Just starting out

Hello everyone
I just got my 82 ltd 440 this is a running bike. But not to much else good to say about it. I plan on taking it apart and doing some kind of bobber cafe racer hybrid thing not sure yet. Lots of ideas bouncing around. I have a spare front tire and was wondering if anyone has tried to use this as a rear tire to give it that skinny look also what swing arm are out there to strech out the back end alittle. Thanks I will post picks soon

Front is a 19" wheel rear is a 16" tire will not fit.

Where's the emoticon of a man pounding his head into the wall when you need it?????????

I'm a 63 year old gear head, you're looking for a 17 year old answer. The best I can help is to go fix myself another drink and check on my pizza.

A 19" tire on a 16" rim might be just a tad loose. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Is joke - no? Ed

Play nice. He didn't say the spare front tire was for the same bike. Maybe it's a 16" front tire? Maybe he just didn't bother to check. Either way, let's offer as much help as we can.

The rear tires on these old KZs tend to be pretty skinny by modern standards. Most folks try to put wider rear tires on for better handling and longer wear.

In general there are some tires you'll see sold as front/rear. But I wouldn't put a front only designed tire on the rear even if it fit. The tire profiles tend to be pretty different. Rears are flatter for more stability and fronts are optimized for steering. I seem to remember hearing you also have to reverse the rotation direction if you do this, though I'm not sure if that's true or why it would be.

But in general I think the answer to your question is that this is not a good idea.

You're correct, he did not say the front tire was from the same bike. However, I do not know of any motorcycles that came with a skinny 16" front tire (16" is the rear wheel size), so I still believe he is referring to a tire that is for the front of the same bike. If I am wrong maybe he will provide more specific information. Ed

Thanks guys. I appreciate all the great sarcasm I guess I should have said the rear tire and rim. Sorry to bother the experts with my silly questions. But I will have many more to come as I am just starting out. Also. I posting from my iPad but when I try to add photos nothing happens.

No, you really cant use a front wheel as a back. There isnt any way to mount the cush drive and sprocket, why would you want to do that? In general front wheels can only go on the front rear only on the rear.

Hi Rocky and welcome.

All I'm going to say in this introduction is to get to know your bike FIRST. Get a Kawasaki factory service manual on ebey and look through it. When you are ready wrench that bike until it is running good and strong. Then ride it to understand how it handles the road. Ride it some more, wrench it plenty, Ride, ride, ride.

After about 500 miles you will probably come back to the forum with a different perspective. I think your bike would make a great bober/racer but unless you understand it, your journey will be nothing but an uphill battle without the results you have in mind.

Do you have the airbox?

... just my 79 cents.

Thanks lineartist I have already started tearing it down. So riding it around is not an option. I have had bikes before just never worked on one till now But I look forward to learning as I go. Also I do have the air box. Why do you ask?

That bike without the airbox is notoriously finicky to tune and somerimes wont run at all.

I'm asuming you want to put that 650 wheel on the rear to ditch the drum brake IMHO the drum is better looking less prone to failure (get new shoes wont ever lock up) and has less parts to go bad. To swap to a disc you would need a full swingarm, rear wheel, sprocket carrier, master cylinder and a way to mount it, then find a way to adapt the belt to it, or a front sprocket set up. Would be just as much hassle as upgrading to a modern set up.

My take, not worth the hassle to me at least, why my 550 still sports a perfect workingndrum brakemset up