XS650 Wheels On A Yamaha XV920R ?

[Odradek]

Not strictly an XS650 question so hope it's okay here.

I've a 1982 Yamaha XV920R, owned since 1995, but off the road since 1997 with engine issues.
Hadn't got the money at the time so it was just pushed to the back of the garage.
Been through few house moves and now I'm finally getting it back together before I get too old to ride the thing.

I'd always wanted to change the wheels to spoked wheels.
Seems the most popular, and easiest, way to do this is to use hubs from a Yamaha XS650.
But, there is one issue. The XS650 rear wheel does not have a cush drive. I presume the XS650 gets round this in a different way.

Anyway, I have talked to a guy who has done a similar conversion with XS650 wheels on a Yamaha TR-1, been riding it several years and he said he's never had a problem with it, but everything else I read says this is something to be avoided. Cush drive is there for a good reason, especially on a large twin.

Has anyone here ever done this or got an opinion on it ?
Or can anyone suggest alternative rear hubs that would work ?
So far I've heard TX750 hubs are good, (but again no cush drive), TX500 have cush drive, as do XT500 wheels.

Thanks for any info.

 

[Jim]

I presume the XS650 gets round this in a different way.

Yes, the XS uses a 6 spring cush drive in the clutch basket instead of the rubbers in the rear hub. Not sure if one way is better than the other... they both work, so....
One member here uses a TX500 (I think? ) rear hub on his XS. @5twins ... you out there?
Maybe he can comment more.

 

[Grewth]

I've wondered about using a Suzuki cush drive on an XS, as Suzuki's six rubber cush drive was a damned good one.
The complete hub from a T500/GT550/750 might work, but they're probably all going to need a new rim and spokes by now.
That's when it starts to get expensive.
And I've no idea about the axle diameter and sprocket offset etc etc

 

[Odradek]

Thanks. That gives me an idea.
Have heard a Suzuki GT750 could be a contender.
Off to do some research.

 

[gggGary]

Some GS1000's had spoke wheels, cush drive.

By the time I was done it wasn't cheap. But cheap wasn't what I was after.
some KZ750's were spoke with a cush drive but that wheel was HEAVY.

 

[Jim]

Just looked and the XS650's with the drum rear share the same shoes as the RD350's. So that might be another option worth investigating.

 

[5twins]

Yes, I'm running a TX500 rear wheel w/ cush drive at the moment. It uses the same diameter axle (20mm) as the 650 so it was a relatively easy swap, I just had to do some re-spacing. The 500 hub is narrower so it had to be spaced over to center it in the swingarm and align it with the front wheel. It turned out to be pretty easy as the amount of spacing needed was the same thickness as the sprocket, so I was able to make the needed spacers out of the old 500 sprocket. It required a spacer be added on each side of the hub to center the wheel and make it fit in the 650 swingarm, then another big ring spacer to move the sprocket back out ......

It turned out nice and I quite like it, so much so that I have acquired another that I'm going to lace up to a 16" rim for my Special. The whole reason I did this was to acquire a cush drive. Although I don't notice any difference really in the ride or when taking off from a stop, I know having the added cush drive has got to be easier on those damper springs in the 650 clutch hub. They are known to break and hopefully this added "cushioning" will help avoid that.

If you decide to use a TX500 hub, I advise you to avoid the 1st year one ('73) and get one from a '74 or '75 model. That early hub is harder to get apart because the one collar it pinned in place. On the later wheel, that was changed to a threaded collar .....

However, the '73 brake plate is nicer. It doesn't have the electric brake wear switch or the tab for it's wiring.

 

[Wingedwheel]

I followed 5t’s lead and used a wheel off a ‘74 TX500. I just cut the brake switch tab off and polished the hub and the older style wheel actually wasn’t that hard to get apart once I figured out the lock pin is just dropped in the hole and a magnet pulls it right out.

 

[5twins]

Well then, that's easy enough., lol. I thought that tech bulletin I sent you said it needed to be drilled out?

 

[Grewth]

What you've both done is build a transmission with two cush drives built in.
More complex but smoother, and if you clock up big milage, ultimately less damaging to your transmission.
No more broken springs in the clutch shock absorber.
Back in the day the "Greasers" in the UK would use the same trick on their pre unit Triumphs.
Some of the bikes had the cush drive on the end of the crankshaft, some had it in the clutch hub because an alternator was fitted.
They would use the dynamo crankcases but fit both cush drives for a super smooth transmission