Cast Wheels To A T100.

Great looking bike. I prefer cast wheels primarily due to safety. I looked at the T100 and Street Twin and ended up with the Twin. A big deciding point for me was the cast wheels. I also carry a flat repair plug kit all the time. I have done an emergency flat fix on the side of the road before and it got me home. Can't do that with spoked wheels.

 

I agree. I like the traditional look of spoked wheels, but I would never own them! I had a puncture on my past 1100 VStar cruiser. 20 minute fix on the side of the road then drove home (slowly) to be safe. But got home !!

 

Guess one just has to weigh the averages. Punctures that sideline a bike are not really all that common. Most times, a slow leak is a culprit and one catches it when they see that flat tire when they are at home getting ready to go out and ride. Sure, there is always a chance for a major problem while out on the road, but not really that common. I travel about 2700 miles a week on average, covering about 11 U.S. states, year round, driving a commercial semi truck and I rarely see any bike on the side with a flat. 4 lanes, two lanes, major highways, back country roads. Most bikes that are on the side are stopped for some other reason.

I am fortunate. If I were to get a flat on my Bonny away from home, just call home and the wife can come out with the pickup truck and trailer and I can load it up and take it home. Also a couple of friends I can call to do the same thing.

I have and am still considering getting a set of alloy wheels from something like a Street Cup and putting them on my Bonny, but am not sweating bullets while waiting to make the move.

 

I'm going to revisit this since I've got a new job and would like to use the bike for a commute and would like the choice of better tyres, no spoke corrosion (bike will be near the sea - Gosport) and the option of much easier puncture repair. I need to work out what parts I need to buy to put cast wheels on a 2018 bike. Obviously there's Ebay but I need to be sure about what I'm buying. If anyone has any pearls of wisdom they'd like to share I'd be grateful!

 

And the Street Twin is lighter and a tad more agile.

 

Spoked wheels on the T100 is for pure styling. Too costly for Triumph to make multiple options for each model. If one want cast wheels, as I did, I just went for the Street Twin. Also the stock ST sounds much better right out of the box compared to the T100. Another ST selling point for me.

 

Spoked wheels are now an accessory for the Street Twin, which will give a slightly more forgiving ride.

 

I like the long haul screen. I wear ear plugs all the time anyway so noise is not an issue for me. I am most concerned with wind pressure. For me (5'9" tall) the screen blocs all wind on my torso and deflects the wind over my helmet and away from my hands. My opinion is that the screen is engineered well for the ST. Not too large but still gives great wind protection. I have even ridden at 80 mph on the freeway and still OK. Also, I find the ST comfortable except for the seat. I am looking to custom modify mine with a gel pad seat insert. Bench seats like on the T100 don't fit with a luggage rack that I have.

 

Hi Geoff,

I just recently tried to do a tubeless wheel conversion on my 2018 Bonneville T120 and it was not successful. At this point, I really don't want to keep the spoked rims on anymore, and was looking to just do a straight swap to Street Twin tires. Is this the process you went for? And if so, are there any pain points or fitting irregularities I need to be aware of?

 

Hi Carson, welcome to the forum!
One problem immediately apparent is that the T120 runs twin discs as standard whereas the Street Twin has a single front disc.

Is it possible, in the States, to have your spoked wheels converted so that they can run with tubeless tyres??

This is a conversion which companies in the UK will carry out.

 

Hey there! Sorry to hear the tubeless conversion didn’t pan out for your T120. It can definitely be a hit or miss depending on the kit and sealant used. Going for a wheel swap to Street Twin cast wheels is a solid choice and should simplify things a lot!

Swapping to Street Twin Wheels on a T120:
If you’re thinking about making the switch to Street Twin cast wheels, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure everything fits and functions correctly:

1. Brake Compatibility:
   • The biggest difference you’ll encounter is that the T120 has dual front discs, while the Street Twin uses a single disc. This means you’ll need to find a way to make the single-disc front work with your T120’s dual-disc setup. One option is to either convert your front brake to a single-disc setup (you’ll need a new caliper and master cylinder to match), or have the second disc mounting points added to the Street Twin front wheel (which can be tricky and costly).
2. ABS Ring and Speed Sensor:
   • Make sure the ABS ring and speed sensor are compatible between the two models. The Street Twin and T120 might have different mounting points or ring sizes, which can cause issues with your speedometer or traction control. You may need to swap over your T120’s ABS ring and sensor to the new wheels.
3. Axle Size and Spacers:
   
   • Check if the axles and spacers on the Street Twin wheels match the T120. You might need to order custom spacers or reuse the ones from your T120 to get the wheels to fit properly.
4. Tire Sizes and Fitment:
   
   • The stock Street Twin cast wheels might run slightly different tire sizes compared to the T120’s spoked wheels. Double-check tire clearance, especially at the rear swingarm, to ensure the new tires don’t rub anywhere.
5. Suspension and Handling:
   
   • Switching to cast wheels may change the handling characteristics of the bike slightly. They’re usually lighter than spoked wheels, which means quicker turn-in and potentially a firmer ride. Nothing to worry about, but something to keep in mind as you get used to the new setup.

Final Thoughts:
A lot of people have made this swap successfully, but the main pain point is getting the braking setup to work correctly. If you want to keep your dual discs up front, you may need to look at custom options for the Street Twin wheel or consider using an aftermarket wheel like Kineo or Alpina that’s made for dual-disc setups.

If you’re set on the Street Twin wheels, just be prepared for a bit of extra work to get everything dialed in. But once it’s done, you’ll have a great-looking bike that’s easier to maintain with tubeless tires.

Let me know how it goes, or if you have any more questions about the swap. Happy wrenching!