ThyssenKrupp's are now doing there rediculously light, weaved carbon wheels for the Panigale 959. Lighter than the equivalent set from BST apparently!! These are the carbon jobbies fitted to the new top spec BMW S1000RR.
How they’re not going to have the same issues as the Beemer. Just seen on the S1000RR forum 4 different cases of cracked wheels. My bike was picked up by courier yesterday for a trackday at Alcarras in a couple of weeks. Hope mines are ok
That's not very good. They're TUV certified so am surprised they are having issues. Presuming they haven't been abused!? Even BST's have the odd failure.
From a Beemer S1000RR Forum it seems TK are no longer the o/e suppliers for the carbon wheels for the 2020 model! Can’t find a separate source to substantiate this claim. New Austrian firm supplies Porsche & Maclaren with c/f bits; again from forum post.
This is from the https://www.s1000rrforum.com/forum/ Originally Posted by Dylan Code View Post Do you know who makes the carbon wheels for the K67? They do look different from the ones on our HP4R. This information is usually kept pretty hush hush, but for the sake of sharing information (Which is what this forum is about), it is an Austraian company called Mubea Carbo Tech that makes the K67 wheels. Mubeo makes all the carbon composite seats for Porsche, and the carbon tubs for the McLaren vehicles. Unlike the HP4R wheels, they are not braided carbon. BMW parted ways with ThyssenKrupp as s supplier after a few "issues" had come up.
I’m guessing that after the 36 strand loom has woven the wheel in the circular machine it gets popped in the autoclave to cure/set the resin?
Years ago now, but I had Tony brancato make me a few carbon hangers as I broke the ones on my borrowed SS race bike. He talked about ‘wet layered’ vs ‘vacuum bagged’ and they were very different. Vacuum being better and more expensive. Impression I got was it was like the vacuum ones were moulded rather than layer on layer then dried.
Pre preg carbon sheets (resin already integral to the weave) are cut, layered and vacuum bagged with a mould. Not too sure about the weave process. But the TK wheels are lighter per specific pair than BST ones. If I remember it correctly the TK bike wheels have a steel wire reinforced rim and foam filled spokes. Something the BST’s dot have.
My local Beener bike dealer has just had their first cracked spoke c/f wheel in. No loss of air but not good all the same. Maybe Forum posts true re TK no longer supplying the c/f wheels now
Had a look at the c/f rear wheel my local BMW dealer had just had in. The damage was slight with no loss of air and was in the area near the base of a spoke. Just looked like a rough slightly raised thin split. This wheel had no manufacturing label on it apart from a parts number sticker. Certainly didn’t look like a TK c/f wheel. This wheel was extremely black and very difficult to see the c/f material unless you looked very closely.
This is what still bothers me on CF wheels, it would be worth it if you were getting a lighter wheel for similar money but they are a chunk of money extra. I really thought about it when I put my bike in the stillage last weekend for Almeria and just thought "not sure I'd ram my £2500 set of carbon wheels in this gap"
ThyssenKrupp Carbon Composite (TKCC) will be doing c/f wheels for single sided swing arms in the autumn of 2020.
There’s a reason carbon wheels aren’t allowed in racing, they are more susceptible to unseen damage and can break with no warning I know alloy wheels can do the same but in general alloy doesn’t go without visible damage on the road carbon wheels are more about looks than longevity, even BMW HP4 RACE carbon wheels have been known to let go, I’d rather a little less bling and know there’s a good chance my wheels will survive the next pot hole
Has anyone with a failed carbon HP4 Race wheel posted anything on line? Pictures, ride data before wheel failure etc?
