Wheel Spacers - Speedo Gear has weird gap

[Sam 78 GS750]

Can anyone tell me if this gap is supposed to be there? Bearing is seated 100%.

When assembled, the forks are pushed out ever so slightly causing brand new fork seals to leak. I have to force the wheel into place with a bit more force than it should take. I think it's because of this gap. Without the bearing in place, it sits flush. The only way I can see to resolve it is to machine down the part of the speedo gear that butts up against the bearing. Thing is, I shouldn't have to... At some point (1978 may have been the last time) everything should have fit together correctly.

It could be that I have the wrong size bearings, but I don't think so. The front end isn't completely original. The forks were identified as 82 GS650E forks in this thread here. It's possible the wheels are also, but that bike uses the same exact bearings as mine... I'm stumped.

There's also an issue where the bearing on the other side doesn't go in all the way with this side's bearing fully seated. I realize the opposite bearing doesn't need to be fully seated, it just needs to touch the inside spacer, but it seems to me it should go in farther than it does.

Speedo Gap by samL9, on Flickr

I'm also missing part# 10 in the fiche. Bike didn't have it when I bought it. Does this cover that gap?

Front Wheel Fiche by samL9, on Flickr

[salty_monk]

The gap is normal. The dust shield usually covers it (part 10 on the fiche) The gap you see here is actually nothing to do with the fit of the wheel as the bit that acts as a spacer runs through the middle.

It sounds like either your bearings aren't seated properly or your center hub spacer is wrong...

[Sam 78 GS750]

The gap is normal. The dust shield usually covers it (part 10 on the fiche)

That answers that question. Thanks.

The gap you see here is actually nothing to do with the fit of the wheel as the bit that acts as a spacer runs through the middle.

Yup. That's what I was wondering if I would need to machine down a hair to close the gap. Thankfully the answer to that is no.

It sounds like either your bearings aren't seated properly or your center hub spacer is wrong...

The bearings are fully seated, which leaves the center hub spacer (or the spacer on the non-speedo gear side). Like I said, the PO swapped the forks out for ones off an 82 650E, so it's possible the wheels and/or spacers aren't original to a 78 750E either. It seems like most of those parts are interchangeable between most of these GS bikes though...

I know guys do front end conversions all the time, and have to modify/fabricate spacers to get everything to line up right...
Should I have the hub spacer machined down (#3 on the fiche above), the outside spacer machined down (#7), or something else I haven't thought of? I'm just stumped as to why I would have to...it should all fit, but hasn't since I bought the bike.

I just want to make sure everything lines up at the end (in the front, and also front to rear alignment). It would also be nice if my forks didn't leak lol.

[jabcb]

Part #7 for the ’78 GS750 & ’82 GS650 have different parts numbers. Presumably they have slightly different lengths.


If your fork tube assemblies & triple tree are from as GS650, and your part #7 is from a GS750, then just switching to part #7 for a GS650 may solve your problem.

[sharpy]

ITS NORMAL. if it was any closer the speedo houseing be rubbing on the wheel. as it is now the centre of the speedo houseing sit firm on the inner race of the bearing

[Sam 78 GS750]

ITS NORMAL. if it was any closer the speedo houseing be rubbing on the wheel. as it is now the centre of the speedo houseing sit firm on the inner race of the bearing

...and then there's that.

[Sam 78 GS750]

Part #7 for the ’78 GS750 & ’82 GS650 have different parts numbers. Presumably they have slightly different lengths.


If your fork tube assemblies & triple tree are from as GS650, and your part #7 is from a GS750, then just switching to part #7 for a GS650 may solve your problem.

I can try that. I wonder if there's a size hidden in the spacer part number, like with the bolts... Doesn't look like it though. Either way, at 10 bucks it's worth a shot.

I thought it was just the forks from a 650. Could be that some other parts are from the 650 as well. Or maybe some other parts should have been swapped out (like this spacer) when the PO swapped out the forks.
The steering stem is from the 750. I have 750 rotors. Doesn't mean the rims are from the 750. They look the same and take the same size tire, but are there other differences?

[jabcb]

I can try that. I wonder if there's a size hidden in the spacer part number, like with the bolts... Doesn't look like it though. Either way, at 10 bucks it's worth a shot.

I thought it was just the forks from a 650. Could be that some other parts are from the 650 as well. Or maybe some other parts should have been swapped out (like this spacer) when the PO swapped out the forks.
The steering stem is from the 750. I have 750 rotors. Doesn't mean the rims are from the 750. They look the same and take the same size tire, but are there other differences?

The GS750 has an axle holder that screws on to the bottom of both fork tube assemblies.
The GS650 only has one axle holder so it makes sense that the spacer would be a slightly different length.


Per the parts diagrams, the pinch bolt area of the upper triple trees look a little different, so you may be able to tell which one you have.

https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/suzuki/motorcycle/1982/gs650e/steering-stem-model-z

https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/suzuki/motorcycle/1978/gs750ec/steering-stem-gs750b

[Sam 78 GS750]

New spacer ordered. I hope this takes care of the problem!