wider tires. whats it take?

[Madwombat]

Ok. So I am looking to put some wider tires on my 1980 GS1100L.

I tried a few searches but couldn't find the exact answers I was looking for.

I understand the front isn't so bad. Use a fork set from a later model that should bolt right in. Correct? whats the best fork to look for to get a front tire in the 110-130 range?

The rear seams a bit trickier. I'm not looking to go huge, maybe a 160 at the most. how wide a rim and tire can I put on the stock swing arm? I am relatively mechanically inclined and can do a sprocket swap and whatnot if its needed. I can do the fab work if its really necessary to get to a 150-160 tire in the rear, but don't really want to at this stage.

So what I am basically asking is what does it take to get a 110-130 tire in the front and a 150-160 tire in the rear of an 1980 GS1100L chain drive.

Thanks in advance.

Cant wait to start really diving into this bike and breaking stuff. You guys seem to know so much and I'm excited to start learning.

 

[80GS1000]

Ok. So I am looking to put some wider tires on my 1980 GS1100L.

I tried a few searches but couldn't find the exact answers I was looking for.

I understand the front isn't so bad. Use a fork set from a later model that should bolt right in. Correct? whats the best fork to look for to get a front tire in the 110-130 range?

The rear seams a bit trickier. I'm not looking to go huge, maybe a 160 at the most. how wide a rim and tire can I put on the stock swing arm? I am relatively mechanically inclined and can do a sprocket swap and whatnot if its needed. I can do the fab work if its really necessary to get to a 150-160 tire in the rear, but don't really want to at this stage.

So what I am basically asking is what does it take to get a 110-130 tire in the front and a 150-160 tire in the rear of an 1980 GS1100L chain drive.

Thanks in advance.

Cant wait to start really diving into this bike and breaking stuff. You guys seem to know so much and I'm excited to start learning.

Are you OK with using sportbike gear? That's the easiest and quickest route to wider radial tires.

Roughly an 89-95 GSXR 1100 front end would bolt up, no modifications. Like this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Suzu...004QQitemZ140079307082QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

2000ish Katana 600 4.5x17" rim will fit on the stock swingarm. You can put a 150/160 radial on that rim. I have a 2003 Katana 600 rim with 150 radial tire, sprocket, and brake rotor available in great shape if you want it. You'll have to do a 530 chain and sprocket conversion, and use the rear brake from the same model of bike that the rim came from.
Depending on the rear brake, you may have to add a bracket to your swingarm to hold on the brake's torque arm. You may also need to offset your front sprocket a bit to clear the wider tire.

That's about it, not too bad eh?

 

[Madwombat]

doesnt seem so bad. where can I read about how to do a 520 chain conversion? When you say use the rear brake. do you mean the caliper? rotor? or all the brake components?

How much are you looking to get for the rim/tire/sprocket/rotor setup?

I am pretty comfortable with using sport bike stuff and doing some fab work. I've rebuilt a few old jeeps from the ground up for off-roading and have a pretty nice selection of tools including a MIG welder, cutting torch, etc.

Are there and swingarms that will slide right in that I wont need to do any machine work too? grinding for clearance and stuff is fine. but I dont want to have to have it re-machined for bearing races or anything. I want to be able to do this in my garage.

THank you very much for the help.

 

[Hap Call]

doesnt seem so bad. where can I read about how to do a 520 chain conversion? When you say use the rear brake. do you mean the caliper? rotor? or all the brake components?

How much are you looking to get for the rim/tire/sprocket/rotor setup?

I am pretty comfortable with using sport bike stuff and doing some fab work. I've rebuilt a few old jeeps from the ground up for off-roading and have a pretty nice selection of tools including a MIG welder, cutting torch, etc.

Are there and swingarms that will slide right in that I wont need to do any machine work too? grinding for clearance and stuff is fine. but I dont want to have to have it re-machined for bearing races or anything. I want to be able to do this in my garage.

THank you very much for the help.

Not real sure about the 520 conversion but the 530 conversion is very common and probably necessary to clear the frame. The Dennis Kirk catalog has information on what sprockets and chain link count you need.

Hap

 

[Madwombat]

Sorry bout that. thats what I meant, the 530 conversion. Is there anywhere to read about that?

Whats involved in spacing out the sprockets? are they just held on but jam nuts, or some other contraption, that are easy to adjust to space it out?

Also. whats the widest tire that can be fit on the stock swing arm without heavy fabrication. I read somewhere it was a 190 on a 6 inch rim???

 

[Hap Call]

Sorry bout that. thats what I meant, the 530 conversion. Is there anywhere to read about that?

Whats involved in spacing out the sprockets? are they just held on but jam nuts, or some other contraption, that are easy to adjust to space it out?

Also. whats the widest tire that can be fit on the stock swing arm without heavy fabrication. I read somewhere it was a 190 on a 6 inch rim???

Use 530 sprockets for a 1986 GSXR750, both front and rear. You will need about 116 to 120 links of 530 chain and a 1/4" thick washer/spacer on the front output shaft to align the front and rear sprockets.

