17" rear wheel

[bikerhawk]

Hi, guys...new to forum, but been lurking for quite a while. I have the 1100H from Curt Marsh that needed tranny repair. After 2 teardowns, it's still kinda screwy in 1st and 2nd, but 3/4/5 are rock-solid.

So off go my wife and I yesterday for our first 2-up adventure on the 11 (I also have an XS750 that we've been on a bunch). As we hit a gentle right-hand curve, all of a sudden it feels like we're on the first turn at the Peoria Mile dirt track. By the time we can get stabilized, stopped, and off the bike, the rear is flat as a pancake. About 5 hours later, we've been picked up, brought home, taken the trailer & pickup back to the bike, loaded it up and back home again (we were about 35 miles out).

What I've just realized is...someone put a 16" rear from a Special on my H, and the 130/90-16 Conti Blitz had been rubbing on the swingarm, driveshaft side. I don't yet see a problem with the tire, so I'm wondering if the forces of the right-hand turn, 2-up, pushed the tire far enough to separate the bead from the rim, since the shaft wouldn't let it flex any more. Maybe this is far-fetched, and I hope I do find some kind of puncture to kill this theory, because it frankly scares me otherwise.

Sooo...does anyone have a spare 17" rear wheel? I have a feeling the bike is grounded until I find one...I'm not putting another tire on the 16" wheel (unless I find an actual puncture), and both meats could use to be replaced anyway...might as well do it right.

[Snow]

I got a front and rear from ebay, I haven't swapped my wheels out yet so no spare from me - but when I got mine from auction, they were pretty cheap, like around $20 each plus shipping.

[bikerhawk]

I did just discover via some more research and my friends on the triple list that XS850 standards used the same 2.50-17 rear wheel, so that helps expand my scope a bit. If anyone knows of one lying around somewhere, please let me know...they were on all 850 and 1100 standards (not 750s--they used a 2.15-18). Thanx!

[Do Lee]

I have a few spare rims from some xs11 but I can't remember if I have any for a reg. xs11 and won't be able to look until Wed. or Thur. but I will post it asap.

[Jerry]

Funny this should come up....

I have a 17 inch rear tube-type rim from a '79 Standard I would part with cheap; $10.00 plus shipping from Zip code 86303 (Prescott, Arizona.) I need to take the old Continental tire off it before shipping, but rim looks to be in very good shape. No brake rotor, though.





Let me know if you are interested.

[Ken Talbot]

We've had a 16" rim from a Special with a 130-90 16 tire mounted on SWMBO's 'H for a few years now without incident. The tire is a close fit, with only about 1/8" of clearance on the shaft side, but it is clear. Of course, that is with just her riding, so the loading and tire flexing is not going to be the same as riding 2-up.

I just had a peek at the clearance on Tsunami, also an 'H, with a 130-90 17 tire on a stock rim, and it is only about 3/16" - a bit more than SWMBO's but not a lot.

With a heavy load, and with an underinflated tire, I could see the sidewalls bulging out more than normal and maybe starting to rub. But, I really have a hard time imagining that causing the bead to unseat. I don't suppose you happened to check the tire pressure before setting off??

[bikerhawk]

Yep, in fact I did check it and was running at 40 PSI. Now, the tire did have a rather slow leak (5 PSI every 3-4 days or so), but I've had it out by myself before for a 40-50 mile ride with no problems. I still haven't had time to check the tire out to see if something was embedded, causing the slow leak and finally finished the deed while 2-up. The left side of this Conti Blitz was indeed rubbing the swingarm, but I know certain brands vary. What brand of 16" tire are you running on your H, Ken? Maybe this Conti wasn't made for a 400-lb rider/passenger load and flexed too much.

I'm leaning toward the Dunlop K491s as replacements, as they are built for this kind of high-mile, high-load touring 2-up that I envision this bike for...it's weird to jump on my trusty triple 750 and think of it as small and narrow, but with that 6.3 gallon tank in front of me...

Just wondering if I need to/should go through with finding a 17" wheel, or just keep the 16" I have and mount a new tire. I think the wheel is still OK, but I haven't closely inspected it yet.

