thanks

@@LoweSpeedFab No worries.

Well, you definitely have a sense of humour... Yes, there are a few ways that situation could have been handled. Life's too short to get really upset, and besides, the plan was to unwrap the rim and build a wheel. So, if the dimples were to get polished, the video would have never happened that day. Thanks for watching!

I feel a dial indicator is taking it a little too far. I can get it very, very close with my system. I do like the idea of a large radius nylon tip, so I will keep that in mind for future projects. Thanks.

@@paulbrodie if you're not interested in making your own tips, tons are pretty easily available aftermarket. just make sure you're buying the right thread.

Yes, it's great to have a central rear wheel, but we don't live in a perfect world, so we do have to take liberties from time to time.

Thanks for the tips!

@@paulbrodie any time. it won't really kill the bearings or anything, most likely in your case it might just melt the grease out depending on what you're using

That might work..

Never our intention to make you feel guilty..

Watching video's is MUCH easier than wrangling an old iron head (or building the 1096cc Suzuki engine I've been acquiring parts for for several years)

“Pushing the wheelbarrow is easy. Thinking about pushing the wheelbarrow is hard.”

There is satisfaction in building a good set of wheels.

@@paulbrodie - I loved getting a bunch of parts then hanging perfectly balanced trued wheels a couple hours later.... Some of the older customers watched in awe like I was doing magic. 😄

I'm building a replica of my Aermacchi racer that got stolen in 2005. Dry weight was 221 lbs with 52% of the weight on the front wheel. That bike was a lot of fun to ride and race. 35 rear wheel HP :)

@@paulbrodie Thanks for the reply. That's a excellent HP to weight ratio. Look forward to future videos.

Thank you Jose. Getting the spokes to the right amount of tension is important. There are many ways. In the bicycle world you can buy a spoke tension gauge. In the motorcycle world a very small torque wrench could work. Hitting the spokes with a screwdriver will make them "ring". When they are all about the same pitch, that is good. There is also a "feel" you can get using a spoke wrench. That's what I do.

@@paulbrodie Thanks for replying! That was very informative and cleared a decade's long doubt 🙂

@@JoseSilveira-newhandleforYT Good stuff :)

@@paulbrodie Yep 🙂

Thank you rysammy. We will get to the Excelsiors in due time.. Patience! I haven't watched the video recently, but I do remember using some oil on the spokes. Yes, you could use the pointer where the tire seats on the rim, but the rim is an extrusion so the two surfaces should be concentric with one another. The Dyno showed 35 rear wheel hp on my little Aermacchi. Thanks for watching.

Yes, I have heard about the picking method. It just wasn't on my radar that day. I did say I'm not a wheel building expert, but of all the wheels I built that got used on the road race track, no spokes ever broke or loosened up. Thanks for watching, Martin.

@@paulbrodie Paul, I never built 1 motorbike wheel, so thats is my knowledge about that. Thanks for your reply. And you are right. After some research out of curiosity it seems that motorbike wheel rims are specified for a certain torque at the wrench (nipple torque wrench) and the tone method being used for checking equal (more or less) spoke tension and sufficiently high "plings" for enough tension. Interesting...! Seems to be the choice for shorter, thicker spokes compared to the bycicle ones.

@@mbi379 Thanks for checking that out :)

Ah so that was you that recommended putting the tube into the tire before mounting.. Yes, it was easier, so thanks for that. I could have thinned down the axle spacer in the middle on the lathe, but I'd already saved a bunch of grams. I would not be inclined to drill holes in a spacer like that. Thanks for watching!

I have been busy, but I will get the Romax rolling. Thanks for the reminder :)

I was taught the painted mark goes beside the valve stem.

Hi Stanley, thank you. Checking the wheel dish in a swingarm could be inaccurate if the swingarm was poorly made, I agree, but what if the swingarm was very precise? I do have a very nice bicycle dishing tool that also works on motorcycles, but in the excitement of filming the video, forgot to use it; I had the swingarm. You could be right about my choice of tire lubricant. However, in 25+ years of using it I have never had a tire slip its' bead on the rim, even road racing in the rain. Thanks for watching!

@@paulbrodie Ok. I was just taught by an expert.

Good question. For me, the torque on the spoke nipple is kind of a "feel" thing. If the spoke holes have been drilled properly, and not in the wrong location, then the head of the nipple will start to "seat" itself all round as it comes up to torque. I can feel it because the torque starts to increase dramatically. I use a pretty short 5.5mm wrench so it's hard to put in huge torque, but they definitely are tight. Spokes can loosen with hard use, so it's good to check tension after a few rides.

