fatties

gallo16678 · Posted: June 3, 2008, 9:56 am Post subject: fatties

how wide can i go on the rear wheel rim??

jimmythetrucker · Full Member Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 1283

I thought about that years ago when I had my '79. I think you will find as I did that if you're running a stock swingarm, the widest tire it's rated to take will leave the merest fraction of an inch clearance between the sidewall and the swingarm. Short of going to a custom swingarm/final drive setup, the largest rated tire is gonna be the largest you can use. A wider rim won't give you a fatter tire because, with a stock swingarm, there isn't room for a fatty.

xsleo · Posted: June 3, 2008, 11:33 am Post subject: Re: fatties

a 140 wide 16 just fits with maybe 1/8 inch on each side for clearance. may have to cut chain gaurd to get the room . i have a 79 disc brake mag wheel and swingarm i will put on after i get the engine rebuilt. so i'll find out just what it will take then. xsjohn is running a 140 tire on his bike maybe he will tell you what it took to put on.

gallo16678 · Posted: June 3, 2008, 2:27 pm Post subject: Re: fatties

i want to keep everything stock, with a few minor tweeks to make it my own like slightly higher forks, and a wider tire on the back. what do u guys think of removing the airbox and side covers completely and using k&n air filters?

xsjohn · Posted: June 3, 2008, 2:43 pm Post subject: Re: fatties

Leo.....Actually still running a 130......but this tire is as tall as the 140.....Firestone VT01R 130/90-16 73H .......I call it a 140 sized tire......

And gallo16678
the stock air box on the electric bikes with mods is better than anything....and raising the forks will be detramental to handling...and these can be marginal already at higher speeds to say the least.....just my opinion but being a rocket scientist with these doesn't always pan ...remember ....for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.....if I can coin those words out of context a bit..............xsjohn

140 is 10MM's wider that a 130...........5MM on each side......did check and the only thing that I figured needed changing was grinding some off the back side of the disk brake stay rod........did that but found the firestone before buying a 140..........xsjohn.........

gallo16678 · Posted: June 3, 2008, 2:55 pm Post subject: Re: fatties

so a 130 will fit with minimum mods??

xsjohn · Posted: June 3, 2008, 3:00 pm Post subject: Re: fatties

130 will fit with no mids on the 16" wheels.............that is actually the factory size........

Wish I could find a bit wider rim for the front..........the cast rim is just a bit too narrow for a good footprint I think....and I refuse to use spoles after all those years....and the xs1100 had the same rim to my dissapointment after checking the part numbers........but the xs1100 slotted front brake disc will double the braking and fit right on no mods.....and the same for the rear with slotted xs850 fronts that are the same size as the XS650 rear.....

And back to the rocket scientist's..... some of my friends with XS's switched over to the tapered bearings in the tripple tree.......and now have experienced the terroirism of some higher speed wiggles......me I stayed with the balls that wear a groove in the races eventually and that gives a nice high speed straight line detent if tensioned properly............xsjohn

xsleo · Posted: June 4, 2008, 1:53 am Post subject: Re: fatties

if they are getting a speed wiggle with the tapered roller bearings. then the bearings are probably a little loose. if they adjust them a little tighter then the wiggle may go away. if you lift the front tire off the ground. with the wheel straight ahead. push the handle bars slowly one way, there should be a little resitance,then after the tire moves about an inch it should fall away on its own. the easy way to measure this is to tape a string onto the center of the back of the fender, with a small weight. set a some thing ,a jackstand ,a wire any thing an inch away from string. watch the string as you move the handlebars. adjust the tension on the bearings until the fallaway happens at the string. if the wiggle is still there then maybe it's some thing else. wheel true, balance front and rear. swing arm. wheel bearings, tire inflation,

jimmythetrucker · Full Member Joined: Mar 12, 2008 Posts: 1283

Hey Leo -- I wonder if you took the bearing number and consulted the manufacturer, I bet there's supposed to be some sort of a preload on those bearings. For certain if that tapered roller is hopping up and down in the race AT ALL, it's too loose.

xsjohn · Posted: June 4, 2008, 8:02 am Post subject: Re: fatties

If I raise my front wheel and move it a bit it jumps right back to straight....the old worn out races act as a detent to hold the wheel in a straight position...reducing ossilations.....like training wheels I guess.....and it takes a tiny bit of pushing to get it off of straight at very low speeds.....for me I couldn't think of a better way...give some to get some type of thing......but I am sure others would not like the notchiness at slow speed ........I run the express too much to be terrorized.......just a personal preference I guess and not saying that tapered bearings can't be made to work right.....just think mine already does.........can go down the express with one hand smoking a cig at 70 with no uneasiness.......and maybe a front tire with a bit more foot print would make it even better.......xsjohn

Used to lace 400 18's on a wider rear rim for the front of my RT1 to run the deep sand north and south of datoyna beach to jump the dunes especially the big ones around the space center......when they got about half wore out the foot print was good and on the express it was like a rock no matter where I set the bearings.......figured skinny rims on the front were like high heels.......never much cared for them either......stuck with them now with that skinny front rim till I figure a better plan without having to use spokes again.....

On top of that I think the skinny tire on the front and the wider tire on the back makes it a bit more dubious on the high speed sweepers .......road racers sure don't run them that way........

..xsjohn

greaser6755 · Posted: June 4, 2008, 10:03 am Post subject: Re: fatties

I like the way you think John, I'd love to be able to keep my aluminum wheels and have a nice fat meet on the front too.

greaser6755 · Posted: June 4, 2008, 10:03 am Post subject: Re: fatties

I like the way you think John, I'd love to be able to keep my aluminum wheels and have a nice fat meet on the front too.

greaser6755 · Posted: June 4, 2008, 10:04 am Post subject: Re: fatties

Why am I repeating myself?

xsjohn · Posted: June 4, 2008, 10:16 am Post subject: Re: fatties

greaser6755.....problem is I don't think that is going to happen.....even the XS1100 had a 1.85 skinny ass front rim.......will just have to use the spokes and lace a wider rim or continue to grit our teeth......or a whole new front end off something else and all the problems involved there....or just learn to love it the way it is .....but knowing it might be better a different way doesn't help the brain......xsjohn

xsleo · Posted: June 7, 2008, 11:30 pm Post subject: Re: fatties

i was just using the specs for my harley, thats how they adjust thier head bearings.

What Happened to 650rider.com?

Yamaha xs650