Figured I'd take the time snap up a couple of pics while I had the rear tire off for some new rubber a couple of weeks ago.
Lots of dryish grime here. Came off easily with a wet toothbrush and no evidence of fresh seepage since. Didn't quite get all of it off for this pic; there's still some to the top right (and far right) of the bolt in the center of the pic.
And look at this; wonder how long before it becomes a problem...
I really need to find a plug for the center hole on the wheel.
Even cheaper is a cap from a 16-20 oz. plastic pop or water bottle. I used one with a slight groove like depression that will accommodate an O ring or flat rubber band. I spray painted it with black semi-gloss paint and used a rubber band. It's been holding for better that 4K miles, and it stayed in place when I removed the wheel. Total cost: $0, since I already had the paint. It also looks like original equipment.
My current cap of many years is an unused plastic bar end cap discarded from an aftermarket handlebar grip set. Most bikes already have bar end weights, so the customer's unwanted caps got tossed into my toolbox. It needs to be ground down and then hammered into place, with gasket sealer to exclude water.
Yesterday I tried the black cap to a 2 liter soda bottle held in by a black twist tie (from a new radio, banding it's AC cord). I flattened out the twist tie's kinked and twisted (go figure) vinyl ribbon and forced it in the cap/wheel gap with a small screwdriver blade. The soda bottle cap fit right over the top of my existing wheel cap, centering itself. The soda cap, when restrained with the twist tie (or rubber band) fits flush with the wheel surface and looks EXACTLY like BMW quality in appearance. You'd have to see it to believe how perfect it is. Removing the wheel and RTV gooping it into place would make it water tight and semi-permanent.
After my 94 mile ride today in 90+ degree heat, it's still in place. If it fell out on the ride . . . . . who cares! My old cap is still in there, sealing out the water.
What a great zero cost mod that soda cap is !
I'm going to black RTV gasket goop-n-seal it in place the next time the wheel comes off.
I know what picture #3 is, but please explain (for a novice) pictures #1 and #2. And +1 on the Keith Haynes cap. 13,000 miles and still there and still shouting "cool".
It maybe just me..but I think the plastic drink bottle cap looks a bit cheap..
Why bother when you can buy a quality Wheel cap from down under...and so cheap.
My mate Keith will have one in the mail to you the day before you put in the order.. .. http://www.users.bigpond.com/hayneskld/ ...I think he still has some left.
Gypsy,
Those pics are of the clutch slave cylinder up in there against the back of the clutch housing behind the rear wheel. The first one is the bottom and the second one is of the top portion.
Remember you need to have a REPLACEABLE cap in that hole - it needs to come out so that the wheel can be balanced properly and then refitted.
Good piont...I've heard many times that guys have had new tires fitted and later found that their cap was missing..(they forgot to put it back in).
That's why mine was out when I took that pic of it in my hand..It was when I had my PR2's fitted...I took it out myself first because I don't trust them.
I guess if you had a silver drink bottle cap it would look pretty good..and better than nothing..I'm just a big fan of Keith's caps..
DJ Downunder wrote:
My mate Keith will have one in the mail to you the day before you put in the order.. .. http://www.users.bigpond.com/hayneskld/ ...I think he still has some left.
two wheel tango wrote:
Lots of dryish grime here. Came off easily with a wet toothbrush and no evidence of fresh seepage since. Didn't quite get all of it off for this pic; there's still some to the top right (and far right) of the bolt in the center of the pic.
.. http://www.users.bigpond.com/hayneskld/ ...I think he still has some left.
.. http://www.users.bigpond.com/hayneskld/ ...I think he still has some left.
