The XS650 and XS1100 share brake rotors in US models. XS750 and XS850 rotors are smaller. The front wheels all interchange. Some time in 1979, they went tubeless.
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1977 XS Mag Wheels
- Thread starter YamahaDaps
- Start date
Right on. I had a pile of random XS parts. Maybe I was trying to bolt a spoke wheel rotor onto a mag wheel and that was the offset issue.
From 1977 onward, spokes or mags don't matter. The rotors are the same.
If you do swap out for mags and find the now 16" rear tire doesn't turn, remove the chain guard.......doh!
The Special model chain guards are notched for the wider rear tire.
I know where there are two sets of the '81 Special drum rear mags sitting.
Ah yes, as JRay77 notes in the next post the brake stay bar would need to be changed or adapted.
The Special model chain guards are notched for the wider rear tire.
I know where there are two sets of the '81 Special drum rear mags sitting.
Ah yes, as JRay77 notes in the next post the brake stay bar would need to be changed or adapted.
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" Here’s that 77’ I put together last winter." On 82-83 heritage special spoke wheels. All XS fronts 73 up interchange, the rotor's offset 73-76 is different than the 77 up but the wheels/hubs rotor mounting flanges are all the same dimensions.
I see. Why I like this forum. Some of you guys are a fountain of info. I bought a manual and started putting stuff together the best I could. My manual has some errors also (which I haven’t picked up much after finding this site). Clutch assembly diagram was wrong I believe. It’s been fun. I have two more to build.
Not all XS1100's used the same front rotors as the XS650. The XS1100 standards used the same rotors but the XS1100 Specials didn't.
The standards used the same style forks as the XS650, same rotors, same calipers.
The Specials used a leading edge fork with smaller rotors and different calipers.
The front wheels them selves are a straight bolt in.
Leo
The standards used the same style forks as the XS650, same rotors, same calipers.
The Specials used a leading edge fork with smaller rotors and different calipers.
The front wheels them selves are a straight bolt in.
Leo
No Leo, not the case. The XS11 Special rotors are the same as the standard. True that the standard has KYB forks and the Special has leading axle Showa forks. The only difference is that the '80 & '81 Special rotors have slots and they are left and right. The Special has Weird Harold calipers as you noted. They all fit the '77 and later XS650.
The XS750 and XS850 have smaller diameter rotors.
Hi YamahaDaps,
been there, done that. (except I swapped my cast wheels for wire wheels for the looks then swapped back for practicality)
A 7-spoke cast front from any year XS650/750/850/1100 will be a straight drop-in on your '77, as will an XS650 7-spoke cast rear.
Front disk on an XS650 cast wheel is the same as the disk on your wire wheel, XS750/850 disks are smaller but yours will fit on them.
XS1100 disks are either identical to yours or later models have slotted disks that'll work and save you all that drilling.
The XS650 cast rear can have a drum brake that'll drop right in or a disk brake that'll need modifying the swingarm, frame & rear brake pedal to work.
The XS650 cast rears are 16" instead of 18" but their fatter tires are just about the same outside diameter as the stock 18" tires so you'll get about the same gearing.
You will find the fatter rear tire makes the bike a bit less nimble on corners but somewhat steadier going straight.
Another advantage of cast wheels is that you can run tubeless tires on them which means a nail in your tire can be fixed enough to get you home with a can of fixaflat rather than having to patch a tube by the roadside.
But keep the wire wheels safely stashed to re-install if you decide to sell.
