Topic: What's the best rim sizes for Cafe Racer's, Restorers and Street Fighters?

[Terry in Australia]

Okay guys, after several months of negotiations, I've finally received four new "sample" alloy rims from a company in Asia, Ive been offered a distributorship here in Oz if I want, but that'll depend on the interest generated here and on another site that I look at regularly.

The rims look great, they are available in sizes from 17 inch to 21 inch, and in plain silver or anodized in 5 popular colors. At the time I took the pic it was late and I couldn't be bothered unwrapping them completely, but if anyones interested I can take some close up shots.

Best thing is that they're cheap, if I've done my math right, I can sell them for less than $100.00 each and still make a little profit, but I have to order some pretty big quantities, so I need to know what sizes you guys reckon will be the most popular. I've decided to run 18 inch rims front and rear on my racer project and my Suzuki GS1000S, so I ordered 18 x 2.15 for the front and 18 x 2.5 rear for the Honda, and 18 x 2.5 front and 18 x 3.5 rear for the Suzy, these are the ones in the pic.

What do you guys think would be the more popular sizes for restorers, racers and street fighters? Let me know and I'll order a couple of hundred and get back to you with prices, oh, and I can also get SS spoke kits from another company there, so I've ordered some to complement the rims, woohoo! Here's the pic. Cheers, Terry.    

[Tim.]

Did you really say you're going to order a couple hundred rims at $100 a pop?  The $100 is for the rim only, correct?  What would shipping be like for North America?

[Mark M]

Even in Ausie Dollars thats a lot of wheels.......

[cben750f0]

mate if you can get them for a good price, i will buy them off you...though i would be looking at standard wheel sizes.... peace

[markpeddle]

I'm totally interested but i'm in Canada. I guess $100 Aus. is about $1,000,000.00 CDN.

[bryanj]

Terry any chance of some better pics of the rim edge shape I.E. "flanged" like  Borrani or normal as in akront? And again if i wanted some it would be standard 500/750 sizes

[dpen]

Looks good. Keep us up to date & I'll have a couple of standard sizes. (Don't forget your mates when you're the "bob jane" of motorbike wheels)

[Hondell]

Hey Terry:

I've laced an 18" to my Cb750 streetfighter and bikes of my past. I like the 18's for the fronts.
FYI
rick

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks guys, so far it looks like the stock 1.85 x 19 front and 2.15 x 18 rear is gonna be the big seller, but I'll get some 18 inch fronts and big fat rears for the Streetfighter fans, what are the cafe guys running, standard size or one size fatter? Of course if you want to run the latest rubber, I can get 17 inch rims too, up to 5.5 inches wide.

The rims are shoulder-less, either like Akronts "T" style rims with the raised centres, or copies of our OEM steel rims, that when polished would pass for original. They are very light, so don't think that the shipping to the US or Canada will be horrible, they only weigh 4 or 5 pounds each. Beware though, I'm quoting US dollars, not "Pacific Pesos", ha ha! Cheers, Terry.

[cben750f0]

would like to go wider, but the F1 had the disc brake torque arm in the way... so will stick with stock.... BTW have you let the guys of the 750/4 owners club of australia know.... you might get a heap of orders there...just a though...peace

[kghost]

Good Idea mate.

Now your gonna have to start working on your web page.

I'd consider going wider in the back.

[CB750R]

my 18inch rear rim with a 150mm radial looks pretty nice,(however its a mag, not laced)  I'd have gone 17inch if I could have found one for the right price. I have a different front end, with a 17 up front too, it sits the front end about 2 inches lower, and the rear about an inch, roughly, since the rear is such a lower profile.

if I could have kept the spoked rims and still been able to use a modern dual disk set up, and modern rubber,  I would have in a heartbeat, however motorcycles unlike bicycle industry have no standards on hub width, caliper spacing or rotor spacing, so I can't go build a spoked rim unless I want to use the same OLD running gear.  ok theres my rant... good luck with the rims, sounds like you're doing your homework!!

[Terry in Australia]

Thanks mate, I appreciate your input. I'm cheating on my CB750 racer project, I'm using Suzuki 1980 GS1000S front forks (37mm, with better springs/dampers and air adjustment) and an early Katana box section swingarm (aluminum) with GS750 hubs laced to these rims.

I'm using the later GS1000/GSX1100 perforated discs (very light compared to CB750 boat anchors) with Brembo calipers up front, they're only 2 piston as opposed to 4 and even 6 piston calipers that are a dime a dozen on modern sports bikes, but I didn't want to put 1990's accessories on a 1970's era "special".

Re: using older components, it's quite feasible to mount better discs/calipers to your older hubs/forks etc, if you've got access to a sympathetic engineer, or your own machine shop, I opted to build my own machine shop, so can pretty much fabricate whatever I need to make all these things fit, they certainly aren't a "bolt up" arrangement. Cheers, Terry.    

[Terry in Australia]

Here's some more pics! Cheers, Terry.

[750deepsouth]

Terry, are the 'valanced' rims avaliable

Andy

[Terry in Australia]

G'Day Andy, not from that company, but i have another contact in another factory, I'll ask them if you like? Cheers, Terry.

