Speed Star MK.1

The MK.1 was the first wheel from Speed Star, and as far as we can tell, the first 3-piece wheel ever.  That said, its construction is not that of a typical 3-piece wheel.  Both inner and outer shells have a full bowl shape that sandwiches a center disk, completely hiding it from view when the wheel is assembled.

In design, the MK.1 is a fairly boring dish wheel, but the details really set it apart from other simple dish wheels, and demonstrate well why Speed Star is often looked upon, as THE kyusha wheel brand.  The outer shell section has the katana スピードスター scribed on it, sometimes… seemingly by hand.  Wheel assembly bolts have the same markings on the bolt hex-heads which point inwards, leaving a nondescript nut on the outer face. The original wheels were all made for shank style lug nuts, which further simplified the wheel’s appearance and construction.

The wheel was historically available in a wide variety of PCD’s with widths from mild to wild.  Still in production today, the MK.1 is hardly a rare find, but make no mistake, this is a very special iconic wheel.