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As some know and even fewer care I am building what I have dubbed "The Time Machine". My Katana is an 89 750 that carries a very strange medley of both pre98 and 98+ parts and bodywork. The bike came to me as a freshly rebuilt roller with no body. Sure I could have slapped a stock pre98 body on it and called it a ride but where is the fun in that?!
OK enough background info lets move forward......
A great many people have moved up to a 4.5 inch rear wheel on the pre98 and everyone says it is a "must do" mod. Not a problem for most, you just pick up a new wheel on ebay from a 98+ and slide it right in. That would have been real easy and is in fact what I had planned to do. I bought a 98+ rear with rotor and had planned to put it in with the spring tires. But wait...there is a problem, for me at least.
Just simply switching to a 98+ works great but then the spoke pattern no longer matches. You have one swept wheel and one straight wheel. Most people would never notice unless you pointed it out.....but I am not most people and this isn't going to be most bikes. HMMMMM
So I PM our greatest "make it fit" modder and ask what other Suzuki used a 4.5 with a swept pattern. He gives me a list of a few bikes and I'm off to ebay again. This time I score a 89 1100 GSXR wheel. NOS unit still in the box. Never seen a bike and no question about straightness. Only problem... no bearings, rotor, cush pads, cush hub or sprocket. RonAyers carries them all but they run more than I paid for the wheel. HMMMMMM
So back to ebay I go...... This time I score an 88 750 GSXR wheel in good used shape and it comes cush pads and cush hub and rotor. I've already painted the rotor from the 98+ to color match the bike which will fit on the NOS 89 rim, which means I just need bearings and a sprocket and I may finally be in business
This post is basically pointless. I was just sitting here thinking about it though and it occured to me that because I am being anal retentive about something no one will notice, I now have 4 rear rims including the stock pre98 and I still don't have the right combination to make the swap
Good news though, I think I finally have it figured out so after I get it finished I will have a whole collection of rims for sale (3 for those counting) and a list for each one of the parts needed to make them work. Keep an eye on the parts forum in the coming weeks if your interested in making this swap..... or you can try the way I did it
OK enough background info lets move forward......
A great many people have moved up to a 4.5 inch rear wheel on the pre98 and everyone says it is a "must do" mod. Not a problem for most, you just pick up a new wheel on ebay from a 98+ and slide it right in. That would have been real easy and is in fact what I had planned to do. I bought a 98+ rear with rotor and had planned to put it in with the spring tires. But wait...there is a problem, for me at least.
Just simply switching to a 98+ works great but then the spoke pattern no longer matches. You have one swept wheel and one straight wheel. Most people would never notice unless you pointed it out.....but I am not most people and this isn't going to be most bikes. HMMMMM
So I PM our greatest "make it fit" modder and ask what other Suzuki used a 4.5 with a swept pattern. He gives me a list of a few bikes and I'm off to ebay again. This time I score a 89 1100 GSXR wheel. NOS unit still in the box. Never seen a bike and no question about straightness. Only problem... no bearings, rotor, cush pads, cush hub or sprocket. RonAyers carries them all but they run more than I paid for the wheel. HMMMMMM
So back to ebay I go...... This time I score an 88 750 GSXR wheel in good used shape and it comes cush pads and cush hub and rotor. I've already painted the rotor from the 98+ to color match the bike which will fit on the NOS 89 rim, which means I just need bearings and a sprocket and I may finally be in business
This post is basically pointless. I was just sitting here thinking about it though and it occured to me that because I am being anal retentive about something no one will notice, I now have 4 rear rims including the stock pre98 and I still don't have the right combination to make the swap
Good news though, I think I finally have it figured out so after I get it finished I will have a whole collection of rims for sale (3 for those counting) and a list for each one of the parts needed to make them work. Keep an eye on the parts forum in the coming weeks if your interested in making this swap..... or you can try the way I did it
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