I'm not sure what you have to do to clear the tire...the conversion I'm talking about is if the rear tire is kept stock or goes to a 140, maybe to a 160.

Hap

 

[Madwombat]

and I should leave the teeth counts the same? will I need a chain tool to separate the links or can this be done with normal tools?

I'll be happy with a 160. so this should work great.

Sorry for all the noobish questions. This is my first bike. Thanks alot.

 

[Hap Call]

and I should leave the teeth counts the same? will I need a chain tool to separate the links or can this be done with normal tools?

I'll be happy with a 160. so this should work great.

Sorry for all the noobish questions. This is my first bike. Thanks alot.

I cut my chain with a hacksaw...lots of sweat. I use a c-clamp to install the master link. Then I peen the new master link.

You have to consider the rim width to really determine the offset that you put into the front sprocket...the stock rim will not handle a 160 tire.

Hap

 

[Madwombat]

Ya. i was going to go with the rim suggested in the first post. a 4.5 incher from a Katana, or something similar.

 

[80GS1000]

doesnt seem so bad. where can I read about how to do a 520 chain conversion? When you say use the rear brake. do you mean the caliper? rotor? or all the brake components?

http://www.z1enterprises.com/reference/chain630to530.aspx

The whole rear brake assembly, all the components from the newer bike need to be used since the brakes parts between the GS and the newer bike ie Katana are not compatible.

How much are you looking to get for the rim/tire/sprocket/rotor setup?

I'll send you a PM about that in a few.

I am pretty comfortable with using sport bike stuff and doing some fab work. I've rebuilt a few old jeeps from the ground up for off-roading and have a pretty nice selection of tools including a MIG welder, cutting torch, etc.

Are there and swingarms that will slide right in that I wont need to do any machine work too? grinding for clearance and stuff is fine. but I dont want to have to have it re-machined for bearing races or anything. I want to be able to do this in my garage.

Lucky for you, you have an 1100 whose swingarm will accept a 4.5x17" rim with a 160 tire without modifications. You'll need to move the brake torque arm to the underside of the swingarm most likely, so a new bracket will need to be made to bolt it up. That's about the only part you can't do at home, unless you also have a TIG welder (the swingarms are aluminum). Piece of cake for an experienced TIG welder.

 

[80GS1000]

Sorry bout that. thats what I meant, the 530 conversion. Is there anywhere to read about that?

Whats involved in spacing out the sprockets? are they just held on but jam nuts, or some other contraption, that are easy to adjust to space it out?

Also. whats the widest tire that can be fit on the stock swing arm without heavy fabrication. I read somewhere it was a 190 on a 6 inch rim???

The front sprocket is held on by a big 32 mm nut. Spacers, chain, and sprockets can be found here: http://www.z1enterprises.com/catalog.aspx?pid=GS1100ET-1980-MP1

The stock Katana 600 rear sprocket is a 530, so that won't need to be changed.

160 is about as wide as you can go without heavy modification. I'm putting a 180 on my GS1000 but that's also with a complete GSXR 1000 swingarm swap and a monoshock conversion.

 

[Madwombat]

is there a bracket from the katana I would need to mount the brake caliper as well? or do I just rotate the factory one?

 

[Madwombat]

Never mind. just went on bike bandit and it looks like that would be part of the wheel setup I think. Sorry for all the noob stuff. All gotta start somewhere.

 

[Bert Patterson]

I cut my chain with a hacksaw...lots of sweat.

You're an engineer, not some technophobe lawyer like somebody we know - why didn't you just use a Sawsall?

 

[80GS1000]

You're an engineer, not some technophobe lawyer like somebody we know - why didn't you just use a Sawsall?

Or you can get a real chain breaker for pretty cheap: http://www.z1enterprises.com/detail.aspx?ID=2865

 

[80GS1000]

is there a bracket from the katana I would need to mount the brake caliper as well? or do I just rotate the factory one?

Yeah, you'll have to use the Katana torque arm to mount the Katana caliper. I have both of those items, plus the caliper hanger. Let me know if you need those items. You'll also need the Katana axle and spacers.

 

[Madwombat]

Thanks alot for everyones help. I am really looking forward to do this conversion. If anyone has any more insight or suggestions I would really appreciate them.

 

[Hap Call]

You're an engineer, not some technophobe lawyer like somebody we know - why didn't you just use a Sawsall?

Since the "Incident" of '98, the local authorities won't let me play with power tools...

 

[80GS1000]

Thanks alot for everyones help. I am really looking forward to do this conversion. If anyone has any more insight or suggestions I would really appreciate them.

Are you planning on swapping out the front end as well? You need to if planning on doing the rear with a radial. Mixing radials with bias ply tires can have very dangerous consequences.

GSXR 1100 front ends are recommended for their ease of installation, length, brakes, fork stiffness, and their 17" rims designed for radials.

Like this one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Suzu...004QQitemZ140079307082QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

 

[Madwombat]

Ya. i'll be doing the front and rear at the same time.