Bucket wheels

[r1johnkt]

Hi I'm new to buckets, just bought my first! Its a stunning cb125 but it has 18" wheels. I would like to change to 17' so I can run slicks as this seems the thing to do. My question is what sort of wheels can I buy to fit the cb and whats involved? Thanks John Does any one have a set of wheels?

[Yow Ling]

vt250 has 17" drum braked rear wheel 2.5" wide
vtr250 same but 3.o" wide
fxr150 front wheel , fzr250 front, gsxr250 front, nsr250 mc16 0r 18, plenty to choose

[TZ350]

The correct rim size's for RS125 Slicks 90/90 front and 115/70 or 120/60 rear are 2.5 X 17 front and 3.5 X 17 rear. We use 18psi cold front and rear in the ESE bikes.

Older parrallel twin TZR250 wheels 2.15 X 17 front and 2.5 X 17 rear and running a disk brake front and back. Although not strictly the correct width are common on the CB125's at Mt Wellington.

I suspect TZR wheels on CB's at Mt Welly are so common because most of the CB's there were converted sometime ago and the parrallel twin TZR rims were plentifull then. I think the later reverse cylinder TZR rims are the correct width but hard to find.

Yow Ling lists other good options.
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[Yow Ling]

I think the later reverse cylinder TZR rims are the correct width but hard to find.

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Reverse cylinder 3MA have 18" rear wheel, 17" front

[r1johnkt]

Thanks for the feed back. Wheres the best place to look apart from trade me?

[Yow Ling]

Decide whatyou want , trade me is good, but post in the buckets bits wanted thread on here, lots of people have stuff in there shed that they might only sell to other buckateers

[nudemetalz]

You can always do what I did and use a 3" x 17" FZR (400?) front rim on the rear.
Sure you don't have a cush-drive (rubber blocks) but not that important on a bucket and I found that DT175 sprockets fit perfectly onto the disc bolt pattern.
Only issue I found was it was a tight squeeze onto the swingarm of the RGV150 frame but that's the frame's fault !!!

(I use a 3MA TZR front rim on the front).

[Buckets4Me]

some fzr250's had 2.5" f and 3.5" r rims

[SHELRACING]

Hi I'm new to buckets, just bought my first! Its a stunning cb125 but it has 18" wheels. I would like to change to 17' so I can run slicks as this seems the thing to do. My question is what sort of wheels can I buy to fit the cb and whats involved? Thanks John Does any one have a set of wheels?

Be aware that rear wheels are not too complicated to change. fronts take a little more work to fit, they can be fitted to the original forks, and the original forks are great if set up properly. Often forks are also changed to improve the front end and make wheel changes easier .

[k14]

I have a mono shock CB and run a VT250 wheel at the back and NSR250 wheel at the front. Both needed spacers made (really need access to a lathe) but apart from that it was relatively straight forward to fit!

[TZ350]

You can always do what I did and use a 3" x 17" FZR (400?) front rim on the rear.
Sure you don't have a cush-drive (rubber blocks) but not that important on a bucket.

My 74 TZ did not have a cush drive on the rear wheel, the sprocket bolted directly to the rear hub. All the early Yamaha Production Racers with wire wheels were like that, didn't seem to be a problem.

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[TZ350]

some fzr250's had 2.5" f and 3.5" r rims

These would be my pick if I could get them.

[Yow Ling]

These would be my pick if I could get them.

pm gav i think he had some

[speedpro]

some fzr250's had 2.5" f and 3.5" r rims

2.75" and 3.5" - 3LN model
2.15" and 2.5" - 2KR model

actually

[Pumba]

2.15" and 2.75" - 1KT Model (I think)

I have always thought that a 3.50" rear was a bit big? Especially for the cart track (NOTE not bassed on any hard facts)

[Buckets4Me]

2.15" and 2.75" - 1KT Model (I think)

I have always thought that a 3.50" rear was a bit big? Especially for the cart track (NOTE not bassed on any hard facts)

so the ese wire wheels are to big (much like there manly bits if you read other threads on here)

