whats involved to fit cbr600 wheels?

[paxo]

ive a 79 cbx1000z, ive managed to get hold of an 81 prolink front end c/w twin pot brakes that i intend to fit. i want to change the standard wheels for 3 spoke and i understand that cbr600 wheels are a good option.its got a metmachex swing arm fitted so i can probably take up to a 5" rim on the back. can someone who has done this tell me exactly whats required to fit the cbr600 wheels and which model cbr is best......cheers !

[Mike Barone #123]

ive a 79 cbx1000z, ive managed to get hold of an 81 prolink front end c/w twin pot brakes that i intend to fit. i want to change the standard wheels for 3 spoke and i understand that cbr600 wheels are a good option.its got a metmachex swing arm fitted so i can probably take up to a 5" rim on the back. can someone who has done this tell me exactly whats required to fit the cbr600 wheels and which model cbr is best......cheers !

There are some members that have done this...I think George Dillaway is one, but drives a semi and is not able to check in as often as he would like.

If no one replies in a few days.....reply to your own post with the word "bump" in the post body since this will bring it to be viewed again.

Welcome to our forums


Mike

[alimey4u2]

No help here Paxo I'm afraid as I went another route. However, welcome ...

[EMS]

I have no experience with this either, but I think that using CB600F wheels is popular with the "F" crowd = owners of CB750/900/1100F.
You may want to cherck their forum and ask.

http://www.cb1100f.net/

Any advice is pretty much applicable to the CBX, as the front ends are rather similar, except for the Prolink forks with calipers for vented rotors. You may have to get CB900F hangers and calipers.

[paxo]

cheers for the info folks i will check out the other forum...i really wanted a pair of Dymags but found after contacting Dymag UK that they have folded so im having to go down another route

[alimey4u2]

I had my Dymags refurbed just in time Paxo... Indeed a sad loss of a great engineering firm..

[Mike Barone #123]

Click link below....page 20 ....of this ole Xpress member magazine pdf for fitment of the Yamaha 600 front and back on a CBX. This will give you an idea on what to expect ...and maybe if you want after reading this ...consider the Yamaha switch over.

https://backup.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.a ... 65aeb69fa8
This is a big file and might take a few minutes to download.

Let us know how it all turns out


Mike

[Dave Hansen]

I have done the mod your talking about. I changed the whole front suspension to VFR750 though, the triple trees being the only thing I had to modify. The rear I changed both the swing arm and wheel to 600 F3. I had to do a little with spacing but it wasn't to bad. I had to make shock mounts for the swing arm. I also ordered custom shocks from works to get some ground clearance back.

Remember when your doing this to be mindfull of rake/trail, wheel alignment, chain alignment, ground clearance , ect... I have access to machine tools, welders and CAD drafting that helped me figure things out. Without those things be carefull you don't create a bike that you have a lot of time in that don't work.

Good luck

[paxo]

thanks for the help and the useful information guys it is very much appreciated....i will keep you posted how i get on !

[EMS]

Remember when your doing this to be mindfull of rake/trail, wheel alignment, chain alignment, ground clearance , ect... I have access to machine tools, welders and CAD drafting that helped me figure things out. Without those things be carefull you don't create a bike that you have a lot of time in that don't work.

Good luck

Thank you VERY MUCH, Dave for pointing that out. I have taken a lot of heat for making remarks like this in the past. It seems like re-engineering bikes, especially chassis geometries, is very popular among the shade tree mechanics who feel they can vastly improve the original (engineered) design by simply bolting on different components.

[Mike Barone #123]

All....

I will be taking down the Xpress pdf in the post soon.... so this will give everyone to check out the article on page 20....however....keep in mind ICOA has one of the best if not the best motorcycle club member magazines in the world and very few if any of these articles (just like this one) appear on our web site....soooo those of you that are not members might want to join up to get this amazing magazine for these articles and other news.

Just a thought


MIke

[Mike Barone #123]

Remember when your doing this to be mindfull of rake/trail, wheel alignment, chain alignment, ground clearance , ect... I have access to machine tools, welders and CAD drafting that helped me figure things out. Without those things be carefull you don't create a bike that you have a lot of time in that don't work.

Good luck

[Thank you VERY MUCH, Dave for pointing that out. I have taken a lot of heat for making remarks like this in the past. It seems like re-engineering bikes, especially chassis geometries, is very popular among the shade tree mechanics who feel they can vastly improve the original (engineered) design by simply bolting on different components.

Dont disagree Dave/Mike......however asking for information from others here that have info or have already had success on a front/back swap on a CBX is a great first step in the due diligence process and a sure path to success

After all....if the Honda oem suspension components on the CBX and chassis geometry were without flaw.....Dave and I would have had no reason to do a front/back swap on our CBXs and paxo would have no reason to ask us for information on how to do this .......right?

[Don]

Thank you VERY MUCH, Dave for pointing that out. I have taken a lot of heat for making remarks like this in the past. It seems like re-engineering bikes, especially chassis geometries, is very popular among the shade tree mechanics who feel they can vastly improve the original (engineered) design by simply bolting on different components.

I think Dave was warning everyone NOT to make major changes in the chassis geometry . . . . unless they really KNOW what they're doing and I think most of us would agree with him

" . . . . be mindfull of rake/trail, wheel alignment, chain alignment, ground clearance , ect... "

That said, many of us also believe there are signifiicant gains to be had by replacing some of the early model's marginal or deficient parts with something better from another model/year

The rear shocks were known even by Honda to be worthless - They bolted on a new set every 4 or 5 laps at Willow Springs when they were testing the bike. The swingarm was a piece of spaghetti even without any wear on the plastic that passed for bearings. Nobody before or since has fitted 35mm forks to a 100 hp 600 pound motorcycle and hopefully they never will. Honda made one try at reengineering the 35mm forks before they gave up and did the obvious, replacing them with much better 39mm units . . . . and better ones came along later for the 1100F and R. Certainly anything you could do to improve the earl model brakes would be a welcome addition and fitting a better, lighter, wider wheel which allows you to utilize today's more modern rubber has got to make an improvement

All of those things can be changed for the better so long as you're mindful of the rake/trail, wheel alignment, chain alignment and ground clearance as Dave suggested. Just because Honda built it doesn't mean it was all engineered correctly. Mr. Irimajiri recently admitted as much when he said "The Honda factory knew how to make engines, but in our minds, the frames were not that important. We were always searching for more power, but not thinking that the frames would have to allow us to use that power." When you look at, ride and then improve upon an early model CBX, you quickly come to realize that truer words were never spoken

In fact, I'm pretty sure there would be gains to be had by slightly modifying the chassis geometry if a qualified engineer looked at things - There's nothing which would make me think that Honda nailed anything related to the chassis geometry 'spot on' when they designed the bike . . . . but you'd need to 'be mindful' that you were actually making improvements and not heading in the wrong direction

One thing about owning and riding an early model CBX is that there are so many things you can play with and make better . . . . if your thing is to ride it and not just look at it. Visually, it's a thing of beauty but the way all the parts actually work together leaves lots of room for improvement. I think it's quite a compliment that you see CBX engines going into better engineered frames to make for much better handing machines 30 years after they were first introduced

Don