Hey, Bryce here. If you have already flat-spotted a stock rim on a rock ledge, you know why this upgrade exists. Stock hoops on the Surron Ultra Bee and Talaria Sting are built to a price, and the first hard rock strike usually leaves a dent that never trues out. A Warp 9 wheel is the fix, and the good news is that swapping one on is genuinely an afternoon job — not a shop job.
This guide walks through the whole process on both platforms. The wheels ship laced, trued, and with the rotor already mounted, so most of the work is removal, transfer, and torque. Budget about 45 minutes per wheel the first time, and 20 minutes once you have done it.
What You Need Before You Start
Time: 45 minutes per wheel (first time)
Tools:
- Metric socket set with a 17mm, 19mm, and 22mm
- Hex key set (rotor and caliper bolts)
- Torque wrench — this is not optional on axle and rotor hardware
- Bike stand or a milk crate and a strap
- Blue thread locker
- Chain breaker or master link pliers if you are doing a rear wheel
Parts: the wheel itself, plus your OEM wheel spacers. Read that again — Warp 9 wheels do not ship with spacers. They are built to factory hub width so your existing spacers drop straight in, but if you lose them in the grass you are not riding that day.
Step-by-Step: Front Wheel (Surron Ultra Bee)
- Get the bike up. Support it under the frame so the front wheel hangs free. Do not lift by the fork lowers.
- Pull the caliper. Unbolt the front caliper from the fork and hang it off the frame with a zip tie. Never let it dangle on the brake line.
- Loosen the axle pinch bolts on the fork lowers, then back out the axle. Catch your spacers as the wheel drops — they will fall.
- Transfer the spacers to the Warp 9 Surron Ultra Bee front wheel. Same side, same orientation as they came off.
- Check the ABS ring. The Ultra Bee reads wheel speed off this ring. The Warp 9 wheel ships with a calibrated ring already installed — just confirm the sensor gap looks even before you button up.
- Slide the wheel in, insert the axle, and snug it. Bounce the fork a few times to let the lowers self-align before you torque the pinch bolts.
- Torque everything to your bike's factory spec, refit the caliper, and pump the lever until it firms up.
Step-by-Step: Rear Wheel (Talaria Sting)
The rear is the same idea with two extra wrinkles: chain and caliper position.
- Break the chain at the master link, or pull the axle and let the chain drop off the sprocket.
- Remove the axle and slide the wheel back and out, catching your spacers.
- Fit the caliper relocation bracket. The Warp 9 Talaria rear wheel runs a 220mm rotor, which is larger than stock, so the caliper has to move outboard. The bracket ships in the box — this is the step people skip and then wonder why the pads will not clear.
- Install the wheel, route the chain, and set your chain tension with the axle blocks before final torque.
- Spin it and look. The rotor should run dead center in the caliper with no rub. If it ticks once per revolution, your bracket is not seated flat.
Choosing the Right Wheel for Your Build
Two questions decide it. First, what rotor size are you running? If you are stepping up in diameter you need a matching caliper relocation bracket, and the Warp 9 wheels that require one include it. Second, what is your sprocket? On rear wheels you pick your sprocket at checkout, so the wheel arrives geared the way you actually ride rather than needing a press job later.
If you are also refreshing your brakes at the same time — and you probably should be, since the wheel is already off — do not reuse old rotor hardware. Fresh M6 flat-head rotor bolts with thread locker cost almost nothing and remove the one failure mode you really do not want. Browse the full brake rotor selection while you are at it.
Three Mistakes That Cost People a Weekend
Forgetting the spacers. No spacers, no ride. Bag them the moment they come off.
Torquing pinch bolts before settling the fork. Bounce the front end first or you will bind the lowers and kill your fork action.
Skipping the bed-in. A new rotor needs six to ten moderate stops to lay down an even pad transfer layer. Skip it and you get a pulsing lever that you will blame on the wheel.
That is the whole job. A Warp 9 hoop is one of those upgrades you notice the first time you clip a rock and nothing happens. Browse the full wheels and tires collection at throttleco.store, and if you are running a build worth showing off, get yourself into the ThrottleCo Sponsor program — sponsors get a unique referral code, commission on referred sales, and access to sponsor-only gear. See you on the trail.