I thought they just looked bling (specialy when they where new and shiny)

3.5" is the right size for a rear slick anything else is to small or to big (but will do in a pinch) :bleh:

[Kickaha]

pm gav i think he had some

He used to have some:msn-wink:

[gav]

He used to have some:msn-wink:
Yip, went to a good home, oh hang on, Kick bought them ..... :bleh:

[nudemetalz]

My 74 TZ did not have a cush drive on the rear wheel, the sprocket bolted directly to the rear hub. All the early Yamaha Production Racers with wire wheels were like that, didn't seem to be a problem.

.

Interesting. Obviously not necessary.

[SHELRACING]

I run 2.15f and 2.5r, and have no issues with the width or handling, quite the opposite, and I have set up my other bikes to all run the same wheels so that I have the best tyres including wets for the right bike at the right meeting.

I wouldn't run wire wheels cos you then need tubes. Which greatly increases you chances of punctures.

[Hazzard]

Does anyone know what size rims are on a 1988 gsxr 250?

[Kickaha]

Does anyone know what size rims are on a 1988 gsxr 250?

I think they are 2.5x17 front and 3.0x17 rear just about ideal sizes to run RS125 slicks

[timg]

Does anyone know what size rims are on a 1988 gsxr 250? Do you need some? PM sent

[TZ350]

I wouldn't run wire wheels cos you then need tubes. Which greatly increases you chances of punctures.

Thats for sure!!!!!!!!!!!! F@###$%$!! Tubes :angry2:

Team ESE have had a few issues there.

Slicks have small ribs inside them and these seem to wear through the tubes and puncture them. And then there is the poor quality of the tubes themselves, spliting on the seam lines.

[Kickaha]

Thats for sure!!!!!!!!!!!! F@###$%$!! Tubes :angry2:

Team ESE have had a few issues there.

Slicks have small ribs inside them and these seem to wear through the tubes and puncture them. And then there is the poor quality of the tubes themselves, spliting on the seam lines.

Tube get no more punctures than tubeless if they done by someone with 1/2 a clue

Fit a decent quality tube and use tyre talc when they're fitted, end of problem

[Chambers]

Tube get no more punctures than tubeless if they done by someone with 1/2 a clue

Fit a decent quality tube and use tyre talc when they're fitted, end of problem

Tyre talc, good idea, we will get some.

Kickaha are you "someone with 1/2 a clue" have you run tubes with RS125 slickes successfully yourself? Up this way we don't know of anyone else running tubes and slicks on wire wheels.

Certainly caused us a few problems, the price or brand of the tubes did not seem to be a good guide to their quality either. Tubes for the 90/90/17 front are a bit hard to get too.

We have been looking at glueing up the spoke holes/nipples to try and run them tubless. We have heard talk of others doing this.

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[Skunk]

We have been looking at glueing up the spoke holes/nipples to try and run them tubless. We have heard talk of others doing this.

Have you got the tape over the spokes or are you letting the tube rub against the ends of the spokes?

[Kickaha]

Kickaha are you "someone with 1/2 a clue" have you run tubes with RS125 slickes successfully yourself? Up this way we don't know of anyone else running tubes and slicks on wire wheels.

Certainly caused us a few problems, the price or brand of the tubes did not seem to be a good guide to their quality either. Tubes for the 90/90/17 front are a bit hard to get too.


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2 years with wire wheels and RS slicks on my first Bucket and no problems at all

Personally I like Bridgestone or Michelin tubes or other "name brands"but using the tyre talc is probably the most important thing

[Chambers]

Have you got the tape over the spokes or are you letting the tube rub against the ends of the spokes?

Yes, we use rim tapes and secure them with electricians tape so they don't get pushed aside when fitting the tyre.

The problem has been these little ribs that are moulded on the inside of the Dunlop tyre (Michlin/Bridgestone, cant remember if they have them too, but think so). These ribs rub on and wear through the tube eventualy and some times the tubes have failed along the seams, from excessive flexing I supose.

