GS Front Wheel Swap

I thought that I saw this here previously but can't seem to find it by searching.

I have a nice GS1000 (78 I think) spoked front wheel that I would like to mount on my 76 KZ900 forks. I know there are no alternate size bearings to make this conversion happen so it comes down to new axle & adapter spacers. Can anyone provide demensions or a sketch of required parts for this?

Appreciate any help I can get with this, I've already got the back done with GS1100 Swingarm, wheel & disc setup.

You should be able to jsut swap bearing in for the correct axle size. Why do you say there are none? In fact i would venture to say that you can probably swap your current bearings into the gs wheel. Contact Jeff at Z1 enterprises for help.

www.z1enterprises.com/

You can usually get bearings to adapt different size axles to different wheels. You will also need the inner spacer (between the bearings) to match the new bearings inner diameter (axle diameter).The wheel bearing are usually listed as Outer dia. X inner Diam. X width and you can usually just replace the inner diameter with the new axle diameter.
You may need to machine down the outer spacers to get the new wheel centered in the forks also (you may be able to use the stock Kaw spacers- or you will need new outer spacers to match the new axle diameter.
I have a lathe and it makes short work of machining spacers, but it can be done with some patience.
Daniel

I did a quick check on bearing sizes,

KZ is #6203: 17 x 40 x 12
GS is #6302: 15 x 42 x 13

I could not find any bearings with ID/OD of 17 x 42.

I will contact Jeff as you suggested.

Thanks

I wonder if it might not be easier to just use a GS front end? It would save all the trouble of adapting the wheel to the Kawasaki forks - bearings/spacers etc, and mounting the calipers. GS forks shouldn't be too hard to find or very expensive.

I checked our suppliers and none show the size you'd need either. It might be worth calling a bearing specialist place and see if they are readily available.

The GS front end may not be a bad idea, look to be readily available on Ebay.

Joey M, good luck and keep reporting what you discover when you start playing with the head. I seem to recall that head bearing sizes were listed somewhere on the forum - this might be useful information for you. In general, it seems like swapping front ends is the way to go - I couldn't tell you this in the other thread 'cause I think you had to do some more work to come to the same conclusion (plus I was hoping I was wrong and you had found a quick and easy fix for getting an ally spoke rim with dual rotors on to the existing front end).

If the bearings cant be had, have you thought about adapting the GS axle to the KZ forks?
On some older Yamahas, the inner spacer (between the wheel bearings)mounts to the inner Dia of the wheel bearings (they have a shoulder that the bearing is mounted to - IE: Some use a 17mm Axle with 20mm ID bearings- The inner spacer has a ID of 17mm and an OD of 20mm at the ends of the spacer).
Or, can the KZ axle be turmed down to 15mm?
Daniel

If the GS axle is the same length (or longer)as the KZ axle, you can take the GS axle and the KZ axle nuts to a machinist and have new nuts made that will fit the GS axle and have the same OD as the KZ axle nuts (and the GS axle shortened and rethreaded if needed).
If the hub width is the same, the machinist could also make new spacers the same size as the KZ spacers but with a smaller ID.

A friend with a metal lathe would be the ideal solution

Post edited by: steell, at: 2005/11/04 09:50

Steell, That works! I had spacers made yesterday as you suggested & will try fitting up this weekend.

Thanks to everyone for all the help, I am going to mock-up the bike w/o engine this weekend & post pics.

Have a good holiday!!

Joe