There are 2 types of weight that affect the way a bike handles and rides. There is sprung weight (this is the part that your shocks hold up and compress when you sit on your bike- engine, frame, body parts, etc) and unsprung weight (this is the part that is in contact with the road and that moves up and down with the road irregularities – your tires, wheels, discs, swing arm and usually 1/2 of the shock and forks are considered as unsprung weight as the other 1/2 of the weight is connected to the bike and moves with the sprung weight ). The lighter that you can get the unsprung weight, the faster your wheel will rebound after hitting a bump in the road and the less gyroscopic weight of a lighter rim you have to turn when moving, the easier a bike will steer. The lighter unsprung weight of an aluminum rim allows the suspension to work quicker and in turn keeps the contact patch of the tire on the road better
An aluminum rim is lighter than the stock steel rim and allows the suspension to act and react quicker. When the suspension is compressed by the wheel moving up by a road irregularity, the inertia of the wheel has to be over come by the suspension before the suspension can return the wheel to the road. With the more weight of a steel rim there is more inertia that has to be stopped by the suspension and then over come by the suspension to return the tire back to the road. With the less weight of an aluminum rim, there is less inertia for the suspension to over come and the quicker your suspension can react.
There are some economical alternatives to the pricey aftermarket aluminum rims. The CB 750 Automatic has aluminum rims and are a good alternative to the heavy steel rims. The 1975-1977 GL 1000 Goldwing also has Aluminum rims, but being a shaft drive motorcycle, the rear wheel will need to be relaced to your stock chain drive hub.
The GL 1000 front rims are 1.85 X 19 and are commonly used on the front of many Honda motorcycles. It will fit on the CB 500 550 and 750 and will work with either single or dual disc 6 bolt pattern brake discs. The GL 1000 discs are look to be the same as the CB 550, but have more offset to them than the CB 550 discs. The CB 750 uses a larger front disc (diameter) than the GL 1000, so you would need to use your existing disc (or disc).
It looks as the SOHC gods are shining their happiness down on all of you, on this, your lucky day. It just so happens, I have an Aluminum Front wheel off a GL 1000 on Ebay right now.
Heres the link.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=270041152762&rd=1,1 Lets all watch this and in a weeks time when it ends, we will all know the answer to that nagging question we all have in the backs of our mind “
What can I get for an ALUMINUM GL 1000 19 INCH FRONT WHEEL?”
Daniel
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=14692.0
