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Wider rear tire for xs750


KDiDP
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I was wondering if anyone knows a (simple?)way to get a wider rear tire for a 78 xs750 special. I would prefer to avoid any major welding but I am open to suggestions that would require it too.

For those unfamiliar with this bike, it is a shaft drive so it's not just a simple matter of getting a wider rim and spacers for the sprocket/pulleys to get proper chain/belt alignment.

So far I've come up with:

1. cutting apart the swingarm or a few swingarms and rewelding them to allow for a wider wheel

2. getting a swingarm for a different bike with a wider wheel and adapting my frame to take the swingarm.

3. converting it to chain or belt drive.

Also, I am aware that the 850's had a wider back tire but I was hoping to get a little more width than a 130/90. Preferably a 150 width or more.

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You would need pretty much to convert to chain drive to make this happen. While it could be possible to fabricate what would be needed to use a wider wheel with the shaft, it may be a problem with shaft angle (the shaft would have to both rotate in the outward direction as well as up and down, that may cause wear problems.)

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So basically I would need to be able to mount the shaft and shaft gearing outward(farther to the left from driver perspective) from the transmission casing to keep the shaft angle the same.

The shaft casing on the swingarm(and associated welded parts) has about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch that it could be moved towards the left side so I would need to buy a few old swingarms to cut up and weld together and I would have to figure out a way to shift the middle gear to the left and then it should work ok, right?

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So basically I would need to be able to mount the shaft and shaft gearing outward(farther to the left from driver perspective) from the transmission casing to keep the shaft angle the same.

The shaft casing on the swingarm(and associated welded parts) has about 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch that it could be moved towards the left side so I would need to buy a few old swingarms to cut up and weld together and I would have to figure out a way to shift the middle gear to the left and then it should work ok, right?

That is correct. Frankly the XS1100 crowed has found that it's far less work to fabricate a chain drive for a fat rear tire. That and frankly you do get more power to the rear wheel with a chain that with a shaft. I like the low maint of the shaft, but I think if I was going to go to a fat rear tire I would go chain drive in the process. More rubber on the road means I want more of the power getting to the wheel.

Now I don't know about the 750, but my 1100 will lift the front wheel without popping the clutch if I really crack the throttle. Now this thing ways a ton with me on it, and I'm sure a 750 weighs less, and on clean dry pavement I can't get the rear tire to brake loose without lifting the front wheel, so I'm not sure what I would do with MORE traction (I'm not addressing the looks part of it which may be what your looking for anyways). Heck, I don't have enough clearance to lay this thing down enough to need a bigger tire for that either, but I think it would be possible, but I think it would take a lot of machine work to get there, and quite precision machine work at that.

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It's gonna be a bit of planning before I actually go and do this, but I'll definitely be posting pictures of what I do if I cut apart the swing-arm. Also, once the transmission starts giving me problems I'm going to rebuild and re-gear it for better highway driving and to smooth out the transition from 1st to 2nd. the way it is now 1st and 2nd gears eat themselves up when shifting between the two.

edit: ...And the look is a large part of why I'm doing it. a 110/90 18 is just a little too narrow for my tastes.

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  • 1 year later...

I was wondering if anyone knows a (simple?)way to get a wider rear tire for a 78 xs750 special. I would prefer to avoid any major welding but I am open to suggestions that would require it too.

For those unfamiliar with this bike, it is a shaft drive so it's not just a simple matter of getting a wider rim and spacers for the sprocket/pulleys to get proper chain/belt alignment.

So far I've come up with:

1. cutting apart the swingarm or a few swingarms and rewelding them to allow for a wider wheel

2. getting a swingarm for a different bike with a wider wheel and adapting my frame to take the swingarm.

3. converting it to chain or belt drive.

Also, I am aware that the 850's had a wider back tire but I was hoping to get a little more width than a 130/90. Preferably a 150 width or more.

hi there

I'm just wondering how you got on.

please let us know.

I ride xs triples too

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