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Changing from mags to spokes on my '82 GS750?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Loose Seal
  • Start date Start date
personal preference i guess. why make a new bike look 30 years old?

For my 26 year old bike?

Style is style for a reason, not everyone likes it. I could care less what the weight difference is either way, I want spokes. If I was that obsessed with weight, I would have bought a newer sport bike.


...and thanks for the additional pointers. :)
 
For my 26 year old bike?

Style is style for a reason, not everyone likes it. I could care less what the weight difference is either way, I want spokes. If I was that obsessed with weight, I would have bought a newer sport bike.


...and thanks for the additional pointers. :)
wasnt commenting on your bike, the new bike pic that was posted. hey mate if you want spokes and thats your prefered style then go for it. if i wanted spokes though i would go for something modern, alloy rims etc. akront or similar. make it look retro but with up to date equipment, just my opinion
 
wasnt commenting on your bike, the new bike pic that was posted. hey mate if you want spokes and thats your prefered style then go for it. if i wanted spokes though i would go for something modern, alloy rims etc. akront or similar. make it look retro but with up to date equipment, just my opinion
Agree.

I rode a TriBSA back in the day - spokes, drum brakes, the TT100 tire was a revolution...... :D

Absolute PITA and damn dangerous.

Bugger that :D
 
I live in MN as well and have a pair of spoke rims in mint condition ... I would be interested in a swap given the condition of your mags. They would be off my 82 450 ... so the front would work for sure, the rear may have a diff drum set up ... not sure?

Send me a personal message if interested.

Regards,
B
 
I live in MN as well and have a pair of spoke rims in mint condition ... I would be interested in a swap given the condition of your mags. They would be off my 82 450 ... so the front would work for sure, the rear may have a diff drum set up ... not sure?

Send me a personal message if interested.

Regards,
B
Depending on WHICH 82 750 (did they make a T in 82? If so it had a drum) it is he is trying to swap to spokes on, its VERY likely unless as said, its a T, that it DOESNT have a drum brake in the rear.
 
Agree.

I rode a TriBSA back in the day - spokes, drum brakes, the TT100 tire was a revolution...... :D

Absolute PITA and damn dangerous.

Bugger that :D

My Beezer ain't dangerous. Sure it won't stop as quick with drums and it wobbles a bit on fast bumpy bits. You just learn how it's gonna react and ride with it and it gets caned regularly - it'll do the ton (well somewhere between 80-120 as the speedo wobbles a bit as well:-)). If you want dangerous, ride my mate's New Hudson - no brakes whatsoever. They awarded him his MOT for being brave enough to ride it there!

Actually twin leading shoes, if set up right, can be damn good brakes, certainly the equal of early disc brakes (better in the wet by miles). And a nicely set up spoke wheel won't flex either.

Personally, from a style point of view, I 'd stick to the type of wheels that were meant for a bike of that year, the only exception being for something heavily modded, especially a cafe racer.
 
Verdict is in on the front.

Front wheel with tire and wheel bearings. No rotors, axle or anything else.
Enkei mag and old worn tire: 21 lbs.
'77 GS750 spokes with almost new tire: 19.5ish lbs.
Obviously some weight irregularities with tires involved, but it's at least very clear that the spokes definitely are not heavier than mags.

Swapped it directly over, looks fantastic.

Hopefully will be doing the rear later this week.
 
In my opinion, spokes are just more trouble than they're worth.
If faced with a choice, I'd select the mags.

I remember riding a long time ago with a friend of mine on Honda 750's (1970 & 1971) and he had his girlfriend on the back of his. About 1/2 way to our destination the rear tire gave out due to a few broken spokes going through the inner tube.
We were lucky it didn't result in a really bad accident because we were cruising along on I95 at the time.
 
I remember riding a long time ago with a friend of mine on Honda 750's (1970 & 1971) and he had his girlfriend on the back of his. About 1/2 way to our destination the rear tire gave out due to a few broken spokes going through the inner tube.
We were lucky it didn't result in a really bad accident because we were cruising along on I95 at the time.


Did he know they were broken (or loose) before hand? If he did, he deserved what he got. One thing good about having to get down and clean your spokies and actually TOUCH everything is it forces you to check and see everything. Spokes should all be checked for tightness once or twice a year, depending on how much and how you ride. It's really not that much work, just tap each of the 36 spokes as you spin the wheel to make sure they sound right. The only time a spoke or hub would break is from being hit, or run with loose parts.

Spoke wheels, as with any system or part on your bike, car, truck, plane or boat is only as safe as you keep it. If a spoke wheel stands up to the abuse of drag racing, I'm pretty sure it's good enough for the little bit of tooling about I do on my bike.

I have spokies on my XS650, they're light compared to their cast Yammie counterparts (like what's on my XS400). But my Zook spoke wheels are even lighter than my Yammy ones! The only thing heavy about the spokies is the rear hub with the gobs of mild steel and rubber in it.

Spokes are old school, yeah, no doubt about it. But these bikes are just as old school. If I wanted a new race bike, I'd buy a new race bike with all it's high tech, space age gizmos, whatsits and exotic alloys. But the main reason to have a vintage bike is to be different than most of the others out there. And spokes are pretty blatantly vintage on a non-cruiser.

I'm not some old fart stuck in the past. I'm 25. I should be drooling over the latest Busa and Gixxer. I don't deny that they are great bikes, just not for me. Even my buddies who HAVE the new CBR's, Gixxers, YZF's and ZX's respect my old machines and marvel at their simplicity and style, just as I respect theirs for being fast, light and nimble. They're attracted to the old bikes because they're different, not the same cookie cutter machine like so many new bikes are. That's the beauty of vintage baby!

I don't aim to **** anybody off, or tell them that their opinion is wrong. Just trying to explain the standpoint of a vintage spoke lover. I'm with Loose Seal all the way on this one. Hope all goes well with your wheels man. Get that sexy classic back on the road. I actually had a spare set of 1000 spokies. Just sent them to Florida two days ago. But I guess I can't help everyone who wants em.

Rudy
 
spokes to mags .

spokes to mags .

ell i was gonna but in the end i havent the problem is finding the hubs..
but if you figure it out ? feel free to post where what . ect.

the place i found was in the states hes real good . but i am sorry cant remember the cost.
 
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