lacing a kz1000a front hub to 18inch rim

buchannon's stocks the rims which are blanks and drills them per order. as i said before i don't think a kz1000A rear rim would work because the rear hub is conical where as the front hub is standard the holes are drilled at different angles per side because of this.. It would be possible to get a harley (or other) rim and use it if it was drilled for a hub of similar dimensions.

I've got questions in with several vendors and wheel builders. So far I have heard back from two of them and both said if it's got 40 holes it will work. For example, I specifically asked z1-parts-inc if the stock KZ replacement rear rim they sell would work with a front hub and they responded with, "If the hub is 40 holes ,yes it will fit".

I bought my 3.5" x 18 aluminum Excel rim on eBay and had it laced to my KZ rear hub. It was not listed as fitting any specific bikes. I never even gave the hole angle a thought. Does it seem likely that I just got lucky? To your point DoctoRot, why would the rims at Buchanan's be available drilled or undrilled if there weren't different options available? it seems there is something to what you're saying but there sure are a lot of conflicting opinions out there.

DoctoRot wrote: The rear KZ1000A rim will not work correctly with your 1000A front hub. As Dr. Gamma said, the rear hub is much wider in diameter than the front, and is also what is called a "conical" hub, meaning one side of the hub is wider in diameter than the other. This is reflected in how the spoke holes in the rim are drilled. the wider side has a more acute spoke angle to the rim. This will not translate to your font hub which is standard and the same diameter on both sides. Here is a 1000A rear wheel i laced with a 18" Excell rim. notice the difference between spoke angles.

All rims are drilled specifically for the hub. If you are even able to lace the rear rim to the front hub the spokes will bow, causing them to stretch under load. This could lead to total wheel failure. if you want a 18" wheel upfront you will need to find one that has been specifically drilled for your hub, unless you really do want a Kamakazie1000.

The KZ400 wheel uses a 15mm axle and the KZ1000A uses a 17mm. the KZ400 hub diameter and width may be very close to the KZ1000A, so a rim swap might be possible. maybe other members can chime in with some info on wheel swaps they have done.

So this Excel rim had to be oriented correctly to align the correct holes with the corresponding side of the hub? if the rim were flipped, it wouldn't work, right? In the case of a KZ1000 rear hub, the rim has to have a "brake" side and a "sprocket" side. How did you know which side to put where? They put the stamped info on the left side (sprocket) of mine and I've read that the info should be on the right....don't know if that's true.

79MKII wrote:
So this Excel rim had to be oriented correctly to align the correct holes with the corresponding side of the hub? if the rim were flipped, it wouldn't work, right? In the case of a KZ1000 rear hub, the rim has to have a "brake" side and a "sprocket" side. How did you know which side to put where? They put the stamped info on the left side (sprocket) of mine and I've read that the info should be on the right....don't know if that's true.

Correct. from what Buchannons told me, and what i observed, the rim had to be orientated correctly to the hub to lace properly. Just by carefully examining the holes i determined that the holes that were more acute were the sprocket side. Bucahnons writes which side is which but i had the rim immediately powder coated and forgot to take note. It seemed pretty obvious which side is which. i don't think it would be possible to lace it incorrectly because the angles are so different.

79MKII wrote: I've got questions in with several vendors and wheel builders. So far I have heard back from two of them and both said if it's got 40 holes it will work. For example, I specifically asked z1-parts-inc if the stock KZ replacement rear rim they sell would work with a front hub and they responded with, "If the hub is 40 holes ,yes it will fit".

I bought my 3.5" x 18 aluminum Excel rim on eBay and had it laced to my KZ rear hub. It was not listed as fitting any specific bikes. I never even gave the hole angle a thought. Does it seem likely that I just got lucky? To your point DoctoRot, why would the rims at Buchanan's be available drilled or undrilled if there weren't different options available? it seems there is something to what you're saying but there sure are a lot of conflicting opinions out there.

I could see and 40 hole rim that was drilled for a standard hub working properly in most applications because most hubs are about the same size. However if you had a rim drilled for a very large hub, like a BIG drum brake im not sure it would. If you could lace a rim drilled for a conical hub, I personally wouldn't use it because the stresses put on the spokes would be different side to side. which may cause the spokes to bow and stretch. I would call places that specifically deal with building wheels as with most things people with the least knowledge seem the most sure. :whistle: dont listen to me. : :silly: call Buchcnnons or the Wheelmaster. I took my first set of wheels to the Wheelmaster to check my work because that last thing i want is the wheel to come apart.

OK, you have me convinced. Buchanan's certainly wouldn't mark which side was which if it didn't matter.

Now I have to check the rim I just had laced to make sure all the angles look OK..... :pinch:

I won't mention their name, but here is what I heard from somebody that specifically deals with building wheels, and is selling a "HD HARLEY 40 HOLE RIM SPOKE CUSTOM CHOPPER " rim.

Me: Hi,
This rim is steel?
Could you lace it to a '78 KZ1000 front hub? It's a 40 spoke hub.
Thanks


Their Reply: "Hello, Yes I don't see why not? I would have to have some Special Spokes Made unless you can supply them? In Stainless Steel it would be $125. for the Set. (Spokes & Nipples) and we charge $75. to Lace & True. We are the Best at what we do and have been Building Stock and Custom Wheels for Over 38 Years. "

It probably is one of those cases, where you could probably get by with a rim that wasn't drilled for the hub but you can make it work, although its not ideal. Like how Emgo sells generic shocks that work fine, but if you spend a little extra money you get some shocks that are set up for your weight and type of riding, you will be happier with the ride. Wheel failure for me is not something I personally would really want test the limits of, a cheap pair of Emgo shocks on the other hand... well, those are on the 650 right now. :lol:

Sorry to hijack but does anyone know what hub I would use on a gsxr 600 swingarm I found a company that sells a complete front rim but not one for the rear and I'm not sure what rear hub I need.
PLEASE HELP!!
sorry again for butting in

There is not going to be a "bolt on" option. Depending on your skills or amount of money your willing to throw at it pretty much any hub will fit. I would determine the GSXR axle diameter and look for a hub with that size axle. Make sure you get a rear hub with a cush drive and sprocket carrier. wheel spacers will have to be made. good luck.