WHEELS AND TIRES

[alfredoenrique]

hi Guys,

I own a 05 Baghira and was wonderind what knobbie tires are out there for the 17inch rims we run. I need at least a 50/50 tire since i will be touring in the near future in central america and need some good offroad tires which will not endanger me while on the street. Any thoughts?

[BlueRidgePanther]

Well, you have a few options, but there are no 17" tires that do everything right. The Avon Distanzias come in the right sizes for the Baggy and work remarkably well off road, especially if you lower the tire pressure before you tackle anything too slippery. The tread blocks are a bit large, though, so when it comes to really loose stuff, they can slip quite a bit if you push too hard. The Pirelli MT60-Rs do really well too as long as you remember that you're on a heavy bike with limited traction, but they have a tendency to wear pretty quickly. The best bet for taking heavy dual-sports off-road is the Continental TKC80, but they don't make a 120-17 front. They do, however, make a 120/90-17 rear that I GUESS could be used as a front. I don't know the particulars, but you generally hear that a tire meant for the rear shouldn't be put on the front. I do recall a lot of customs using huge front rims running rears on the front, and the Royal Enfield Bullet runs an Avon front tire on the rear. Consult someone who knows better, in other words. If that whole deal doesn't work out, you can at least use the 150/70-17 rear and the front avon or pirelli.
The Continentals can be seen at Continental's site here: http://www.conti-online.com/generator/w ... 80_en.html

[MSW]

I have to say that I've looked and looked for a more dirtable tire for the SM wheels, and the only option seems to be the Distanzia SM, although I also agree that those might be a nightmare in sand or really loose dirt.

Which is why I just went and bought a dual sport conversion kit for my Baggy. It included:

21" front rim
18" rear rim
longer kick stand
alternate front brake caliper bracket
alternate speedo drive

Of course, those aren't easy to find (I'd be happy to sell you mine for $25,000.00!!!), but it might be worth attempting a DIY conversion, if you've got the tools and the talent. I'm sure you could have the rims built on the cheap with used hubs and hoops (and by "cheap" I mean a few hundred bucks) and have the alternate caliper bracket fabbed (for another couple hundred). The kickstand and speedo drive can be picked up used.

[keithcross]

I to have the off road wheel set for my baggi street moto, but I still use the same sized front disc and side stand. Seems to work OK, after all any front brake can be to much off road if you use it to hard
As for using a rear tyre on the front, in the old days tyres used to be suitable for front or rear fitment. However the tyres were marked accordingly. Generally this meant that the were fitted the other way around when fitted tot eh front comapred to fitting to the rear. Maybe you could fit a rear, but reverse the direction as marked. Only a thought, might not be right though.

Keith

[BlueRidgePanther]

You know, I didn't really think about the sidewall sizes for those Contis. I don't think a 120/90-17 would mount on a standard 3.5 rim, and I think 4.5 inches might be too wide for a 150/70-17. Maybe if it had a shorter sidewall or something. Now, it would fit on a Skorpion wheel, cause they're only 4" across, but then they're also cast, so that probably wouldn't be a good alternative. Does anyone have any input on the Conti TKC80s??? I was starting to dream of an Avon Distanzia on the front with a TKC80 on the rear, unless the TKC80 is bias-ply, which, with my luck, it would be.

Anyhow, I'm going to go ahead and say that the Avons are your best bet right now, with the Pirelli MT60-Rs coming in a close second. They just lose points because they wear fairly quickly.

[MUZZIE]

HEY GUYS,WHO MAKES THE WHEELS AND DISCS ON THE MASTIFF/BAGHIRA,ARE THEY INTERCHANGABLE WITH OTHER MANUFACTURERS?

[BlueRidgePanther]

My Baghira's wheels were made by Behr, I believe. The discs might be Grimeca items, but don't trust me on that one.

[MUZZIE]

i would like to fit some excel rims and stuff on on ideas?

[OLDMTNCARVER]

MUZZIE,
If I where to suggest wheels for the Baghira, the first would be carbon BST's because we're all so rich...
The next thought that comes to mind is how long do you want your trans to last?
The rubber blocks in the hub have a very important purpose...
Just a thought.
Regards,
OMC

[MUZZIE]

HEY £2K WHEELS ON A £1300 BIKE,EXCELLENT MATH,
RIMS AN STAINLESS SPOKES ANYONE ANY IDEAS

[BlueRidgePanther]

Pick up some used hubs and lace them to some rims? The stock wheel is a 36 spoke front rim and the rear is also a 36 spoke rim, I believe. The stock hubs seem to be of good enough quality, and that cush drive is pretty essential, so that's what I'd recommend.

[MUZZIE]

Hey has anyone got any 17" rims for sale?
THANKS,MUZZIE

[rodge70]

i have,but from an sm125,presently being polished as they were rather dull and not worth much in present condition,though not as wide as baghira i think.

[phlat65]

for all those thinking of building wheels, the hubs are 1993 or so Yamaha XT600ee, front hub is around $130 new, rear sprocket carrier is $120, hub is around $150. call Buchannan spoke company in Los Angeles with the dimensions listed in the service manual for the spokes (17" or offroad) and tell them what wheel you are going to use, and they will build custom stainless spokes very affordably. I had them make some 1mm thicker spokes for my rear Factory MZ dirt wheel, right around $100 for the set. front brake rotor is same as Yamaha R6, upto 2003?

[AtomicSpew]

Hey MSW-
How long to do the swap from street-to-dirt or vice versa? I think I may have located an old set of dirt rims a few hours away from me. Rims will probably need re-lacing, but Phlat just came to the rescue again with that reference to Buchannan. I should probably have them make a set for my 17's while I'm at it, as many of my spokes are showing signs of rust.

Speaking of, anybody have suggestions at staving off rust on the spokes? Suggestions or tips on getting them re-laced, as in, what are the important factors involved here and what questions should I be asking?
Thanks all-
Flip