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Replace 1985 GS 550L front wheel/forks with earlier versions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tmac
  • Start date Start date
T

Tmac

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Hello Everyone,

First post and hopefully not one that's been discussed before. (I used the search function and got about 10 pages in before i gave up finding it.)

So here's the deal. There is a very low mileage(less than 2k) 1985 GS550L locally for a fair price. However, I dislike the smaller wheel size in the front for purely aesthetic reasons. Is it possible to swap forks and front wheel with an earlier model GS550, or just the wheel? I understand if I just replace the wheel I'd have to modify the fender mounting. Anything else I'd want to look out for or is it impossible? Is it not advisable for safety/performance reasons?

Thanks in advance for any advice and mods feel free to delete this thread if it's already been covered.
 
Look on ebay. It seems that they had 18 inchers for a few years. Hell may have even had 16s and 18s in the same year.
Ypu can look for forks and see some are clearly longer side by side.

Got me a caliper and hose once off the longer forked bike its had a 2-3 inch extension to lengthen the hose.
 
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Thanks, I appreciate the help! Looks like that would be the route to go. Still in research mode, but if I buy the bike, I'll hit that guy up.
 
I don't know about delivery from Iowa to you, but I have a complete 1983 550L front end, 19 inch wheel, with 4279 miles on it.. Bike was parted for title hassles (and somebody gave me a ridiculous price for the engine). I don't need it. It was cut off at the head stock, trees & bearings still intact.
 
Now that is perfect timing. Though I imagine the big wheel is stable I cannot imagine forgoing the snappy steering of the 16.
 
wymple said:
I don't know about delivery from Iowa to you, but I have a complete 1983 550L front end, 19 inch wheel, with 4279 miles on it.. Bike was parted for title hassles (and somebody gave me a ridiculous price for the engine). I don't need it. It was cut off at the head stock, trees & bearings still intact.
Click to expand...
e are you sure its an 83? Not that it makes a difference. I see a lot of the bikes parts and it did always seem to me that they may have been mixing it up through all years of the production run. Fiche insists on only 86 with the big wheel.
Fiche also insists bike did not exist in 84 so some records may have been lost to history during the rush to digitize.
 
I am in error. The manufacturing date says 9/81, so probably an 82 model. Still has the 19 inch front wheel, and is from an L.
 
I haven't found any relevant specs anywhere, but I'm surprised that they might have put 37mm forks on a 550L in any year.
 
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