Matt Lane

I am still toying with the idea of getting Fikse FM-10's...

As our roads in Montreal are complete crap, I am worried about durability. My car is just for pleasure and some track, so I am able to avoid the worst roads most of the time but not always

Any sense from current Fikse owners as to realistic longevity of these wheels on real roads? Would Fikse owners like to chime in with their experences?

Thanks in advance!

Matt

Mark in Baltimore

Matt,

I had two inner barrels crack and was told that the vendor they used at the time had some quality problems. Fikse replaced both barrels for free. I was told that Fikse is now manufacturing all parts in-house.

Matt Lane

Yeah, I heard they have great customer service... I just don't want to go down a path where I'll be almost sure to need it!

Mark in Baltimore

Lots of people race on them without an issue. It's debatable whether street driving or racing is harder. With racing, you generally drive on smooth pavement. Of course, OTE's and hitting curbs can exact a price in ther search for a lower lap time. Street driving has the issue of potholes. I had BBS wheels on my old VW GTI, smacked a large pothole and bent the rim, so I'm not sure how many wheels are going to be 100% bomb-proof.

Jack Esposito

Matt,

I have had 2 sets (17" & 18") of Fikse FM-10's on my C4S without any problems. I bought both sets used and took them in to Fikse to be checked out before mounting my race tires. All the wheels were round and true. One set had to be resealed because someone had damaged the seal between the halves when dismounting the tires.
I have been through the Fikse factory tour and was impressed with the materials and processes they used to make the their forged wheels. They are top rated and stand behind their wheels.

Jack

Matt Lane

Thanks for the first-hand report. I have read about Fikse's quality and the fact that they stand behind their product even in the event of a failure - and I believe it.

Sometimes with the net, it is easy to get worried about something that may only happen 5% of the time... but nobody posts to say their wheels are "straight, true and durable". You only hear when there are problems.

Hence the original post to see how many in the group are running Fikse 18's on the street w/ no problems whatseover.

Thanks again,

Jim Morton

Matt:

FWIW, I have owned 8 various sets of Fikse's and they are great wheels and Fikse supports their product. Most recently, I ran Fikse's on my 993TT and they held up quite well, even on backroads.

This said, Fikse wheels are light and built to be light. With the weight savings comes a price which is a wheel that is more prone to bending from curb strikes and potholes. Any light muli-piece wheel will have this issue.

If I were in your shoes and worried about the possible need to straighten wheels, I would opt for one of the more robust OEM 1 piece pressure cast wheels and live with the need for the comprimise of durability over strength.
The 996 turboII hollowspoke is a great looking wheel and pretty much "bomb proof".

$0.02

MrRoboto

Or you can go better than OEM and buy my forged one-piece BBS RE wheels.

CWay27

I also live in Montreal but am running Kinesis wheels. I've bent a wheel on the track and on the roads. The point is no matter where you run them, there's always a risk to bend them. If you stick with 18", there shouldn't be any problems. Like others have said, light wheels are prone to bend easily but herd that Fikse was among the toughest out on the market.

Good luck!!