Photo: Sinister Wheel
Installing engraved rims on a custom or highly customized motorcycle is, by all means, one of the coolest additions one can think of. Depending on the general styling of the bike, using engraved wheels might, of curse, not be the best idea, but at least you know you can do it if need be.
So far, Sinister Wheel decided to show off the engraving option for only one wheel design, the Big Phat Daddy, but we took a peek at their website and saw that this fad is, in fact, available for the basic wire spoked Big Daddy rim models.
Unfortunately, the killer models in the Bad Boy Collection are not part of this game, and frankly, we don't know if they ever will. So if you feel like adding engraving on the list of your bike's upgrades, you will be forced to stick with the Big Daddy or Big Phat Daddy's 48-spoke stainless steel design.
Powder coating can be applied selectively to any component of the wheel, nipples, outer lip, hub, spokes, or in any combination. Sinister Wheel also offers color matching with the tone of your bike, for a small extra payment, as well as a "gold upgrade".
Now, as cool as engraved rims look, the perspective of having to clean road grime off them certainly looks dismal. Some say that these rims are more for showing off, meaning that bikes equipped with them would travel to a rally on the platform or in the back of pickup truck.
While this would not surprise us too much, we are contemplating another course of action. Namely, thinking about how cool these rims would look like after some grime does actually set in the grooves of the engraved pattern and becomes almost like a paint, accented by the taller sections that will get polished or brushed.
Some would see this as an outrageous display of carelessness, but we guess we'd enjoy this authentic, road-worn antiquing method and its result. And if you're still not sure if engraving and bikes go well together, chekc out Hernan D'Aloia's spectacular art.
Unfortunately, the killer models in the Bad Boy Collection are not part of this game, and frankly, we don't know if they ever will. So if you feel like adding engraving on the list of your bike's upgrades, you will be forced to stick with the Big Daddy or Big Phat Daddy's 48-spoke stainless steel design.
Color-matched powder coating and "gold upgrade"
These rims are also available for ABS-equipped bikes, and the price is only a tad higher. On the other hand, customers can also choose to have their spokes diamond cut, as well as choose powder coating to any color for an even more complex look.Powder coating can be applied selectively to any component of the wheel, nipples, outer lip, hub, spokes, or in any combination. Sinister Wheel also offers color matching with the tone of your bike, for a small extra payment, as well as a "gold upgrade".
Now, as cool as engraved rims look, the perspective of having to clean road grime off them certainly looks dismal. Some say that these rims are more for showing off, meaning that bikes equipped with them would travel to a rally on the platform or in the back of pickup truck.
While this would not surprise us too much, we are contemplating another course of action. Namely, thinking about how cool these rims would look like after some grime does actually set in the grooves of the engraved pattern and becomes almost like a paint, accented by the taller sections that will get polished or brushed.
Some would see this as an outrageous display of carelessness, but we guess we'd enjoy this authentic, road-worn antiquing method and its result. And if you're still not sure if engraving and bikes go well together, chekc out Hernan D'Aloia's spectacular art.
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