Convince me, why 19" rear wheel.

[jtziggy]

Hi folks,
First, thank you all for the warm welcome. Now, I am going to be looking for a Tracker style build. I am not looking for a Kenny Roberts tribute bike (would not mind owning one) but I doubt I will be on any 1/2 mile dirt tracks. So with the tire combinations available that are cost effective do I really have to have a 19" rear wheel. My feeling is that the 18" rear 19" front offers itself alot more options.
So I am open to be convinced. 18 or 19
JT

 

[fredintoon]

Hi JT,
if you use the 18" rear the bike came with, it's dead easy because you didn't change nothin' but who'll be impressed by that, eh?
Using a stock 19" front at the back ain't difficult neither, just throw the Omars kit at it and she's done plus you may get some street cred at the coffee bar.
Gotta be some 19" rear tires out there, every Britbike except Triumph ran a 3.5"-19 rear.

 

[650Skull]

Your problem is the 16" 48 Spoke/19" 64 Spoke wheels, With an omars kit you will have another 64 Spoke rear wheel, Mikes sells a 19" 64 Spoke front rim but the cost will be enormous. Mikes has an, (link), 18" 48 Spoke rear rim on special but You need to get some more information on the rims because some of mikes rim spoke holes have been known to be the wrong angle for the spokes. ...........But at that price for the 18" 48 spoke rim ..............

 

[jtziggy]

Thanks you guys, both of you are right and re-affirm what I was thinking. I read about Mikes rims but for 30.00 + 70 for spokes and maybe a little filing I think I will go with the 18 x 48 and keep the 19 x 64 front.
Of course that's a couple months down the road, I need to get if fired, see what I can salvage out of the motor then start taking it apart for the build. Again thanks you guys I love this site.
JT

 

[jiffy650]

I just spoke with customer service at Omar's and they told me their 19" rear conversion kits will work with a Mike's XS front hub so you can build the size spoke rim you want.

 

[racerdave]

The real reason for the 19 inch rear was to run actual 19 inch dirt track tire's. It was all about the look.

XS650 oem front wire wheel hubs are 36 spoke for standard wire wheels.

 

[arcticXS]

A 19" rear wheel will raise the rear 1/2", and also raise the gearing about 3.8 per cent, all other things being equal (assuming 4.00-18 vs 4.00-19 tyres)
This may help handling the same way as longer shocks, and also allow the use of larger rear sprockets, which again helps avoiding chain rub, which becomes a problem with long shocks combined with small sprockets.
So yes, there are SOME actual benefits from using a 19" rear wheel. However, I would not recommend using a front hub and rim for the rear wheel, for several reasons........

 

[fredintoon]

Hi JT,
I finally expanded the photo in your first post and realized your bike has those gazillion spoke wire wheels.
Perhaps not the best look for a tracker styled street bike.
I'd say the mid-'70s aluminum high wall rim XS650 wire wheels are more of the look a tracker needs.
You can use them "as is" if you use an 18" rear tire or you can lace a 19" rim onto the rear hub to run a 19" rear tire.
It's up to you.