Wheel compatibility

[Mr Steve]

I know the '97 has a smaller set of front wheel bearings, but does anyone know how else it differs from other years for wheels?  ie. what year wheels will fit '97 axles and calipers?  I think disc bolts and rear caliper brackets were different between the years, was the disc different too?   I'm looking to replace both wheels on my '97 and wonder what parts I can use.

[RP#62]

If you treat the rear wheel / brake disk as a set, any year wheel will fit any year bike.
-RP

[Chrisj CMA]

If you treat the rear wheel / brake disk as a set, any year wheel will fit any year bike.
-RP

If Im not mistaken rear wheel / brake disk + caliper&plate need to match as well

[RP#62]

If you treat the rear wheel / brake disk as a set, any year wheel will fit any year bike.
-RP

If Im not mistaken rear wheel / brake disk + caliper&plate need to match as well

I thought so too, but I put a 2000 wheel and disk on my '97 with no problems whatsoever.
-RP

[Chrisj CMA]

If you treat the rear wheel / brake disk as a set, any year wheel will fit any year bike.
-RP

If Im not mistaken rear wheel / brake disk + caliper&plate need to match as well

I thought so too, but I put a 2000 wheel and disk on my '97 with no problems whatsoever.
-RP

cool, that actually makes sense to me, I have no first hand experience with intermixing wheels.  It would seem logical that if an engineer was to update the design of the disk mounting why change the overall perameters.

[Red Diamond]

I installed the chrome looking wheels from the 01 and up Valkyries onto my '99 I/S. Took the wheels from the I/S and installed them on the 2k Tourer. What differences did I encounter? None.

[X Ring]

I installed the chrome looking wheels from the 01 and up Valkyries onto my '99 I/S. Took the wheels from the I/S and installed them on the 2k Tourer. What differences did I encounter? None.

That's cause the wheels are the same.  Honda redesigned the rear wheel and introduced it with the '99 I/S then polished/clearcoated the wheels for all Valks in 2K.

Marty

[MP]

99 is the change.  Note the different heads on the bolts for the rotors.  Match the rotor to the wheel, and will fit anywhere.  ie, pre 99 wheel and rotor together, and 99 and later wheels and rotors together.  If you mix early with late, you will have a problem.


MP

[Mr Steve]

The polished and clearcoated wheels are what I am after.  My '97 wheels have such bad pitting that it would be close to impossible to polish them, too much metal would need to be removed.  I have a new 2001 rear on the way already, with disc.   So it sounds like I'm good to go there.  Just need a front.  Does the same hold true for the front?  Wheel and rotors as a package, or is that only rear?  

[X Ring]

Front wheel differences are the 97s use 6004 bearings and are unpolished.
'98 and later front wheels use the 6204 bearing.
'98-'99 front wheels are unpolished.
2000-2003 front wheels are polished and clearcoated.

All use the same axle and rotors.

Marty

[Red Diamond]

2000-2003 front wheels are polished and clearcoated.
______________________________________________

X Ring, the wheels on my Tourer didn't look polished and clear coated. They looked corroded and dull, that's why I installed the wheels off the I/S, they were in lot better shape than the OEM's on the Tourer. Maybe the polished and clear coated ones started a litter later.
My friend's I/S is a 2K and his is not polished and clear coated either. The polished and clear coated ones are easy to identify, with the none machined area from the axle down.

[X Ring]

2000-2003 front wheels are polished and clearcoated.
______________________________________________

X Ring, the wheels on my Tourer didn't look polished and clear coated. They looked corroded and dull, that's why I installed the wheels off the I/S, they were in lot better shape than the OEM's on the Tourer. Maybe the polished and clear coated ones started a litter later.
My friend's I/S is a 2K and his is not polished and clear coated either. The polished and clear coated ones are easy to identify, with the none machined area from the axle down.

There's always exceptions especially in changeover years.  My 2K Blue & Silver I/S' wheels are polished and clear coated.  Maybe yours is an early 2k and mine is later one.  If your not the original owner then there is always the possibility the original owner didn't care for them correctly, like using aluminum wheel cleaner not safe for clear coats or riding when there was still salt on the roads, etc.

Marty

[Mr Steve]

Thanks all, ordered a new 2001 front and 12 rotor bolts for the front from HDL.  I have a spare set of 2001 discs with under 1k mi on them I'll use.  The rear and rotor is already on it's way (trike shop find, new takeoff).  My rims are the bike's weak spot, it will be nice to have polished rims.  I'll try to get some pictures as I go.  I notice all rear wheel removal stuff in shoptalk is sans pictures.

[RP#62]

Here's the difference
-RP

[gordonv]

I've posted this before. Something I researched and copied before I bought a spare rear rim.

Post
Standard     1997 - 1999  Rear Brake Rotor is 43251-MT8-000
Standard     2000 - 2003  Rear Brake Rotor is 43251-MBY-671

Tourer       1997 - 1999  Rear Brake Rotor is 43251-MT8-000
Tourer       2000         Rear Brake Rotor is 43251-MBY-671

Interstate   1999 - 2001  Rear Brake Rotor is 43251-MBY-671


I/S wheels won't work unless ya take the disc and the caliper with it.

The wheels are all interchangeable. Differences: In 2000 and later, the rotor was different and the alignment with the caliper was off a bit. In 2001, all the wheels were polished and the area behind the rotors were just a cast surface. If you use your old rotor on the new wheel, you'll be fine.
If your bike is a '97-'99, use the old style rotor and bolts.  '00-'03, use the new style.

But the old wheel has a 1J in front of the wheel size part# located on the rough casting of rotor side, where as the newer wheels have a 2J to start. Just a note! a ST1300 rotor will fit the old wheel also. 99 Int has the new wheel.

I'm pretty sure no matter what year wheel! if you have the oem rotor for the wheel it will fit fine on any!

No.  The rotor has to match the year of the bike.  For example, if you try to install an '01 wheel on a '97 with the '01 rotor, you will have to shim the rotor so it won't hit the caliper mount.  If you install a '97 rotor on the '01 wheel, you won't have a problem.

The wheel rims are all the same. THE rotor year must match the year of the bike for the rear wheel.

Read Sandy's post above.  The match of bike year to wheel year isn't important, the bike year to rotor year is.


Car Tires - or other modifications.

Rear tire on front rim.
http://www.angelfire.com/nj3/terminalvalkocity/reversetire.html

[Ken Tarver]

put '01 wheels on my '97.....used the '97 rotors and calipers....had to "tweek" the caliper holder brackets a little.

Ken