@@paulbrodie I guess these huge spokes don't have any torsion when you tension them so the feedback at the nipple is positive. One more question, what did you put on the threads? threadlocker? any kind of spoke prep? I'm loving the series, can't wait to see the next episode... thank you !

@@hptator Thank you HAA. Buchanans supplied that little tube of spoke lube, so it must be good, right? I don't know the brand name, but you could give them a call!

Thank you David. Yes, you can make wheel spacers out of steel, but they would be a lot heavier than aluminum. If your wheels bearings are getting hot enough to expand aluminum, then you really have a wheel bearing problem! I have never had an issue using aluminum axle spacers.

@@paulbrodie Thanks Paul, was just a thought, i will continue to watch your great videos. as a patternmaker i am always interested in making things.

Murray has had that solution for over 30 years, in the back of his motorcycle shop, and even he can't remember what he bought or the brand name, sorry.

I think a part of your comment got cut off. I think the "woven" thing applies to bicycle wheels, not motorcycle wheels because the spokes are too thick. Are we talking about the same thing?

@@paulbrodie Hmm, not sure what's happening there. Looking at what I wrote from my end it all looks to be there, but maybe it didn't all come through at your end? Anyway, you pretty much echoed my thoughts, that spokes in a motorcycle wheel don't brace each other in the way that they do on a bicycle wheel, probably because they are too thick and don't bend in the same way. Thanks.

Good question. For me, the torque on the spoke nipple is kind of a "feel" thing. If the spoke holes have been drilled properly, and not in the wrong location, then the head of the nipple will start to "seat" itself all round as it comes up to torque. I can feel it because the torque starts to increase dramatically. I use a pretty short 5.5mm wrench so it's hard to put in huge torque, but they definitely are tight. Spokes can loosen with hard use, so it's good to check tension after a few rides.

Thanks for watching. I hope you get a rig sorted out to suit your needs.

Thanks for your replies Paul, I road the bike out to Davenport, Iowa from Ohio to the antique mc swap meet and it did very well. I was wondering about the Excelsior1919 ohc engine bc I thought Mr. Schwinn destroyed all of the ohc engines, so I did some research on you and read your story about you and the ohc race bikes, I surely tip my hat to you on your craftsmanship

@@rysammy Yes, we will get around to doing some Excelsior videos one day. Please be patient.

Yes, but to really make it centered, the alloy washers would have to be a good fit, which makes it harder to remove the bearings in the future, because now I can't tap the spacer to one side to get the drift to "grab" the inner bearing race. Pros and Cons for almost everything.

🍻

Robert, thanks for watching and commenting.

I really like that throttle. Seems like a good design. Rim is WM3 width. Polished and raw. Excel no longer anodizes their rims I am told. I might take some grease out. We'll see.

OK, I am asking for your wheel building story...

@@paulbrodie many years ago, I worked at a victory mc shop in dallas. I had previously worked at a different victory shop for a few years. The crew was new to victory and it was my job as a tech to not only service bikes, but help the crew get used to using the website and such. A wreck job came in and I worked with my service manager on the est. He wanted to replace the front rim only. I urged him to get a wheel assembly complete. New tire, brake disc, bearings, true and balanced from the factory. He did not. A week or so went by and all the parts showed up. I worked on every thing else and the front wheel was the last part. I took it apart and laced it. Took almost a week to true it. He was not amused. A few months go by and my fried calls and asked if I was still looking for some spoke wheels for my harley. He said he has a 19 abd 16 but they are rusty. No problem- they are getting powder coated any ways. I get the, sand blast and cut out the old spokes and off to the powder shop. A few days layer, they return. My manager comes in looking puzzled with the hubs abd rims in a box for me. I grab my stand and begin to lace up with new stainless twisted spokes. An hour hoes by and I have them trued and ready for tubes and tires. He said "I thought you didn't know how to do that?" I said, "no, I can, but I hate it. Next time, order the damn wheel assembly." He never questioned my opinion after that. At the time, I had been in the mc service industry for about 16 years.

@@cpdevon Yes, that is a good story. Some folks like building wheels, and others not so much. With all your years in the industry, I'm sure you have many more stories! 😉

@@paulbrodie I do. Thank you for your reply. I am happy that you are making content again. Your world and efforts are very different from mine. I really appreciate your work.

@@cpdevon Thank you! 🤨

Hello Chile.. thanks for watching!

Thank you Antonas.

I've polished with a buffing wheel, and by hand, but never Dremel. I inherited my Dremel from my Father, and last time I went to use it, the motor didn't work. We had a video to shoot that day, so these are my reasons why it didn't get polished. Thanks for watching!

