Vf500F 17" Wheel Conversion Using Cbr600F Wheels

This is an old post from another forum but I thought I would repost here for those interested. (originally posted 06/10)

I've been working on a 17" wheel conversion for my '84 VF500F and thought I would post the progress that I've made on this project.

THANK YOU!

I am wondering if I can use the F1 caliper/hanger/torque arm, because I have it all.

Awesome work, and it looks fabulous. But I gotta ask, why all the work to go to 17" wheels, and not use radial tires??? (other than the 16/18 tires being passe')

you can get 110 140 radials

I havent done any measuring, but.......if it is as simple as lashing down this brake stay, locating the sprocket and spinning up a spacer, then I am ahead of the game.

[image: 112_8764_zpsf505cb59.jpg]

[image: 112_8766_zps668caa52.jpg]

[image: 112_8765_zps896a1f32.jpg]

There's some "patina" right there.......

timmythecop

THANK YOU!

Did I or did I not tell you IC was the man.

Great pics and info IC. Those wheels look great in that color.

IC, can you shim out the front sprocket and use the stock 600's cush drive as an alternative to machining the 600's cush to align the chain?

Kel wrote:

"With the F2 rear wheel, you can either use the stock 500 cush or a machined F2 cush. Wih the 'Cane rear, you need a machined 'Cane cush BUT...I asked IC in another thread if you can just shim the front sprocket and leave the cush as is. I guess it depends on how much room you have behind the front sprocket cover"

does this mean a 500 hub in the F1 wheel gives me alignment? (not including spacers)

timmythecop

does this mean a 500 hub in the F1 wheel gives me alignment? (not including spacers)

The 500 cush won't fit in the 'Canes wheel, 500 has 5 sets of rubbers...'Cane uses 4. The 500 does it in the F2's wheel. I used a 500 cush for many a hard mile on my R's F2 swap with no problems...much easier/cheaper than machine work.

preliminary measurement says that it is really close. Since I'm using the Hurricane caliper holder, I have the luxury of the rotor ending up wherever it goes. I need to get real numbers because I don't wanna make the mistake of just getting the chain to line up and dismissing where the wheel actually is. My head hurts..

Hey IC, any chance you can get me dimensions from you bike?

Great thread. Always good reads from IC

I did this to my 500 way back in 98, just need both CBR600 wheels, Cush & rear brake/carrier. You can use a 130/90 rear tyre to get the lost rear ride height back & push the forks up 5-10mm through the yokes. To connect the rear brake stay, I made a short torque arm from some 6mm alloy & just drilled a 10mm hole through the centre of the right side of the swingarm & fitted a 1mm walled steel bushing & an 8 mm bolt to connect the torque arm. Job done. I've got pics somewhere, but as it was so long ago, I'd have to search for them.

Kel

Great pics and info IC. Those wheels look great in that color.

IC, can you shim out the front sprocket and use the stock 600's cush drive as an alternative to machining the 600's cush to align the chain?

Shimming the front sprocket is a good idea but I have a hunch the inside clearance to the cover may be too tight...

anyone have the value of machining the f1 sprocket bosses? I wanna fie up the lathe.

IC: can you please expound on the front? I'm not understanding where the plastic sleeves you used were placed. Thanks

As for mounting a 110/70-17 on a stock CBR600F1 (Hurricane) front wheel, that is just 2,50 wide, I dont recomend it, it makes the profile to sharp in the sides and dont handle that well. I had a 110/70 on a F1 wheel front o my old 750f, and didnt like it. I perfer a 110/80-17 that has higher sides. Ok, it makes the owerall diameter of the front wheel bigger, so if you like to have a smaller OD use a 100/80-17 front tire. The stock is just 100 wide as well.

As for rear the 140/70 is spot on and also have a big OD to compensite from the stock 18" wheel

i'm yet to the point where I have to worry about tyre sizes, but I am writing all of this stuff down, thanks. I keep waffling between the F1 and the F2 swap. they both have advantages and drawbacks, but I do have the F1 wheels in hand at he moment, so for now, they are the choice. This may change.

For reference (similar sized bike with 110/70-17 and 130/70-17 tires)

[image: bikemagazinetyretestpg1.jpg]

[image: bikemagazinetyretestpg2.jpg]

[image: bikemagazinetyretestpg3.jpg]

[image: bikemagazinetyretestpg4.jpg]

timmythecop

IC: can you please expound on the front? I'm not understanding where the plastic sleeves you used were placed. Thanks

Hope this is of help:

[image: vf500fcbr600fwheelconversionfrontwh.jpg]

an option a hadn't thought about:

What if I were to place a VF750F front end on the miniceptor? I wouldnt have to machine F2 wheels in that case and I happen to have at least 2 of them laying about.

If there is something prohibitive in this, pardon my uselessness.

and sorry about the waffling.....I HAVE Hurricane wheels and I MAY have F2 wheels soon, so I am sorta thinking them both out at the same time.

You won't have to machine the wheel, but you will need to machine the speedo drive and a wheel spacer.

I might be willing to take mine apart and measure/duplicate...

Seb, even if he uses the 750 triples?

I have a 1000R front end on my 750F, in R triples, and I had to make those mods.

I believe you (i have seen your shop) but I still don't get why the wheel spacers change when the triples don't

Because the F2 wheel is wider than the F wheel. Wheel spacer needs to be cut down and the speedo drive gets milled down, and gets a ring added on the wheel side to fit in the space of the larger F2 speedo drive.

