Adventure Supermoto
- Thread starter Neil W
- Start date
a pic of mine
Yup, lovely.
I remember you posting a piccy of a bike that looked very similar to that as a study of what yours looked like. The silver and black really go well together...
I was stuck for a front mudguard replacement that wasn't going to take an age to engineer, or cost the earth. On my '10, I ended up trimming the front of the standard mudguard by about 20mm, the rear by about 80mm, and spacing the guard down by 50mm using aluminium spacers and longer screws.
Unless you look really close, you can't tell that the mudguard install wasn't done at the factory.
It worked so well, I did exactly the same on my '09 too...Bendy toy
Registered user
GS wheels give a similar look but it handles exactly the same as with wire wheels.
BTW, the wheels are actually shiny black but it needs a clean.
BTW, the wheels are actually shiny black but it needs a clean.
Neil, would you mind if I contacted you off-site? Can you forward me a mail addy?
I want to help double-check some of the measurements above and figure out a workable solution to the offset, but I'm currently unfamiliar with some of the reference points you used. It would be far easier for me to make a pencil sketch, scan it and E-mail it to you.
I'm probably in the best position to do this, since I have immediate access to two K1200S rear wheels, a standard R1200GSA wire wheel, an R1200RT wheel and an F800ST wheel...
Geez you fella's have been busy, now regarding the offset I'm sure your fully aware some BMW bikes from new ran offset ! I did plenty of miles touring Europe on my red beast without any issues and even if i took my hands off the bars it tracked perfectly straight.
The carbon ilmberger mudguard on mine was from a k1200s cut down, i do like the f8st mudguard, looks quite smart .
Now I'm wanting to do this all again !
The carbon ilmberger mudguard on mine was from a k1200s cut down, i do like the f8st mudguard, looks quite smart .
Now I'm wanting to do this all again !
red line
Registered user
what about the R1200S wheel ??
Good to see you here again!
Yep, that's the beauty of this conversion - it's actually dead easy.
And there's a bonus - because the GS and GSA's 'traditional' owners are peeps in their late 40s to late 50s, encountering one that's been 'Moto'd' at the lights is not like encountering the local have-a-go hero on his Gixer/YZF/CBR/Whatever, giving it the Billy Big Bollocks in his paddock jacket and dark visor... no one EXPECTS you to be riding it like a nutter.
He may not have had one for direct comparison.
I understand the situation is different in the UK, but here in SA, the R1200S was quite rare at the best of times. Most potential customers got sucked into buying ZX-12Rs and Hayabusas for less money... Silly, silly, silly.
red line
Registered user
Good to see you here again!
Yep, that's the beauty of this conversion - it's actually dead easy.
And there's a bonus - because the GS and GSA's 'traditional' owners are peeps in their late 40s to late 50s, encountering one that's been 'Moto'd' at the lights is not like encountering the local have-a-go hero on his Gixer/YZF/CBR/Whatever, giving it the Billy Big Bollocks in his paddock jacket and dark visor... no one EXPECTS you to be riding it like a nutter.
He may not have had one for direct comparison.
I understand the situation is different in the UK, but here in SA, the R1200S was quite rare at the best of times. Most potential customers got sucked into buying ZX-12Rs and Hayabusas for less money... Silly, silly, silly.
had to wait two years before i bought the S rims off THIS site
i think they have done their rounds, as i think they used to be Yonko's
had to wait two years before i bought the S rims off THIS site
i think they have done their rounds, as i think they used to be Yonko's
The S rear rim that SHOULD have joined it's front cousin and found it's way onto my '09 had quite a history, too...
Both rims went to a fellow in Boksburg who had a canary-yellow '09 GSA he wanted to 'Moto. The guy played around for a bit before doing the conversion with R1200ST rims instead. The rear was then returned, and installed on another bike which was sold. The front came to me, and joined the K1200S rear rim I already had on the bike...
The K rim complements the S front rim perfectly. If you're REALLY in the mood to niggle, you can tell it turns the 'wrong' way, but I'm not really fussed at all.
The ideal engineering solution if you want the rt rear rim to run central would be to maching 3mm off the mating face of the wheel and then have 3mm machined from the mating face of the rear wheel mounting flange which would prevent either item ending up significantly weakened BUT this would mean that it would effect the offset of the standard wire wheels .
I very much doubt that running with the wrong offset will effect handling but the 5.5 rim is heavier as is its tyre and it is carrying this weight offset further away from the mounting face so it will no doubt put extra strain on the final drive bearings .
I very much doubt that running with the wrong offset will effect handling but the 5.5 rim is heavier as is its tyre and it is carrying this weight offset further away from the mounting face so it will no doubt put extra strain on the final drive bearings .
Bendy toy
Registered user
A 3mm spacer plate would allow the standard wheel to fit and could be laser cut at low cost.
You don't even need to go that far.
3mm and 5mm 'universal' wheel spacers for cars are fairly commonly available from automotive accessory stores. At least here.
You can use a K-series front wheel for this conversion.
