Best Aftermarket Rims For MX Bike: Excel, Pro Wheel, or D.I.D.?

[CRF498RBigBore]

I have ridden MX bike's for the last 16 years and always seem to get dents in the outer lip of my rims. I'm finally going to spend the money and buy myself some aftermarket rims in hope that they don't dent as easily as the stock rims.

Which aftermarket rims are the strongest and least likely to get bad dents?

I have been looking at: Pro Wheel, Excel, and D.I.D.

Anyone have suggestions?

I run my tire pressure at 15lbs in the trails so I don't think tire pressure is the problem... I just ride fast (5th gear a lot) and occasionally hit a rock or two that are unavoidable. I do desert races too and there is no way to ALWAYS take a smooth line.

[SnowMule]

I've got the Moose Racing rims on my KTM and I'm happy with how well they're holding up.

Fraction of the price of the Excel rims, same alloy/hole pattern/size/color.

Available from the TT parts store.

[CRF498RBigBore]

Wow they really are a fraction of the cost!!!

I never thought to look at the Moose Racing rims, thanks for the feedback.

I just priced them at $99 for the front (black) and $99 for the rear (black)

I've never had a problem with my hubs or spokes so just getting the rims and having them laced with my stock spokes and hubs should work just fine.

Anyone else care to compare?

[j44]

Ive bent my share of stock rims and excel's most comon rims. However last 3 bikes ran the excel A-60 and havent dented or hurt them at all. There little more and have to get the spokes also. I run them with stock hub. Durabilty wise there pretty good. I havent used Moose or DiD so not sure with them.

[motojase316]

I Have been running Excel Signature rims on everything for last 10 years With no problems.

In that time I had 1 set of SM PRO Rims which I split at the join.. Very scary. With that said the new SM PRO Platinum rims look real good.

I am excited about my 2012, KX450F wheels. I am running my first set of A-60s see how they go.

End of the day, do your Maintenance and spoke tensions and your wheels will go the distance..

[CamP]

Excel A60 and DID Dirt Star STX are the strongest rims. The Dirt Stars will save you $200 because they work with stock spokes.

Be wary of Chinese made rims. A broken rim can get you killed.

[bikeride4fun]

I got my wheels from radmfg....you can choose which rims you want....I went with the D.I.D.....they are tuff rims.......

[Lelandjt]

Let's change the thread title to "Best Available Rims" cuz the current state of single wall dirtbike rims is embarrassing. In the mtb world even the cheapest bikes use double wall rims and now we're seeing carbon rims that are incredibly strong and can't be dented.

As for your problem, look into desert tires with a stiffer carcass to protect the rim.

[MasterT2000]

The JCR Honda team runs stock Honda rims, hubs and spokes. Granted they probably change them out every race or as needed. OEM Honda rims are tough but there are stronger rims out there. The downside is, aftermarket rims weigh more than OEM.

[MasterT2000]

Let's change the thread title to "Best Available Rims" cuz the current state of single wall dirtbike rims is embarrassing. In the mtb world even the cheapest bikes use double wall rims and now we're seeing carbon rims that are incredibly strong and can't be dented.

As for your problem, look into desert tires with a stiffer carcass to protect the rim.

They can't dent but they can shatter, which on a motorcycle would be devastating. You can't really compare bicycle parts to motorcycle parts. The forces incurred are drastically different.

I agree with your statement about stiffer tires.

[woods-rider]

If you have a 19" rear make sure to get an 18" for the new rim if you primarily ride off-road. The extra tire profile will help save rims and reduce the number of flats you get in addition to aiding traction because you are able to air down more with less chance of getting a flat. The extra tire weight acts like a FWW also which is typically helpful when riding MX bikes off-road.

[tpars121]

I've got the Moose Racing rims on my KTM and I'm happy with how well they're holding up.

Fraction of the price of the Excel rims, same alloy/hole pattern/size/color.

Available from the TT parts store.

Not completely sure about this but I believe the Moose rims are made by Pro Wheels.

The JCR Honda team runs stock Honda rims, hubs and spokes. Granted they probably change them out every race or as needed. OEM Honda rims are tough but there are stronger rims out there. The downside is, aftermarket rims weigh more than OEM.

I dont know if they still are but the Honda stock rims used to be made by DID

[Lelandjt]

They can't dent but they can shatter, which on a motorcycle would be devastating. You can't really compare bicycle parts to motorcycle parts. The forces incurred are drastically different.

You don't know much about DH MTB or carbon rims. While the bike itself is 200lb lighter DH racers smack into rocks just as hard as offroad racers. Not AS much force, but comparable.

I've never heard of an Enve or Easton carbon rim shattering. They are using fibers and resins specific to the application. A carbon motorcycle rim would be thicker and bigger to deal with the higher forces.

Nevermind carbon rims, we don't even have double wall rims. The single wall rims are a joke.

[Hans Schmid]

You don't know much about DH MTB or carbon rims. While the bike itself is 200lb lighter DH racers smack into rocks just as hard as offroad racers. Not AS much force, but comparable.

I've never heard of an Enve or Easton carbon rim shattering. They are using fibers and resins specific to the application. A carbon motorcycle rim would be thicker and bigger to deal with the higher forces.

Nevermind carbon rims, we don't even have double wall rims. The single wall rims are a joke.

I don't think MTB and dirtbikes are comparable. Just because they have similar parts doesn't make them comparable.

[CRF498RBigBore]

I agree with pumpkin man... You can't compare MX rims to mountain bike rims. No human can peddle with the force of 50+ horsepower to the rear wheel for one... For two nobody takes a mountain bike 85 miles an hour and hits jumps over 150 feet coming back down from 30+ feet in the air. If there was a place in the market of MX rims for carbon fiber or any other composite material it would be produced by now. You're trying to compare apples to oranges. This thread is about MX rims that are AVAILABLE and on the market... Not hypothetical rims that don't exist. Thanks for your 2 cents.

[Lelandjt]

^There's a place in the market for stronger, lighter, stiffer double wall aluminum rims and they don't exist. The point of my post is that mx rim makers aren't trying. Rather, they're just making the same product for 20+ years. Do you really believe that new materials and construction shouldn't be tried?

[Hans Schmid]

^There's a place in the market for stronger, lighter, stiffer double wall aluminum rims and they don't exist. The point of my post is that mx rim makers aren't trying. Rather, they're just making the same product for 20+ years. Do you really believe that new materials and construction shouldn't be tried?

How do you know? Motocross bikes are very complex. Rim characteristics are and will be very complex. It is very difficult to build something that can withstand the punishment that a rider/motorcycle can put out. Also, it has come along, before, we had steel rims. I'm sure with a harder, lighter material it does present itself a whole set of new problems. MTBs will never go through the extremes of what motorcycles go through.

[Wild Alaskan]

i don't see how the single wall rims are that bad, i go through way more rims per mile on my downhill bike and BMX than my motorcycles and the wheels for the bicycle cost almost as much

[MasterT2000]

I agree with pumpkin man... You can't compare MX rims to mountain bike rims. No human can peddle with the force of 50+ horsepower to the rear wheel for one... For two nobody takes a mountain bike 85 miles an hour and hits jumps over 150 feet coming back down from 30+ feet in the air. If there was a place in the market of MX rims for carbon fiber or any other composite material it would be produced by now. You're trying to compare apples to oranges. This thread is about MX rims that are AVAILABLE and on the market... Not hypothetical rims that don't exist. Thanks for your 2 cents.

Exactly my point. Thanks! ?

[dhdrider]

After seeing what can happen with carbon fiber rims on a streetbike, I want no part of them on a dirtbike. ?