NEW Warp 9 Tubeless Forged Wheels!

So you’re in the market for supermoto wheels, huh? 

Toxic Moto has been playing with the newest option from Warp 9: The Tubeless Forged Supermoto Wheels. They are single piece forged wheels that are CNC machined and anodized. If you’re not familiar with the forgings, here’s a quick rundown to give you the basic concept. Heat up your metal until it’s glowing red hot, then force it into shape using a LOT of pressure (I.E. hammers, hydraulic press, etc). In the case of wheels, a wheel-shape mold is used along with and very, very large hydraulic press to forge the superheated chunks of metal into a near finish size wheel. After that, the wheel can then be machined to proper dimensions, also creating a smooth finish to allow proper anodization.

The wheels are comprised of multiple pieces: a base wheel, rotor/sprocket carriers, bearings and spacers. Unlike some other manufacturers, Warp 9’s Tubeless Forged SM Wheels use the same base wheel for all their models! So you’ll be able to set up a set of wheels for you new Yamaha, then set it up for new KTM next year. That also means you can swap between direct drive and cush drive much easier if you ever have a change of heart. This is sometimes an overlooked feature, but very important at helping you keep value to your bitchin’ wheels!

We used the wheels with Warp 9’s cush drive as well as the direct drive on the KTM test bike. The direct drive sprocket carrier functions like it suggests- No BS, just straight power delivery without any added parasitic loss. The cush drive sprocket carrier has rubber dampers to “soften the blow” when putting power to the unforgiving asphalt ground. It’s just noticeable enough while riding to give you the peace of mind that it’s preventing a bit more wear and tear on your drivetrain. Not sure which one you should go? Check out our article on Cush Drive or Direct!

Another perk of a cush drive? Buy an extra cush drive to put your other sprocket on so you can change gearing as fast as you can remove and reinstall the rear wheel!

Onto  the tubeless factor. One of the best things you can have in a wheel is a lack of tubes. It makes life so much easier, from changing tires to encountering a leak in your tire. When you’re mounting tires on a tubeless wheel, there’s no tube to pinch or mess with at all. Not only are the traditional spoke and nipple heads missing, but the drop-center of the Tubeless Forged wheels have a drop-center also has a helpful V-shape that helps with folding that second bead over the edge of the rim. Speaking of missing spokes, who’s going to miss tensioning spokes? Not that spoke adjustment is all that common on the typical street ‘tard, it’s just nice to have one less thing to worry about!

Another effect of going tubeless is reducing the rotating mass for a quicker acceleration. While the Tubeless Forged wheels didn't weigh in as light as some of the high end race wheels that have come through Toxic Moto, they still score high as a great tubeless wheel option thanks to their functionality (and good looks of course). Watch for this to become the benchmark of street wheels, and maybe even track day wheels.

Guess what else Warp 9 is doing with their new rims? They’ll be providing the same great customer that they offer on all their other products, including a warranty! Now, this won’t be the same $60 fix-anything warranty that their spoked wheels have. That’s ok, because understandably each of the Tubeless Forged wheel components are more expensive than spoked wheel parts. They will offer a nominal fee for replacing just the base wheel (in the range of $200) in case you totally beat the hell out of it rolling those epic stairs or jumping a loading dock. They’ll also offer warranty pricing in case you magically have issues with their carriers (around $60). This doesn’t mean you can’t have faith in your wheels, it simply means that you can ride your bike and Warp 9 will stand behind you in case something happens. Details will be updated on this shortly as they finalize their warranty.

Last word to the rider:
Forged wheels have been used as race wheels in years past, but over time have shown they aren’t as forgiving of the jumps and hard impacts of supermoto racing like their spoked wheel counterparts. Forged wheels are more oriented for street riding and asphalt-only track riding, but that won’t stop us from putting them on the track! Stay tuned for our follow-up of our track/racing weekend with WAR Supermoto in Southern California!

The new Warp 9 Tubeless Forged Supermoto Wheels are sure to be the hit of the summer! Get your order in now as the first few production runs will surely sell out! Tubeless Forged wheels available at ToxicMotoRacing.com. Click the direct links below:

Wheel set only - $1699 

Conversion kit with tires mounted & balanced - $1929

Available models:

• Honda - CR, 2004-2007
• Honda - CRF, 2002-2016
• Husqvarna - All models, 2014-2016
• KTM - All models, 1991-2016
• Yamaha - WR & YZ/F, 1998-2016

Specifications:

• 17x3.5 front wheel
• 17x4.25 rear wheel (17x5.0 available for $50 more)
• Available in multilpe colors
• Includes 90 degree valve stems, color-matched to the hubs 
• Rear wheel is Cush drive and includes Cush rubbers (direct drive rear hubs will be available in April/May)
• Includes upgraded Apex floating rotors
• All rotors and sprockets bolt patterns are OE-spec.
• Tubeless design offers further weight savings and complexity over spoke wheels - Get rid of that 1.5-2lb tube in each wheel!
• Front wheel without rotor is 10lbs 2 oz
• Rear wheel Cush drive no rotor or sprocket is 15lbs
• Rear wheel direct drive no rotor or sprocket is 14lbs