Gen 1 weak front wheel 'myth' ?

[3-Max]

So my mate has, many times, told me that stock gen 1 Vmax has a weak front wheel prone to collapsing & that it's well known in biker circles.
On the other hand I've not seen one mention of this in this group or anywhere else & I've gone looking.

Anyone else heard this 'myth' or know if there's any truth in it at all (even just a smidge)?

 

[CaptainKyle]

Never seen any problems with the front wheels . I think he is full of it.

 

[Fire-medic]

Hahahaha, how could it be weak/fail when it spends so-much time in the air? I do know BMW had a cast front wheel problem that got warrantied, by replacement with a 'new, improved' design. It was their Airhead series motorcycle 'snowflake' wheel design, when it was first released.

The first two years VMax used the design of wheel first popularized by the inventor of the spoked, cast-aluminum wheel, a company named Lester. They were 'all the rage' back in the 1970's. Because of their design and engineering, Kawasaki bought the rights to the wheel, and their transverse inline 4 motorcycles used them extensively. Even the lesser bikes used them, as a 'premium' design.



https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1980/8/1/kawasaki-kz440-d1-belt-drive

When H-D released the Sturgis, with its belt-drive final drive and cast aluminum wheels, Kawasaki at the same time released the KZ440D1 belt final drive with its cast aluminum wheels, and one-up in the Sturgis, the Kawasaki had six-speeds, and a counterbalanced engine. The bike wasn't as-popular as their LTD but it was a different take on a mid-displacement motorcycle. Occasionally the KZ440D1 gas tank design shows up on someone's custom motorcycle. It's quite handsome. The LTD uses a different gas tank design, a more-traditional 'teardrop' design.

Lester-style wheels on an '81 Sturgis. Note the number of spokes, nine.


Probably one of the best-looking bikes ever from Milwaukee. H-D would use belt primary drive and belt final drive, both having been used by the H-D aftermarket.


An '82 KZ440G1 I once owned, I bought it non-running, from the original owner, who was moving back to Missouri from FL and didn't have space nor the means to carry the bike back with him. It had a decal from the Missouri dealer on the rear fender, a complete toolkit, the last registration, and the owner's manual. The bike had compression and spark, the manual advance was broken and needed to be replaced, my machinist had a bucket of 'em from various Kawasaki's he'd worked upon, he said, "they all use the same one." Well, good! I cleaned the carbs and got a new air filter, lubricated the control cables, replaced the front brake fluid, checked all the lights, and gave it to a friend for sale at his shop, it soon went to a hipster on Miami Beach, who had an accident with it after a couple of months, he wasn't seriously hurt. You have to dodge all those Ferraris, Lamborghinis and McLarens running around South Beach.

Note the number of spokes, seven. Aesthetically, an odd number of spokes is perceived to be more-attractive than an even number of spokes.

 

[MaxMidnight]

So my mate has, many times, told me that stock gen 1 Vmax has a weak front wheel prone to collapsing & that it's well known in biker circles.
On the other hand I've not seen one mention of this in this group or anywhere else & I've gone looking.

Anyone else heard this 'myth' or know if there's any truth in it at all (even just a smidge)?

I would be inclined to bet him a lot of beer that he can't find any documented reference to that.
Something I have NEVER read of any of the Forums I visit.

 

[Jack Hammer]

Nothing wrong with the wheel in it's stock undamaged form for any model yeal for 1st Gen. Early models prior to 1993 had weak front suspension and brakes which were beefed up that year.

 

[jimbojones132]

I had a '98 Vmax with a front wheel that had some casting issues; beads where a bit out of parallel and also some runout on the facing side of the bead. Doesnt make it weak, just inconsistent...always had a touch of headshake that I couldnt get rid of. Brought it to a rim repair place where they 1) pressed it to make it parallel 2) skimmed a small amount off the bead on a lathe. '0' wobbble after that.
Had 2x 2004 Gen1's and the front rim style is different...and never an issue. I've put on over 150k on 3 Max's...doubt that I just 'got lucky'

 

[StanVM2007]

To add to the mix of 7 spokes front wheels, here's another one, my 1982 KZ1300 'six pack' of which I did a total bolt up restoration. These bikes came out in 1979. They are heavy and can deliver a punch with their 120 HP engines. Never heard of the wheels failing.

 

[one2dmax]

Seen a lot of Vmax's with hard hits' on the front. Sometimes they can cave the wheel but that's usually also pushed it so hard into the block that it toasted the frame too. Never seen one with damage from normal riding (and hard wheelie landings)