Good question. For me, the torque on the spoke nipple is kind of a "feel" thing. If the spoke holes have been drilled properly, and not in the wrong location, then the head of the nipple will start to "seat" itself all round as it comes up to torque. I can feel it because the torque starts to increase dramatically. I use a pretty short 5.5mm wrench so it's hard to put in huge torque, but they definitely are tight. Spokes can loosen with hard use, so it's good to check tension after a few rides. Spoke length. I phoned Buchanans, gave them the hub specs , and they figured it all out. Good guys!

@@paulbrodie That's good to know I can order from Buchannons by spoke lengths. I have an Aprilia SXV (supermoto) which I'd like to put RXV wheels (dual-sport) but they're *very* hard to find, and expensive (I've been kicking myself for *years* for passing up a rear on the local Craig's List for $250!!) I measured a few hubs I have, and discovered that a Honda CRF 450 hub is identical except 25mm too narrow, thus will need ~6mm longer spokes after I widen the hub. Regarding seating the spokes, a well-known wheelsmith in the SF Bay Area advocates dropping the rim onto a rubber door mat repeatedly. I found it somewhat shocking, but he swears by it.

@@Alanbataar I do have a rubber mat in my shop, but I had never heard of that approach before... Widening your rear hub should be an interesting project. I'm guessing you would have to sleeve the inside?

@@paulbrodie The plan was to part the hub in half, indicate each half true before cutting a pocket with a shoulder, and a bevel for weld prep. The spacer would be a press-fit into the pocket, and also beveled for weld prep. The halves of the hub would have to be marked somehow to ensure the spoke holes align correctly side-to-side. After that, it's just preheat & ~20" of weld bead. Of course, none of that matters much if I can't weld on the material the hubs are made of -- I still haven't done a test bead on them yet. Some MFGs use a high-silicon die casting aluminum alloy which is utterly un-weldable: it basically has dirt built in. It's typically used on cosmetic parts b/c it produces a very smooth, uniform casting, so I'm hoping they wouldn't have gone to the expense of using it on a wheel hub.

@@Alanbataar I would not even consider welding it. Machine the ID, make a nice sleeve, and loctite it all together. The spoke tension will be pulling it together. Welding will take away any heat treatment.

Yes, and I do too.

Thank you Nathan. I have not used a motorcycle spoke length calculator. In this case I phoned Buchanans, gave them the hub specs, rim size, and they supplied the correct spokes. Easy. I have used a spoke calculator for bicycles. There are several on the Internet you can use for free. I do three and then compare results. Always very close. I was taught to remove seals from the inside, but if you can do it from the outside without damage, then that is fine too.

I looked through my purchase history on eBay, and it is not there. Sorry. Try searching for one piece throttle? It was $50 CAD, and they come anodized in different colours, from China. Quality is good.

@@paulbrodie thanks. I'll dig around again on there. Might have to look on tha .ca version... keep up the cool/unique content..

A wheel stand is more professional.

Do a full scale drawing of the wheel using the parts you have. The spokes need to be the correct length, and the holes coming out of the hub and rim have to match perfectly too.

7075 round stock is hard to find here. Would make very nice spacers :)

Your English is fine for me. Can you bore out the axle holes in the bottom of the fork sliders to 14mm? That's a job for the milling machine..There should be enough material to make that happen. That would seem to be the easiest solution. Thanks for watching!

Hi Justin, you can email Paul for a signed copy. His email address can be found in the description.

@@mitchellnurseproductions Thanks

Are we talking about the aluminum spacer that goes between the (2) axle bearings?

@@paulbrodie yes

@@tyeealpha Personally, I feel it is a non issue. Lots of modern motorcycles have aluminum spacers, and there is not a problem. I mentioned it because a viewer had cried out that you can't use aluminum; it must be steel! My race bikes all had aluminum spacers and there was never a problem. Thanks for watching!

Do you mean "knurling"? I think I know the tool you mentioned. A pattern shop made it and gave it to me. I have no idea what it might be named, sorry.

@@paulbrodie yes my spelling is shocking,and it’s a very useful tool👍

Yes, I have orange peel :(

You might be right.

I have never clear anodized a rim. But it could be a good idea....

Safety requirement. Ever seen a plastic valve cap that was screwed on too hard and split? I have. I think the metal ones look better anyway.

@@paulbrodie but wasn't it safety third?

To polish each of the (36) dimples, I would have to mask around each dimple, then start with probably 180 grit paper before going finer and finer, finally buffing. For me, it would be a lot of work. A professional probably has better tools and could do it faster, but we had a video to shoot. That was the plan.