Duh...F2 wheel - not 16" VF wheel...i need a beer.

I too am going to convert my 86 VF500F2F to 17 inch wheels. I really like the look of what IC has done with the F1 wheels but the choice of rubber is far greater with the F2. If I have read it right you lose the centre stand with the F2 conversion but can keep it with the F1?

The biggest issue I have at the moment is the rear caliper. and carrier options. I see that some have used a VTR1000 (Superhawk) carrier and caliper. These seem to be the same as later model CBR600 (F4?) and can be found on Ebay really easily.

The question I have is does the VF500 rear caliper fit onto the VTR/Superhawk carrier or must I use the VTR caliper too?

(My VF500 is in very good condition so I would like to use as much of the original bike as possible. The various new spacers and cush drive machining I can handle OK)

with either F1 or f2 wheels, I am using a 600 hurricane brake hanger because it works and I have one.

timmythecop

with either F1 or f2 wheels, I am using a 600 hurricane brake hanger because it works and I have one.

OK, thanks for that. They seem to be plentiful on Ebay too. How will you stop it rotating when you apply the brakes? Will you fashion some kind of torque arm attached to the swingarm? (Can you confirm the VF500 caliper fits this hanger or do you plan on using an alternative?)

My hanger has the torque arm still attached. I will lash it on there somewhere (there are many options) I think the vf caliper fits, but I havent checked because I have a hurricane caliper on it. Here is a recent mock up

[image: 112_8764_zpsf505cb59.jpg]

InvisibleCities

timmythecop

IC: can you please expound on the front? I'm not understanding where the plastic sleeves you used were placed. Thanks

Hope this is of help:

I did this to mine in 2001 according to the picture date stamp, so here's some pics from that time. To make a torque arm for the rear brake, I just drilled a 10mm hole through the swingarm & put a steel bush in it with an 8mm bolt. Then made a short torque arm to run from the caliper to the bolt head inside the swingarm. Dirty but effective :)

[image: vfrightside1.jpg]

[image: vfleftside1.jpg]

There's a bunch more via this link in my imageshack gallery. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/855/vfrsrearwheel.jpg/

Including before & after shots.

Many thanks for those. Although I can't see from the pictures where you drilled the hole? Did your arrangement allow for the wheel to move back and forth to permit chain tensioning?

I think I can see you used the VF caliper? Your bike looks pretty much like mine except for the Predator exhaust (and wheels of course).

timmythecop

InvisibleCities

timmythecop

IC: can you please expound on the front? I'm not understanding where the plastic sleeves you used were placed. Thanks

Hope this is of help:

are you saying that after I put 500 bearings in the 600 wheels there is still space to make up when using the 500 axle?

The UHMD sleeve makes the transition between the VF500F speedo drive and the CBR600F dust seal.

[image: vf500fcbr600fwheelconversionfrontwh.jpg]

For reference a few additional photos of the custom rear brake caliper carrier installed with the 17" CBR600F wheel:

[image: dspbracket07-05-10.jpg]

[image: brakecaliper03_zps055f7897.jpg]

[image: brakecaliper02_zpsbcf8a8dd.jpg]

[image: brakecaliper01_zps589a50a2.jpg]

timmythecop

My hanger has the torque arm still attached. I will lash it on there somewhere (there are many options) I think the vf caliper fits, but I havent checked because I have a hurricane caliper on it. Here is a recent mock up[image: 112_8764_zpsf505cb59.jpg]

[image: post-2080-0-05921700-1427891254.jpg]

I used the 600 caliper & mount which is why it requires a stay arm, the 500's has a sliding lug like the custom one shown above. As far as I can remember the only thing needed was a spacer on one of the axles, the front just bolts in.

My old bike is for sale by the mate I sold it to, for approx £1000. I've not seen it for over ten years, so no idea how well he's kept it, I know it didn't get a lot of use & he might have dropped it. If you are interested & in the UK, PM me & I'll put you in touch. He lives near Guildford IIRC.

Interesting even I know I will keep the stock wheels on my bike for a given reason. These CBR wheels (be it F1 or F2) give a broader range of tire choices, 5 makers at the moment for the stock wheels, Metzeler Lastertec, Bridgestone BT45, Pirelli SportDemon, Heidenau K65 and Kenda K671F/K657....

I did the 17inch conversion in 2013 and posted earlier in the thread.. As virtually everyone who does it will testify, it's a great mod to do. The 16/18inch wheels are not bad but my F2 wheels with modern rubber put the handling into a different (better) category.

VFRbert has a stash of RC24 wheels. So if they fit, you can stop by his place as you head north, strap one one the back..... :-)

[image: 903478_10200999244883056_1526118255_o.jp]

Dutchy

VFRbert has a stash of RC24 wheels. So if they fit, you can stop by his place as you head north, strap one one the back..... :-)

Wrong size, they're all 18-16 inch original rc24 sets. The 17 inch set is only available with a bike bolted on them, for the right price :goofy:

Keny is off course always welcome for a cup of coffee on his trip back home.

VFRBert

Dutchy

VFRbert has a stash of RC24 wheels. So if they fit, you can stop by his place as you head north, strap one one the back..... :-)

Wrong size, they're all 18-16 inch original rc24 sets. The 17 inch set is only available with a bike bolted on them, for the right price :goofy:

Keny is off course always welcome for a cup of coffee on his trip back home.

Thanks, Bert!

If I change to the longer ferry, shorter ride I do have time to ride by yours!

I let you know