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The Comstar wheel, sometimes referred to as Com-stars or stylised as ComStar, was a
Honda debuted Comstars on their FIM European Motorcycle Endurance Championship winning RCB-941 production endurance race bikes for the 1976 season. Honda first fitted Comstars to its road going motorcycles in 1977 on models such as the CB400T Dream, CB750F2 and the later flagship CBX1000. A special lightweight version was also used on HRC's failed oval-
Some later models came fitted with what were known as reverse Comstars. These had the spoke sections that looked they were assembled the other way round, hence the term "reversed". This style of Comstar was often given an anodized colour finish such as gold or black with silver detailing.
They were said to be hard to keep clean due to tiny crevices.
From 1977, Dawson Harmsworth, a business in
composite
Composite or compositing may refer to:
Materials
* Composite material, a material that is made from several different substances
** Metal matrix composite, composed of metal and other parts
** Cermet, a composite of ceramic and metallic materials
...
motorcycle wheel
Motorcycle wheels are made to cope with radial and axial forces. They also provide a way of mounting other critical components such as the brakes, final drive and suspension. Wheels, and anything directly connected to them, are considered to be un ...
that Honda
is a Japanese public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles, and power equipment, headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.
Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, reaching a product ...
fitted to many of its motorcycles
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising, ...
from 1977 to the mid 1980s. Its design allowed it the option of being fitted with tubeless tyres and its use on the Honda CX500 was the first time tubeless tyres had been designed for a production motorcycle.
Background
The Comstar was Honda's replacement for the tension spoked wheel. Whilst spoked wheels offered a degree of flexibility to help absorb road imperfections, they also required periodic maintenance to ensure correct spoke tension and required the fitment of aninner tube
An inner tube is an inflatable ring that forms the interior of some pneumatic tires. The tube is inflated with a valve stem, and fits inside of the casing of the tire. The inflated inner tube provides structural support and suspension, while the ...
. Honda claimed the Comstar design combined the strength of a cast wheel but allowed a predetermined level of radial flex like spoked wheels. Comstar wheels also allowed the fitment of tubeless tyres which, like other alloy wheels, helped to reduce unsprung mass
The unsprung mass (colloquially unsprung weight) of a vehicle is the mass of the suspension, wheels or tracks (as applicable), and other components directly connected to them. This contrasts with the sprung mass (or weight) supported by the ...
, although not all models fitted with Comstars had tubeless tyres.
Honda debuted Comstars on their FIM European Motorcycle Endurance Championship winning RCB-941 production endurance race bikes for the 1976 season. Honda first fitted Comstars to its road going motorcycles in 1977 on models such as the CB400T Dream, CB750F2 and the later flagship CBX1000. A special lightweight version was also used on HRC's failed oval-piston
A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors, hydraulic cylinders and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tig ...
four stroke
A four-stroke (also four-cycle) engine is an internal combustion (IC) engine in which the piston completes four separate strokes while turning the crankshaft. A stroke refers to the full travel of the piston along the cylinder, in either directi ...
GP motorcycle, the NR500
NR500 was a racing motorcycle developed by Honda HRC in 1979 to compete in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. "NR" stands for "New Racing".
Model history
The motivation behind the NR500 was company founder Soichiro Honda's desire to compete using ...
, and the later NS500
The Honda NS500 is a 500cc Grand Prix racing motorcycle of the early 1980s, powered by a two-stroke V3 engine. Created as a replacement for the innovative but unsuccessful four-stroke NR500, the bike went against Honda's preference for four-strok ...
two-stroke ridden by Freddie Spencer
Frederick Burdette Spencer (born December 20, 1961), sometimes known by the nickname Fast Freddie, is an American former world champion motorcycle racer. Spencer is regarded as one of the greatest motorcycle racers of the early 1980s.
Motorcycle ...
.Wilson, Hugo. (1993) ''The Ultimate Motor-Cycle Book'' p.115 ''1984 Honda RS500. "Lightweight racing-type Comstar wheels''". Dorling Kindersley Accessed and added 2014-06-12
Some later models came fitted with what were known as reverse Comstars. These had the spoke sections that looked they were assembled the other way round, hence the term "reversed". This style of Comstar was often given an anodized colour finish such as gold or black with silver detailing.
