Sport bike front wheel upgrade

[Busaracer05]

I'very been looking for a good front tire for my 1st Gen. It seems they only make bias ply for that size rim. Doesn't make much sense to me since we haven't seen bias ply tires on cars in over 30 years, so I went searching for a better solution. Many threads talk about retro fitting a sport bike front end on a max to get the 17" rim and wider tire for improved stopping and turning. After looking into this, and sizing up triple trees and forks, and looking at all the stuff that would have to be adapted (like the headlight), I found what seems to be the perfect solution. I found that the front rim off a late 90's yzf 600 uses the same axle, and has the same brake rotor spacing. I was able to bolt it into my stock forks and use the stock speedo gear and brake calipers. The wheel sits slightly off ceter and the axle spacer is too long, so the only mods necessary is to shave 3.75mm off of the speedo side fork tube to center the wheel, and take 1.5mm off the spacer. The wheel looks good and helps the max handle better. Keep in mind this tire is 3.5" shorter in diameter, so it will lower the front end 1.75" or so. This matches my lowering shocks in the rear nicely!

 

[one2dmax]

Yep. That and some of the early YZF and Thunderace wheels also swap over. The real problem is getting a cheap rear.

 

[CaptainKyle]

I like the switch but there are radials that will work on the stock wheel lots of people here running them.

 

[Traumahawk]

Is that the 98-07 front yzf600 wheel, or before that?

 

[Busaracer05]

I don't know exactly what year the rim is, I was told it was from a yzf 600rr, and I know the triple tree uses the samend bearings and stem length as the max.
As for finding a radial tire for the stock rim, I wasn't able to find one in the normal parts stores. Not saying they don't exist. And the sport size 120/70 tire offers improved handling all around.
As I was researching the swap I didn't come across anyone offering up this nearly direct fit mod, so I thought I would put it out there.

 

[TB99Max]

Can you post a picture of your bike with the new setup? Thanks

 

[wildweasel_pt]

Yzf 600 is the thunder ace. At least in EU

 

[jdeitz1979]

Post a pic, I'm testing waters on the rear swap, so I'd love to see the front done


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[carrizog60]

Yzf 600 is the thunder ace. At least in EU

are you sure?
i think thunder ace was the 1000cc machines,600cc were called thunder cat.

Yep. That and some of the early YZF and Thunderace wheels also swap over. The real problem is getting a cheap rear.

my take on that will be a diversion 900 wheel.
i have some 17" wheels at work so will have the lips of the diversion cut and weld a bigger lip from a sportbike wheel.
then a spindle and is all done.

my guess is that it will be cheaper and easier than to source a vmax rear and insert the middle in a sportbike wheel.

 

[wildweasel_pt]

are you sure?

i think thunder ace was the 1000cc machines,600cc were called thunder cat..

Correct. My mistake the cat is 600 and the ace 1000