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16 inch front wheel on 78 GS1000

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I was considering doing this on my project... 1150 front forks/brakes/wheel. Has anyone done this or something similar? Anything I should be aware of?
 
I have never heard of someone wanting to go to
a 16 inch wheel lately. I have heard of them upgrading
to a larger diameter wheel but not going down.
IMO going down to a 16 inch would create more problems
than it solves.You would have quicker steering. But worse
traction in a turn. You would also feel a greater impact
from potholes. I would not do it. Not saying it would
be a disaster. Just not an improvement. But if the
forks and brakes are an improvement you need it
may be worth it.
 
Last edited:
actually most people UPGRADE to 17"ers as they are the sporkbike norm nowadays.
 
renobruce said:
I was considering doing this on my project... 1150 front forks/brakes/wheel. Has anyone done this or something similar? Anything I should be aware of?
Click to expand...

Bruce, are you just going for the "look"of that front end? Or do you actually want to run the 16" wheel?
 
8trackmind said:
Bruce, are you just going for the "look"of that front end? Or do you actually want to run the 16" wheel?
Click to expand...

I was just considering doing something different. I have a pair of 1150 forks/calipers and was thinking of putting them on for better braking and the anti-dive. The forks are longer than the stock 1000 forks by about 3 inches, so I thought I should put on a 16 inch wheel (same as an 1150) so that I don't change the height of the front end. I would then be running 16 on the front and the standard 17 on the rear (same as an 1150).

I know that it will quicken the steering, but that's OK. I like the steering on my 1150... it handles great.

I think that guy that was BOM a few month's ago did the same on his 750, but not sure.
 
80-81 said:
I have never heard of someone wanting to go to
a 16 inch wheel lately. I have heard of them upgrading
to a larger diameter wheel but not going down.
IMO going down to a 16 inch would create more problems
than it solves.You would have quicker steering. But worse
traction in a turn. You would also feel a greater impact
from potholes. I would not do it. Not saying it would
be a disaster. Just not an improvement. But if the
forks and brakes are an improvement you need it
may be worth it.
Click to expand...

I want it to handle good. The bike will have a souped-up motor and race carbs.
 
Going up to a 17in. is one of the best mods I've done to mine. There are very few good 16in. tires, plus a 17in. front end will have a wheel wide enough to run a radial tire.
 
renobruce said:
I know that it will quicken the steering, but that's OK. I like the steering on my 1150... it handles great
Click to expand...

there ya go!
that's what i did on my '82 in the early 90s
p06.jpg


and if you get tired of that you can just slip a 17in in there and go radial and still don't worry about ground clearance...
+4p nissins will line up in the holes with no adapter needed ...
+ you got 'em, go for it. make it yours :-D
 
My 1100 has that mod and I like the handling fine. Good response and looks cool too. Do it! And off topic "Hi Bruce long time no talk".
 
As the King says there are few good 16" tires about. When I was getting the 750 on the road this year I needed a new tire and it took about 5 weeks to come up with anything.

I think going with the newer sport bike wheel would be a better idea. Specially if you can then slap on some sticky radials.\\:D/

Just my thoughts.

Cheers,
Spyug
 
Check the rolling diameters of the wheels as i doubt the height of a 16" with an 80 tyre will be any diferent to a wider 17" with a 60 or 70 :-D
 
I am just about to do this in the next segment of my " GS project" I will take lots of pictures.\\:D/
 
The new Ducati Desmodici RR (At $72.5K) comes with a 16" rear, and a 17" front. The 2006 MotoGP machine that it is based off of has 16" wheels front and rear.

The only reason the street version needed a 17" front rim is due to the brakes - the GP machine uses carbon-carbon discs, which will not work for street use due to their poor cold performance and near non-existent wet performance. The engineers used the GP wet-spec monoblock radial calipers with larger steel rotors - the rotors and calipers would not fit within the GP bike's 16" wheel, requiring the use of a 17" front.

Most race bikes (GP, SBK) run a 16.5" wheel, based on the best compromise of traction, turn-in, stability, and brake mounting clearance.

A blanket statement that 16" front wheels are a downgrade without substantial reasoning is misleading - there is still a better selection of 16" radial tires than there is for 16" bias-plies.


The 16" front on the 1150 is wider than the 16" front on the 750, and as such has a far better selection of bias rubber.


BUT - why "upgrade" to 22+ year-old technology when you could upgrade to something more modern for the same amount of work? Better forks, better brakes, and better tire selection - with more aftermarket upgrades for the fork internals, by going with a newer front end.

Unless you're going for a period look...?


-Q!
 
I would think it would be hard to find a newer front end with the right length for an old GS conversion, but I could be wrong.
 
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