I gotta say, this motorcycle’s in reality running for me this week:
I’ve had it arrange for my older son, and so the stem is 2 centimeters shorter than what I typically use. I considered converting it again, however it seems it feels nice, in all probability as a result of I’ve were given no less than two further centimeters of abdominal fats to slump over since I final rode the motorcycle continuously. Professional motorcycle becoming tip of the day: eating beer is extra amusing and not more tedious than swapping stems, so if the succeed in to your motorcycle is just too quick, I like to recommend merely ingesting your method there.
Whilst the Litespeed is from 2001 (properly, the body, anyway) I bought it in 2019 from Vintage Cycle in what I imagine to be a particularly favorable business. I were given the motorcycle of my erstwhile turn-of-the-century Fredly Cat 3 goals, and so they were given this:
I name {that a} win-win.
The Mavic Ksyrium wheels at the Litespeed are the wheels that got here with the motorcycle. Like several bicycle owner who owns a couple of Rivendells (Rivendae?) and writes pompous suppose items about friction moving, I in fact suppose pre-packaged wheels are “icky,” particularly ones with plenty of proprietary portions. On the similar time, if a superbly excellent pair comes into my purview, I’m very happy to make use of them. Additionally, there used to be a time once I didn’t suppose such wheels have been icky; I believed they have been cool, and using the Ksyriums rings a bell in my memory of the way the ones crafty Frenchmen at Mavic so captured the imaginations and wallets of Freds everywhere in the international.
Mavic will get lots of the credit score and/or blame for the entire thought of the out-of-the-box “wheel machine” or no matter you wish to have to name it. In truth, I feel Campagnolo have been doing it prior to them with wheelsets just like the Shamal, and Spinergys and Hed Tri-Spokes additionally pass long ago. However it’s the Mavic Helium everybody thinks about after they bring to mind the prototypical pre-built wheel, most certainly as a result of Mavic made a giant deal at the Helium’s tenth anniversary and satisfied everybody they invented the concept that:
As a tender Fred I keep in mind being captivated by means of the Helium, although it used to be simply an unusual wheel with a purple rim and too few spokes. I used to be in a similar way eager about the Cosmic, which compensated for having too few spokes by means of having a too-heavy rim:
[Pic from here.]
In addition to the Classics wheelset, which had slightly sufficient spokes, however which Mavic’s advertising and marketing other people attempted to persuade you used to be overbuilt by means of striking the phrase “Classics” on it:
[Pic from here.]
Then in 1999 they got here out with this:
I’d been racing on a collection of Cosmic something-or-others, which had a finicky rear hub and needed to be despatched again to Mavic at least one time. So naturally when Mavic presented an much more proprietary wheel I completely needed to have it. Positive, it’s hoary and clunky-looking now, but if the Ksyrium first got here out it gave the impression impossibly unique, and but it promised to be a crit wheel and an aero wheel and hiking wheel and a coaching wheel–all on the similar time! Plus, it didn’t use rim tape (hello-weight financial savings!!!), and the spokes have been aluminum, identical to your motorcycle! I’m too lazy to appear it up, however my recollection is that the Ksyrium price anything like $800 or $900 on the time, which used to be very pricey for a collection of wheels again then; positive, they’d pioneered all types of proprietary gimmicks applied sciences with this factor, however the true accomplishment used to be convincing other people they had to spend with regards to $1,000 for a collection of all-around functionality wheels. (Keep in mind: this used to be at a time when even supposing your native motorcycle store now not constructed wheels you have to nonetheless get a collection of well-built Ultegra/Open Professional wheels from like Colorado Bike owner or no matter that have been awesome to the Ksyrium in just about each and every method for like $250.)
Anyway, the fat-spoked Ksyriums regarded completely improbable on my fat-tubed Cannondale. This used to be additionally the peak of the coloured highway motorcycle tire craze, and till they began to peel the thrilling decals regarded nice with purple or blue or gray or no matter hue I took place to be using that week. Then at some point I used to be using via Ny and used to be the sufferer of a sad act of violence when a tender miscreant ran out into the road and kicked the wheel of my fancy race motorcycle for no reason why, sending it method out of true. Even after taking it to the store the place pros tended to it with the proprietary Mavic spoke wrench and hockey puck you want to true it, the wheel used to be by no means somewhat proper once more. So I gave up on them and purchased a fantastic pair of blue Open Professional-rimmed wheels with Dura ace hubs, on which I appear to recall I were given an excellent deal as by means of this level such wheels have been all however un-sellable to “critical” roadies. And that used to be that.
Having roughly gotten off the Mavic wheel machine horse within the early 2000s, those more recent Ksyriums appear definitely futuristic to me, and but at this level they’re over 15 years outdated. I assume the purple spoke is supposed to memorialize the Helium, and because of the aluminum spoke generation they’re in a position to broadcast one in all their many acronyms on it:
Consulting a well-liked seek engine, “ISM Generation” refers to Inter-Spoke Milling, which is a pretentious method of claiming they scrape some subject matter off the rim in between the proprietary nipples:
Don’t concern, I’m positive it’s accomplished somewhat judiciously, simplest they disregarded the “J” since another way it’d be JISM.
Across the time this iteration of the Ksyrium got here out, Mavic substituted a bearing within the freehub with a bushing. This bushing would ultimately dry up and/or put on out, particularly if now not lubricated, resulting in a screeching sound when coasting that individuals check with because the “Mavic dying squeal” or anything like that. I used to be nonetheless “racing” at the moment, and so I’ve heard it in particular person; just like the sound of cats fucking, it makes the hairs at the again of your neck get up. Even supposing I’ve by no means skilled it with those wheels, being neurotic in addition to a tinkerer (they generally tend to move in combination), awhile again I attempted to interchange the bushing with an aftermarket bearing, a process I controlled to botch. I then ordered upgraded pawls from a man who makes a speciality of Mavic portions, since supposedly the explanation they begin howling is the unique pawls have been too comfortable and as they wore the micro-debris would put on out the bushing or anything ridiculous like that. All of this used to be nearly surely a waste of time, since I don’t use the wheels just about sufficient to wish to concern about it going down any time quickly. Nonetheless, prior to my journey this morning I took the freehub aside with the intention to administer a preemptive lube process:
The retrogrouches amongst us like to decry all this proprietary performance-oriented generation, regardless that the issue with it in reality isn’t the generation itself such a lot because the delusional individuals who acquire it, and regularly we get disenchanted at firms for making merchandise we in reality shouldn’t be purchasing within the first position. Principally, beginning within the overdue ’90s we appeared to settle for the perception that we will have to have particular fancy race wheels on our highway motorcycles all occasions, which is totally ridiculous. Then again, there’s one excellent factor you’ll be able to say about wheels like this, which is they’re designed in order that a group mechanic can overhaul like 20 of them in one evening in the midst of a level race. So whilst the bushing that saves like 20 grams might get started loudly protesting if now not lubed steadily sufficient, no less than lubing this is a easy topic of taking two Allen keys and popping the freehub off:
You don’t even wish to take away the cassette first with the intention to get complete get right of entry to to the internals:
As soon as in there, it’s simply two pawls, that bushing, and a few skateboard bearings:
There used to be nonetheless numerous the substitute motor oil I’d lubed it with final time I used to be in there, however I wiped one of the vital peripheral filth away and added some Dumonde freehub oil for excellent measure:
The Ksyriums are simply sufficiently old to appear funky and out of date, however optimistically with due care I will be able to stay them rolling till they turn into correctly antique. As a result of with regards to motorcycles, the entirety comes again into taste, whether or not you wish to have it to or now not.