Author Topic: 75 Goldwing Wheel in CB750K forks (Read 3408 times)

Rookster · « **on:** September 22, 2005, 09:01:33 AM »

Is this possible? I am looking for a Lester front mag for my CB750K1. I know they were made specifically for the CB750 but the Goldwing ones are much easier to find. The Goldwing Lester has the 6 bolt brake rotor pattern that I believe is the same as the CB750. Now for the hard questions: Is the axle dimesnions the same on the Goldwing and CB750? Will the Goldwing wheel fit in the CB750 forks (I realize I would have to make spacers)? What about the disk spacing, is it consistent with the CB750 disks? I should mention that I have a dual disk setup on the CB750 and I don't want to swap the entire fork for a Goldwing fork. I really want to just have to make spacers and have everything else fit? Is this reasonable?
Thanks
Scott

Geeto67 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 22, 2005, 01:25:27 PM »

I just swapped the whole gold wing front end but there is a guy on the honda chopper board that did you you are trying to do. This is what I remember from my conversation with him (but you may wanna aske this question over there and let him answer). Supposedly the 75 GW rim will take the cb750 brake rotors and cb750 calipers. You either have to use the stock cb750 spacers of have some custom made but the axle size should be the same. The 77 and later gold wing rims share the same pattern as the 77-78 cb750F comstar bikes which will not work with earlier cb750s. If the lesters you are going to buy are from Dennis Kirk and are listed on ebay all the time those are for a 77 and later gold wing and wil fit only the 77-78 cb750F (I think they are rears also).

Anyway, if you are going with a gold wing front rim why not the whole front end? the forks are bigger, the brakes are better (dual disc) and the whole thing is a bolt on. I scored a GW front end stem to stern for about $200 (with used but good conti tire) off ebay and eevn though I did not need to rebuild the fork seals I did anyway.

Noel · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2006, 12:45:24 PM »

I'm looking into doing the Goldwing swap myself. Do the triple trees really bolt right up on the CB 750 with no mods?

Geeto67 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2006, 02:54:35 PM »

Quote from: Noel on February 17, 2006, 12:45:24 PM

I'm looking into doing the Goldwing swap myself. Do the triple trees really bolt right up on the CB 750 with no mods?

yes...sort of.

If you use the temkin neck bearing kit you will have to use one GW bearing and one cb bearing, if using the ball bearings they are the same. The handlebar risers are taller than a stock cb so if you are using the stock handlebars you will need to slide the forks up in the trees or get longer cables. If you are using low bars or clipons I wouldn't worry about it. I prefer clipons with this front end because it hides the inch or so you have to slide the forks up if you bolt them on top. Other than that it is bolt on.

beachpeople · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2006, 03:01:21 PM »

Now how about the same GW front end fitting a CB550F (1976 )?

dusterdude · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2006, 04:55:15 PM »

75 gw uses the same hub as our cb`s.it is a spoke wheel as well.it will work.

Noel · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2006, 05:27:26 PM »

Thanks Geeto67. I haven't the slightest idea what a temkin neck bearing kit is, so imagine it won't crop up as a problem.

The bike is ultimately going to be a sort-of Dick Mann replica, so will be wearing clipons. I expect to do some milling on the GW top clamp to remove the more offensive portions of the risers/clamps.

I plan to use the GW brake calipers. Do you suppose the GW master cylinder is the way to go?

theunrulychef · « **Reply #7 on:** February 18, 2006, 06:25:46 AM »

I'm in the middle of collecting all the parts for an F2 to GW front end, so I don't have as many answers as the guys that have completed the swap. One of the things I do know at this point is that going from a single disc to dual disc will require a dual disc Master Cylinder (Goldwing, F2/3, other modern MCs). If you're still only going w/ a single disc, then your stock K MC will work just fine.

-Jay in Philly

eurban · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2006, 06:32:14 AM »

Geeto- Why do you say that you need to use one GL bearing and one CB? For my swap I used a roller bearing kit for the Gl and everything worked out just fine.

bill440cars · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2006, 09:26:20 AM »

Noel,

Timken is a brand name of bearings. They, Timken, make all kinds of bearings. Later on, Bill

beachpeople · « **Reply #10 on:** February 19, 2006, 08:18:59 AM »

So to sum up what I think I'm reading here, a 1975 GW front end should be a direct bolt on for a CB 750 and maybe a '76 CB 550? Or how about just the stock GW tree and I use my 550 forks? Is the CB 750 tree wider than the CB550, will it fit my bike and I can use my stock tubes?
I'm wanting to put a wide front tire on my 550, and high speed handling is not an issue. It's just gonna be a "cruise down to the beach" bike. I have (I think) about 4" of space between the fork tubes at present.
I know this is off topic for this thread...
But one last question... why the hell can't any of us leave well enough alone and stop tinkering and going broke on Ebay? (No need to answer that last one.. I already know the answer!)

bill440cars · « **Reply #11 on:** February 19, 2006, 09:18:51 AM »

beachpeople,
I know you said there's no need to answer but, I just have to say (as an ebay addict myself)
"It's like that mountain, you climb it just because it's there!" As you can see, I've got the same
problem and I can feel comfort by saying that there's more of them out there. We just do what
we've got to do. Later on, Bill

beachpeople · « **Reply #12 on:** February 19, 2006, 09:47:14 AM »

I mean, I have like 6 ebay saved items on my desktop as I start thinking about making the front footprint of my bike wider... and evertime I pop this forum up and see what mad scientist schemes everyone else is working on..the blood starts pounding in my ears and the rest of the day is spent measuring my bike and snooping online for parts and ideas. Sigh.

