Topic: Do most cafes have a 17 or 18'" rear rim?

[BrandonB13]

cb750K8

[Grnrngr]

MOST cafes? or just the really cool ones?     I  think MOST cafe's run a stock back wheel....

[BrianAdair]

I thought Cafe's had booths and tables......?

 

[seaweb11]

16

[Roach]

im running a 18 rear

[Bluegreen]

18" front and back

[Steve_K]

I like aluminium rims and mine has an 18" rim.  Try to figure what tires you may want to use and then decide on diameter and rim width.
Steve

[FunJimmy]

Typically 18's at both ends.

[BrianAdair]

I am running a 16 rear 19 front, I just like the look.

There are threads on wheels and tires and how it makes the bike handle, some say the 16 is not so good for cornering, and to wide of a rear tire with a skinny front throws you either into the turn more, or takes more to get through the turn. I don't remember
If your 78K is the same as my 77K you have 19 front 17 rear.
Ive been told, and don't know how true it is, but that 18" rear tires are getting hard to find.

I think it's all pretty much a personal preference in what you like the look of and how your going to ride.

[Grnrngr]

Some of the Virago cafes are 16 front and rear, stock is 16 rear 19 front, there's a guy on that forum that makes an adapter kit to run a back wheel on the front. My 73 Honda is 18 rear 19 front, my 77 750 is 17 rear and 19 front. If I cafe my 73, I might look for an 18 front but will probably keep rear at 18, 17 looks like too much tire to me, although there is probably not that much different in total outside diameter, and I have a spare 17 if I wanted to use it...

[Roach]

seems like everyone is running a different size

18 rear 19 front

so were there different size options from factory or were these changes at laster date

[Kevin400F]

I would say "most" bikes modified into cafe racers through the years have used the OEM wheels that the base bike came with.  Traditionally, Honda's sportiest street offerings in the 60s and 70s were equipped with 18" front and rear (305 SuperHawk, original CB450 Black Bomber, CB400F).  In later years when the created the GB500....clearly a tribute to British single-cylinder "cafe racers", they also went with 18 inch wheels front/rear.

Kevin 

[HondaMan]

If your K8 cafe' is intended to handle well, there are 2 things to consider with wheels:

1. The front trail was designed with 19" wheel + 3.25" tire, 17" wheel + 4.50" rear setup. Simply changing to an 18" front will reduce trail (which is already relatively short on the CB750), which will make a choppier ride (due to quicker steering) and significantly reduce stability above 60 MPH.

2. The rear wheel was made 17" for mostly 1970s rubber reasons. The 750K0-6 always wore out the rear Bidgestones quickly (4000 miles), and the K8 had even more HP: Honda decided on a bigger tire to try to extend their life. Today, this is not so much of an issue: modern Avons and Metzlers can deliver 20K+ miles in the same setup. So, swapping to an 18" rear wheel, which will greatly improve your tire options over the 17" size, then allows use of the modern metrics (110/90x18 for best handling, 120/90x18 for a slightly larger footprint if the engine is 80 HP or more). Use the matching 110/90x19 front (it will just barely squeeze in on a 1-disc front end) for the most trail improvement and "evenness" when tossing it into and over the curves. A 11/90x19 front is acceptable, and usually the only option if the front is dual discs, requiring deflation to be mounted, inflation in place.

If you're just going for looks, do what you like. 

[Roach]

so im running a 120/90 -18 rear and a 100/90-19 front so i would get better hadleing running a 110/90-19 front?

[wookie]

so im running a 120/90 -18 rear and a 100/90-19 front so i would get better hadleing running a 110/90-19 front?

I had a 90/90-19 and it was too small.  Ordered a 110/90-19 and it was so big i didn't think it would fit.  Swapped it for the 100/90-19.  I also run a 130 - 16 on the rear.
I think you're current set-up is just right.