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fat tire

  • Thread starter Thread starter gsbobber
  • Start date Start date
cool thanks also my bike came with these forks look like air shock anybody got any ideas what kind they are are they stock are they modified are they any good
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gsbobber said:
reason why i went with the gs is cause of coarse the cost for one picked up mine running great fresh out the shop with a tune up and carbs rebuilt for 1000 guy was hurting for money insurence was cheap and cus i love the cafe look which is what im going for. plus i like building things having the joy of saying i put that together. i like modern street bikes dont get me wrong but i live in the l.a./o.c. area and everybody around here owns gsxrs, r1's ect. and i just wanted something u dont see everyday and that i could go have fun in i appreciate the advice and will go with the 120 or 130 tire. reason i joined this site is for the info alot of peeps on here that know their ****. and i know that everyone is a critic i can take it no bad feeling here thanks again for the great info now one more ? if i get the bigger tire 120 /130 do i need to get a bigger front tire its a 100
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A TRUE cafe wouldnt have a big old fat tire on the back... They didnt have big old fat tires back when the original cafes were created... You COULD get a GS1150 rear wheel, find an 83 GS1100 front to match the spoke pattern...the 1150 rear comes in either 3.0 inches wide or 3.5 inches wide, and with the 3.5 you can stick a 150 on there... PLUS, with some spacers and time, attention to detail, it will bolt RIGHT ON. there ya go :) But seriously, put a 130 on it, run it till you run it to the edge. When you get comfy doing that, then maybe look at a bigger tire conversion. Otherwise, youre gonna be riding around on a big wide tire that looks like it came off a car cause you wont lean the bike...
 
This is an interesting thread.

I have an '82 GS1100E that was rescued from rusting away in a field. To say this bike needs work is an understatement. Considering how little I paid for it, and the condition of the bike, the question is not how to restore it to stock, but how to make it into something interesting.

I already have a swingarm from a Bandit 1200 so I can go with a wider rear tire. I'm still debating what size, I thought I wanted a 180, but I'm not so sure right now. My primary goals with this bike is that I want to take it down the drag strip, a lot, but also be streetable. I'm not looking to leave anyone in the dust in the corners, I realize it is not going to do that, mostly, I want traction for the strip and better rubber/braking than stock.

I plan on going with a USD front forks off something newer, once I find something for sale around here ;) I realize none of this will be a bolt on, but I have a CNC at my disposal, and I am not in a rush, just want to have fun and build something tasteful.

I'm open to suggestions, and I am watching multiple rebuild threads with interest with how they are updating the suspension.
 
USD front forks off something newer, once I find something for sale around here
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gsxr750 WP usds are bolt on ..same bearing ,stem etc ...even the lockstops are the same.
bandit arms a shoe in ..some top hat spacers and some brackets at the rear for the twin shocks and your sorted.

heres one i found on this site that inspired me to do mine

check out poslayrs thread ..hes got the bandit swinger in his....jwhelans too
 
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i have a 6 over swingarm and run a 190 on a busa rim with no troubles.
 
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Gsbobber, Im nor sure without doing some serious rework of the Swinger or replacing it with a new one to fit, that youre gonna have much luck mounting a 170 or larger. What size rear rim are you looking to add/replace with? And what Size are you running now? If, like my L, I have a 16"x 2.75 rear but my T has a 17"x2.75. The swing arm is different in size, so Ill be using the T swinger to give mine that extra1/4" or so clearence to run a 140 or 150 on a 16"x3.50 spoke rim. And as 10Seca and I mentioned, youll have to consider using an offset front sprocket or a jack shaft. I can try to answer some of your questions since Im doing some of the same work on my custom Chopper build.
 
tone said:
Ive just read all the way through this thread again & am pretty confused :confused: after setting up stock gs suspension to my liking & raising the rear a tad i can pretty easilly run to the edge of the skinny rear tyre & often push the front to the point of it getting scary, i'm no racer either, in fact although i'm pretty quick & smooth i'm nowhere near the fastest in group of the people i ride with

The point of all the above is with modern suspension keeping the wheels in contact with the road & modern rubber i cant quite run to the edge of the tyre in normal riding conditions, therefore i'm leaving myself a safty margin which can only be a good thing

I'm also getting myself decent brakes & rubber that will grip rather than the wooden stock rubbish which wouldnt stop a wheelbarrow in a hurry

I expect some people to take issue with the above comments & thats fair enough but i suspect those people have never done a few thousand miles on a gs equiped with modern running gear, so in my opinion are not qualified to comment

cheers tone
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I agree in principle Tone. I do prefer the progressive front spring mod to stock though with 15 grade oil and a slight increase in preload. No need to run air over them now. Later model brakes with kevlar pads complete the front end package. Rear shocks and brakes stay stock.
Some have mentioned using sticky tyres, which I firmly believe in too. My rear Sport Demons still have lightly scrubbed 1/4" chicken strips, but the front one has no strips.

Unlike you Tone, I chose to raise the front slightly to achieve my desired handling traits.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned that greatly affects the final results is tyre pressures. I found my front pressures need to be quite precise for me to achieve the best all round results. I find 34 psi to be the best. At 36 psi, the front tends to feel too hard through tighter corners with moderate to heavy undulations. 38 psi works well for the rear. It just confirms that all your mods need to be well balanced to work properly.

These bikes certainly have handling limitations, just getting them to suit your riding style without breaking the bank, is the key. If they look good at the end of your mods, then that's a nice bonus.
 
odd ...ive got one of them ...with the afore mentioned offset sprocket ...extended arm ..5.5 wheel and with the chain run being straight and giving about 5 mil off the frame and about the same to the tyre i couldnt see any way to get a 190 in there . most i got was 170...



got any closeups of how you managed it ... was frame surgery involved..is the wheel centred :confused:

i know you can do a 190 and busa rim on the 1100 EFE with no clearance issues.
 
saffa said:
odd ...ive got one of them ...with the afore mentioned offset sprocket ...extended arm ..5.5 wheel and with the chain run being straight and giving about 5 mil off the frame and about the same to the tyre i couldnt see any way to get a 190 in there . most i got was 170...



got any closeups of how you managed it ... was frame surgery involved..is the wheel centred :confused:

i know you can do a 190 and busa rim on the 1100 EFE with no clearance issues.
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i will try and get up close pcs tonight
 
this is the best pic i have right now the tire is a 190/50/17 mt shot out tire
 
Hey GSBOBBER
I have a 6.5x17 that you can put a 200 or even a 210 tire on.
Interested?
GREG
 
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