And I used to be such a nice and normal guy! Now I'm Dr. Frankenbiker..

Noel · « **Reply #13 on:** February 19, 2006, 12:05:31 PM »

Quote

why the hell can't any of us leave well enough alone and stop tinkering and going broke on Ebay?

My favorite gunwriter once penned an article that explained his desire for a particular rifle thusly: "For various irrational but otherwise valid reasons..."

Which sums it up nicely, IMO.

Geeto67 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 19, 2006, 03:22:26 PM »

Quote from: eurban on February 18, 2006, 06:32:14 AM

Geeto- Why do you say that you need to use one GL bearing and one CB? For my swap I used a roller bearing kit for the Gl and everything worked out just fine.

When I first did the swap I used a generic caged roller bearings to do the neck swap and originall I started with a kit for the cb750 and the cb kit (I think it was) top didnt work with the GW stem. I then bought a GW roller bearing kit from the same manufacturer and only on of those bearings fit. I called a few other people I knew doing the same swap at the time and found they had to do the same thing so I assumed it was a problem with quality of the bearings. Later I discovered that if a cb750 has been ridden hard enough the neck will slightly oval and not every bearing will fit right in. This is why I recomend getting a couple of kits and trying the different bearings till you have the best setup. I also recomend not buying cheap roller bearings.

I understand temkin is a brand, but there is a temkin roller bearing kit for the GW and the cb750, and I try to stear people to them because they are of higher quality. I used temkins on another cb750 and I really like the quality so when I redo my neck bearings on the cb with the GW front end I am going to try the GW kit. It is pretty much accepted that when you walk into a M/C shop and say you want temkin neck bearings you are asking for roller bearings and not individual ball bearings.

As for the GW front end fitting the cb550F... if a cb750 stem fits then yes techically it will fit but it will be hella long, like chopper long on the much smaller 550. The GL1000 front end is also a lot of weight to push for a cb550 as the forks are really big. For better brakes on a cb550 I would recomend trying to adapt a more modern caliper than go dual disc. A modern single calper brake system is leaps and bounds better than antiquated dual disc. The kawasaki triple guys use an ex500 single caliper and it outstops the factory dual disc that was available for the h1/h2. It is also a lot lighter. Dual excalipers on that bike is overkill and can flex the frame and lock the front wheel. The kawasaki guys just made an adapter plate to fit the caliper to the stock fork leg (out of 1/4" plate) and turn the disc down to fit the caliper (or use a kz650 disc - either way the ex500/zx6 caliper needs a 5.5mm thick disc).

beachpeople · « **Reply #15 on:** February 19, 2006, 04:22:05 PM »

Thanks for that good explaination! For what I'm looking for on my 550 I understand about the fork length with GW tubes. Could I install a GW triple tree on my 550 and use my stock forks in order to install a wider front rim and tire? (Are there certain years that fit? I see a "77 triple tree on ebay..) I can see that I would need some spacers for the axle...and maybe some shimming on the brake caliper, longer caliper mount bolts maybe. And I guess the stock axle wouldn't work anymore either. Wonder if a GW axle will fit the stock 550 hub?

Also, thanks for the info on the brakes.

(I must be nuts...)

eurban · « **Reply #16 on:** February 19, 2006, 06:33:26 PM »

Geeto . . . .for the record, I used a GL needle bearing kit to mount the 76 Gl tripple tree into the neck of my 78 750 K. I can't remember the brand (it wasn't all balls, it came in a green box) but the only issue was that there was no grease seal for the bottom. The bearings fit just fine. Beachpeople . . . . . .The Gl uses 37mm fork tubes whilst your forks are 35mm so you can't use your forks with the GL trees Far as I know the axels are the same diameter . You could use the GL forks and slide them up into the trees a bit farther. You could also check with these guys www.mginproducts.com/INDEX.html. They make a billet top clamp for the the 750 SOHC and perhaps could make you something for a wider spacing?

beachpeople · « **Reply #17 on:** February 20, 2006, 12:53:56 AM »

Thanks! we are off to LA for a week long workshop, so will be back on bike mods next week. Thanks for the link! Don

Noel · « **Reply #18 on:** February 22, 2006, 12:44:03 AM »

Alright, so I'm convinced that as long as I'm replacing the front end, I might as well replacing the head bearings with a Temkin kit.

Problem is that I don't know what to order. I've been to the Temkin web site, but their search engine is based entirely upon part numbers, as far as I can tell. I tried the part numbers listed by HondaMan on another thread, but as he notes, they aren't Temkin numbers. (And no, they didn't work.)

Anyone happen to know the Temkin numbers, or have other suggestions?

dusterdude · « **Reply #19 on:** February 22, 2006, 05:01:06 AM »

beachpeople,the 75-76 gw trees are the only ones that mount with no bs involved.

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Author Topic: 75 Goldwing Wheel in CB750K forks (Read 3408 times)

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