They were said to be hard to keep clean due to tiny crevices.
Construction
To manufacture the Comstar wheels, Honda used anextruded
Extrusion is a process used to create objects of a fixed cross-sectional profile by pushing material through a die of the desired cross-section. Its two main advantages over other manufacturing processes are its ability to create very complex c ...
aluminium-alloy
An aluminium alloy (or aluminum alloy; see spelling differences) is an alloy in which aluminium (Al) is the predominant metal. The typical alloying elements are copper, magnesium, manganese, silicon, tin, nickel and zinc. There are two princip ...
rim made by D.I.D that was fastened to the spokes using aluminium rivets. The spoke pieces were bolted to the hub with steel
Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
bolt and nut fastenings in either three, five or six pointed star configuration. What metal the spokes were made from depended on the model of motorcycle. The CB400T, for example, used steel for the spokes and alloy for the rim, whilst the CBX and the Super Dream used alloy for both the spokes and rims to further reduce unsprung mass. For the NR500
NR500 was a racing motorcycle developed by Honda HRC in 1979 to compete in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. "NR" stands for "New Racing".
Model history
The motivation behind the NR500 was company founder Soichiro Honda's desire to compete using ...
, the wheels were made from magnesium, with titanium used for the fasteners. This type wheel was considered "maintenance free" with no user serviceable parts, and Honda had "Do Not Disassemble" stamped on the wheel rim alongside other markings such as the fitment size. Composite wheels were also cheaper to produce than their cast alloy equivalents.
Successor
From the early 1980s Honda had begun equipping newer models with cast wheels called ComCast stating "...that technology has solved the casting porosity problem and that cast wheels are now used on Hondas for styling and marketing reasons". ComCast wheels were a combination of pressed-together cast aluminium hub and spokes with a hollow extruded aluminium rim.Similar products
From 1977, Dawson Harmsworth, a business in Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
, England, produced a similar composite wheel with generally comparable appearance, materials and construction to Honda's Comstar. Initially intended for road racing
Road racing is a form of motorsport racing held on a paved road surface. The races can be held either on a closed circuit or on a street circuit utilizing temporarily closed public roads. Originally, road races were held almost entirely on publ ...
applications, the wheel was specified for some models in the early 1980s Hesketh low-volume production road motorcycle range. Hesketh claimed the wheel was in development before Honda unveiled the Comstar, but that development had taken more time. In the 2010s, two decades after the original business closed, the wheel was manufactured again by a new business established by a former employee of Dawson Harmsworth.''Motor Cycle News
''MCN'' or ''Motor Cycle News'' is a UK weekly Motorcycle, motorcycling newspaper published by Bauer Verlagsgruppe, Bauer Consumer Media, based in Peterborough, United Kingdom. It claims to be "the world’s biggest weekly motorcycle newspape ...
'' 24 April 1991, p.24 Manufacturer's advert. Astralite wheels, Dawson Harmsworth, Road & Racing. Gold and black anodised finish, 16"17"18" dia 2" to 6" wide rims, for fitting to Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki. Specials to fit Ducati, Laverda, Guzzi, Rotary Norton & many more. Accessed 2015-06-27
References
{{reflist, refs= {{cite book, title=Honda Motorcycles, author=Aaron P. Frank, publisher=MotorBooks International, date=28 May 2003, isbn=978-0760310779 {{cite web, title=A Short History of Endurance, date=10 February 2013, publisher=FIM, url=http://www.fim-live.com/en/article/a-short-history-of-endurance/, accessdate=2015-06-15 {{citation, title=The bare facts beneath a beautiful body (sales literature), publisher=Honda UK Ltd, date=1981 {{citation, title=CB400N Super Dream (sales brochure), publisher=Honda UK Limited, date=1982 {{cite journal, title=Classic Motorcycle Mechanics, date=June 2013, publisher= Mortons Media Group, page=52–55 {{citation, url=http://www.classicracer.com/news/astralite-wheels , title=Astralite wheels , work=Classic Racer , date=28 June 2013 , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042932/http://www.classicracer.com/news/astralite-wheels , archivedate=2016-03-04 {{cite magazine, magazine= Cycle, title=The New Honda 400 Hawks Test , author=, publisher=Ziff Davis
Ziff Davis, Inc. is an American digital media and internet company. First founded in 1927 by William Bernard Ziff Sr. and Bernard George Davis, the company primarily owns technology-oriented media websites, online shopping-related services, an ...
