[96XR600r]

Hi there...

I was wondering if anyone one here has ever seen or tried to re-lace their front hub with an 18" rim...

I would love to just go get a set of 17", but unfortunately my bank account just cannot fund such an expenditure at the moment and I would like the SM look... (as well as a better handling ride).....

I currently am running a 140 on my stock 18" rear and if I was able to do this I could probably run a 120 or so front on an 18" rim and have it work out nicely...

my front hub is a 36 spoke hub.. can I then use any 36 spoke 18" wheel I can find?? Also, where would I find spokes the appropriate length??

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[terri_one]

i have done that, laced both 18inch rims to my XR650L. had a 110 front tyre and a 130 rear tyre. Holes may be drilled at different angles, so you will have to note that before buying the rims.

 

[96XR600r]

Terri-

Were you able to us a rear rim off of another xr650, or did you use a rim off another bike..

I know I have a 32 spoke rear and a 36 spoke front, so obviously I will have to find another rim...

If yours was also a 36 spoke, out of curiosity what rim did you end up using??

 

[tripletime]

This is exactly what i wanted to do because that 21 incher up front just looks goofy, and i am not putting your bike down, my XRL is the same setup as yours and i am in the same position so, HELP EVERYONE!!! and if you find something 96XR600r let me know please!!! thanks

 

[96XR600r]

It just seems like a logical solution because I found an 18" no name 36 spoke rim on ebay for 10 bucks last night...

If something like that would indeed work I could have the whole thing together for pennies compared to what a standard sm setup would cost...

 

[tripletime]

sweet, i have also seen that rim, the only thing i would be worried about is the angle of the spokes really because i know there are spokes out there for 18 inch rims (duh)

 

[96XR600r]

Agreed...

Terri_one... If you could clue us in on what rim you found worked and how many spokes it was it would be very helpful!! Thanks!!

 

[Dirtyd851]

if its that cheap I'd buy it up at let us know how it works! You'll need a set of spokes regardless of what 18" rim you buy, so if it (ebay wheel) doesn't work you can just re-list the rim and you can still use the spokes when you find the proper rim...if the ebay wheel doesn't work. Keep us posted, i'm not in your boat but I'm interested to see how this works. Good luck!

 

[96XR600r]

I may hold out for just a bit to get at least some use out of my new front tire, but I will def. be trying this soon!!

I'll keep you posted!

 

[Wheeldude]

You can use a rear rim on the front, BUT, there will be issues. Most front wheels use a cross 3 pattern( each spoke crosses 3 other spokes) and most rear wheels use a cross 2 pattern. What it boils down to is that the angle of the holes coming out of the rim are different. If you use a rear rim on the front wheel, the spokes will bend at the end of the nipple where they leave the rim, possibly causing a broken spoke. Call Buchanans and order the right rim and spokes . You will be better off. Buchanans number is 626-969-4655 WD

 

[96XR600r]

i know this thread has been dead for quite awhile, but I thought you guys might like to see the finished product...

I ended up trading a bunch of old xr parts to a cycle salvage shop for a used 18" rim(don't know what it was off of...)

Ordered spokes from Buchanans and got everything laced up by a local shop...

Total cost was about $200... free rim... $92.00 for the spokes shipped.... $100 for wheel lacing/balancing/mounting.. and I got a heck of a deal on a 110 front Avon for $32.00 at Chaparral...

 

[tripletime]

That looks great! if i only had more money...

 

[pookiebear]

looking good. I like budget stuff.

 

[96XR600r]

haha.. yeah.. I think I still am under the 3k mark for this bike total... bought it in march for 2,200 when it looked like this, but at least it was CA plated!

 

[xr650r_sm]

Good looking bike for sure. Let us know how it handles.

 

[Hunter]

Looks great! Ingenuity wins again! :clap:

 

[indybong]

I really like what you have done here. I was hoping to get your exact tire sizes, front and rear. example: 140/80-18? Great work, I am definitly going this route. B

 

[96XR600r]

Front is a 110/80/18 on the 18 I re-laced.. I'm not sure what the rim was off of, but it is the same width as the rear rim (2.15)

The rear is a 140/70/18... But I am quickly going to be due for a new tire and I am going to go with a 130/70/18 because it will actually be wider with less roll-over than the 140...

Tires are not the easiest to find with this setup, but they def. can be found... I happen to live 2 miles from Chaparrel, which I'm pretty sure has the biggest bike tire warehouse on the entire west coast so I just go in there and look until I find the right tire at a good deal...

The front I got at a steal on clearance for $30.00 (for an AVON!)
and the current rear is a IRC Road-winner which I picked up for $70.00..

I just went and looked at tires today though, and it appears I won't find anything cheaper than $90.00 this time around, but that still isn't too bad...

Hope this has been of some help!!

 

[indybong]

Thanks, that helps a lot.

B

 

[indybong]

The rear rim from an '83 Honda cr250 is 18"X2.15"-36 spoke. Bucannon is shipping me spokes for $88.72 shipped. Hope that helps.