hi i drive a ural tourist and enjoy the ride,after a trip to capebreton island in summer of 2008 and a meeting with some european riders with hacks attatched to bike bore jap bikes with car rims/leading link front ends,i was offered rides on these rigs,i was hooked i feel the need for speed!!!i purchased a old kawa z1000,and am building my own.how are people modifying the rims???i have access to both machine shop and welding facilitys.i have contemplated machining the outside of the wheel bead off then doing likewise with a same sized alloy automotive rim and welding it to the motorcycle wheel this however limits my tire size to 18" ft 19"rear.using a hub and machining a smaller automotive wheel say 14" would get me closer to the ground,but where and what hub could i use??? the other option being cutting the centre free from the motorcycle wheel and machining it to fit the car rim then weld in place.
help!!!so many options but whats best!!!!and of course safe!
thanks jota
You probably wont find any info on this. People are afraid that If they even think about helping someone, and they get hurt, they will be sued. You'll just have to try different things. It will probably be easier than you think. Make sure you post lots of pictures:o)
Wes
thanks wes i figured as much,by the lack of responces,cant blame people in this day and age.i will probably do fine i am never short of ideas!!
jota
Most people who go this route do weld a motorcycle center hub to a car rim. There are people here who have done it. I'm sure someone will speak up.
I will jump into this I suppose.
We do car wheel conversions for various bikes that run a single sided swingarm. Typically BMWs.
We do not do any welding on the wheels etc etc.
Harry Tarzian ( H T Wheels ) does car wheel conversions for just about any bike. He uses the motorcycle wheel and machines off everything but the hub portion. He then machines the center out of a Centerline aluminum wheel to fit the machined hub and welds the two together followed by more machine work. You can contact Harry at (814) 349-2414. I am frteinds with Harry and he is close by but we have nothing invloved in any fashion with his actual business.
Some of the europeans bolt a machined adaptor to the machined down motorcycle hub. Note that in countries that are under the TUV regulations no welding is allowed on wheels.
You can also check with those who supply wheels for motorcycle drag racers. Do some googling and you will find some. These guys may be able to help you out.
Another source for wheels is the mini spares.
Another popular wheel in Eurpoe is a Smart Car wheel. Stock Smart car owners do go for aftermarket wheels so th estockers can be in supply here and there.
Another source for wheels is the stock car and dune buggy aftermarket suppliers. These are avaiable in variopsu and custom bolt patterens, width, offsets etc. Steel and aluminum.
The wide VW bolt pattern may be appealing if you are doing an adaptor. For a wider bolt patern take a look at the '37 Ford pattern (may be called (wide five) in stock car circles.
Actual Wheels can be aftermarket narrow units designed today for the front of drag cars. Typically we use 165r15 tires which are inexpensive and give long life. We have also used 155,145 or 135r15 tires.
Of course you can go the full tilt route and run the wide tires liek the HPS guys do but that is a big step in design from a basically stock bike. They run like 195/50x 15s and even 205s. Some run 14" tires also.
If you have spoked wheels some have laced car rims to the motorcycle hubs.
It is very important to relaize that YOU must be willing to accept the results of whatever you decide to do with your wheels. No posts here shoudl be taken as an endorsement of any of these methods you may choose to try. In other words you take any and all responsibility for the outcome be it good or bad.
Have fun, think things out well, weigh the costs and let us know how you make out.
Note that when you get a car tire past a certian width setup may become a different issue than with a more conventionall shod rig.
Good handling is related to much more than just tires. A well setup rig with even 165 tires on it will perform very well in the twisties. In fact a well setup and balanced rig even with cycle tires with a good suspension, a swaybar and decent brakes will give most solo bikes a run for their money in the twisties.
thanks claude for you very imformative reply.yes i fully understand that the responsibility and the choices and outcomes good or bad are mine.
i plan on using a sway bar as i believe this will make a huge difference in the handling.yes i will have pics i am just getting started, and this wont be an overnight project,had planned on a winter start to project but other comitments made this not possible.
jota