[Ken Talbot]

We're both running Bridgestone Spitfire 11R

If you go back to a 17" rear, you will find the saddle height goes up a bit and the bike may lean to the left a bit more than you're comfortable with when on the sidestand. We put the 16" on SWMBO's 'H, along with shorter rear shocks, specifically to lower the ride height, and had to shorten the sidestand a couple of inches to get it to sit right. Are your rear shocks approx 12.5" eye-to-eye (stock length) or have they maybe been replaced with some 11.5" units?

[Do Lee]

I do have a spare 17" rear rim. it's kinda ruff will need a little bit of cleaning. just let me know.

[bikerhawk]

Well, now I'm not sure that I NEED to go back to the 17" rear, especially if Ken is running one on his SWMBO's ride w/no problem. Don't standards run a 130-section rear anyway??

I think the key would be to mount a tire that isn't too wide at the contact point. Looks like the Bridgestone Spitfires work OK, and the Dunlop K491s are where I'm leaning toward. I just wonder if the Conti Blitz was TOO wide, rubbing on the shaft housing and causing the separation. I haven't pulled the wheel yet, but I did get the bike into the garage and up on the centerstand despite the flat (grunt)...looking at the wheel with no weight on it, the left (rubbing) side is off the rim while the right still seems to be seated well.

Anyone have some ideas to offer?

[fusionking]

I bet it didn't rub untill it went flat! Shurley you would have seen that or at least smelled it. I really dought anybody who would have went to that much trouble to change wheel sizes woulda missed that. Also from what i see overloading only makes it fatter at the ground. Just get the size you can live with & RIDE!!!!!!!!!!! Garry

[bikerhawk]

I wish I had better foresight, but I can now say for certain, now that the wheel is off and I've inspected it, that the tire was indeed rubbing before the flat occurred, and I was too blind or stupid to notice or compare with the other side. In any rate, I don't see a puncture, and the right side bead is solidly mounted, but the left side is off all the way around. The wheel itself looks fine. My determination at this point is the Conti was just too dang wide, the Dunlop K491 or Bridgestone S11 should work on the 16" wheel, and I'm not going through with finding a 17" wheel.

Hey Ken Talbot - I've seen the pix you posted a while back on the rear axle spacer thread. What modifications did you make on the standard frame that the special wheel is on (assuming those mods had to do with the wheel in the first place)? It did seem that when I pulled the wheel, the spacers that were there were really tight on the standard swingarm, but the brake was lined up fine. I've downloaded both H and SF diagrams of the wheel/axle/spacer assys, and I'll compare the two thoroughly.

Thanks to all for your help...now to call my local wrench Monday (I don't change my own tires any more...long story) about those Dunlops...he's a big Dunlop guy (enough to give me a discount, right?).

[Ken Talbot]

To mount the 16" wheel on SWMBO's 'H, I had to grind a bit off the inside of the right swingarm and install a a spacer between the wheel and the caliper assembly. Here's the two photos again:
16" special wheel mounted on an 'H

17" standard wheel mounted on an 'H

[bikerhawk]

Update:

Thanks to everyone for the input, especially Ken for the mod pictures. I wasn't really thrilled about grinding down the swingarm, so I took a spare spacer from my XS750 parts bike (the one between the caliper and swingarm) and cut that down instead. Worked like a dream...wheel fits much better, the original 1100 spacer is still intact, and the axle now goes in far enough to actually be able to use a cotter pin!

Now it's time to call my repair guy to order some Dunlop 491s, and then we'll be rolling again!

[oldnortonrider]

? Switching 17" Standard rear tire/wheel to a Special in place of the 16" Special rear tire/wheel ?

What kind of spacer, or "other" kind(s) of alteration(s) do I need to make for this swap-over?

I haven't been on here in quite a few months; I remember seeing more information on these rear wheel changes, on other threads on here, last summer. Can't find 'em through the search.
Can't remember where I saw the info.
Some thread or posting had a lot of stuff; but I don't think there were any pictures.

These "Ken Talbot" pictures, on this thread, are extremely helpful; but I've still got a blank spot, in my mind, on this project.