[cben750f0]

hey terry have a set of 02 gsxr 1000 6 spots if you want them cheap... ...peace

[750deepsouth]

G'Day Andy, not from that company, but I have another contact in another factory, I'll ask them if you like?

Thanks Terry, only ask for prices, don't go to any trouble. I'm just looking around and won't be buying until next year.

I see they've got the right stuff in Gilchrist's tea now   

[CB750R]

Thanks mate, I appreciate your input. I'm cheating on my CB750 racer project, I'm using Suzuki 1980 GS1000S front forks (37mm, with better springs/dampers and air adjustment) and an early Katana box section swingarm (aluminum) with GS750 hubs laced to these rims.

I'm using the later GS1000/GSX1100 perforated discs (very light compared to CB750 boat anchors) with Brembo calipers up front, they're only 2 piston as opposed to 4 and even 6 piston calipers that are a dime a dozen on modern sports bikes, but I didn't want to put 1990's accessories on a 1970's era "special".

Re: using older components, it's quite feasible to mount better discs/calipers to your older hubs/forks etc, if you've got access to a sympathetic engineer, or your own machine shop, I opted to build my own machine shop, so can pretty much fabricate whatever I need to make all these things fit, they certainly aren't a "bolt up" arrangement. Cheers, Terry.    

ooh can I see pics of the swingarm? and perhaps some info on its spacing and such?? I had a fazer swingarm, but it looked a little involved to make it fit, and it was several inches longer, (don't think I need to make this thing any longer than it already is!!!)

[Terry in Australia]

G'Day Mate, well I'll drag out the swingarm and take a pic tonight (well, probably the weekend, it's cold and wet here at the moment) it's actually narrower at the front than a CB750 item, and in standard form runs on needle roller bearings, but I'm turning up special bronze bushes which I'll also use to space it out from the frame. I'm using a CB750 swing arm pivot bolt and sleeve, and it's a nice simple fit. If you're looking for a similar swingarm, it's for a 1980-83 GSX1100 Katana, or I think the GS/GSX1100 and 750 had an alloy arm also, with shock mounts in the "proper" position, ha ha!

It is about 2 inches longer than stock, but this will aid high speed stability and reduce it's tendancy to "stand up" when I feed that 90-odd BHP to the rear wheel. I've got longer Marzocchi shocks (off a CB900F) buy may need to lean them forward or make the bodies slightly longer still (by turning/machining new top mounts) to keep the ass up in the air. There's a bit of work involved making it all fit, but that's half the fun! Cheers, Terry.  

[Harry]

(well, probably the weekend, it's cold and wet here at the moment)

Geez, Terry, its been pushing 30 degrees here in Denmark, no wonder the prettiest Aussie girls choose to marry Danish princes! Give me your address and I´ll send you my winter clothes 

[Terry in Australia]

G'Day Harry, thanks for the offer mate, but you Danes are only little fellers, and at 6'4" and 250 - odd pounds, I'm not sure that those Yak-Skin overalls and Reindeer boots would fit me? Hey send them anyway mate, my missus is only small, they might fit her? Would they get through customs ok, or would we need to label them "live export"?

Now of course all Aussie chicks are pretty good looking, no argument there, but Mary is only "average" when you compare her to Elle McPherson or Jennifer Hawkins, (last year's Miss World) but as I've mentioned in my previous posts, we sent her there as a "breeder" to produce another generation of Danish royals (no, that's not a cookie) because a certain prince was apparently "over-enjoying" the company of his male companions.

Anyway, it won't be long before the next King of Denmark is (at least) half Aussie, and we'll be able to annex Denmark, that way we can establish military bases there to keep an eye on those sneaky Germans, they've been too quiet, for too long! Ha ha, Cheers, Terry.

[kghost]

Wot? No Nicole Kidman on the list?

[Terry in Australia]

G'Day Tim, well Nicole has spent most of her time in Australia, but she was actually born in Hawai, so I didn't wanna upset my American friends by listing her as an Aussie? Anyway, you can keep her mate, plenty more babes like her here, ha ha! Cheers, Terry.  

[CB750R]

On the chair lift up to the peak Whistler Mtn this year....

shortly after they start up the mtn a mexican pulls out a foot long hand rolled inch thick cigar, chopps the ends, sparks it up, and takes a few puffs, and then throws it overboard into the snow. The others on the chair stunned cry "why did you just toss that beautiful cigar!!"

The Mexican replies, "in my country they're as common as cigarettes, i didn't think anything of it"

Shortly after, a scottish  man pulls out a mickey of 12 year old scotch, cracks the seal takes a belt and before anyone can say anything he pours the rest out and tosses the bottle!! Again the others on the chair cry out!! "what are you doin!! thats a hundred dollar bottle of scotch!!!""

"Aye laddie, but in my home town its bottled as mouthwash!!"

Just near the top of the lift, over looking a 40 foot cliff, the other wise normal lookin guy turns towards the excessivly tanned guy at the end of the lift and pushes him off the chair, down the 40 foot cliff and watches him tumble down,

"What the hell are you doing Mang!!" Cries the Mexicain
"Are ya bloddy mad laddie?" Cries the Scott!!

"Dam Aussies, there everywhere" explains the canadian as he hops off the lift at the top of the hill and rides away...

Little friendly humor for ya dingos out there!!