We have been looking at sealing the spokes, but a lot of the rims have a very poor finish inside at the weld where they have been joined and we doubt they are good enough for a tubless tyre to seal there.

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[Pumba]

I think they are 2.5x17 front and 3.0x17 rear just about ideal sizes to run RS125 slicks

Yep those are the ones, on any of the GJ72 frames which can varry from 88 through to 91.


Do you need some? PM sent

What you got?

[Buddha#81]

2 years with wire wheels and RS slicks on my first Bucket and no problems at all

Personally I like Bridgestone or Michelin tubes or other "name brands"but using the tyre talc is probably the most important thing

I have had 1 tube fail on a fxr wheel with a tube. I converted it to tubeless with success (spoke wheels would be near on impossible). The big difference between what we do down here (Chch) and the Welly and Auck scene is the pressures. Down here I running up to 28psi in slicks on the bucket, up North I understand its up to 10psi lower. I would think there is less tyre rub at higher pressures. Tyre Talc wont eliminate the friction but will at least reduce it. you could start removing tyres and inspecting tubes as part of your maintenance.
I'm unsure they are available in 17" but there is a heavy duty option for dirt bikes.

Good luck with this and if you find a solution tell us so anyone else with this issue can fix their problem too.

[Chambers]

Tyre Talc wont eliminate the friction but will at least reduce it. you could start removing tyres and inspecting tubes as part of your maintenance.

Good luck with this and if you find a solution tell us so anyone else with this issue can fix their problem too.

We routinely change the tubes once a year, just before the 2-hour and were thinking we should do it more often. We run the tyres at 18psi more or less. It has been our habit to just rock up to the motorcycle shop and get the tubes changed looks like we need to take some talc with us. I guess baby talc will do, talc is talc I suppose, it all comes from the same rock.

We are certainly going to talc the inside of the tyres now and will share any other tips we get.

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[Chambers]

2 years with wire wheels and RS slicks on my first Bucket and no problems at all

Thats encouraging, we were starting to lose hope and thought that it was going to be an ongoing problem.

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[Kickaha]

We run the tyres at 18psi more or less.

Why so low?

The lower pressure certainly won't help as the tyre will flex more, I was normally running 27-28psi so that might be why I didn't have any problems

[Chambers]

Why so low?

The lower pressure certainly won't help as the tyre will flex more, I was normally running 27-28psi so that might be why I didn't have any problems

There might be something in that, but the talc tip has got to help, thanks.

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[F5 Dave]

Why so low?

Kart tracks.

Lower speeds mean the tyres don't warm up as they do on longer tracks with the shear at high(ish?) speed. They deform at that speed & is not how they are supposed to work.

But they do. Problem is in spoked wheels with inner tubes. Work ok but have to change them every so often & esp before a 2 hr. Better tubeless if you can.

[TZ350]

Why so low?

The lower pressure certainly won't help as the tyre will flex more, I was normally running 27-28psi so that might be why I didn't have any problems

Its not just us, 18psi is what works at Mt Wellington and is used as a base line by every one here I think. One private practice day Team ESE did quite a bit of experimenting, lowering the pressures untill the tyres overheated and started to melt at about 16psi then worked our way back up untill they were sliding around and the tyre surface was cold shearing. 18psi F/R more or less, within a psi or two at most was where its at here. We go 2-4 psi up for Taupo.

We found that just a psi or two too low and the tyres over heated and that the upper limit 20-24 psi was a little more forgiving before starting to slide about. A tyre that was working well felt quite warm and a little sticky. A tyre that felt oily was getting to hot and a barley warm or cold to the touch tyre was just not working at all.

We have read that slicks are often groved so they flex more and warm up properly, very usefull in cold but dry weather.

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[gav]

Try and see if you can get the heavy duty tubes as mentioned, as most the shops will probably just supply a tube designed for scooters and commuters. Pretty sure Michelin do one, and could probably find through a dirt bike shop.