Seriously Considering the F2 wheel conversion...

waldrm, p.m.'d you.

 

Sounds like a nice deal on wheels, I got mine for $90 shipped to my door from ebay, that included the front axle, rotors, speedo drive & cable, and the rear rotor, hub, & cush drive.

The pair of F2 wheels together weigh about the same as the stock rear with a used tire. Huge weight savings, in the perfect place!! I am doing VF1000R forks on my 750, and am using the GV Emulators along with replacing every replaceable part of the forks - bushings, washers, o-rings, seals, wipers - and a set of Sonic Springs to match the Works shock out back.

I turned my own spacers for the rear wheel, but had Jamie turn down the hub and mill the speedo drive(ps - Jamie, the drive bushing you sent with the drive was a bit loose, so I used one of the extras I made).

I'm also using F3 racing clip-ons on the R forks, just sat on the bike and love the way I think it's going to feel!

 

To match the stock tire sizes, you'll need to order a 120/70-17 for the front, and a 160/70-17 for the rear.

 

Beg pardon? What do you mean "to match the stock tire sizes"? Is 160 the widest tire that can be fitted without rubbing?

 

waldrm, pm'd you again.

 

Sorry, I mis-typed... in order to closely match the outer diameter of the stock wheel/tire combo, those are the tire sizes you'll need. (talking tire height here)

The 160/70 is very close to the same height/rolling circumference as the stock tire, so your gearing and ride height will be minimally affected. The 160 is the optimal tire size for the F2 wheel. There are a couple guys over on VFRD that are using 900RR wheels and installing 180's on their 1000Rs, apparently certain brands of tires in the 180 size WILL fit in the VF swingarm, but they are using very expensive countershaft sprockets with a large offset to acheive this. I love how the bikes look with the 180, but $125 is a lot of money, IMO, for a sprocket...

In retrospect, I wish I had said "fuckitol" and gone with the lower profile rear tire, then used up my ride height adjustment on the shock, as the 70 series tire looks pretty funny back there... oh well, if I ever wear this one out, I'll go with the better one then.

 

What height do you wish you went with instead? I have already gone down one tooth in front, so a smaller profile will push the gearing even farther in that direction. Would a smaller circumference tire significantly affect handling? I would like to use a 160/60 tire with the F2 wheel.

Does anyone even make a 160/70 sport tire? I found some cruiser tires, but I didn't look very hard yet.

BTW, I don't want to spend that crazy kind of money on a sprocket either. Maybe the 160/70 looks a bit unusual to you, but it is much better than the stock tire!

 

I have Avon Storms mounted up. I would have like to go with a smaller sidewall, maybe a 60. IMO, the 160/70 looks like a tractor tire on there.

But why not see for yourself?

 

SEB! What are you talking about? That looks great!

 

It's GARGANTUAN!!!!

 

GOD DAMN... If i had da money would get those im so jelous

 

I have been looking around at rear sport tire selection for the F2 conversion. Lots of options for the 160/60 size - Conti SportAttack or RoadAttack, Michelin Pilot Power, you name it. The selction for the 160/70 looks thinnner. So, here's a question: how's the VF750F going to handle if I mount a 120/70 on the front and a 160/60 on the rear? Anybody running these tire sizes on a 1st Gen?

 

Not sure. Haven't ridden my bike yet...

 

FYI - you'll want the 160/60 tire as it's the correct one for the F2 rear wheel. The transformation in handling is amazing, it's like a completely different bike.

 

That is the type of info i like to hear...mostly due to the wider tire in the rear and the less weight being carried? If i remember right the weight loss is about 30 lbs isnt it?

 

I loathe the stock-size bias-ply tires on my 1984 VF750F! Sometimes I think the bike would handle more confidently with a set of bagels mounted in place of those crappy Metzlers.

 

Why not try a different tire on the bike when it comes time to change them out? Im pretty sure im going to throw on a pair Avon Roadriders on my bike when it comes time to change them.

 

No bias-ply will ever compare to a decent radial.

 

admittedly, im right there with ya in the hatred of the bias ply tires. they dont handle with NEAR the confidence that ive seen even crappy radial tires handle with.

that having been said, the next time you replace both of your tires, try out the Dunlop GT 501's. i dont know if they dunlop makes them in the right sizes for the VF's, but ive made my 87 VFR700 to stuff that i didnt think bias ply tires were capable of. the lifespan on them doesnt seem to be terrible, either.

 

Actually the rear doesn't make nearly the improvement as does the Ø17" front. Those Ø16" front wheels are where most of the handling issues come from. The rear helps with traction, but the 700/750's aren't the tire spinners like the 1000's.

The weight difference is about 20-25lbs, so it's not a significant factor in the handling improvement.