Rear rim confusion - 83 GS1100E

[Billy Ricks]

From those diagrams it looks like your spacers are different too. Hmmm. Yeah and the 3" rim I have here matches the front perfectly. I think I will just run a 130 on it. Should fit nice and should handle good. A few have told me now that a 140 will fit but may not handle as well in the turns as the 130 will when matched with my front tire. I guess I need to make it work. That is unless someone comes up with a stock 83 rim for a good price. I may just buy that then and sell this one.

Thanks for all the input Billy!

You could go with a 130/80 with the extra width and it should handle better than a 120/90. The lower profile will work nice with the extra 1/2" and you should end up with just about the same stance front to rear.

[Billy Ricks]

Mark, here's a nice tire on Ebay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Trimp...spagenameZWDVW

[Suzuki mad]

I've got an ESD, here in the UK, and my rear tyre is a 130/90x17. In the old days the original tyre was 4.10 but you could fit a 4.50 which is the 130/90 equivilant. We used to push it and fit a 5.10 but that used to rub the swinging arm. With the wheel patern watch out as the later EFE had the same patern wheels but were 3 and 3.5 size so won't go in the swinging arm as they were from the first of the monoshock bikes.

Suzuki mad

1981 GS1000E
1983 GSX1100ESD back together (ish)

[rphillips]

It may be as simple as finding the original spacers that go with your wheel. I know that to put my "78" GS 1000 spoked wheels on my "83" GS 1100 E, all I need to do is use the rear axel spacers that came stock with the "78" GS 1000 wheel, also works perfect to use the GS 1100 wheel on the GS 1000, just keep the spacers with the wheel that they came with.

[Jethro]

The stock 83 1100E rim width is a 2.5. The only reason people say a 140 won't handle as well is becasue of the profile being messed up, pinched by the 2.5" rim. I can attest to that. With a 3" rim the 140 would handle fine, have a good profile and will wear nicely. The 1150 rims are a nice upgrade, I'd make it work if I were you.

[Carter Turk]

I cut out a rectangle shape the width of chain adjustment out of my stock round brake arm. Its a bit crude, but allows a 140 on a 3.5 rim to fit. I also had a problem with spacers and had to add one on the brake disk side.

Now I've been wondering if my alignment is off, but its been that way for awhile.

I've been curious how out of alignment my bike would be if I took it GMD Computrack.

[graham harron]

The stock brake stay arm on the 750L is also indented to help clear the larger rear tire.

[Hoomgar]

All good info guys. Thanks.

The stock 83 1100E rim width is a 2.5. The only reason people say a 140 won't handle as well is becasue of the profile being messed up, pinched by the 2.5" rim. I can attest to that. With a 3" rim the 140 would handle fine, have a good profile and will wear nicely. The 1150 rims are a nice upgrade, I'd make it work if I were you.

Geoff, that is all I needed to hear to clear any last doubts. I'll be modding the stay and making this work with a 140.


Rock on 8)

[Jethro]

Good choice. I'd like to do the same so I can run the Dunlop 501's. I loved that tire, but it ain't right on the stock rim.

[Hoomgar]

Good choice. I'd like to do the same so I can run the Dunlop 501's. I loved that tire, but it ain't right on the stock rim.

I already have a GT501 on the front rim, now you know where I have been coming from

[Carter Turk]

The profile of a 140 is still slightly pinched on a 3" rim. I have a 205 Dunlop on my wife's 1150 with a 3" rim. I have a 3.5 on my Katana 1150 with a 140 Pirelli Sport Demon and the profile looks right comparing the two in the garage.

I had a bad experience with the Metzler Metronic 130 and went to the MEZ2 140 after that. I thought maybe the 130 was the problem, but it probably had something to do with my small member. I was guilty of putting it on a 2.5 rim. More than once. Super pinch.

[Hoomgar]

The profile of a 140 is still slightly pinched on a 3" rim. I have a 205 Dunlop on my wife's 1150 with a 3" rim. I have a 3.5 on my Katana 1150 with a 140 Pirelli Sport Demon and the profile looks right comparing the two in the garage.

I had a bad experience with the Metzler Metronic 130 and went to the MEZ2 140 after that. I thought maybe the 130 was the problem, but it probably had something to do with my small member. I was guilty of putting it on a 2.5 rim. More than once. Super pinch.

So the 140 is not a good idea on a 3" rim then?

[Billy Ricks]

So the 140 is not a good idea on a 3" rim then?

As long as it's not a radial a 3" rim with a 140 will be fine. Anything from a 2.75" to a 3.5" rim width will work with a 140.
http://www.garageofxanadu.com/Wrench/Tires/tires.html

[Carter Turk]

The contact patch while leaned over is noticably less on 3" rim. I've run a 140 for years on smaller rims with no ill handling effects. However, when the straightline tread wears out there's an abrupt contact patch left.

I guess what I'm saying is when the tire wears past its half life the tire doesn't handle as well on a narrower rim.

[Billy Ricks]

The contact patch while leaned over is noticably less on 3" rim. I've run a 140 for years on smaller rims with no ill handling effects. However, when the straightline tread wears out there's an abrupt contact patch left.

I guess what I'm saying is when the tire wears past its half life the tire doesn't handle as well on a narrower rim.

I understand that completely, I preach it all the time.