z650 18" front wheel swap

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I'm in the process of modifying a Z650 F2 -81. I'm from Sweden and here it's called Z650 not KZ650 this makes googling parts compatibility etc a hassle!
Right now i'm looking at options to swap my 19" dual disk cast alloy wheel for a 18" to be able to run matching tires front and rear.

This is how the bike stands today.


This is the the wheel I would like to fit on there


From searching the forum I get that the Z1R alloy wheel fit but if this police version fit is unclear.
So any help before I order this wheel from the UK to Sweden would be nice.

Regards - Marcus

We never got the 650F1 in the US so its harder to find info. This topic has been discussed before on here but i don't recall seeing if it was a straight bolt on swap. Your disks will fit on that bolt pattern, and the axles are the same diameter which are the critical areas. I would guess that its probably a direct swap. you may need to get some wheel spacers made. which is relatively inexpensive.

Thanks you!

I have order the wheel and will make a follow up on how it fits when I get it.

In the USA there was the KZ650-F1, but we did not get the later F2/F3/F4 models.
The 650-F1 is listed in the diagrams at Kawaski.com & Partzilla. Partzilla is easiest. I don't know if the wheels are the same or different.
The 81 KZ650 Kawasaki service manual may be helpful >> a pdf is available & it covers the F2 model. see link below.

You'll figure it out soon enough, but the 1000P wheel is probably wider than your 650 wheel. My neighbor put a wider 1000 Fr wheel on his 82 KZ650 >> the speedo drive unit couldn't be oriented correctly, but this apparently isn't problematic. I think he had to fiddle with the spacers or swap spacers or something. I don't recall exactly, but that wasn't a big problem either.

Kawasaki KZ650 service manual. jarlef z650. the 1981 KZ650 pdf manual is in the Files section.
....

So I got the wheel today and noticed some big differences in the width of the center of the rim.

My original wheel is 105 mm between the discs and the Z1000P is 130 mm.

So I will have to get a new front end or if I'm lucky new top and bottom yokes that is wider than the Z650.

I have measured my stock front and the legs seems to be 40 mm in diameter and 185 mm between them.

If I'm right this would mean I need a yoke with 210 mm center to center? Does anyone know if this exist? Or if there is a list with specs of the different models?

My logic say a Z1000P front wheel needs a Z1000P top and bottom yokes or front end.

This seems to be where I'm headed at this point
This sunday's vacuuming of the internet seems to tell me that the Z1000P have 41mm fork legs so the yokes won't be enough I will need the complete front end. And then I haven't found anything on the caliper fitment yet..

That’s a bummer. Always a risk when you’re blazing trails like this. I have quite a few parts on the shelf I bought to see if they would fit and it didn’t work out. I would opt for getting a complete kz1000p front end at this point. Not the cheapest alternative but probably the easiest. I would cross reference the steering bearings between the two models before going deeper.

I'm quite happy with the front end project even tough it got a bit harder then I thought This bike will probably not be ridden this year anyway since it's the end of the summer here in Sweden.

I will look in to the option of putting the wheel in the lathe tonight, I might be able to shave 12.5 mm of each and of the hub.

One big problem with buying the whole front end is that the Z1000P was newer sold in Sweden so all parts have to be shipped over seas.

Marcushakansson wrote:
I will look in to the option of putting the wheel in the lathe tonight, I might be able to shave 12.5 mm of each and of the hub.

I will do some measuring on my GPZ1100 bikes on the front end and spare wheel parts today for you. Maybe you can use this front end for your wheel swap.

Hi Marcus and welcome to KZriders.
I sent you a PM.

//A

Check into the KZ550 or some of the later KZ440 front wheel options.


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