Pt.2 How To Lace And True A Motorcycle Wheel At D-Ray's Shop 

You are the only one that explains this procedure so well and simply thank you l think l can do this job now l enjoyed your easy way of doing it so l subscribed thanks again

Dude, you are literally the only person that has been able to explain this process clearly. Everyone seems to have a "special technique", but none of those folks ever seem to be able to explain concisely or show their work while they're doing it. You give a great explanation and great examples and give a complete tutorial from start to finish, AND you have some great shots of the rim to compare against my own work to make sure I'm truing it up correctly. After watching your video I was finally able to get my rim trued up properly (after I paid a shop $70 to do it and it came back with over 5mm of runout both up and down and side to side). Thank you!!

Excellent tutorial D-Ray, just what people need, no gimmicks no expensive tools, just the basics I need to get me building wheels. Ive built many bikes and an engineer/mechanic by trade but lacking some initial direction into whats not rocket science but an art to be learned, , , , many thanks

I haven't done this for a couple of years so this was really helpful. Plus the bragging rights that you laced your own wheels is priceless!!

How to know you're watching the right video... "since this video was intended for the do it yourselfer." Thanks for this Mr. D-Ray.

I just watched this video after watching 3 others on making a wheel true and find yours to be the best. On one of the others I watched, his wheel wasn`t as true when he finished, as yours was when you started! Have subscribed 👍

I actually have a understanding now after weeks of trying to get my head around it! Thanks mate, awesome vid!

Good to see you back D-Ray. I don't own a motorcycle, but I'm just relieved that the best walk through mechanic on youtube is posting again. With your camera angles and editing time, it really feels like we are there looking over your shoulder. Keep up the good work.

Thank God I found your site !!! I have a Harley Davidson and have contacted 3 dealership's to find someone who can true up and install new spokes in my rear wheel. No one knows how to do it !!! Other sites show you how but you need to buy all kinds of tools, stand costing God knows how much money. I now know I can do it myself just after watching your video. Thanks so much for this video. 👍

Really enjoyed your demonstaration clearly explained , takes they mystique out of wheelbuilding. Nice easy style makes me want to get out to my shed and get started. Thank you, Provan Izatt. Scotland

I've watched several different people truing wheels here on RU-vid yet I have returned to this one many times, I just trued a wheel to less than a mm thanks to your invaluable assistance. Thank you all the way from sunny Scotland

Had to come back for a refresher course. Quick simple and just easy to follow. Gotta love it

Great explanation of what and why. When trueing up a wheel. 👍🏻

Many thanks Ray. I have never been quite brave enough to lace up my own wheels but you made it look so straight forward I bought some nice new stainless rims and spokes for my Velocette LE. I have just finished lacing up my first wheel and I am very happy with the result.

Thanks, D-Ray, for clear straightforwqrd demonstration and commentary.

Really good video, great explanation of the process. Great to be able to access that from here in Nottingham UK. Thank you.

I am restoring my 1969 CB750 sandcast and for the first time I worked on wheels and I fallowed your instruction and it worked perfect. Thank you for your time and teaching us.

Very nice instruction. Like your easy and professional style. 👍

So, watched a ton of wheel building video’s, and this guy made the most sense and a great reference during my first builds. Top guy 😉👍

Very good and clear video. Given me the confidence to give it a go myself. Thank you

Donald, your motorcycle knowledge and skills for repair, are second to none! Amazing skills! Is there anything you can't do?

Good information brother I haven't trued up or respoked a wheel and probably 35 years it kind of cleared the cobwebs out of the old brain and made it a little bit easier, and it all came back to me like riding a bicycle as soon as I started running across those spokes thanks very much for the information

From Australia, thanks heaps for your video pt 1 & 2 on spoke wheels. i have found your video the easiest to follow & you have saved me a lot of money.

Such a good video... Very well explained... I will be lacing that baby tomorrow.

Beautiful! Simply explained and demonstrated. Thanks D-Ray! After watching, I feel confident in lacing and truing a rim for the first time.

This is about the best explanation on truing a wheel I've found. The technique is exactly what I've come to use after building a few wheels and this is thd only video I've seen that use the exposed threads on the spokes to keep the tension uniform. It's also the only video that says to skip a spoke if it already feels tight. This is thd best way to true a wheel.

I've always shied away from lacing and truing - seemed a bit like black magic, I guess ! After watching this presentation I think you've given me enough confidence to give it a try myself. Thanks !!!

I have watched a lot of spoke and true videos and yours is the one that finally helped me get my rims back together quickly and perfectly. Hands down the best video how-to. Now I can move on to the next part of my rebuild. 1975 Yamaha GT80MX.

Excellent video, very clear instructions

Awesome Job! Its all about patience and you have it!!

Well done man! The best common sense video on lacing I've seen. Thanks for that you sir are Top Shelf😎

Top video. Very helpful. I like your style. Ray from SE NSW Australia.

Clearly the best tutorial on YT.

Clear and easy to follow. I'm fixin to lace up a 1969 Sportster XLCH front wheel. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks.

Best I've seen, proper mechanic no nonsense to the point! Going to have ago on my BSA wheels, thanks!

Great job on part one n two D ray. Thank you for making this video. You make it real easy n simple. Much appreciated.

Hello from Ireland, I am after watching a lot of video`s on youtube about wheel truing I think this has to be the best one, simple & well put together ! thank you.

Many thanks for the clearly explained procedure.

Great tutorial on true'n up a wheel. I plan on doing a couple real soon and this helps alot. Thank you from Tyronza, Arkansas.

Good, simple, on how to instructions without expensive specialty tools.

Exactly what I needed to know (between parts 1 and 2). Bonus for the DIY truing vice stand!

