Spokes

[Adriano Vazzoler]

Are there two lengths of spokes?  I ordered two sets of spokes(front and rear )from Retro Guzzi but the wheel builder said they were too short. They looked fine by me. I have had the wheels built using SS spokes. Thank you 

[RICHARD YAMANE]

There can be a few variables if simply ordering spokes off the shelf. A change in a wheel, rim or hub. There can also be different lacing patterns. Single sided and conical hubs will have at least two different sizes on the same wheel and if including the bend, could have four different spokes. Any change will affect the spoke length.

The wheel builder has the advantage of being able to lay the new spoke and old spoke alongside eachother. To further complicate things, if you handed the builder a bare hub and rim, he cannot compare original spoke length but might be misplacing pattern wise. 
Simple stuff, ehh?

I’ve relaced all sorts of wheels starting from my teenage bicycle wheels up to wide super moto wheels. I usually order spokes from a big wheel builder in Southern California. Despite their vast experience they often request photos and dimensions of the hub I’m using. I have had times when I think they have sent too long or too short of spokes but in every case, it was my mistake in pattern.

 

Rick Yamane
Importer of Vape/Powerdynamo ignition systems and Polisher of bikes at Motion Pro

On 08/09/2026 10:47 AM PDT Adriano Vazzoler <fuzz...@gmail.com> wrote:

 

 

Are there two lengths of spokes?  I ordered two sets of spokes(front and rear )from Retro Guzzi but the wheel builder said they were too short. They looked fine by me. I have had the wheels built using SS spokes. Thank you 

 

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[Don West]

I suspect that there are 2 very different hubs used on the Airone, earlier ones had a different sprocket carrier arrangement when compared to the later ones.  Maybe you or Guzzi Retro have got the years mixed up.  

Don 

On Sunday, 9 August 2026 at 18:47:54 BST, Adriano Vazzoler <fuzz...@gmail.com> wrote:

Are there two lengths of spokes?  I ordered two sets of spokes(front and rear )from Retro Guzzi but the wheel builder said they were too short. They looked fine by me. I have had the wheels built using SS spokes. Thank you 

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[Alan Comfort]

A lot of restorers cut the spokes with an angle grinder in order to save time in dismantling the wheel. I always try to salvage the original spokes and re-use them whenever possible. It also helps to measure the offset before dismantling the wheel. Worse case scenario is to carefully cut four spokes from each wheel and carefully label them inside left, inside right, outside left and outside right. In some cases they are all the same, in other cases there are only two patterns and other cases they are all different. Getting this right at the outset saves a lot of time when truing up the wheel and getting the correct offset. I just re-laced a Norton wheel that had heavier spokes on the disc brake side of the wheel. It took several tries to get this wheel right until I figured that out.

When the only option is polished stainless steel spokes, I often dull them down with a scotch-brite pad. In my humble opinion, shiny spokes can look silly on some bikes. Remember to use some anti-seize paste on stainless steel spokes so that you can re-tension them when so required. 

Alan in Roberts Creek

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[Adriano Vazzoler]

The wheel builder cut the original spokes because they couldn’t be used again!!

I do now have a set of black spokes and unsure what to do as I would like to have the black spokes on my bike

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[RICHARD YAMANE]

That's too bad because even if Retro had the right spokes you probably won't be able to get them until after the holidays.

Rick Yamane
Importer of Vape/Powerdynamo ignition systems and Polisher of bikes at Motion Pro

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[Alan Comfort]

I agree. Black spokes look better on the old 'slicers. 

When I returned my Astore to service about 15 years ago, the spokes were rusty and partially covered with thick black paint. I scraped off all the paint and scrubbed off as much of the rust as I could. I then used solvent and detergent to removed any residual oil and grease. The clean spokes were then coated with the gel type black oxide treatment and left for several days. The residual black oxide gel was removed with 0000 steel wool and WD40. This was a twelve beer job, but the cost was only about $20 for the black oxide gel.

The spokes get an occasional scrub with an oily rag and they are just starting to show a bit of rust after 15 years and many miles of all weather riding.

I have a great deal of respect for those who who treat their bikes to clear coat paintwork, powder coating, fresh chrome, stainless steel hardware and polished alloy, but that's not me. I have neither the patience nor the brass to do this kind of work. As long as the mechanical and electrical bits are sound and the cosmetics are more or less presentable, I'm good to go.

This is the way I like them:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2snuqt7MCg

Alan in Roberts Creek

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[guzz...@aol.com]

don't gun owners have some kind of chemical & procedure to do black oxide coloring

Tim

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[RICHARD YAMANE]

The black spokes look good with painted or striped rims. As far as I know they were stove enamelled. I suspect, like the painted knee panels, grew out of the pre and post-war era when plating was not readily available and cost prohibative.

Rick Yamane
Importer of Vape/Powerdynamo ignition systems and Polisher of bikes at Motion Pro

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[Alan Comfort]

Caswell sells both liquid and gel type black oxide treatments. I have what's left of a kit called "Tool Black" that I picked up at a yard sale a few years ago. It works very well but it is almost depleted. When I looked into a replacement for this kit it was going to cost over $400. The Caswell treatments are much less expensive and yield satisfactory results.

