Rear wheel swap to rd400 1.85x18??

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I own a 79' special and want to put an 18in rear wheel on my bike.. I've read some folks have adapted the rd400 or xs500 mag wheel. I like the disc brake look and feel, and want keep that set up. Going with a converted wire wheel is ideal, but cash adds up real fast for that. I have an rd 400 mag wheel now. Has anyone here done this swap, and if so i was hoping to get some insight on what other parts i may need to get this to work.. Bearing size for the stock 20mm 650 axle, internal bearing spacer measurements, axle spacers if needed, sproket spacer (shim) or adaptor if needed, and sproket source. Can I get a smaller sproket made by Rebel Gears or Sproket Specialist to fit the 4 bolt pattern? I'm fine with the xs650 stock 34 tooth but would like to try a custom cut 33when i get this swap to work. ??

Any help on this would be appreciated.. Thanks.

 

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I forgot.. 1 more question.. Is the rd400 mag wheel a cush drive sproket? I just ordered the rd400 wheel off ebay yesterday. Or did i make a mistake?? I know its thinner, but i want the cafe feel and look.

 

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the look and feel eh? go modern ! red white or black?
http://xs650temp.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=brake&action=display&thread=1158

http://xs650temp.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=brake&action=display&thread=823

 

[Focusinprogress]

I've swapped my XS650 special 16" mag rear wheel (disc brake) for the 18" rear mag (disc brake) from an XS400.....direct swap, the 18" wheel is a touch narrower but I wanted the larger diameter enough to not worry about the loss in width.

 

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Focus,
how did you get the disc and caliper,sprocket to align when the hub is narrow? did you use the stock 650 swing arm? Or did you swap that for the xs400 arm also?

 

[Focusinprogress]

Focus,
how did you get the disc and caliper,sprocket to align when the hub is narrow? did you use the stock 650 swing arm? Or did you swap that for the xs400 arm also?

used the stock swingarm....the XS400 wheel I used was bare, so I swapped over the XS650 disc and sprocket, and then just stacked washers as spacers until the caliper aligned and bent the brake-stay brace a little to fit.

 

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Lets Focus on that statement.. lol.
"Direct swap" is probably not the best term to use with the xs400 rear wheel.. Washer stacking doesn't sound so great, and i'd hope you'd think to use longer disc bolts, this probably would have to happen. As far as swapping over your xs 650 stock 6 bolt pattern sprocket.. i dont know how that couldn't have happened without a spacer adaptor of some sort ,because the xs400 wheel has a 4 bolt pattern.... So without any Pics of your project ........ i"d say it didn't happen dude.

 

[Focusinprogress]

hmm, maybe the wheel wasn't off an XS400 afterall....I picked it up at Vintage Motorcycle Days Mid-Ohio just last july and threw it on....that's what the guy selling it said it was off. All I know is it's 18x2.15 gold painted alloy from a disc brake yamaha then....my sprocket went right on. I'd snap pics but I've sold the bike.

 

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Sounds like it was a 16 inch xs650 mag wheel that was soaked for awhile in some heavy duty fertilizer.. you could say it was "grown" into an 18 inch wheel.. geez.