1983 gs1100e need help with wheel and tire situation

[dorkburger]

https://www.thegsresources.com/_for...rear-wheel-gs850g-650g-1100g-2-15-front-wheel

I’ve seen complete 1150 front ends swapped on to 1100s, but the 16 inch front wheel is very limiting on tire choices. The 16 inch front was a short lived fad...

 

[adam83]

Ok. It seems like if I wanted a set of matching wheels that are a direct swap that have similar size to my stock setup I'm pretty much out of luck?

That's alright. I will just have to stay with the stock wheels and get new tires. I have never attempted a wheel swap on a bike before, much less one that requires modification and/or fabrication, so I'll have to do alot more research and possibly tackle that over the winter.

Speaking of tires, I'm gonna need to research that too, as I've not found a matching set for this bike yet

 

[Nessism]

Ok. It seems like if I wanted a set of matching wheels that are a direct swap that have similar size to my stock setup I'm pretty much out of luck?

That's alright. I will just have to stay with the stock wheels and get new tires. I have never attempted a wheel swap on a bike before, much less one that requires modification and/or fabrication, so I'll have to do alot more research and possibly tackle that over the winter.

Speaking of tires, I'm gonna need to research that too, as I've not found a matching set for this bike yet

https://www.americanmototire.com/

BT46's are available.

 

[Rob S.]

I'm very happy with the Pirelli Sport Demons on my '82 11E.

 

[rphillips]

Don't give up on your orig. wheel, I'd guess it will be perfectly fine. If your previous owner did like me, just put the tubeless stem in the hole and tightened them up, you don't have much of a problem. Easy fix. No doubt the counter bore thing that makes a flat surface should be better for the rubber gaskets to sit on than the slightly arched surface of the orig, rim and hole. Those gaskets are pretty meaty. Hopefully you'll find your wheel is unmolested.

 

[bwringer]

During the transition to tubeless back in the '80s, quite a few riders, dealers, and mechanics were absolutely horrified at the thought; they perceived tubes as an added layer of safety (which is not correct), and not just another damn thing to go wrong (which has proven to be the correct view).

Tubeless tires were seen by many as a commie plot, a weird, alien, and frankly suspicious intrusion of car thinking into their world.

And of course some welcomed the tubeless revolution with open arms (for example, racers), but for a long time it could be difficult to get a shop to install any tire without a tube, and there were plenty of owners who also could not bring themselves to think otherwise. They felt naked without tubes.

It was also harder to find tubeless tires for a while, and they could be expensive.

 

[rphillips]

I've tried to find what came first with no luck, tubeless motorcycle wheels or tubeless motorcycle tires. If there were no tubeless motorcycle tires in 1976 (first cast Kawa. wheels) or 1978 (first cast Suzuki wheels) there would be no need to stamp Tubeless on the wheel . Also no need to market tubeless motorcycle tires if there were no tubeless motorcycle wheels.

 

[Rob S.]

I've got an egg farm you may be interested in buying.

 

[rphillips]

I may be interested in a rooster farm..., Too much arguing tween them chickens & eggs.

 

[Rob S.]

This thread is interesting because it's the first (I've seen) about tubeless tires not functioning correctly on old tube rims. The majority opinion here is "nothing can go wrong."

Like my mechanic, I'm old school. When it was time for tires, I wanted what Cycle World used for their superbike shootouts - Bridgestone Battleaxe. But they are not designed for my 1982 rims. And vice versa. So I went with tubes and Pirelli Sport Demons. 'Modifying' my rims would give me the creeps. Not something I want to think about at 110 mph.

 

[Nessism]

This thread is interesting because it's the first (I've seen) about tubeless tires not functioning correctly on old tube rims. The majority opinion here is "nothing can go wrong."

Like my mechanic, I'm old school. When it was time for tires, I wanted what Cycle World used for their superbike shootouts - Bridgestone Battleaxe. But they are not designed for my 1982 rims. And vice versa. So I went with tubes and Pirelli Sport Demons. 'Modifying' my rims would give me the creeps. Not something I want to think about at 110 mph.

????

Tubeless tires are perfectly happy running on both tube type and tubeless wheels.

 

[Cipher]

Yep, I've never understood how Suzuki could have got tube, tubeless thing so inconsistent. Like you, I've tried to find out when & how, but I don't think anybody knows. My new, off the show room,1980 GS1000G had tubeless front but rear had a tube. You'd think by the time they had the newer style wheels, like on my "83" GS1100E, all would be tubeless, but no they still came with tubes. Not for sure, as they've been gone for a while, but thinking my "85" & "86" GS1150's came with tubes, but had been converted before I got them... Also reading that thread again, I noticed Ed said the early Suzuki tubeless wheels didn't have the bumps, to help secure the tire, that the later ones had.

A lot of folks don't realize Suzuki was the worlds largest producer of rubber tubes once upon a time. Bikes were just an incredibly complex diversion to hide the fact you were buying tubes.

 

[Rob S.]

????

Tubeless tires are perfectly happy running on both tube type and tubeless wheels.

Right, but I'm uncomfortable with no tubes on tube type rims.

 

[rphillips]

Bridgestone battelaxe not designed for my "82" wheels???.. As far as I know any tubeless tire is fine on tube type rims, including spoke type rims, just install tubes. Haven't I seen it written on the tires "On tube type rims install tubes"? Don't ever remember seeing do not use on tube type rims.

 

[Rob S.]

Bridgestone battelaxe not designed for my "82" wheels???.. As far as I know any tubeless tire is fine on tube type rims, including spoke type rims, JUST INSTALL TUBES. Haven't I seen it written on the tires "On tube type rims install tubes"? Don't ever remember seeing do not use on tube type rims.

That's the way I feel. But everybody else around here thinks tubes are evil.

 

[Baatfam]

That's the way I feel. But everybody else around here thinks tubes are evil.

Well....That's because they are...

The first patent for a tubeless tire was awarded in 1928, and here we are, almost 100 years later wondering if it is a good idea...

Of course, even on a tubeless tire rim, they don't always stay on...

 

[rphillips]

Bob, I assume that 1928 was for tubeless car & truck tires. Can you find when the first tubeless motorcycle tires came about?

 

[Baatfam]

Bob, I assume that 1928 was for tubeless car & truck tires. Can you find when the first tubeless motorcycle tires came about?

It was, and they did not mention motorcycle tires. But I found a lot of information on tubeless bicycle tires...

 

[rphillips]

Yeah, I looked a lot for when the first tubeless motorcycle tires came about, but never came up with anything. Wouldn't think a tubeless motorcycle tire till the cast wheels came out. But like the chicken & egg, I don't know.

 

[Nessism]

During the early adoption of tubeless OEM tires, both Suzuki GS's and Kawasaki KZ's used "tubeless" front wheels that didn't have the famous "2nd hump" to keep the tire in place near the bead, in case of deflation. My KZ750 is one such bike; wheels state "tubeless" but there isn't the 2nd hump. If the OEM's could do it, I don't know why us end users can't do the same. That said, I typically don't. Mostly because I'm too lazy to convert the valve stem from tube type to tubeless.