What's the story with EFE wheel sizes?

[Colin Green]

Good morning GSRers

Some time back I read the specs for my 1150 EF's and thought I had noted the wheel sizes as 17" rear and 16" front. I subsequently bought a pair of 86 GSXR 1100 wheels (18" & 18") thinking that the bigger rear wheel would lift the rear slightly to help offset the overall height reduction of the front end (through use of the much shorter GSXR front forks). When I got the wheels I observed that the 18" rear was the same diameter as the rear wheels on my EF's. I assumed that I had miss read the 1150 EF spec sheet and thought no more of it until this morning (that's right it's 8:30 am on the 5th here) when I re-read the spec sheet and saw that the EF''s are supposed to have 17" rear wheels. So I went and checked the wheel sizes on both of my EF's and confirmed that they are 18".

What's going on here? Did NZ get different wheel sizes to elsewhere or do other EF owners also have 18" rear wheels??

[Nessism]

How about some photos Colin, showing the wheel spoke casting shape and the imprinting showing 18"? I've never seen an 18" with that casting shape.

[Colin Green]

Of course. The gold wheel is off my 84 EF (now installed on my 86 as I like gold and the 84 is swapping to the GSXR wheels) and the black ones off my 86 EF. I see what appears to be an 84 casting date for the 84 model and an 85 casting date for the 86 model.

[rapidray]

Someone already changed your wheels before you got the bike? Ray.

[sharpy]

Down australia way we got 18's rear and 16's front people. Oh and we go real 750's not those 700 thingys lol. This was my brothers EFE after he swapped his wheels for spokes. Burnt a 1000 Kat to the ground from hittng a dog and swapped the engine for those 17's.

[Colin Green]

Talking to a friend down the line who has a couple of EFE's and he confirmed that both have original 18" rear wheels. Looks like Australasia got bigger wheels than the States.

[Billy Ricks]

Down australia way we got 18's rear and 16's front people. Oh and we go real 750's not those 700 thingys lol. This was my brothers EFE after he swapped his wheels for spokes. Burnt a 1000 Kat to the ground from hittng a dog and swapped the engine for those 17's.

We have Harley to thank for the 700s. Thankfully though Suzuki did a good job and the GS700 fared better than the other Japanese 700s. Mine would walk away from the VFR700s.

[SVSooke]

Down australia way we got 18's rear and 16's front people. Oh and we go real 750's not those 700 thingys lol. This was my brothers EFE after he swapped his wheels for spokes. Burnt a 1000 Kat to the ground from hittng a dog and swapped the engine for those 17's.

Just north of the border we got 750's to.Sometimes I love that border,we get better stuff on this side,especially from Suzuki.
BTW the rear on my 85 750 is 17 inches

[GregT]

Talking to a friend down the line who has a couple of EFE's and he confirmed that both have original 18" rear wheels. Looks like Australasia got bigger wheels than the States.

That's how I remember it - Dunlop 591's on both ends for production racing in 16/18 sizes. We knew from magazines that the US got 17 rears but I never heard why we got the 18's.
Wish we'd had 18's on the front though......

[sharpy]

If i remember correctly the EFE's where a death machine. Those dangerous 16" front wheels caused death and injuries. Was a nitemare for Suzuki and even got a segment on 60 Minutes over here. Couple of people (and cops) got spat off due to the "bad handling" of that bike. Novices and a big bike always make for a good news story. Everyone in the know just shook there heads and wondered what idiots set those bikes up. Personally ANY EFE would be a great bike in my garage.

[Flyboy]

If i remember correctly the EFE's where a death machine. Those dangerous 16" front wheels caused death and injuries

With all due respect Sharpy, that is just total horse sh*t, there was nothing wrong with the 16' up front, I rode a 750ES with the 16' front wheel and it was a great bike.
The 16' wheel did not like low speed and tended to fall into the corner quite aggressively and felt a little unnerving, but at speed with the bike cranked right over, that wheel was glorious in the corner, solid, planted and that ES became a real point and squirt machine.
It just took a different technique, that?s all.

[sharpy]

With all due respect Sharpy, that is just total horse sh*t, there was nothing wrong with the 16' up front, I rode a 750ES with the 16' front wheel and it was a great bike.
The 16' wheel did not like low speed and tended to fall into the corner quite aggressively and felt a little unnerving, but at speed with the bike cranked right over, that wheel was glorious in the corner, solid, planted and that ES became a real point and squirt machine.
It just took a different technique, that?s all.

Hi, if you read my lil story properally I didnt say there was anything wrong, just was a media beat up when they came out and some people crashed them. I grew up racing Kats and stuff so i know what is what. And at the end i said i love a EFE in my garage. Just stating what the media was saying back then.

[Colin Green]

That's how I remember it - Dunlop 591's on both ends for production racing in 16/18 sizes. We knew from magazines that the US got 17 rears but I never heard why we got the 18's.
Wish we'd had 18's on the front though......

Your wish is coming true for me as I'm fitting 86 GSXR 1100 18" wheels front and back to one of my EFE's

Went to the Classic bike festival at Pukekohe today. Man what an amazing selection of old bikes. I have taken about a hundred photos of them and will be uploading them later today for everyone else to drool over.

[Colin Green]

If i remember correctly the EFE's where a death machine. Those dangerous 16" front wheels caused death and injuries. Was a nitemare for Suzuki and even got a segment on 60 Minutes over here. Couple of people (and cops) got spat off due to the "bad handling" of that bike. Novices and a big bike always make for a good news story. Everyone in the know just shook there heads and wondered what idiots set those bikes up. Personally ANY EFE would be a great bike in my garage.

That was a bit of a myth perpetuated by a brief period of bad press where some journalist grabbed hold of reports of a few bike accidents which (involving the most powerful bike on the market) overwhelmed a few riders (who perhaps rode them at speeds beyond their skills) and blew it all out of proportion. I heard that sales of Ef's were postponed for a brief period in Queensland while the matter was studied and the press was re-educated.

That said, I recollect talk that guys who raced them were of the opinion that front ends washed out too easily so they weren't highly favored.

I guess the evidence (that manufacturers soon abandoned 16" front wheels) tells the story of their unsuitability.

[Billy Ricks]

All other things being equal the 18 probably put the a$$ a little too high. My 700 had the 16 up front and 17 in the back. The front handled pretty good but the rear shock really didn't have enough damping and the bike would pogo a bit in long sweepers. Going to the 17s and radials at both ends made the bike way more stable and helped mask the shock's shortcomings.