Very well explained , even for an old British biker!

Thanks buddy that’s given me he confidence to take on myself 👍👍👍

Very well explained and carried out operation.

Cheers dude just about to build my first wheel for my 1958 BSA Rocket so your video has pointed me in the right direction

Hey D ray. these wheel videos and XL600 stuff have been a great help! thanks chief

just re-laced a wheel for the first time. this video helped a lot

Great video... very helpful! I have four wheels I need to relace (vintage bike restorations)... this was a huge help! Thank you so much for posting and sharing your knowledge! Cheers!

Fantastic video. I guess the message is take it steady, be methodical, and have patience. I have to re lace a wheel for an old BSA and the spokes/rim are readily available, but as the hubs varied a lot, they are harder to get "ready to go." I have a 16" rear "chopper" type rear wheel with the correct hub, so can use that; the original 19 inch wheel chrome rim is too bad to re-use, so new rim/spokes and away I go. I have replaced spokes before, but never built a wheel, but figured that lacing to the same amount of threads for a start was the go, as confirmed here. As far as the tension is concerned, I use the "tap it and listen" method. If they all "sing" the same, that does me. Used that on my other bikes to detect dead/not weight carrying or too tight spokes. I can use other wheels to compare sound. But great vid. Thanks.

"If you can count to four, you can lace a wheel". Feeling confident now.

Thanks.. really informative. Doing this for the first time. Have a bit of confidence now.. Thanks again....

awesome, gave me the info and confidence to do my wheels, had the hubs vapour blasted, now all look fantastic ,thankyou so very much !

Well done. I would add that if you need to adjust offset true the rim as D-Ray showed, then loosen all the spokes same amount on one side, then tighten the spokes on the other side. then retighten them all and recheck for lateral and radial true.

Thankyou from the other side of the pond here in blighty. Gonna try re spoking my TY175 now, should be a giggle.

Thank you very much for making it look easy. I think its time to give it a try.

Thanks for the great video...you have made what I thought was going to be a stressful project seem very manageable.

Learn New a new Trick , Thanks D-Ray Smith Simple Idea

I am 64 years old, when I was 16, I changed the rear hub on my Honda S90. After I had it done, I took it to the Honda dealer shop for them to check it and they said they were surprised it was perfectly done. I didn't think it was hard without any video or manual to help. I also had the transmission apart and got it back together fine too though so I may have above average mechanical abilities.

I have got new rims for my 1979 XT500 and the hubs are powdercoated. With your help I can make a good attempt to lace the wheels up myself, thanks!!

Great video, thanks for sharing your knowledge!

Fantastic series, D-Ray. I've been thinking about getting into painting motorcycles, starting with my '01 Softail. I'd really like to paint the rims, so these two videos have been extremely helpful. I never thought it would be as uncomplicated as it is. You've shown it simply and easy to understand.

great video, thanks for keeping it simple and clear - top job

Totally de-mystified a process I thought was complicated, my Norton commando and I thank you!

Exactly the kind of video I needed... Thanks..

Super cool sir. I've never tried it and needed to do this exact thing, and 3 beers later... and your video... ya made sense to me. And that's how ya get it done. My wheels are great now. Kelly Wood Salt City Cyclekarts.

Outstanding D-Ray!

Another job well done at D-rays shop...

Thanks d-Ray, next stop Buchanan's for spoke purchase.

Excellent video, good presentation with straight forward instructions. A great help, thank you.

Like your lacing and truing the rims

you are brilliant man you make it sound so easy. cheers man.

Thanks mate, good info. In a few weeks I am gonna do the front wheel of my 2002 Dyna myself since i saw you do this. I will probably make a video of it and show the result. 👍

man findin this video saved my little ol bike. I had not one clue whatbi was doing I just started going to town on them lil buggers and before I knew it I was done spun the wheel and ill be damned if there wasnt a quarter inch wobble to one side. but its my first rim so I caught er in time to stop and look up a video to educate my uneducated self hahahaha.

Thanks for the video! I am in the process of restoring wheels on my CL350 and i will need to be doing this to put them back together. this made me feel confident that i can do it myself!

Very easy to follow. Nice job

I really needed this video. Thank you so much.

I like the pointer idea,pretty sharp. Man I wonder how the truck engine turned out. Take care.

Good video. Like the easy, down to earth method

good job exsplaining plain easy to understand

DRay that was good commentary and showing us how to do it thanks buddy

Thanks for the quality advice D-Ray

Great set of videos D-Ray! Thanks for taking the time to explain and film your process!

Nice D-Ray! I thought I was the only one still doing this! ;-) Thanks!

Great video. Can't wait to have a go with my own wheels!

Awesome video D-ray thank you it helped me a bunch.

Excellent video, Sir!

This one was REALLY helpful - thanks again D-Ray!!

Excellent videos - thanks - question: if the wheel is wobbly but rim looks good - is it possible that the rim and some spokes can be reused?

Best lacing video I've found.

D-Ray, Great video. Now I am a bit more confident to give a shot myself. Thank you from Canada.

Very good information,easy to understand.good 👍job

Great video and well explained, Thanks

Many thanks, good clear instructions 👍

Great video, as I live on an Island (the Isle of Man) carriage for the hubs and wheels back and forth is costly and you risk the old hubs going missing or the wheels being damaged upon return, recon not I will order new rims and spoke sets and rebuild my own, many thanks Peter

A very good video with great explanation of wear to do and how, thank you,

Hello from here in Mena! Enjoyed the video.

Thanks laced my first rim .great video

What a well produced video (for a change)

You explain things well, great video

Great video, i have only built one set and this really helped out thank you