A small update, but one that might be welcome news for some: it is possible to use a K-series front wheel on R-series.
I've been meaning to check this out for some time, and last night I finally made some time to do it. Some notes:
1. The brake-disc mounting surfaces need to be machined down by 3.5mm each side. The brake disc PCD is universal between F-, R- and K-series, so the 305mm GS brake discs will fit a K-series front wheel.
2. There is at least 5mm of clearance between the wheel hub and the fork legs.
3. It's easy to get the latitudinal spacing of the wheel hub correct in relation to the fork legs, because like R-series, K-series wheels use hubs with symmetrical side-to-side dimensions (it's only F-series hubs which are assymetric).
4. The wheel bearing inner races are exactly the same dimensions between K-series and R-series. This means a perfect fit between the races and axle.
5. After some careful thought, I decided the way to go would be to use an R-series front axle and axle spacer.
The wheel-bearing race outer surfaces are spaced 90mm apart on R-series, but at 130mm on K-series. This means that for the axle and axle spacer to locate the wheel properly, the wheel-bearing race outer surface contact point of the front axle needs to be machined outward by 20mm (at a diameter of 25mm for the race to be located properly).
6. The front axle spacer likewise needs to be reduced in width by 20mm. I'd suggest taking material off the OUTER end so the oil-seal contact surface stays intact.
7. You won't be able to use R-series oil seals on a K-series wheel - the dimensions between both are totally different.
I haven't yet looked for oil seals that will do the dual job of locating properly in the wheel hub while sealing against the axle and spacer (different seals will be needed for left and right), but it shouldn't be a labour of Heracles.
...This clears the way for me to use my spare set of K1200S wheels for another GS 'Moto conversion.
Me be happy bunny!
A small update, but one that might be welcome news for some: it is possible to use a K-series front wheel on R-series.
I've been meaning to check this out for some time, and last night I finally made some time to do it. Some notes:
1. The brake-disc mounting surfaces need to be machined down by 3.5mm each side. The brake disc PCD is universal between F-, R- and K-series, so the 305mm GS brake discs will fit a K-series front wheel.
2. There is at least 5mm of clearance between the wheel hub and the fork legs.
3. It's easy to get the latitudinal spacing of the wheel hub correct in relation to the fork legs, because like R-series, K-series wheels use hubs with symmetrical side-to-side dimensions (it's only F-series hubs which are assymetric).
4. The wheel bearing inner races are exactly the same dimensions between K-series and R-series. This means a perfect fit between the races and axle.
5. After some careful thought, I decided the way to go would be to use an R-series front axle and axle spacer.
The wheel-bearing race outer surfaces are spaced 90mm apart on R-series, but at 130mm on K-series. This means that for the axle and axle spacer to locate the wheel properly, the wheel-bearing race outer surface contact point of the front axle needs to be machined outward by 20mm (at a diameter of 25mm for the race to be located properly).
6. The front axle spacer likewise needs to be reduced in width by 20mm. I'd suggest taking material off the OUTER end so the oil-seal contact surface stays intact.
7. You won't be able to use R-series oil seals on a K-series wheel - the dimensions between both are totally different.
I haven't yet looked for oil seals that will do the dual job of locating properly in the wheel hub while sealing against the axle and spacer (different seals will be needed for left and right), but it shouldn't be a labour of Heracles.
...This clears the way for me to use my spare set of K1200S wheels for another GS 'Moto conversion.
Me be happy bunny!
Bendy toy
Registered user
I always use wheel bearings with integral seals then grease the standard seal lips so they dont burn out on bare metal. They are now effectively just dust seals so If the old seals look ok I just put them back in.
+1 on both counts.
The factory bearings have integral seals, so it's a bit 'belt-and-braces' - on paper.
In the real world, I believe ball- and roller-bearings need as much protection from the elements as they can get...
If you want a faster bike with 17 inch wheels, which turns better than a GSA, then why not buy a faster bike, with 17 inch wheels that'l turn better than a GSA 
I wanted to have a go with 17 inch wheels on my gsa because I can.
As for buying a bike with 17 inch wheels as standard I've ridden the r1200r, r1200 r classic , the r1200rt and numerous 1150's that had 17 inch rims as standard but they feel cramped and I prefer the riding postion of the gsa.
Same reason as I have standard and supermoto wheels for my xr250 and own a customised katana they're my bikes and it's my choice.
As for buying a bike with 17 inch wheels as standard I've ridden the r1200r, r1200 r classic , the r1200rt and numerous 1150's that had 17 inch rims as standard but they feel cramped and I prefer the riding postion of the gsa.
Same reason as I have standard and supermoto wheels for my xr250 and own a customised katana they're my bikes and it's my choice.
If you want a faster bike with 17 inch wheels, which turns better than a GSA, then why not buy a faster bike, with 17 inch wheels that'l turn better than a GSA
Oh, I don't know... Maybe, some of us don't particularly want to be yet another generic dude on a CBR 600?
As Sir Edmund Hillary so famously didn't say: "If there was a mountain of cocaine in my backyard, I'd do it - because it was there."
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