Has anybody swapped spokes for aluminum rimes?

[coastiepete]

Hello all, i have an 80 GS750L cafe project. I REALLY like the look of spokes on bikes. So i got a set of 78 spokers, had the hubs and rims powdercoated black, and got a set of polished stainless spokes from Buchanan's. They look sweet! But now i have to address axle spacer issues. Has anyone ever done this? And does anybody care to share placement/thickness of spacers to allow for proper sprocket/brake disc alignment?

Such info would save me a bunch of time! Lol.

Thanks in advance for any valuable info.

And for those who always complain about no pics, here ya go!

 

[coastiepete]

oh yeah, looking at my title now, i see that i mis-typed. It should read: "swapped ALUMINUM for SPOKES" and i spelled rims wrong. Sorry.

 

[midnightcafe]

where's your build thread? definitely isn't a 750L anymore!

 

[coastiepete]

Lol, there's one in every crowd! It's coming........lots of pics to upload. it will be in the projects section soon enough.

 

[Frank Bullitt]

Cool ride, Pete! Thanks for the pics!

I have spokes on my 550, and mags on my 750, got to agree, spokes are cool, and "old skool"

 

[Big T]

Pete

Since you're using an E front end, they should just bolt right in

Have you tried mounting calipers yet?

 

[rphillips]

Front should need nothing, rear will need the spacer that came with the spoked wheel, the one that goes between the caliper carrier & the swingarm. Went to the garage & tried to measure mine, without removing them, Looks like appx. 3/8" for the cast rear wheel, from "83" GS 1100 & appx. 1/2" for the "78" GS 1000 spoked wheel.

 

[coastiepete]

Pete

Since you're using an E front end, they should just bolt right in

Have you tried mounting calipers yet?

The front actually is all good. The calipers were the same, but the mounting plates needed changed. i went from a leading axle to a straight leg. so the front is all good.

Front should need nothing, rear will need the spacer that came with the spoked wheel, the one that goes between the caliper carrier & the swingarm. Went to the garage & tried to measure mine, without removing them, Looks like appx. 3/8" for the cast rear wheel, from "83" GS 1100 & appx. 1/2" for the "78" GS 1000 spoked wheel.

That's what i need to know, thanks! Do you know if the swingarm INSIDE width is the same between the 77-79 and the 80-82?

 

[Mark Harrop]

Looks good so far...

 

[rphillips]

Let me retract my previous post. With parts mounted on the bike's it's almost mpossible to get the correct measurements. I've just went back out & tried to measure the spacers. With all the looking & measureing, it looks more like the spacer between the wheel & the caliper carrier is the one that is thicker, for the spoked wheel. I really think the swingarm widths are the same, but the hub on the spoked wheel is slightly narrower. I apologise for the wrong imfo a while ago.

 

[coastiepete]

Let me retract my previous post. With parts mounted on the bike's it's almost mpossible to get the correct measurements. I've just went back out & tried to measure the spacers. With all the looking & measureing, it looks more like the spacer between the wheel & the caliper carrier is the one that is thicker, for the spoked wheel. I really think the swingarm widths are the same, but the hub on the spoked wheel is slightly narrower. I apologise for the wrong imfo a while ago.

That's cool! appreciate the try. I did some looking at the spacers on the microfiche, and it looks like the spacers are the same width. Hmmm.......maybe i just need to do some measuring and get my machinist buddy to make me something. i was trying to avoid all that trial and error stuff. but hopefully i can get some hard numbers for future reference.

 

[salty_monk]

I got some hardened washers in the right size to mock mine up... you could leave them in there but they'd be a pain in the butt next time you remove the wheel.

Dan

 

[Maddog209]

Bike looks great. What fork gaiters did you use? I just ordered a set for a Triumph T-100 that I am hoping that my measurements were correct for my 550E project. I would love to get rid of my aluminum wheels for a set of spokes. My thought was exactly as you did with the black rim and polished spokes.