, date=September 1977, page=38–46,89–92
{{citation, title=New ideas in wheels, forks and shocks, work=Cycle World
''Cycle World'' is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the US. ''Cyc ...
, date=June 1976, page=65, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uS7AyI6guNMC&pg=RA5-PA67
{{cite journal, journal=Cycle World
''Cycle World'' is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the US. ''Cyc ...
, title=The American Motorcycle Press on a semi-secret tour of Honda's Toy Shop, author=Allan Girdler, date=January 1977, page=58–61, 86–91
{{cite journal, journal=Cycle World
''Cycle World'' is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the US. ''Cyc ...
, title=Road Test:CB750F2, date=June 1977, page=36–40
{{cite journal, journal=Cycle World
''Cycle World'' is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the US. ''Cyc ...
, title=Fly the Hawk (Honda advert), date=September 1977, page=27
{{cite journal, journal=Cycle World
''Cycle World'' is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the US. ''Cyc ...
, title=A Vee for Victory, author=Allan Girdler, date=January 1980, page=40–43
{{cite journal, journal=Cycle World
''Cycle World'' is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the US. ''Cyc ...
, title=Honda CB1100F: Better Late Than Never, Honda Sets Out To Win the Horsepower Per Dollar Struggle, date=January 1983, page=44–49
{{cite journal, journal=Cycle World
''Cycle World'' is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the US. ''Cyc ...
, title=Cycle World Test: Honda Ascot VT500, date=August 1983, page=50–55
{{cite journal, journal=Cycle World
''Cycle World'' is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the US. ''Cyc ...
, title=Cycle World Test: Honda 1000 Interceptor, date=July 1984, page=48–53
{{cite web, url=http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-japanese-motorcycles/honda-cb750f-super-sport.aspx, title=The Honda CB750F Super Sport, author=Richard Backus, date=May–June 2010, publisher=Motorcycle Classics, access-date=2015-05-30
{{cite web, url=http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-japanese-motorcycles/honda-cx500.aspx, title=The CX500: Under the radar, author=Richard Backus, date=March–April 2008, publisher=Motorcycle Classics, access-date=2015-05-31
{{cite web, url=http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-japanese-motorcycles/1983-honda-cx650t.aspx, title=1983 Honda CX650 Turbo, author=Margie Siegal, date=May–June 2009, publisher=Motorcycle Classics, access-date=2015-05-31
{{citation, work=Motor Cycle News
''MCN'' or ''Motor Cycle News'' is a UK weekly Motorcycle, motorcycling newspaper published by Bauer Verlagsgruppe, Bauer Consumer Media, based in Peterborough, United Kingdom. It claims to be "the world’s biggest weekly motorcycle newspape ...
, date=22 September 1982, page=9 , title=Manufacturer's advert. Astralite wheels, Dawson Harmsworth, 401-403 Penistone Road, Sheffield.
{{cite journal, journal=Motorcycle Illustrated, title=Honda Superdreams - bread and butter biking, author=Simon Whittaker, date=August 1988, page=66–68
{{citation, title=ComStar wheels - How they work., publisher=American Honda Motor Co. Inc, date=1978
{{citation, url=http://www.rennstar.com/, title=Astralite wheels by Rennstar, publisher=Rennstar, access-date=2015-06-02, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707033922/http://www.rennstar.com/, archive-date=2015-07-07, url-status=dead
{{cite web, url=http://www.ridermagazine.com/manufacturer/honda/retrospective-honda-cb750f-super-sport-sohc-1975-1978.htm/, title=Retrospective: Honda CB750F Super Sport (SOHC): 1975-1978, author=Clement Salvadori, date=21 January 2006, publisher=, access-date=2015-05-30, archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150520203122/http://www.ridermagazine.com/manufacturer/honda/retrospective-honda-cb750f-super-sport-sohc-1975-1978.htm/, archive-date=20 May 2015, url-status=dead
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