If you want to treat steel screws, brackets, etc. to a black finish, you can heat the parts with a propane torch and drop them into a container of linseed oil. I would be cautious doing the heat/linseed oil treatment on anything that has been previously heat treated for strength or hardening such as axles, girder fork spindles, etc. The cold treatments are better for these items.

On bikes that have paint chips or other wear on painted steel and have unsightly rust, the cold treatments work very well and do not have negative impact on the patina. The surfaces that receive a cold black oxide treatment must be surgically clean. A rub down with solvent followed by another rub down with strong detergent and followed by a rinse with water will yield the best results. A coating with paste wax and/or a frequent cleaning with an oily rag will help keep future rust at bay.

https://caswellplating.com/black-oxide-kits.html

https://www.precisionbrand.com/faq/tool-black/

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[Diederik Hagen]

That's right. For a classic look on practically all my bolts and nuts, I use a chemical process. Used steel first goes into a lye bath, then I rinse it with water, after which it goes into a hydrochloric acid bath and rinses with water again. Finally, it goes into a bath of sodium nitrate/nitrite. The latter is available as a "blackening" liquid. In the EU a liter of this stuff is around 40 euro. Lastly, I coat it with a layer of beeswax. This gives bolts, nuts, brackets, and undoubtedly spokes a beautiful aged look and some rust protection. You shouldn't drive with it in the winter with salt on the roads, though. Unless you really love patina.

Diederik

Op wo 12 aug 2026, 19:51 schreef Alan Comfort <alan.c...@gmail.com>:

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[Andrew Nahum]

There are touch up solutions on sale for repairing scratches and abrasions.   They’d work quite well on small parts.  Pricey for a lot coverage though. 

They’d work quite well.  

The full process as used in manufacture is quite involved.  Search ‘gun blueing’. 

On 12 Aug 2026, at 17:10, 'guzz...@aol.com' via Guzzi Singles <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com> wrote:



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[RICHARD YAMANE]

Some where in this thread (I've cut it off here) was a note about wiping parts with an oil rag to help hold off rust. I may have made the recommendation before but have found a light anti-corrosive oil call ACF-50 to be excellent in breaking down and removing light corrosion and leaving a light film behind to lock out air and moisture. It was first recommended to Chris by a mechanic at the Barber Museum to wipe down magnesium parts and prevent that cursed internal corrosion factor. Not sure if it can be purchased off-shore but in the US you should be able to find or order it through bike shops and autopart stores.

[Alan Comfort]

Many of my friends use S100 and such like to clean their bikes. The immediate results are OK, but I find that the long term results show more harm than good. 

I once had customer who used Easy Off oven cleaner followed by a power washer to clean his bike before dropping it off for repairs. He thought that he was doing me a favour. The paint, chrome, electrical components and alloy castings were pretty much ruined. I told him to leave it on the truck as I did not think that I could salvage the bike. It was a very nice Honda Trail 90 that just needed tires and some routine maintenance turned into scrap.

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[Patrick Hughes]

I use ACF50 in the UK

Patrick Hertfordshire UK

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From: guzzi-...@googlegroups.com <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Alan Comfort <alan.c...@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, 13 August 2026 18:20:05
To: guzzi-...@googlegroups.com <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: Re: [guzzi-singles] Spokes

 

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[Barry Porter]

Hi Patrick,

Where in the UK is ACF50 available? I’d like to introduce my UK friends to it and hopefully help stop or at least slow the corrosion on their motorcycles. 

Ta. 

Barry 

Sent from my iPhone

On Aug 13, 2026, at 6:34 PM, Patrick Hughes <patrick...@harmill.co.uk> wrote:



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[RICHARD YAMANE]

Most bike cleaning soaps require a good rinse and dry afterwards. Waxing too. Easy-off gets recomended if fighting exhaust deposit on headers. It will kill paint, I haven't seen it kill chrome but it does need to be completely washed off.
Most cleaning chores including greasy deposits I use WD40. It's primarily Stoddard solvent. We get it in gallon cans and I use a sure shot refillable sprayer or a small paint brush. I also use acid brushes for tighter areas. A small 1/2" bottle type brush works well between cylinder fins.

Rick Yamane
Importer of Vape/Powerdynamo ignition systems and Polisher of bikes at Motion Pro

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[Andrew Stephen King]

Most good motorcycle shops 

On 13 Aug 2026, at 18:53, Barry Porter <roc...@jps.net> wrote:

Hi Patrick,

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[Patrick Hughes]

Hi Barry, just search Google for ACF 50 and you will get loads of sources. It is available in 4 litre containers, aerosols, spray guns, and squeezy tubes.  One example:-

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/339233?glCountry=GB&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17349036932&gclid=CjwKCAjw1vXTBhB-EiwAEKr_k3wAYvZzE8Oy2-gAsr9ykQ3BTxfPeP8AfBaVi_UF1nwoKYAha0XK-xoC1-YQAvD_BwE

Sent from Outlook for Android

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From: guzzi-...@googlegroups.com <guzzi-...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Andrew Stephen King <andrew.i...@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, 13 August 2026 20:06:04

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[Barry Porter]

Perfect, many thanks Patrick!

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[Andrew Nahum]

Amazon uk sell it. 

On 13 Aug 2026, at 18:53, Barry Porter <roc...@jps.net> wrote:

Hi Patrick,

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